***I haven't read the entire thing so I can't say if it's accurate as of now. Next time na, I want to have one lang now na, hahaha.***

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Groundbreaking Thinker (GT)
(Just visiting? Take the free personality test and determine your iPersonic type!)

Groundbreaking Thinkers are charming, enthusiastic persons. They really bubble over with energy and like to take centre stage. They love variety both professionally and privately. Groundbreaking Thinkers tackle changes consistently with their optimism and firm belief in their own abilities; they are always on the look-out for improvement possibilities. Their excellent communication skills are of great advantage to them here. They approach the world with curiosity and openness and master new situations with a great deal of talent for improvising and with resourcefulness. Their spare time is taken up with a large number of hobbies; most Groundbreaking Thinkers like to travel in order to gather as many different impressions as possible. This personality type is unbeatable at discovering new possibilities.

In their work, Groundbreaking Thinkers highly rate challenges and diversified tasks. They cannot stand routine and too detailed work. They love to astound others with bold ideas for an original, new project and then leave it up to the others to implement them. Hierarchies, rules and regulations arouse their opposition and they love outsmarting the system. It is vital to them that they enjoy their work; if this is the case, they quickly become pure workaholics. Their creativity best takes effect when they work independently; but they are very good at motivating others and infecting them with their optimistic nature. Conceptual or advisory activities appeal especially to Groundbreaking Thinkers. It can happen that some people feel somewhat duped by their flexible, spontaneous nature.

Their sociability and enterprise ensure that Groundbreaking Thinkers always have a large circle of friends and acquaintances in which activity plays an important role. As they are mostly in a good mood, they are popular and very welcome guests. Grumbling and peevishness are unknown to them. However, they do tend to be a little erratic and unstable when it comes to obligations and this makes them appear to be unreliable to some. Groundbreaking Thinkers are very critical and demanding when it comes to picking a partner because they look for the ideal relationship and have a very concrete picture of this ideal relationship. Mutual aims in life are very important to them. They do not like compromising and would rather remain alone. For the partner, it is often a challenge to have a long-term relationship with a Groundbreaking Thinker. Groundbreaking Thinkers need a lot of space and diversity or otherwise they become bored and feel cramped. Types who are rather more traditionalistic often have problems with the willingness of Groundbreaking Thinkers to take risks and their often crazy, spontaneous actions. However, if one can summon up sufficient flexibility and tolerance for them, one will never be bored in their presence and will always have a loyal and faithful partner.

Adjectives which describe your type
extroverted, theoretical, logical, spontaneous, rational, innovative, intellectual, open, independent, curious, enterprising, analytical, clever, enthusiastic, venturesome, inventive, energetic, sociable, optimistic, non-conformist, creative, freedom-loving, charming, able to get enthusiastic, self-confident, communicative, capricious, inconsistent, outgoing

These subjects could interest you
documentaries, books, talks, museums, computer, Internet, strategy games, politics, drawing/painting

The next time you find yourself online (which would probably be in the next few hours or right this very minute), spend a few minutes or so on Free Rice.com, a sister site of the world poverty site, Poverty.com.

By merely choosing the correct definition or synonym of a given word, you get to donate 20 grains of rice through the UN World Food Program and help alleviate world hunger! As an added bonus, you get to improve your vocabulary too, which I think everyone should do continuously.

With hardly any effort at all (I'm usually online around 8hrs++ a day), I spent less than 30 minutes and was able to donate my first 1000 grains of rice! Imagine doing this daily and hu-wow(!), you would've fed someone, somewhere in the world, probably more than his/her day's meal!=)

If you've checked the link above, you'd see that the Philippines isn't one of the 22 countries that agreed to donate 0.7% of their national income. This is totally understandable given our country's large amount of international debt and our existing food shortage problem -- the very same food shortage problem which by the way managed to work its way into the archives of newspapers due to other recent events like the kidnapping of media personalities and the recent ferry tragedy. However, although a lot of news-worthy events happen in our country daily, let us not forget that the food shortage problem is still there and it obviously isn't going away.

So, my two cents' worth:

• Here's a call to non-government organizations, media or political figures, to take a page from Free Rice's book and create something like it for the Philippines (the rice that Free Rice and the UN World Food Program donates comes from corporate and individual sponsors). In addition, to tailor-fit the program to the Philippine market, they can add text messaging as an additional channel (to the existing via web way) through which Filipinos can donate, given the billions and billions of text messages that are being sent in the country daily. Di ba? Di ba?

