Marcus Can Blog

Intel has been (or still is) a very good company, no doubt. And despite the stressful situation that everyone is currently into, most employees will still agree that Intel Philippines has tried as much as possible to show how each one of us has been so valuable that our personal or career development is one of the priorities.

This was once again proven when today the good people from our employees services (ES) group arranged another Beyond the Cube session. This is a series of sessions wherein external corporate speakers are invited to talk to the employees on different topics that Intel thinks is of interest to the majority – one good way to break some routines and let the employees hear great thoughts from the world outside of our cube (or manufacturing floor). Although I’ve heard about this program before, this is my first time to attend such.

Today the speaker is Pido Aguilar Jr. who at first got most of my colleagues worried about what might happen during the talks when we saw him pass by in a weird-looking garb which I told them reminds me of a Video Zonkers episode. We almost cancelled attending the session, but then again the thought of spending another 5 more hours doing absolutely nothing in front of our laptops convinced us to check the session out. We eventually signed up and settled in the session room with full of anticipation and anxiety. To my surprise, I find the room almost packed…well, go figure.

Mr. Pido started the session trying to be candid probably to loosen up the attendees as he may have sensed that most are expecting that this session better be good. By around 10 AM, he opened up by saying something like, “I don’t need you to believe me…but all I’m asking is for you to open your mind during this 2-hour session.” The session went on.

Interestingly, Mr. Pido soon got everyone’s attention as the session went interactive with the activities that got almost all of the attendees’ participation. Every now and then, the room bursts into a belly-busting laughter as he amused everyone with his funny expressions, humorous examples and other anecdotes that filled the room with smiling yet attentive audiences.

In this session, Mr. Pido shared 7 ways to attract and radiate abundance which he said comes from within everyone’s self.

1. I Smile. I couldn’t agree more when he said that by having a truthful smile at the start of the day does attract and sets what one’s day will be like. He said, “try smiling…then at the same time say that you hate someone”, it just cannot be done. Unless, you’re that character from the movie Psycho.
2. I LIVE in the PRESENT! If you keep on thinking about the past, you miss to live the present. If you keep on thinking about the future is just as harmful. The first is a “has been” while the second may not even come at all. So living in the present may indeed by the sanest thing we can do right now.
3. I ALWAYS express THANKS! This one got almost 40 minutes of the session when Mr. Pido made everyone think of and say 1 reason what he/she’s thankful of today. It may be because of a person, thing, event, etc. as long as he/she thinks is worth thanking for. The mic went from one attendee to the other and it’s interesting to hear everyone’s piece. This he said is proof that there’s just so much for us to be thankful for if you really think about it. There was even who said that he’s thankful that Intel (Philippines) is closing. Remember the saying, “when one door closes, the other one opens”?
4. I REMEMBER: Nothing lasts! I was expecting that this one only refers to the bad things just so to give hope to everyone that at the end of every trial is a resolution. I was wrong, however and I’m glad I learned why. This is because according to Mr. Pido, this actually applies to both the good and bad things in our life. He said that by also remembering that good things don’t last we get to appreciate and cherish it more. Now, the ad line: “offer is good while supply lasts”, just made more sense to me.
   
5. I CHOOSE to be POSITIVE! Mr. Pido said that even if you forgot or was forced to be negative at one point even after committing to be positive, the key here is to get back on track ASAP and choose to be positive again. I immediately related this one to my driving. Since this year I said that I can do better with regards to my driving temperament. So far, I still got to honk at someone else but I’m quite sure that it has gotten less and less lately…Maybe if I lose the car after being unemployed it will be zero. No question about it, huh?! Ti abi.
6. I LET GO, I LET GOD. Everyone in the room was asked by Mr. Pido, “Why do you think God can’t be God?” There was a couple of silent moment, then he answered it himself, “…that’s because you don’t let him be!” Most of the time we have been so full of energy, motivation, enthusiasm or eagerness to solve our problems that we do forget that these are after all part of God’s plan for us. So next time, let’s pause for awhile and instead consult with God if what we’re planning to do is aligned with his so that we don’t get frustrated in the end.
   
7. YES, I MOVE ON! This is one phrase with two key points. First is the word YES which affirms our willingness to face the challenge. Second are the words I MOVE ON which complements our affirmation. And if you take a look at it, both will work as our one big commitment to transition to the next part of our lives and/or career.
   

