Moments

Cool vibrations

I had the best friday. I got a real kick from covering our company outing, shooting photos hour after hour. It is a reminder of a source of happiness that I haven't been drawing from in a long time. I'm so glad I decided to take pictures during that time.

Suffocating

What if your significant other wanted to be with you during the whole day in an outing and you wanted to do something else or perhaps, wanted to hang out with your other friends? That just sucks. Remember, this is a "what-if" so I'm not entirely wrong. It happens.

When your eyes meet

I hate moments like those - when you occasionally stare at someone then you veer away looking smug. Then some other occasion in the day, you catch her staring at you as well. It's like.. "It's your fault - stop being pretty! so I won't stare".

Moment Collector

One of the perks that comes with being adept to your camera is that you have the power to tell a story - in the form of still photos. It's a story that will live on even if you are forgotten.

I sowed a seed of moments, good, bad, exciting, and awkward moments during that day.
With every click of the shutter, every focus adjustment, I was intoxicated with satisfaction.

With a feeling like that everyday - who would need love?

Post-mortem

After reviewing my proofs, I realized that I missed a lot of good shots but it was still better compared to my previous sets. And yes, one of the things I like about mingling with your fellow camera enthusiasts is that you get to see if others did a good job of covering an event, and uh... compare (stolen) shots (of the hottest girl that day).

And the most important lesson - never take too many shots of your crush - it will manifest in the sets. And if that happens, the girl will be forever a crush.

Why you should never stop

If there is anything, the best thing that actually happened in the course of the outing - it was the birth of new friendships. A lot to last a day, a good many to last my stay in the company, some to be there when it counts, and a good few to last forever...

How to kill the ex-girlfriend

Everytime it's a night out with the boyz in the hood, I am always asked for advice on "letting go", blah blah. It's really funny because every story I hear about severing connections with the ex that wants to be friends again is tainted with BURNING RAGE. It's more funny than it is scary. Personally I consider it one of the most immature things to do. Love is for highschool, a relationship that actually works is for adults, but whatever, this just came off my head.

I suggested something short of what is more commonly known as revenge. If your now-single ex is looking for a job and comes to you asking for a referral, have her apply to a company - where your current girlfriend is. Of course, don't let her know. Then when she gets in and she finds out that your girlfriend is working there (and is hopefully her boss) a situation like that is anything short of perfect.

Take note: You must be happily in a relationship, and must be sure that you do not care about your ex anymore, because this could backfire if you are emotionally unstable (but rarely are guys).

I can see it now - visions of Voltes Five holding up his laser sword with lightning and thunder effects in the background.

But of course, the difference is that Voltes Five would be screaming "DIE BITCH!!" instead. =D


Dammit, when are they going to turn this thing into a legit profession?! I could make a killing out of this.

Missed Connections

There was a story told by my friend back in one of my previous lives about wanting to date a department secretary in their floor. Unfortunately, as he met her, it was her last week at work, as she was a contractual employee. That was the first and last time he ever saw her. Not that it was love at first sight. I could tell from the description that she was a bit interested in him too. However, sometimes, there are moments that never allowed for things to work out due to circumstances that you just couldn't control.

There was also this one time when I was on a footbeat to the mall when I saw a lady walking in the same direction. We were almost walking at the same pace so she was always in peripheral view. She wasn't a supermodel or anything and wasn't in get-go makeup. She was plain but neat. Hair done in ponytail but pinned up. It seems to be the new style nowadays. And she made me think that angels probably go to work on earth as well.

There was a brisk-walking man who whizzed past me, then the lady, causing her to lose her balance a bit and bump me by the shoulder. She apologized aptly and I smiled in acknowledgement, dismissing it.
As we reached a fork in the pathway I went my way and she went the opposite way. And that was that.

Those encounters was what would be more popularly known as a 'Missed Connection'. Whenever I remember that story, I look at how many missed connections actually passed by. There were a couple of good ones actually.