• To everyone who's almost always online, a little help goes a long way so start playing na!

One of my favorite journalists to date, aside from Randy David, is Conrado de Quiros. The topics he decides to express opinion on, his sharp wit, and ability to render his reader speechless after his article's last word. Read on and be compelled to take action if not atleast form your own opinion.

Column: Theres The Rub
Article: Still, change
By Conrado de Quiros
Philippine Daily Inquirer

I personally am glad Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is meeting with George W. Bush later this month. It reestablishes in the public mind the very close links between those two leaders.

By close links, I do not mean their “anti-terrorist” alliance, which has always been shaky and become even shakier with Arroyo veering closer to China. I do not mean by it that Arroyo and Bush have made “special relations” even more special by drawing the two countries closer. I mean by it the uncanny similarities between those two, enough to make one believe, despite the fact that one is ruler of the world and the other ruler only of Lilliput, that they are psychic twins.

Both are the progenies of presidents who became presidents themselves for a couple of terms. Bush by tinkering with the Florida votes the first time—that was how he beat Al Gore—and by winning reasonably cleanly against John Kerry the second time. Arroyo by being swept to power the first time and by cheating the hell out of FPJ the second time.

Both are small and petty and have a huge chip on their shoulders, resentful of the fact that before they came to power they had been belittled for being, well, small and petty. Both have an insatiable appetite for power, Bush seeking it for the Neo-Cons and their vision of the United States straddling the world like a colossus, as Cassius said of Caesar, and Arroyo seeking it for herself. (One is tempted to add “and her husband,” but that presumes a capacity to see beyond self, a trait she has little shown.)

Both are detested by their constituents. A CNN/Opinion Research poll last month showed that 71 percent of Americans disapproved of Bush, the first time any American president broke the 70 percent barrier. He has single-handedly provided David Letterman, Jay Leno, Conan O’Brien, Jon Stewart and other talk show hosts no end of material, which was probably what got them through the writers’ strike. Arroyo hasn’t just broken every barrier in disapproval rating, she has zoomed past them. She is probably more unpopular now than Marcos was then: Marcos at least had the undying loyalty of the Ilocanos (and Imelda the Warays), Arroyo has only the dying loyalty of the Cabalens and the Cebuanos. Or their loyalty does not come from the heart, it comes from the pockets.

Most importantly, both like to lie to their people. If it hadn’t been patent before, Bush’s former press secretary has made it patent now: Bush lied about the Iraq War. He sent American youths to their deaths in desert sands for reasons that had nothing to do with democracy or freedom. The subtitle of Scott McClellan’s book sums it up: “Inside the Bush White House and Washington’s Culture of Deception.” He might as well have been writing about Malacañang. In Arroyo’s case, well, what has she not lied about? The only truth she has ever told is that if she ran in 2004, she would bring unending divisiveness upon this country.

But I am glad Arroyo is meeting with Bush later this month because of an even more compelling or sublime reason. That is the fact that Barack Obama, who has just won the Democratic primaries and will be the next president of America barring an assassination, provides a tremendous contrast—not least for Filipinos to see—between him and them. Right vs. Wrong, Virtue vs. Vice, Hope vs. Despair, Good vs. Evil, Life vs. Death.

Obama’s core message is Change, the one thing that Americans want, as shown by the surveys. That is the opposite of the core message of Bush and Arroyo, which is More of the Same. Obama’s core thrust is transparency, or telling the truth about the Iraq Invasion and everything else about life to the American people. That is the opposite of the core thrust of Bush and Arroyo, which is to lie unto death.

Indeed, the very core of Obama’s existence is hope, the unlikely hero of the story winning in the end, the Hobbit undoing the Evil Eye, the neophyte senator stealing the thunder from everybody else and going on to become the first black president of America. That is the opposite of the very core of Bush’s and Arroyo’s existence, Bush being one US president who, like Sen. Joseph McCarthy and Richard Nixon, roistered a reign of tyranny and paranoia, and Arroyo being one Filipino president who, like Ferdinand Marcos, stole everything that wasn’t nailed to the floor, including the vote and human life. They will, or should, go on, to disappear in the bowels of obscurity or the annals (or anus) of infamy as they richly deserve.