During the start of the session, Mr. Pido Aguilar Jr. actually asked every attendee in the room one favor – for us to bring home and share whatever we have learned and believed may be significant to others as well. There was a chorus of “Yes, I will…” So I’m now sticking to that promise which I silently whispered in the midst of a jam-packed room and in front of the man in the weird-looking garb.

 ***

Pido Aguilar Jr. may be contacted thru telefax number (02)725-749. His email adds are: abundancecorp@gmail.com & abundancecorp@yahoo.com .

Mood: 3/10 Honks!

I’m quite sure that at one point of every person’s life there came a time when he’s into a situation so desperate and frustrating that he would have nearly called it quits. I for one had several of those situations when my life almost seems to have had crumbled and that the feeling of not being able to get out of it is so overwhelming. Believe me these ranges from the trivial such as just a quarrel with a sibling to the gravest such as getting into a car accident. And believe me, during these times I just wish I was never born at all.

I’m also quite sure that whether you’re a firm believer of God, Allah or any other divine being (well, except maybe for the atheist) or not, during these times calling them for help may seem to be the only rational thing to do. For some Catholics, they may even have uttered and summoned all of the names of the Saints just with the hope that doing so will somehow ease the emotional or physical pain they feel on that very moment.

For me, one thing that I always put in mind is that every after trial I had or will still have, there is always the hope that I will get over with it soon. It’s called transition. And like what I learned from one training last year, there’s a clear distinction between change and transition. Consider being in a break up. That situation is change. Getting over with it is called transition. It does not matter if you’ve recovered right after or several months later, I’m very sure that sooner or later you’ll be able to smile all about it.

And now that I’m just waiting to be soon among the most “IN” person this year of recession – that is, the jobless – I’m actually more excited than scared or worried. I can’t wait to see what is waiting for me (and my family) until the end of 2009. But what I know that someday, I’ll be out there with my kid (or kids) and wife (no plural here) facing the golden sunset with beer in hand while enjoying the splashing waves and the smell of the salty air.

***

Resilient pinoys

If there’s one word that I hated the most when it comes to describing the pinoys, it’s the word resilient. I believe that this is the most abused or overused by journalists or even inspirational speakers especially when used during times of crisis. I hated reading or hearing, what might be already considered as cliché, “the Filipinos will get over with it…the Filipinos are resilient people…like bamboos that sway wherever the wind blows…” Now, that doubt is about to be changed.

What I find remarkable with how most of the Intel Philippines folks (or Intelllites) accepted each bad news that have come in rapid succession in less than a year, is that the transition period seems to be as quick as a snap of a finger. There may have been hundreds of tears shed every after forums (where grim updates about the site were said) but believe me that these are the same people who can be seen smiling or at least trying to do so, the very next day.

And the recent download on Wednesday, Jan 21, wasn’t an exception. A couple of hours later and 2 more days after the closure of the manufacturing operation of Intel Philippines was announced, most of the people at the canteen are occupied with the videoke . Others are watching the DVD movies played on 2 separate TV’s for everyone in the cafeteria to see. Others are lining up to play the foosball. The rest just seem to get back to their own routine as if nothing happened. It may be temporary, it may even be even be pretentious, but whatever that is just shows that Filipinos can indeed be resilient enough to deal with any situations no matter how dire.

***

Domino effect

It’s no wonder that the closure of the Intel site in Gen. Trias Cavite became one of the headlines of the week and that several thousands of people got worried about it. That is because when Intel stops its operation here in the Philippines the export industry will feel its loss. Frankly speaking, I don’t know the exact figures but if the news is to be believed, Intel contributes to billions of pesos in export which makes it one of the top exporters in the electronics sector. This of course translates to jobs other than the permanent employees.

Many other people work for Intel Philippines. There are the vendors and suppliers who handle everything that Intel needs. They are the people from the cafeteria, the janitorial personnel, facilities maintenance, field service engineers (FSEs), health services providers, and insurance agencies just to name a few. And like Intel employees, they too will be out of work soon.

There’s not much to do right now to dampen the effect of the recession but to just keep all hopes up and remember that this will all come to past. So to all Filipinos, especially to my fellow Intellites, let’s pray and hope that we’ll get over with all of this soon and be able to laugh or smile all about it.

