Literally and figuratively.

The long-rumored-and-awaited company outing still doesn’t seem close to becoming a reality, so some of us decided to have a mini outing of our own. Well not really much of an “outing” for me since it was at my place, but it was made of a surprisingly high amount of win. :]

It was Brawl day, and I got to play a few rounds (pretty decently too considering I’ve only played it a few times). After that we pulled out the grill, and because I totally forgot we had an igniter, we had to do it the old-fashioned way. Thankfully we all had experience with it, so it went well haha. Well-done Liempo mhmm.

A short while after eating, swimming. See the mad dive fest on my Multiply album. Some ghey moments, a lot of spashing, mad fun. Good times, good times.

It won’t be the last! ;)

Current music: Coheed & Cambria - Neverender

I’m back from Hong Kong! Okay, I know I’ve once again let you down, blog. So now I’m going for this big multiple-event update again hoping that the colorful pictures and sheer length of the post will make up for the fact that I’ve been lazy to update you about things that fit very well into the “something to write home about” category, in effect leaving you and my readers out of the loop, and ultimately defeating the purpose of even having a blog. Ehrm.

Week one, meet the kids.

Nothing really interesting over the weekdays. Work was okay, nothing came by surprise. We had to train and orient some kids (not really, college students) to do part-time work, and for the most part it was easy. We even developed an attachment to some of them at the end haha. It was normal work for me, except that there was more of it crammed into every day.

Space Museum, stormy day.

The first weekend, however, was fun. Ali and I went to the Space Museum at Tsim Sha Tsui, and apparently the show about black holes terrified him (sorry about that) but it was a fun day. Of course it was raining and storm signal no. 3 was up over there (that would be a 1.5 here in the Philippines). That night we still went to Ladies Market and found the best buy EVER — a sturdy umbrella! Haha! We were soaking wet but it was a great day to remember.

Ocean Park, fishies!

My first time at Ocean Park! This was Sunday, still on the first weekend. It was really worth the trip, even if just for the long cable car ride. Well, seeing the fish and other creatures was obviously awesome, but the overall experience was great. Although we didn’t get to see the dolphin show, coz we ran out of seats. Boo. Oh well, at least we saw the cute pandas, and I have 3 additions to my “silly thing” collection! :P

Week two, the shift.

Work hours shifted for all of us because of the nature of the project we were on. And it was just really fortunate that two were completely okay with working graveyard. There were some inconveniences for all of us, but overall we were okay. Things went pretty smoothly for that week.

Two hours in Macau.

We left for Macau during week two, buuuuut we only stayed for 2 hours. Hahaha. We left our hotel at HK past 9am, then got back after the round-trip to Macau at around 5pm that same day. :P Good thing it was a company-paid trip. But even if we didn’t get to stay long, we had a lot of fun even while we were still on the ferry. Heck, even when we were on the bus to the ferry haha. Talk about good company. And we had ice cream on the way back, oy perfect day.

Weeks three to four, shopping and Scrubs.

At this point I was always tired from work, but this is the week were we did our shopping. Well mostly the guys did, I just came with. But I did get to buy 2 very nice hoodies from Esprit! I love sales. Didn’t get any shoes or bags though, boo. Also got some airsoft supplies for Tack, and was contemplating getting myself a nice airsoft pistol, but the possible hassle at customs and the fact that I was saving up for my super-PC held me back.

The later part of week four was spent on insane Scrubs marathons! I know it doesn’t sound all too adventurous and fun, but if you had a nice room all to yourself, comfy sheets, air-conditioning and a belly full of the best fried duck on rice you have and will ever taste in your entire life, you would know that that was heavenly. Hahaha. So I ended up breezing through the later half of season 1 up to the end of season 4 in a few days. Hoohoo!

Dinner, the ancient chicken!

We had dinner at this fancy restaurant with the other key people in the project we were working on. It was authentic Chinese food all the way, some were really good, some were interesting, and some were just hard to adjust to! I’m sorry but the ancient chicken thing was too much for me haha. Anyways, it was a great dinner because we had people from the 4 teams working on the project together for dinner for the first time. It was fun seeing them all out of the office for something like that.

Farewell (again) Hong Kong.

Well, the last day was very very busy still. In fact I was still working 2 minutes before we left the office to head for the airport. I knew, we knew, that it would have been much more efficient and convenient for everyone (including myself) if we’d stayed longer, but we knew we just couldn’t anymore, for important reasons. But this was a very defining month in Hong Kong, I think for all of us, for many different reasons.

It felt really good on the plane back when we could see the Manila lights from way up. We’d been gone for a while, and even though life was good there, I wasn’t really homesick and things were pretty convenient for us, I still couldn’t wait to go home. It’s just that feeling that, you were done, and it was time for you to go home. The work’s gonna be harder in Manila due to comunication issues, I imagine, but I still would rather go home.