This is one time I won’t really mind that we yield to the clutches of “colonial mentality” and imitate, or make “gaya-gaya,” as the “coñotics” say, the United States today. We’ve already pretty much forgotten EDSA People Power, we could do with some new infusions of inspiration, and this is one huge shot of adrenaline in dying veins. By all means let’s talk of change and truth and hope too. Even better, let’s ape America shamelessly and produce an Obama too.

If we are to take any consolation from the hell on earth that Bush and Arroyo have wrought, it is only in that it has made us, or should make us, hanker for heaven. That is the only good they have done, to be so evil they’ve left us no choice but to crave good. Without the despair Bush has provoked, America would not have glimpsed the hope Obama invokes. I don’t know that we will ever produce an Obama—though I have no doubt we do not lack for people like him, who are to be found however outside the ranks of today’s politicians. But I have little doubt that the hell Arroyo’s long and despotic rule has brought us will have us hankering for heaven too. When that rule is over-and it won’t be so unless we move to make it so—we will demand from ourselves never to be plunged to that nightmare again.

When Arroyo and Bush meet later this month, their constituents themselves will have only one agenda: Change.

Source: http://opinion.inquirer.net/inquireropinion/columns/view/20080610-141745/Still-change

Since I was inspired by Abby's post, I decided to make a things to do list before I turn 25.
> Tour around Asia. Asia then the world, I say.
> Go backpacking around Europe. Calling, Hazel? Let us realize our backpacking dream around the restaurants (you&me) and museums (most likely me lang, haha) of Europe.
> Get a junior managerial post at work. Sales and Marketing pa din, haha. I still believe that I can earn what I want and do something I love, both at the same time.
> Invest in something worthwhile. Rainy days may arrive when you least expect it.
> Get involved in charity. I'm thinking Children's Hour, in addition to teaching kids in GK.

However, since 2011 seems a little way far into the future for me, I also made a list of things to do by the end of 2008 (Atleast I still have half of the year to accomplish this!).
> Take Capoiera seriously. Hindi na twice a month or whenever I feel like it lang. Better yet, find someone to go with (AKA someone who'll drag me by the hair to class during tamad days. Calling, Abby?).
> Find a priest/pastor who can double as my spiritual adviser. Wala lang. I think it's healthy to get their perspective on things every now and then.
> Root for a cause and be actively involved in an organization that stands for and support it. Something along the lines of Gawad Kalinga, PETA, or Haribon. In as much as I'd like to join some hardcore environmentalist org, I do work for a company that lives and breathes oil and petroleum so I'd perpetually feel that I'm not doing enough if I do join one.
> Write a letter to the biggest fastfood chains, requesting them to put a sign on their drinking straw bins reminding people that some high percentage (I forgot how much exactly, gotta do some research again) of the waste in Philippine rivers is due to RED straws. Hopefully, people would try to not use a straw unless it's necessary. Ever since I learned about this tidbit in EnviSci class some 3 years ago, I stopped using drinking straws. (I wonder how much waste I've helped Pareng Earth avoid.)

Hmm, I'm gonna keep myself in check. Here's to getting all these done! Cheers!=)

"If you don't have the killer instinct in this business... you are all dead.

I am a killer everyday in my life.

I want it and I just don't really want it, I'll kill for it.

Not by stepping on people but I'll kill for it because I'm going to kill myself proving myself that I DESERVE to be here."

by: Jose Javier Reyes, Director

A couple of educated, accomplished, very rich, and self-assured 34-year old men tells you that you think and appear more mature than what they'd expect from a 21-year old.

A more educated, corporate honcho-level, and equally self-assured 32-year old man profiles you as mature, sosyal, and experienced.

It used to be a normal comment back in high school when the guys and girls making it were your age. But when it's basically the same remark stated in more than three versions by three people in a span of a week... what would you feel?

Why did I choose to stay in the Philippines?

February 03, 2008
Updated 19:08:39 (Mla time)
Howard Belton
Philippine Daily Inquirer

MANILA, Philippines--BECAUSE of Filipinos, that’s the answer.

Filipinos who made us so welcome from day one and have enriched our lives ever since.

It has been almost 10 years since Cristina and I arrived in Manila. In Unilever, I found a spirit of family way above that in other places, and this wonderful family took us to their hearts and made my business career a joy.