 Mood: 4/10 Honks!

On Wednesday, Jan 21, 2009, the heart-breaking news spread like wild fire – the corporation has finally decided to cease its manufacturing operation in the Philippines. First it was just among the Intel employees gathered at the recreational center, then a leakage of info spread thru the online news sites as well on that same day, although, some bits of info seems to be hazy, it was one news that sent even non-Intel people wondering if it was one big bad dream – so it seems.

Then of course just after less than 24 hours – or even lesser – of withholding the news about the Cavite site closure, the employees finally saw their corporate affairs representative confirm the news on TV. It was a signal that the confidentiality policy finally ended for this grim event. The online community soon got even busier and exchanges went back and forth. The major media networks sent their news teams lurking and stalking the company’s campus to get first hand scoop among the employees. Intel Philippines that day became the center of discussions on top of other recession related news.

Our corporate affairs personnel for the official statement.

Intel Phil among the headlines of the prime time news.

The rumors that Intel Philippines might be closing down became apparent just less than a year when the big bosses dropped the first news on April 2, 2008 when they announced that the building in Cavite is structurally unstable and that this was just the main reason why they were actually considering transferring the operation somewhere in Laguna. And to prove that there is indeed a plan, Intel Philippines had setup a small group of transfer team to assess the new site and has mentioned updates about it every now and then. Sadly, despite the high hopes it has brought upon most employees and the thought that there will be a couple more years of extending its operation in the Philippines, the employees in the end weren’t meant to be there. It became their white elephant – technically, it does not exist.

Until Thursday this week, I never knew how it would exactly feel like to be related directly to the news that’s being shown on TV. For years, it has been one of my guilty pleasures just to be home and get settled in front of the TV after a long day’s work while I watch the day’s event unfold – be it good or bad news. I’d always remind myself how lucky I am just to be a viewer and not being involved in any of the headlines. Now,  all of that changed when the days are counting down when I’d just be home – for the whole week, for the whole month. Hopefully, not for the whole year. Ti abi.

Mood: 5/10 Honks!

I’ve got some weird concoction of things running inside my gray matter since the start of the year. And since last week everything seems to have happened in topsy-turvy manner or as what I sometimes describe things in the production floor as chopsuey – just a mixture of different things. There was anxiety, there was hope…then there’s despair.

And today the emotional intensity has gone up and one thing that somehow made me think less or control it rather than it controlling me was the anticipation that things are about to happen. It’s not matter of IF but it’s just a matter of WHEN. It’s like running out of brakes and just bracing for impact while each second is just a countdown of the imminent worst case scenario.

Last week I was mulling over the topic of death once again while killing time (pun intended). I was asking myself if when was the first time that I get to realized how a death of a loved one must be like. And then I remembered, it was way back in my elementary days.

It was one lazy summer (1984) afternoon with the golden sun flickering while each of its rays is trying to pass the swaying ipil-ipil leaves in our front yard. I was about to enjoy my mandatory siesta when coming from our then small wooden gate was familiar voice calling. “Mahampang na kami siguro (it must be playtime already),” I was thinking. But as I peep out of the window and then came rushing out of the door, a non-playful but rather sullen look greeted me. It was my classmate and friend Jonathan. “Cris, patay na si mama (mom has died)…,” he immediately said. I still remember feeling confused and not knowing what to make out of it. I can’t remember though if what were the exact discussions that followed, but I remember us just sitting in the yard and with me just listening while he tell stories about his mom. At a very young age I have witnessed earlier burials of my own relatives but I have never been closed to understanding until that memorable afternoon that with death comes an inevitable grief. It’s how one handles it that makes the difference.

Then just two days ago, I received an email with an urgent subject: Emergency Appeal! I read the message and it’s from someone in Africa. That time my immediate instinct to shrug it off as a scam did not kick in as I saw then that it’s from a know contact. What I did instead was to forward it to my college’s yahoogroups to confirm if everyone else got the same appeal to contribute $2,500 for an unpaid hotel fee due to a lost handbag that contains the wallet, blah, blah, blah. Just as expected, my inbox was soon flooded with replies. But one replied out of topic. Instead, he sent a different subject: Familiar Name. True indeed, his name just sounds familiar as well. It was Jonathan.

