Do the McArenas !!!

Tuesday, 1 Mar 2011, MARSO NA!

2011-03-01T08:45:00.000+08:00

Wow o Wow! Ang bilis March na agad. I arrived in CIS @ 8:18am. While on the bus, listening to NAKED CANTONESE podcast #13, on the MTR.

Here are some of the highlights of that episode:

In the MTR:

Pls stand clear of the door > Cheng mat kao gan che mun
Octopus Card > Bat Tat Tung Ka
I don't speak English > O m'sik gong yingman
Change here (interchange here) > Li do wun
Next stop > ha yat jaam
Keep walking > haang-ah

Bought a copy Nelly's book.

2011-02-28T15:54:00.001+08:00

My autographed copy of Cornelia 'Nelly' Lichuaco Fung's book - Beneath the Banyan Tree

Under the Banyan Tree

2011-02-28T15:41:00.001+08:00

Ganito na lang. Matagal na rin akong di nakasulat sa blog ko. Bakit nga ba? Isa siguro sa mga dahilan ay hindi ko gaanong ma-i-express sa English yung mga gusto kong sabihin. Ang hirap kasi, may mga subtleties na hindi mo masabi pag hindi yon ang mother tounge mo.

Bakit ganon ang title ng post ko ngayon? Kasi I just attended a talk by Ms. Cornelia "Nelly" Fung. One of the founders of Chinese International School. Kinuwento nya ang history ng pamilya nila way way back in the 1800s... Amazing pictures, as in mga black and white, and brownies color na mga scans.

Astig pala ang pamilya ni Ms. Nelly Fung. Biruin mo, her great great grandmother went to Switzerland to have a tyroid operation. Bigatin lang ang mga nakakagawa noon. At ang kanyang lolo ay isa sa mga original na member ng Philippine Revolutionary Commission. And according to her, during that time ang opisina pala ng mga rebolusyunaryo ay matatagpuan sa may Morrison Hill Road, sa Wanchai! Wow , doon ako nag su swimming ah.

Clearly, kung babalik tanawin ko yung kanyang talk... talagang ang susi ng isang matagumpay ng buhay ay nasa magandang edukasyon. Yung tatay nya, ay nag graduate sa HARVARD, nag publish ng libro with one of Harvard's super esteemed professor, something like Mr. Storey. Then after graduation, he accepted government position, naging colleague nya ang tatay ni Ninoy Aquino, sina Manuel Roxa, at sya ang kauna unahang ambassador ng Pinas sa UK, Denmark, etc. Sina Nelly ay lumaki at nanirahan sa London at America. Nabigyan ng solid at magagandang education. At dahil doon.. they carry on their ancestral legacy of being successful.

Ito ngayon ang tanong... pano kung ang mga ninuno mo ay di galing sa isang mga illustradong pamilya. How would you change the course of your life? Para kasi in this game called life, napakahalaga talaga ng umpisa, ng mga nuno mo. Talagang success attracts success. Paanong ang isang katulad ko na nag aral sa public schools, which are under funded, kulang sa mga resources, ever compete with private schools .. or state universities.. na ang nakaka pasok ay mga graduate din ng mga schools na may mga magagandang resource???? parang unfair no?

Pero, past is past. I can change the course of my destiny, if I have the will. And I want my children to carry on the change. Salamat sa inspirasyon Miss Nelly Fung. Maybe I should start collecting memoirs of our clan. Sabi nya... always cherish and never let go of the opportunity na makausap ang mga kamag anak.. lolo, lola, aunties, tito.... they might be able to tell you stories that would be of great interest.

Slow Start...

2005-03-07T01:14:00.000+08:00

We just had our SHOP opening this Sunday, 6 Mar 2005. It's quite slow coz we didn't make a hard-sell advert. Anyway, i think, everything will peak up in time.

Just finished chatting with my JOY, that's literal. I just can't broadcast our chat here. All i know, is , im retiring in bed now with so much "joy" in my heart. Thanks for the LOVE.

Brainstorming...

2005-01-10T01:08:00.000+08:00

It's 12:09am... still with my future business partners. I'm really going to be an entrepreneur. I'm gonna be like HIM.

1st Sunday of 2005

2005-01-02T22:14:00.000+08:00

1st Sunday was spent in the Church. Bro Daniel was a tear jerker, he played the SONG: Cats in the Cradle, while he asked me to project the LYRICS on our DLP projector using my Powerbook. Everybody was blood-eyed. They can feel the lyrics talking to them. It's all about how parents raised their kids. Usually parents toil so hard to provide the needs of their family, but in the process they forgot the most important thing ... it's the QUALITY TIME. Here is the lyrics:

Cats in the Cradle
by Harry Chapin

A child arrived just the other day,
He came to the world in the usual way.
But there were planes to catch, and bills to pay.
He learned to walk while I was away.
And he was talking 'fore I knew it, and as he grew,
He'd say, "I'm gonna be like you, dad.
You know I'm gonna be like you."

And the cat's in the cradle and the silver spoon,
Little boy blue and the man in the moon.
"When you coming home, dad?" "I don't know when,
But we'll get together then.
You know we'll have a good time then."

My son turned ten just the other day.
He said, "Thanks for the ball, dad, come on let's play.
Can you teach me to throw?" I said, "Not today,
I got a lot to do." He said, "That's ok."
And he walked away, but his smile never dimmed,
Said, "I'm gonna be like him, yeah.
You know I'm gonna be like him."