What made it a joy was not just the hard work and spirit of our employees, but their willingness to embrace change and come up with innovations.

The Rexona ministick, invented here, is now exported to 20 countries.

Close-up “Lovapalooza” not only got into the Guinness book of records but was featured on CNN, BBC and many other news channels -- I never thought I would be famous in Unilever for kissing!

I could give many other examples of the creativity of our Filipino employees. These innovations have made Unilever Philippines famous and admired in the Unilever world.

Outside Unilever, so many other people welcomed us as friends. They took the trouble to take us to meet their friends. So within months we were busy almost every evening.

These friends took us beyond business into many different social circles, into the arts, government, NGOs and many others—we are blessed by this variety of experience. And our circle of friends has grown and grown so that even now I am retired our life is full.

It isn’t only the well-off who have welcomed us.

Unilever is based in Paco, on the edge of the Pasig and in the middle of a poorer community. It had a long tradition of community involvement, which Cristina and I were proud to support. As a result of our work on the environment and poverty alleviation, we have met many wonderful people who give their lives to helping the community.

We have also met thousands of Filipinos in poor communities, in Baseco, Smokey Mountain, Parola, Pandacan and elsewhere. Despite their struggle for a decent living, they have always made two foreigners feel welcome.

We will never forget our first visit to Baseco, shortly after the terrible fire there, taking Unilever’s relief goods for 3,000 people. How calmly and cheerfully people waited for the distribution, and when the goods ran out how peacefully they accepted our promise to return with more. It would not happen like that in many so called “advanced” countries.

It was a great honor to go to Malacañang recently and receive the Order of the Golden Heart from the President, in recognition of my community work. Of course I felt very proud, but also a little guilty as there are so many people who have worked longer and harder for the community than I have. I dedicate the award to them.

Certainly, the award does add to my motivation to continue.

I was also honored to become President of Philippine Business for the Environment, and Cristina and I are involved in many other fulfilling activities.

We are lucky enough to have explored the Philippines, from Pagudpud in the north to Davao in the south, and enjoyed many beautiful places. I am a history major and have loved to visit so many old churches, though some are in sad disrepair.

Of course in lively but messy Manila we have to dream of this beauty—or ride out to Lake Taal which we have come to love.

But we do enjoy the life of a busy city. We divide our time between noisy Manila and our beautiful farm in the heart of the English countryside, where the only sound is of the birds and a trickling stream.

What a contrast—but, you know, it makes a wonderful balance.

Of course, it is sad to see corrupt Filipinos abusing their fellow-citizens, and the level of poverty is a constant reproach. I have heard friends say that the Filipino tolerance and sense of humor in adversity may be partly a negative, as they weaken the drive for improvement. There may be some truth in that.

I remember sitting in the Rotary Club of Manila meeting being addressed by the Japanese ambassador. The old member next to me whispered “It’s ironic that today is the anniversary of the day that the Japanese admiral who butchered so many people here in Manila killed himself.”

I asked, “Why don’t you mention it?” He replied, “No it’s a long time ago, and it’s best to move on.” Was he right? I’m not sure.

George, my father in law, spent eight years here, and saw Filipinos at their best. Our two housekeepers, Jesryl and Dory, loved him like a grandfather. And when he came to need nursing he received a level of tender care which just could not be achieved in England. So his last years were happy ones.

We are full of gratitude for the way our Filipino friends rallied round on his recent death. We decided to give him a Filipino wake -- very different from the custom in England -- and it was comforting to have the support of so many people.

During the wake, one of my friends said, “Now, with this experience, you are truly Filipino.” Well, I do start to feel that way.

So, for Cristina and I, it has become natural to stay here. We stay to enjoy the Philippines in all its variety, to share our lives with our Filipino friends, and, we hope, to give something back to the country which has adopted us.

©2008 www.inquirer.net all rights reserved

Talagang Happy to make YOU happy, di ba?

*Happy to make YOU happy is the tagline of UP Diliman's entry to the 2006 PANA Competition which the team also won.

*title taken from an Esquire article on Yahoo!