We’ve had some lengthy email exchanges already and I find it weird that everything has been so mixed up but yet still appears to be in harmony as every dot gets connected in the end. And what I find weirder was the fact that I’ve been holding to a clipping from this Sunday’s newspaper with a story from Francis Kong’s “Tragedy into blessing” article. Now is the right time to share the story.

Year’s ago in Scotland, the Clark family had a dream. The Clarks had worked and saved, making plans for their nine children and themselves to travel to the United States. It had taken years, but they had finally saved enough money and had gotten passports and reservations for the whole family on a new liner to the United States. The entire family was filled with anticipation and excitement about their new life. However, seven days before their departure, the youngest son was bitten by a dog. The doctor sewed up the boy but hung a yellow sheet on the Clarks’ front door. Because of the possibility of rabies, they were being quarantined for 14 days. The family’s dreams were dashed. They would not be able to make the trip to America as they had planned. The father, filled with disappointment and anger, stomped to the dock to watch the ship leave.

The father shed tears of disappointment and cursed both his son and God for their misfortune.

Five days later, the tragic news spread throughout Scotland – the mighty Titanic had sunk. The Clark family was to have been on that ship. When Mr. Clark heard the news, he hugged his son and thanked him for saving the family. He thanked God for saving their lives and turning what he had felt was a tragedy into a blessing.

That story was made even more meaningful when bad news struck yesterday. God must indeed have plans for us…and now, I’d like to believe it more. Few weeks or months from now, I’ll be missing things in the production floor. No more chopsuey. No more turning back.

Here's a pic of us grade 4 in '84.

 Mood: 5/10 Honks!

In the death rows of the prison cells, they call the inmates dead man walking. This is because the people inside this part of the penitentiary walls are those whose cases have been heard and judged. Eventually, they were sentenced to death. From then on, each day that they wake up and wait for “the day” they are considered as basically dead. Thus seeing them around until judgment day is like seeing a dead man walking.

Right now, there’s no better analogy but that of a dead man walking for the situations that some of our colleagues have faced already – after ending employment by the end of 2008 – and those that were able to hold on to their jobs this year. I was one of those who were supposed to wake up jobless on January 1, but for some stroke of luck I got extended.

And there’s no other right term than extended – I reported back to work after being hired for an engineering position from a supervisory position. I’ve never felt so good and excited in my career transition than this. But on top of this, I did not remove the fact that with the recession effects knocking on everyone’s door, the possibility of being sentenced to the jobless row isn’t far behind. The problem with it though is that that possibility seems to have come too soon.

Yesterday, my observations of our manager’s manner of reporting to work seem to have manifested. I usually arrive at the parking lot the same time he does and I have told some of my peers that our expat manager once used to alight far from the main building and takes a walk from there; lately I saw him getting out of his service van just at the possible nearest spot from the lobby doors. It appears that he’s saving on steps, or if not, saving on some energy. I told my peers, “He must be into something, and it doesn’t look good…let’s worry more if I see him report to work in pajamas.” The email blast yesterday addressed to all employees seems to confirm my own suspicion.

Just more than four hours from now, everyone at work will gather at the indoor basketball court for a forum. The last time I was at a basketball court for a forum with my previous employer, I got a payment. Ti abi. Let’s wait this time.

Mood: 7/10 Honks!

It’s been cold for days, literally. And this has brought some changes in my routines other than the mandatory blanket curl that made me look like a huge fetus for several early mornings already.

Yesterday, I had to don 3 layers of clothing on my way to work. Being on a motorcycle may be beginning to be a fun ride but the biting cold made it necessary to add just another layer so that I don’t get stiff nipples. I’m now even considering getting a riding glove not for the looks but rather for the insulation that it can provide. I just can’t imagine myself riding a motorcycle somewhere in Europe. Back there, I’m quite sure that Vespas are not among their favorite transport options right now.

Blogging has to be rescheduled as well. I now prefer sleeping earlier as the cold early evenings seem to suggest nothing but to hit the sack, that is, after everything about the baby has been taken care of. I now blog whenever I get up sometime between midnight to early morning which is at the very least an hour ahead of my wake up alarm. Though on the contrary to what majority of the people would opt to do, I find the cold and calm morning more conducive to write.