To further my curiosity on this term, I looked it up in google. Lo and behold, I saw a crapload of ads looking for Missed Connections, usually at craigslist (it seems to be the most popular place to look). There were about hundreds of entries, I didn't bother looking at the details of each, and closed the browser.

It's kinda funny coz you realize that this stuff happens almost everyday - in so many occassions that it unconsciously adds to the reason of going out to work more exciting.

And I understand now my personal definition of makati as a city of angels.

Take care of yourself

I just read a long email from a friend abroad. This friend of mine, was a software engineer until he shifted to project management. He was complaining at how boring his work has become. He has lost the drive to advance since well, he has become a project manager. He lost the resolve to learn the new technology tools, the new methods, etc. I replied suggesting a lot of things about management career advancement. However it seemed that the wick has run out. At this rate, He's going to be a lifer, just waiting until his retirement. How sad.

He was probably wondering what life would have been for him if he decided to continue being a software engineer. He was just so tired of studying, and adapting to new technology tools and methods. He had a point actually.. when it comes to "updating" oneself, this is where the people who really know their stuff outshine people who are in this industry for the money. Bad choice I think - the IT industry is not where the money is. Be a doctor or a lawyer instead. Surely, all the expensive tuition and long years of study should merit the right to charge in one day what would take an (IT) industry professional months to make.

One of the perks of working in the IT industry in particular, is that you have more power to take care of yourself compared to working in other industries. If you were, say.. in a horizontal industry (one in which once you're licensed, that's it, there's nothing new to learn), the only meal ticket to success would be connections (probably experience but it wouldn't weigh as much).

Anyway, I told him to take a serious look at his career now and if he can't see himself on that same track growing, years from now, then it's high time to decide what is it in terms of career that he wants. I still believe he didn't take up computer science just to shift to a job that isn't dynamic. If that was the case, then it's game, set and match.

I guess that holds true for everyone in the IT industry - if you don't see yourself in that career happy and growing YEARS from now, then better take good look and take care of yourself.

Where are you going?

This year is tagged as the "exodus" year as a lof of things have happened since the first quarter.

Two of my friends are leaving, 1 for the US and the other for Australia. I'm so happy that they're finally getting theirs.
I hate to say this, but it seems that whenever I congratulate people who have finally got their immigrant visas, other people make a lot of side comments such as "it's better here", etc. I have only one thing to say to them:

"RESPECT" fools!

I guess it's another of those defense mechanisms triggering.. just because someone's family owns a business here, they never thought of or dreamed of migrating. Why should other people follow their suit? They didn't own a business like them. So I think it's but natural for them (my friends who are leaving) to do what they are doing - because the system here wasn't working for them, instead it was screwing them bad. (I didn't mean you wouldn't be screwed if you went elsewhere, but you would rather be screwed by foreigners than your own countrymen).

My only wish for them - is that they never stop being industrious. Our being hardworking is a mealticket to quality living, wherever we are in the world.

By the end of this year, two more of my friends are looking forward to going out - one to Dubai and the other to Canada. We'll talk about that in another story.

I look outside the window of the cafe from where I was drafting this.. I see so many "beautiful" people, tell them that you want to migrate, and you'll probably learn why they like to stay in Manila. Not everyone was dealt the same hand - so they're just playing theirs the best way they possibly can.

Shopfitting

And we're back. I can't believe it. After months of absence from the hobby that once was - blogging, I find myself in the same mindset as I was when I started with the first release of UWC. I felt that the first one was a success, having accomplished my goal - to spend at least a year in the shoes of a blogger.

Now, the flame for that has escalated into something else - the further need to create more value for my visitors and as well as myself.

Shopfitting is current on-going, so gimme a couple of days and I'll have this up and running.

For the new visitors, welcome to Urban Warrior Cybercafe - 2nd blend. The link to the 1st version is in the sidebar. It's been a good 2 years for that lifetime. This time we're back with a whole lot of stories, with a whole new flame and shopfit.