I am independent, too much for comfort as some friends tell me. I would never be caught letting a guy companion carry my bag unless I'm literally suffering in order to lift it. I don't need anyone to drive me around, I am perfectly capable of driving or taking a cab. Meaning, I can get to wherever, no one has to take me from point A to B and wait around for several hours just to take me back to point A at the end of the day. I can also perfectly dismiss the unwarranted attention of men that I do not want to associate myself with. And the most common and sometimes subject to abuse act of chivalry known to both man and woman since time immemorial -- footing the bill -- I can do for myself as well.

So now maybe I, and the fast rising number of women of today, would seem to be the wrong target for men who would want to perform acts of chivalry, however little. That's probably the reason why so few men dare try. But actually, I don't think chivalry is dead for me, us. I think it just evolved into some language of actions and not words -- an understanding that goes different with each woman and man and spells success once a match between a woman's desired and a man's performed action is realized.

I can't really enumerate the different signs by which a woman shows that she wants an act of chivalry done for her, because I myself don't know all. However I think that with this no man can go wrong -- show a girl that you got her back -- and I'm sure that's all a guy would ever need to offer.

*I seriously hope you get to read this. HASSLE KA!

Did you seriously think that all those fantasies that you have 
so painstakingly conjured in that miniscule brain of yours would come true???

SERIOUSLY.

Please come out of your hardrockin' ego and realize that everything is not about you.

Get this:

YOU were NEVER the PRESENT.

YOU will NEVER be the FUTURE.

YOU ARE NOT EVEN CONSIDERED AS THE PAST.

 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

WAAAAAAAH!.

Ayoko na.
Ayoko na.
Ayoko naaaaaaaaaaa.

Nakakapagod mag-ayos ng gulo ng ibang tao.

Whew! Okay na ako ulit.

How the hell can anyone be sure of what anyone feels if no words has been said?

Nakakainis ka.
Nakakainis ka.
Nakakainis ka.



Inantay mo muna sana na magustohan kita.

Tsk, tsk.



PS. For someone who's been in the game for a looong time, I kinda expected more.

The other day was probably the most tiring day of my life.. ever. 
It was like the whole universe and every single thing in it was throwing roadblocks at my face.
I thought if I bet money on it, I'd be a millionaire at the end of the day.
But then again me winning qualifies as a roadblock so forget it.


But I made it out of that day ALIVE.
In fact, I got the most gratifying act from the person that I least expected it from.
So instead of celebrating over mind-blowing drinks with equally mind-blowing people,
I celebrated with myself by doing something I normally did at the end of any other work night:





Just me and my usual work night dinner: trusty coffee and in this case, a sausage roll.


Definitely, life never fails to give you the BEST at the end of the day.


To my surprise, I'm beginning to see the bright side in the most tiring of situations.
And I have a feeling this is just the start of better days ahead.

WHAT I JUST DID: Got myself a very tall recycled paper cup of coffee at the friendly Starbucks around the corner. Read the whole of today's Philippine Star and about hald of both The Foreign Post and Haribon Magazine. Burned over 10grand for the reservation fee of the flat we're leasing next year. Risked the possibility of getting robbed and walked along the streets of Paseo and Ayala. Now pouring thoughts into writing so it wouldn't get lost among my brain cells. 

My two cents' worth on the unintended session I had with The Unintentional Reaper, whom I now baptize as my adviser-extraordinaire:

One. It's just a matter of perspective. Appeal to what makes your audience tick. It might take just the right packaging for you to get the answer that you want.

Two. Welcome challenges. Do not be afraid to do something hard. Now that's something I've been hearing from the most powerful and brilliant bunch of people I've met and worked with since the summer of this year.

Three. Know yourself - what you can and cannot do. HOWEVER, do not forget that with each learning you get to improve your current capabilities. So refer to #2.

Four. Develop your own style and never talk about it with your competition. Be the standard.

Five. Do not break rules. Rather, challenge or bend them if you must. Remember that rules are there to keep you in line.

Six. Do not accept the response, "It's impossible." Rather ask, "what I can do to make it possible."

Seven. Most importantly, choose your friends. When you're with whiners, you become a whiner. Do you want to become a whiner?


REALIZATION FOR THE DAY: Everything happens for the best. If it is for me, it will happen in it's own time. I'll jump through your hoops, no matter how many or how high they may be.

QUOTE FOR THE DAY: "It may seem horrible now, but it won't always be like this. Remember: IT WILL PASS. Don't take it personally. You have not been singled out for some special doom. It will end. Wait for the bounce." [Jessica Zafra]