And thanks to the guys who helped during the 4 weeks, and for that pat on the back when we were heading home. Really, that meant a lot to me.

(Okay so there weren’t all that many pictures. If you wanna see the rest, check out my Multiply album on Hong Kong III. Haha~)

A DIY “bouquet” of 87 Chupachups, inside — a cow named Patches, a small red booklet and a simple card with a long, very personal poem. There are times when deep words work, but sometimes, or most of the time, it only matters that you’re sincere.

That cow at the lower right is Heath (all respects to the late Ledger), adorable cow hand puppet. Yay~

Fajitas, pasta and crayons. Mhmm. This one was very memorable. Thank you~

Also, belated Happy Birthday, Jess! Glad you had a great double celebration :]

2007 has been like every other year, and unlike any other year. Like all the years of my life so far, it came with so many blessings, and surely enough also with its own trials. But what those are in particular, they will always be unique.

People tend to look back at a year past hoping that the next year will be better — but sometimes not because they’re optimistic, but because they can only remember the bad things about that year. I honestly believe that it would be better for everyone to think of those things that they can be thankful for.

So having said that, here are some of the many things that I thank God for about 2007.

1. For the people who came into my life, especially those whom I hope will forever be in it.
2. For a job that I enjoy, the sense of accomplishment that comes with it, and a great work environment. Not to mention a nice new building with a wonderful view.
3. For my first trip outside the country, a very memorable experience.
4. For the health and happiness of my family, whom I love so much. Also for our newest family member, Bruce! Through all the trials this year, here we are.
5. For my sisters, who love me and are there for me always no matter how hard it has been for me to find time for them. They mean so much to me.
6. For friendships that have not changed through time, distance, shortcomings and misunderstandings.
7. For my own health and happiness, and even the material blessings.
8. For kind, heartfelt and sweet words.
9. For music and lights.
10. For every lesson learned, for everything that this year has taught me.

Can you believe that we’re only a few years away from the end of this decade? Life is speeding by so fast. I can still remember last year’s fireworks, I can still remember the things that were in my mind then, very similar but strangely unfamiliar compared to the things in it now.

Resolutions can be futile, but to me, making them is worthwhile. So here are 2008’s challenges for me.

1. To set my priorities straight — purposefully spend more time in music, drawing and reading.
2. To pay more attention to my room. I kid you not.
3. To pray more and worry less.

“Happy new year” is one of our most repeated annual cliché. Everyone says it, anyone you ask will probably say he means it, but for most if not all of us, that meaning is simply lost in those monotone greetings, the letters on our screens and our cellphones. But two things that I’ve learned about the floating concept of new years — new beginnings come every day, every hour, every moment. Also I believe that the year is what we make it. No amount of greetings will change your year if your heart and mind are not in the right place, but if they are, no amount of bad circumstances can ruin a year for you.

So, happy new year! c:

Well my sites been down for the past few days so I couldn’t post this earlier. Anyways, Christmas here was simple, as it is every year in the Reyes home. But it was really nice. As for presents, I got silly stuff again (as they all know those are the stuff I like… if the antlers don’t give that away haha).

As I was telling a friend of mine, I really miss the feeling when I was a kid. That when Christmas came, there really was that “magic”. Just the sheer thrill from those presents under the tree, the cold weather, the special sound of bells from familiar Christmas carols. And I would look at my family, our pet, and I’d be so inexplicably happy. I didn’t have to try, or look for that feeling. It was there.

Maybe it’s naiveté? Or just because as a kid, it didn’t take much to feel that.

But he was right, when he told me, that this year it came when it was needed the most. So that simple statement got me thinking, again, that maybe sometimes it’s okay for things to get complicated. To lose that “easy” factor, to have to be sought instead of always just being there. To have to be fought for instead of always just being handed to us. Because it’s a good gauge of what we want, what’s important to us, how important we are to others, and what all of us to do to find that “magic”.

If indeed we are looking for it. If not, then maybe it’s just right that we don’t find it.

—

I know the date of the celebration of Jesus’ birth has been disputed a lot, but to me it doesn’t really matter. No words can describe how thankful I am that he did in fact come to die for my sins so that I wouldn’t have to, and that gratitude stands even outside the season.

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas. :)

Christmas Lights

I think I can safely say that the party was a success.

The program we set a week ahead was completely thrown out the window from the moment they walked in, but hey that’s the stuff of amazing parties right? Spontaneity. And that that was about as spontanous as it gets, without being chaotic.

Wait who am I kidding? It was chaos. Hahaha. In a very fun way though.

Even setting up turned out to be more fun than tiring. Well, for one I got to do a little decorating, though I do mean little. It’s all good though, since the new office was nice to begin with. After hilarious jokes of Christmas orcs, eggnog and beerhouses (I can’t tell them as well as they were told to me, sorry) the place was set up before the rest of them arrived.