I heard from the news that this cold season may be until another month more or so. This means that I’d have to get used seeing our thermometer stuck at 22 degrees Celsius or less. This means more alarms to be snoozed. And every time I wake up, this means that that I’d be wondering for a few more weeks how much it would take me to install that water heater in the shower. Ti abi.

Mood: 2/10 Honks!

What's with the economy?

Just like almost everyone this year, I too had my own resolutions related to cost cutting. I came up with most of these even months before the year 2008 ended while some are still in the works as I listen and read thru New Year suggestions that are up to this day is just all around every media – from print, TV, radio and even in homilies during the Sunday masses.

Among the many unwritten resolutions I have is to stop buying newspapers especially during the weekends. I’m thinking that if I do this then I’ll be sparing Php 40 a week and if multiplied by 52 times a year, that will give me around Php 2000 savings by the end of the year. Not bad huh? This amount will make 20 relatives happy by the next Christmas time. Now before you start thinking how a terrible gift giver I am, I’m breaking that resolution anyway.

It really seems like I can’t get away with buying these dailies even with the option to read the news online. There’s still something about holding and reading a newspaper while in front of the breakfast table or sofa alongside with a perfect breakfast. In this aspect, it appears that total paperless isn’t going to come true, whether I like it or not.

What I like about having the “real” newspaper is that I can go thru any page or section anytime I want to without being under the mercy of my computer’s speed or worse, of my DSL provider. I also don’t have to deal with the jerky mouse and monitor glare. There are just some things in this world that new technology can’t beat. Besides, has anyone ever heard of someone getting carpal tunnel syndrome for reading a “real” newspaper? Now isn’t that one good reason to spend 20 pesos?

The only problem though with buying a newspaper is that lately, its contents or articles (at least for Philippine Star) have degraded for my taste. It’s either that there’s really no good news to fill the majority of the pages or there’s really no other news to be printed – either way, we’re damned. Thankfully, I find today’s issue redeeming for the reason that I enjoyed reading most of the articles – at least for sections other than the headlines.

Expressions peeve

Scott R. Garceau in his regular section, The X-Pat Files, had my heart thumping with anticipation as I read thru his article – Expressions that gotta go this 2009. In here, he listed several words or expressions that he finds irritating and when he mentioned, “…it doesn’t take more than a few hours of trawling the blogs to spot ‘em…”, it had me thinking if I’d find the same words in my blog. OMG! Just kidding.

One that got my attention was “This 2009 (or Last 2008).” I can’t remember where exactly I’ve read about this but the use of “This” or “Last” followed by a date might be indeed wrong. The appropriate word to use then would be “On” like, “On 2009″ or “On Dec 31, 2008″. Unfortunately, more people even professional writers still used “This” or “Last” that got me confused. Now, it’s another person (and an American) saying it’s wrong. So, for me it’s goodbye This and Last.

Other words he mentioned that I totally agree to be scrapped and buried for good are shortcuts such as OMG and WTF. Showbiz words such as starrer, comebacking, guesting and while I’m at it, I suggest to stop calling our local and old singers Diva – if there are words that trigger my migraine, this is one of them.

Very Guilty

Another remarkable article today is from Nelson T. Dy’s “Guilty As Charged.”  This one discussed how criticisms in the workplace should be taken especially if coming from your boss. How can I not relate to it when just a month ago I had several discussions with my manager? Good thing that what Mr. Dy mentioned in his column are what I’ve done so far.

The following are his suggestions on how to make the best of these criticisms:

Abandon your pride. Instead of becoming defensive, one must be humble enough and think why was he criticized in the first place.

Adopt a learning attitude. Most people’s tendency especially when new to a working group or a company is try to exude so much confidence as if they knew everything. Often times, this is good as they say that first impressions last. However, on the contrary, I learned that sometimes this is just not the case. Sometimes, it is good to tell upfront the help that you need (from your peers, manager or support group) instead of nodding and making people believe that you know everything. Believe me, it’s based from my own experience.

Assume the best motives from your critic. Working in a company where every employee is trained to give constructive confrontation, I’ve come to accept feedbacks whatever they may be – well, most of the time. It’s one trait that I’m proud of. But it could have been actually better if these feedbacks were done on time and that’s another story.