And the cat's in the cradle and the silver spoon,
Little boy blue and the man in the moon.
"When you coming home, dad?" "I don't know when,
But we'll get together then.
You know we'll have a good time then."

Well, he came from college just the other day,
So much like a man I just had to say,
"Son, I'm proud of you. Can you sit for a while?"
He shook his head, and he said with a smile,
"What I'd really like, dad, is to borrow the car keys.
See you later. Can I have them please?"

And the cat's in the cradle and the silver spoon,
Little boy blue and the man in the moon.
"When you coming home, son?" "I don't know when,
But we'll get together then, dad.
You know we'll have a good time then."

I've long since retired and my son's moved away.
I called him up just the other day.
I said, "I'd like to see you if you don't mind."
He said, "I'd love to, dad, if I could find the time.
You see, my new job's a hassle, and the kid's got the flu,
But it's sure nice talking to you, dad.
It's been sure nice talking to you."
And as I hung up the phone, it occurred to me,
He'd grown up just like me.
My boy was just like me.

And the cat's in the cradle and the silver spoon,
Little boy blue and the man in the moon.
"When you coming home, son?" "I don't know when,
But we'll get together then, dad.
You know we'll have a good time then."

New Life...

2004-12-11T22:32:00.000+08:00

I just ended one. And I hope to start a new good one. Hope everything will be OK this time.

The Great American Songbook

2004-10-19T23:19:00.000+08:00

just bought this album tonight along with 2 vcds, Ken Park and Zoolander.

Just finished watching , next in line : zoolander.

LOVE, COURTSHIP and MARRIAGE

2004-10-18T13:19:00.000+08:00

I wasn't able to make an entry yesterday, 'coz Sunday is quite a busy day. Whole day in the Church.

Yesterday, I officiated the General Assembly of the Kadiwa (organization of single brethren aged 18 and above). It was a fun-filled meeting. Of course the ever kilig topic about: LOVE, COURTSHIP and MARRIAGE.

The meeting has a very tickling title: "BAKIT SYA (why him, why her?". That's why it was well-attended. The meeting was highly interactive. The audience participation is very lively. The topic was provided by the Church Administration and it aims to teach and enlighthen the brethren in the proper courtship in accordance with the teachings of God.

Lesson Learned:
"There should only be 2 reasons why a man should court a woman: 1) love and 2) the intension of marrying her".

9/11 pic

2004-10-16T09:48:00.000+08:00

Yes. I am not kidding. This photo was taken on 11 September 2001 at my very first apartment here in HK. I miss this boy-next-door look. This picture has served me well. I have been using this as my yahoo profile pic for quite some time but finally, i decided to pull it out, coz most of the people who saw me in flesh nowadays cant help but say: "IKAW BA YUNG NASA PROFILE PIC SA YAHOO???!!!"

I don't exactly know what's in their mind. Maybe I look more mature now... or should I say... HK pollution level has hit me. Ooooops.. and yes... the hundred thousands of McDonald calorie intake over the 3-year period.

It's Tweety's Bday

2004-10-16T09:29:00.000+08:00

It's October 16! And it's one of my special friend's bday. Click on the link to see whose bday I am talking about. Since you enjoyed being single, wish ko lang, sana maka hanap ka na ng katapat mo, so u'll retract and finally you would say... IT'S GOOD TO BE LOVED by...

I almost killed an old man

2004-10-15T17:55:00.000+08:00

it's 8:56am. 4 minutes before the 9am official office clock-in. I saw somebody running to chase the elevator. So do I. When I was approaching the bldg lobby, i was running, as in, quite fast... then suddenly, an old man, carrying a courier bag comes out from nowhere. So we collided!!! He was hit with my right shoulder right in his lower jaw. It's as if MIKE TYSON giving a sharp uppercut. He immediately fell down on the floor. So there was a commotion in the lift lobby. It's almost 9am so there is a long que. I was sooo ashamed of what I have done. Thank God, it wasn't that serious. But the old man was floored down for more than a minute. I offered him a hand, but he says, he will be OK.

MORAL OF THE STORY:
Ang tumatakbo ng matulin, makakabangga ng matanda.

My first Blogspot blog

2004-10-14T12:15:00.000+08:00

I am tired of doing nothing. Two weeks from now i'll be turning 27. Yes, u heard it right. I am approaching 30. What have I done? What have I accomplished?

Honestly, I can't consider myself mediocare and yet, I can't even say that I am extraordinary? Let's just say, that I am one lazy smart ass. I have a big problem about myself. I hate to admit.. but I am ONE BIG LAZY PROCRASTINATOR. I must have done a lot of wonderful things in my life, if only I dont procrastinate a lot.

I get easily bored. In everything, be it a material possession or in crazy thing called "love".

As for now, I am still pondering what to do next for the next 3 yrs of my life. I fall short of my first teenage dream : to have a MILLION PESO CASH when I reach 25. I might achieve it when I reach 30 I guess. Not bad, yah?

I am bored with my present job. Sitting all day next to the computer, waiting for calls for some pesky virus or crashed Windows station or any database related problem. I am no longer challenged with this job.

I don't know if I am still going to pursue my career with IT. IT is a never-ending endeavour. Never-ending upgrade of knowledge. If you stop, then you're doomed. *** sighhhhhhhh *** I badly need this job. I must keep it for the next 3 to 4 years. In the meantime, can anybody help me with my boredome?