The food was okay. Some of them told me it was good (without me asking so must’ve been sincere) so at least it was well worth all the hassle for the past 2 weeks.

I had so much fun playing charades, I’m serious. I absolutely love that game! Oh our team won btw, and for that I got GAME OF THE GENERALS. Booyaka! Omg I remember when Ali and I were buying prizes, I insisted that we buy it, and I told him I was gonna win it. I can’t believe I actually did! It stays in the office though hahaha~

For the gift exchange I got a Teddy (Official Mr. Bean haha). Well our exchange wasn’t the normal one, it’s a crazy remix where all the gifts are laid out on the table unwrapped and you can pick whatever you want. Except that each gift can be “stolen” up to twice. And despite doubts, it was FUN. Almost all the gifts were stolen twice! It was awesome.

Oh it’s so nice btw, boss gave us organizers little appreciation gifts — I got this Humor Post lunch box with cows. Yay~

No sense talking about everything so I’ll cut this ramble short. You can view the rest of the pics on my Multiply. Anyways, I’m just really glad things went well, and more importantly, that everyone had fun. Like I said, all worth it.

Shooting Stars

Lastly, the meteor shower I’d been expecting for a month now peaked last night. I went outside at around 1:30am to find a wonderfully clear night sky, stars scattered like breadcrumbs. And about once a minute, twice if lucky, I’d see a white line streak across. In a heartbeat it would be gone.

I was so nice, like the sky trying to connect the dots. It was desperate and wonderful. Last night showed me spontaneity at its finest.

Current music: Blackstreet - Don’t Leave Me

I miss this song, I didn’t even know I still had it! Hahaha~

Anyways, sorry for not posting as much while I was in Hong Kong. There were a lot of stories to tell that I guess I’ll be skipping now, hype gone and all. But for the record, it was a great trip. All things considered, it was really awesome.

So let me just go over the important stuff. First of all, I did buy clothes, but not really a lot. I still refused to buy those HK$300 pants (even though they looked sooo good and I had money to spare!), but I guess most of you expected that :P Went to Ladies Market twice, but bought more stuff elsewhere. It was fun. From these nights when we went shopping, we’d usually head back to the hotel past midnight. And now I know why they say it’s the city that never sleeps.

On our way home one night, we passed by the setting for the upcoming Batman movie’s (The Dark Knight) scenes. The police had the sidewalks controlled and there were a lot of people there. That was around 9pm, and the production team and the equipment were ready too, even if they weren’t starting till midnight. We didn’t wait for the actual scene, so I just took this picture of the setting, you can still see the cameras at the lower left area. From the looks of it, the scene was gonna take place high up in one of the buildings, since the cameras (newspaper people) were all pointing up. For a few days, Christian Bale and this scene were in the Hong Kong papers — apparently after midnight, they lit up all the city lights. Cool beans. I heard about the environmentalist reactions though… Haha.

One of the best parts of my Hong Kong trip was going up to The Peak. It was really nice, despite Columbia and I getting a tiny bit lost coz of a stupid sign pointing the wrong way haha. Anyways, I got to ride those open-top buses, and of course the tram! It was so weird heading up because the buildings around us literally looked like they were leaning 45 degrees, like the world tilted around us. Anyway we got to the top, and despite the fact that it was painfully cold, the view… the view was spectacular. I took a lot of pictures, you can check out one of them at the left. It was really nice.

We also went to Tsim Sha Tsui, and Kowloon Park is definitely worth mentioning. It kinda sucked that there were so many people, but it was still nice there, and was huge. Inside we got to see what they call “Kung Fu Corner” where we saw some martial arts exhibitions, and I saw my first dragon dance up close (even if it was just a mini version heheh). Right outside was this large monument where they had the Beijing Olympics countdown. Took a lot of pictures in that park :P

Didn’t go to any of the famous theme parks though, I’ll reserve that for more favorable conditions I guess, not on a work trip.

Well, Hong Kong in general was really something. I mean aside from the sight-seeing, it was really comfortable being there, didn’t even feel like I was out of the Philippines for some reason. I really felt the difference after coming back actually (Damn is it hot here! Hahaha), and honestly it reminded me of those days spent at Jess’ condo LOL no joke. No culture shock whatsoever either. Weird but good.

I always loved the convenience store life. And city lights, it’s like a trance.

Well, I won’t go over the work stuff, coz that’s… well, work haha. None of that. But seriously, I’m really glad I had the opportunity to go there, can’t wait to go back soon. Btw, sorry for the rushed post, I’ll try to do better next time rofl~

Oh and, I have great news (well, for me heheh) for my next post, but since he’s a little shy right now, I’ll post about it tomorrow. It’s probably not what you’re thinking, you. Hahaha.