Not only that Mr. Dy had me relate his advices to my work, but he had me think twice about my driving. And how was that possible? It’s because his example in assuming the best motives from critics is about driving. He said, “…imagine if you are driving your car in the expressway. Another driver suddenly cuts into your lane. You slam on the brakes and blare your horn. You fume and curse the other driver for being such a reckless idiot. But suppose you discover that he is rushing a loved one to the emergency room of the nearest hospital. I bet your attitude will change.” This one caught me off guard. I’m now reflecting if how I can make some resolutions on the way I drive.

Another good one from Jim

One of the author’s that I regularly read for his usually well composed and thought provoking articles (and blogs) is Jim Paredes. And today he made another one. His article, “In love with books” actually wouldn’t have made more sense to me had he not mention about his children’s fondness with books and how they got into it from the very beginning.

He wrote about his children being eager readers since they were just kids. Jim said, “Very early on, even before they were one year old, I made sure that I read books to them at bedtime, or when they were in the proper mood to be quiet and still to just look at the pages and listen to words or even verses of poetry.” Likewise, he quoted literary artist, Emilie Buchwald, “Children are made readers on the laps of their parents.”

Wow, both are well said. I’m so glad after reading all this and I now feel that what I’m trying to do every night for our baby boy is after all the path that he will sooner or later thank me for.

Becoming a fan

In my blog, I rarely (or haven’t?) discussed about having some crush or being a fan of a local celebrity. But on the Starweek mag’s cover today is Karylle whom I have to admit has become one of the stars that captured my attention. It must have something to do with my regular viewing of TV patrol which of course includes showbiz news that I got to see her featured often. I was never a fan at first as I find her appeal something from the retro era (no pun intended). But it looks like that it may be the smile and face that will be regularly seen this year. So when the article mentioned that this singer/actress may indeed be one hot chick to look out for in 2009, I think I have to agree.

Mood: 1/10 Honks! (it’s cold outside but the presence of my wife and kid makes it warm inside)

After all the speculations, spy shots, automotive forum excitement and anticipation, the new Honda City 2009 was finally introduced this week. Incidentally, this happens to be exactly a year after we bought our 2008 model. When I saw the pictures of the new City, I felt the same excitement I had last year while I was drooling over what then was considered as brand new. Now, somewhere out there I’m sure are thousands of anxious individuals who have spent several sleepless nights already thinking over and over again if this car is indeed a good buy.

Being one of those curious what the fuss is all about, I checked Honda’s website – and the City has indeed evolved a long way from its predecessors. In fact, if not for the emblem at the rear that says it’s a Honda City, this car may be mistaken as anything but a City. And this is where hot discussions and exchange of opinions comes in.

At first look, especially coming from a year-old owner of the 2008 City, it cannot be denied that I appreciate the fact that this new model appears to be sleeker on the outside and more spacious in the inside. Fans of the new Honda Accord who fall short of the budget to acquire it, will likely have some thinking to do now because the resemblance of this car is all over the City and for this same reason that I’m right now daydreaming about it.

But Honda City designers need not put their chin up high just yet. This is because once the 2009 City is viewed on its sides, the feeling of looking at something familiar yet “un-Honda” is there. It’s a shame but it’s as if some designer from Toyota had his hands on this project because the profile of the City shows hints from the 1^st generation Vios – especially while looking at the tail light from the sides. And to verify if it’s just me and my untrained eye, I searched and found a discussion on this. Check out paultan.org. I rest my case.

It's an accord...?

...no, it's a vios...

At the end of the day, after all has been said and done, two things will be sure: that someone coming right out of the Honda showroom will be another proud owner of the 2009 Honda City; the other, that there will be one envious driver tailing the brand new Honda City wondering when the recession will end and if dreams of salary increases will come true. Ti abi.

***

After a year of having the 2008 Honda City I’ve come to discover and experience more about it – both bad and good:

Bad

• Some paints have chipped off from the door and trunk edges. And this is not due to bad driving (I swear). I actually saw this just a couple of months after we got it. The service personnel said that they’ll do a re-touch of it once they have the exact car color.
• Upon closer inspection – normally done if I don’t have anything to do while waiting for wifey – I discovered that some panels do not align perfectly. Well, it’s not a Ferrari in the first place.
• The left A-pillar does create a blind spot when turning.
• The underside engine cover/splash guard got snagged after I parked where a big concrete chunk was hidden from view. I can’t believe at first that such thing could happen but after seeing several new cars with the same problem, I wonder if placing that part was a good design idea.
• That my wife still won’t drive it. It’s not directly related but it’s still among the bad. Hahaha.

