Saturday, January 23, 2010

Never Change

Yesterday there was a forum of presidential candidates in Cebu:
"Estrada used up 1 minute and 30 seconds greeting the organizers and the sponsors. By the time he got around to answering the question, 'Why should Cebuanos vote for you,' he had only 9 seconds left."
In 1998, dumbstruck by pre-election surveys, I thought: Go ahead guys, vote for him and see what happens, then maybe you'll finally learn something.

Never change, Philippines. Never change...

Sunday, January 17, 2010

More New Shoes

I got new shoes today. And now I'm showing them off to you.


Made of genuine basset hound.

Hurrah!

Monday, January 11, 2010

Gibo Campaign Follows Obama's Lead

Looks like someone in the Gibo Teodoro campaign has been finding inspiration in Barack Obama's 2008 presidential run.

I saw this Teodoro ad on TV a few days ago (see it on YouTube) and recognized the font as the Obama campaign's signature Gotham:


It's also the font used on the splash page of his official website, so it seems they at least have someone looking out for brand consistency.

And on Facebook, the primary picture on Teodoro's page echos the iconic Obama "Hope" poster by Shepard Fairey:


Actually it's more of a pale shadow of the Hope poster. They need to get some real graphic artist to fix that thing up.

Sunday, January 10, 2010

Dumaguete's Great Leap Forward

I can't get over how pleased I am with Robinson's Place Dumaguete.


When Dumaguete's first Dunkin Donuts arrived a couple of years ago, its opening was celebrated with a parade through the city's main commercial street. I can only imagine the utter pandemonium that must have accompanied the opening of the province's first big mall (some would say the first real mall) last November. It is far and away the city's new Best Thing. Suddenly our small city feels twice as big.


For some perspective on how much this means: This mall gives Dumaguete its first KFC, CD-R King, Booksale, Mang Inasal, Bo's Coffee Club, and much more. It also contains the city's 4th Jollibee, 2nd Shakey's, 2nd Goldilocks, 2nd Dunkin Donuts, 2nd Greenwich, 2nd Chowking, and 2nd McDonald's. It also brings 3 cinema screens to a city which had (in my opinion) no acceptably decent movie theaters.

People from Dumaguete have a lot of pride-- well, maybe not so much pride, but certainly great affection-- for the city. It feels small but it has everything one needs, with modest tourist attractions and a good quality of living on what's usually seen as the "other" side of Negros. Now, with a mall, a real mall, it feels, finally, like we've hit the big time.

Monday, January 4, 2010

Numbers of 2009

Here's a bunch of statistics from my past year. Mostly compiled from notes on my monthly calendars and expense records.

141 days in Cebu

206 days in Dumaguete

53 days in Manila

2 days in Bacolod

36 trips between Dumaguete and Cebu

7 plane rides

4 Philippine islands set foot on for the first time

171 days employed at NCR

46 days employed at HP

148 days spent unemployed

2 job interviews

1 successful job interview

4 weddings attended

1 baptisms attended

1 graduations attended

3 5K fun runs

9 movies watched at theaters

3215 pesos spent on cell phone load

72 blog entries

Sunday, January 3, 2010

Highlights of 2009

Here's a listing of highlights from my past year. Just a bunch of significant events without context or commentary, and that's the way I like it. Better than pretending there was some thematic coherence, with blanket statements like "It was a good year".

In other words: I like how Dom did it, so here's my version.

January

Ihna's wedding
Trip to Tabuelan, Cebu

February
Flood in Dumaguete
Katrese's wedding in Bacolod

March
Moved to new Cebu apartment
House pool/pavillion blessing
Katrina's graduation
Trip to Simala
Valencia Souvenir Shop opening

April
Turned 24
Trip to Apo Island
Became a godfather

May
Bernice's wedding
Moved to new office building
Submitted resignation from NCR
Trip to Bohol/Panglao

June
Resigned from NCR
Took Foreign Service Officer Test
Michael Jackson dies
Moved out of Cebu and back home to Valencia

July
Solar eclipse

August
Cory Aquino dies; Everyone goes nuts

September
Jojo Binay visits Valencia
Google Code Jam
Milo Marathon in Dumaguete
Interview at Smart
Typhoon Ondoy

October
Interview at HP

November
Moved to Manila
Started work at HP
McHappy Day fun run

December
Ateneo Big Blue 150 Run
Trip to Grande Island