Good

• Suspension is still remarkable. Most people would say that Honda suspension is indeed better than the rest. I couldn’t agree more.
• Engine purrs silently. When stuck in traffic, I’d just know that I prematurely released the clutch and eventually cut-off the engine if I see that the yellow and red indicator lamps have lit up. This is because of the engine’s low noise in addition to the good interior noise isolation (or insulation).
• Recently discovered out of curiosity that the rear ash tray can be taken out for cleaning. Good thing no one smokes while inside the car.
• The “Baby on Board” sticker looks good on it. : )

Mood: 3/10 Honks!

Pictures credit: Honda website.

Just when I thought that another of our Tagaytay trip will be spent in any of our comfort zones – Starbucks, Carlos Pizza, Yellow Cab or just feeling the chilly wind in People’s Park – I was so happy when another idea came into the picture. We thought why not bring our baby boy to Residence Inn for a change. It will be his first and ours have been several years already since the last time we visited it.  Besides, being inside the mall on a Sunday is already starting to be a bore for all of us.

The plan turned out to be better than expected. Coming from La Salette after hearing mass, my wife remembers that foods are not allowed to be brought inside the place so we decided to have lunch before coming in. After discussing where we’ll have our noontime meal, we choose to stop over at Bag of Beans. We were here for almost a year already and that time we only had a quick coffee since it was late in the evening. This time we tried the rest of their menus.

It's no Starbucks, but believe me it may even be better.

Sunrise breakfast. Php 275.

Filipino breakfast. Php 185. I got this one and I think it's worth it.

After the hearty lunch (although we ordered breakfast menus) that made us more ready and eager to burn the collected calories, we headed straight to our main destination – Residence Inn’s zoo. Upon arriving at the place, the parking seems to be a letdown because I can’t exactly remember if I parked our car several years ago inside (or near the inn’s entrance) or it’s been this way that parking for visitors is just along the road side – left entrusted to the delicacies vendors. Another surprising thing we soon discovered was that the entrance fee has already soared from just around Php70 before and is now at Php199. Ti abi. Despite feeling ripped, I paid for two (no fee for 2 years old and below) and proceeded.

The sulky feeling though quickly dissipated once we got inside. Seeing our little boy wide-eyed at the white lion just at the start of the trail cheered me up in an instant. And sooner as we went along the other cages in the zoo, I forgot all about the parking and the pricey entrance fee. My wife and I felt like small kids as well.

Inn's entrance. The people shown here are picking free foods for the animals and birds.

A parrot welcoming everyone to the inn. This guy must be the most photographed among other birds and animals.

You'll need at least an hour to complete this route.

This is also my first time to see a white lion...but I'm not letting my son notice.

Anyone can have his photo taken while feeding the tiger.

For Php 50 (per head) you can have your photo taken with this playful cub.

A camel in Tagaytay? No kidding.

Spikey, stinky and cute porcupines.

Stopping to check the overlooking view.

There used to be a pot-bellied pig in this cage. I don't know if the lion has something to do with its disappearance...

Fans of this inn's pot-bellied pig will be delighted to see that it has multiplied already.

Checking one of the aquariums.

One of the snakes on display.

What's going on every Sunday.

We spent more than an hour roaming around the whole zoo. Our baby boy, although being carried all the time, has already fallen asleep right after the last stop at the aquariums. But little did we know that the best of this trip is yet to come. We will be visiting the Paradizoo farm and a coaster will take us from the inn – all inclusive from the entrance fee we paid earlier. Not bad, huh? If they would have made this clear in the first place, I would not have complained.

Free turon for everyone. You may get as much as you want - nice way to get the most out of the Php 199 entrance fee.

The ride from Residence Inn to Paradizoo took us approximately 15 minutes. The moment we arrived at the farm, we were immediately greeted by a guy who we soon learned will be our tour guide as well. I never thought that the farm visit will be this organized as I was thinking that we will be dropped off and will be left on our own to discover what’s in it and just to be picked up after an hour. Gladly, another of my assumption and expectation that day came to be wrong once more.

The farm's flow of the tour. And to enjoy it best, I suggest that visitors come during Saturdays & Sundays at 3 PM to be able to see the animal parade which is being held only during this time.

A very accommodating tour guide.

The diversity of animals in this farm is unbelievable. Shown here is just the first stage of the tour.

A Dromedary camel up close.

Goat breeding area.

The farm is littered with signs, directions and reminders. This is one of them. I just don't know if this is addressed to the passing goats.

This is a plant called Mickey Mouse due to its shape's resemblance to the famous Disney character. This by the way belongs to the eggplant family but is only used as an ornament.

A farm personnel orients visitors regarding the honey production process.

How I wish this is my own back yard. This is the farm's vegetable garden.

Farm visitors watching as a herd of goats parades in front of them.

Greyhound dogs were also participants of the parade. However, instead of marching around they were made to race against each other for just a lap. The farm breeds and sells them.

A 5-legged bull joining the animal parade.

A group of Llamas that participated in the parade.

The farm also has a souvenir shop (right) and a cafeteria (left).

I never knew that our Sunday will be like no other Sundays we had. And likewise, I never knew that somewhere in Tagaytay are two better places than the pricey coffee shops or pizza parlors. Being closer to nature and seeing the animals at the zoo are more exciting and educational than being inside the air-conditioned and over-crowded noisy malls.

Mood: 2/10 Honks!

One thing I have to contend with during the 2-week vacation is giving up from time to time to my wife’s favorite TV shows. I don’t know what attracts her and other Filipinos from watching it but despite the seemingly lack of substance or excitement from these local channels’ programming, these shows nevertheless garner a large percentage of the viewing public – that is, if the surveys are to be trusted. For most pinoys lunchtimes and dinner times aren’t complete without it.

There’s the ever repeating plots of the telenovelas where the characters (and their nationality) and settings changes but not the story, the local game shows that seems to breed more ignorance rather than educate the masses and of course, there’s the national news reports that majority of the reports dwell on the repetitive political turmoil, killings of the hoodlums (thieves, drug pushers, kidnappers, etc.), endless motorcycle riders accidents and any other reports that one would find in a tabloid instead of a reputable newspaper. Sometimes, I’d like to believe that these local networks insert a subliminal message in between their TV shows.

As much as I hate to admit it, but unthinkably I’m starting to appreciate (this is where an OMG somewhere is blurted out) a couple of what I then consider as mababaw (shallow) entertainment. A couple I can now name are Pilipinas Game Ka Na Ba (Philippines are you game?) and Deal or No Deal. But please, SWS and ABS-CBN don’t count me in yet as I’m still picky of the episodes. I know you can do better than that.

I recently learned (from wifey) that Game Ka Na Ba is doing a fairly strict screening of its participants. And it looks like there’s truth to it since I saw that the trivia questions require a bit of thinking answering it. Or is it just me? I’m now wondering if to be considered intelligent someone like me needs to add the knowledge on trivial matters in Filipino current events, star (celebrity) news and history. Am I doomed for not caring about all these stuffs? Because frankly speaking, the last time I had an interest in such was way back when I was in school.

In Deal or No Deal, I seem to enjoy its recent episodes. Not only that I wish I’d get a million this way, but I’m amused to see how different people deals differently with the game banker’s offer. Although this is one game of luck, it cannot be taken lightly. In here some kind of analysis had to be done under several pressure factors – your family and friends, the studio audience, the looks and firm smiles of the lovely girls holding the cases, the show’s host, the and the shows banker. Without any doubt, above all these, there’s time pressure to beat – although I don’t see any ticking timer. In the end it’s not about getting the case containing the one million pesos figure, but it’s all about how you analyze your chance of winning once you decide against the bankers offer if it’s a deal or no deal.

Relax my anti-Filipino game/TV show friends (you know who you are), this blog is not a prelude to patronizing all the local networks’ broadcast. This is just an acknowledgement that there is indeed something to learn from if you look at it from another point of view. Just remember, one key here is not immediately giving up when you see Kris Aquino shout the words, “Deal or No Deal”. You’ll get over with it soon. Hahaha. But if you’re asking if I’m watching telenovelas tonight, forget it. I’m a solid no. Unless….

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Mood: 3/10 Honks!