^_^ When all else fails... cut your hair.

When all else fails… get instant boost by cutting your hair. I now sport short hair with streaks. Wahahahaha I hope I don’t regret this. ^_^

Yahoo! SG Hack Day - Haya & Carol

Yahoo! SG Hack Day - Haya & Carol
Originally uploaded by Wee-Lit

I had no plan to participate but then Carol had an idea and asked me to team up with her. We ended up making a small mobile widget that allows the user to compare gadget prices. It was implemented using Y! Shopping API and Blueprint. ^_^ We got third place.

Song of Solomon 8:6-7

Found this in the bible about love. ^_^

6 Place me like a seal over your heart,
like a seal on your arm;
for love is as strong as death,
its jealousy ^[a] unyielding as the grave. ^[b]
It burns like blazing fire,
like a mighty flame. ^[c]

7 Many waters cannot quench love;
rivers cannot wash it away.
If one were to give
all the wealth of his house for love,
it ^[d] would be utterly scorned.

There's a Fine Fine Line ^_^

November flies so fast. So far… we have celebrated Janice, Ehlees and Tintoi’s birthday. Melvin came for a visit last weekend in time for Janice’s birthday celebration. We went to watch Avenue Q. I was a bit apprehensive about the play at first… the only song I was familiar with was “The Internet is For Porn” and I was expecting puppets…the typical puppet show where puppets has strings. Wahaha I could have looked it up of course but I don’t want spoilers. Hehehe

Avenue Q was hilarious. After getting used to the actors carrying around the puppets, I was able to fully appreciate the music and the humor. Our row (Janice, Rosette, Melvin and Me) was laughing so hard when “The Internet is For Porn” was sung. But my favorite song from the play was “There’s a Fine Fine Line”. When Janice heard the first few measures of the music, she leaned over and gestured to me to pay attention. Hahaha Hearing the first stanza was like hearing someone singing my love life.

“There's a fine, fine line between a lover and a friend;
There's a fine, fine line between reality and pretend;
And you never know 'til you reach the top if it was worth the uphill climb.

There's a fine, fine line between love
And a waste of time.”

I sat still and paid attention… hahaha the rest of the song completely resonates with my recent mindset. =) I left the Philippines with the realization that my unrequited love was a complete waste of time… three years deluding myself that there’s hope.

“There's a fine, fine line between a fairy tale and a lie;
And there's a fine, fine line between "You're wonderful" and "Goodbye."
I guess if someone doesn't love you back it isn't such a crime,
But there's a fine, fine line between love
And a waste of your time.”

The rest of the song sort of affirms my decision to move on with my life.

“And I don't have the time to waste on you anymore.
I don't think that you even know what you're looking for.
For my own sanity, I've got to close the door
And walk away...
Oh...

There's a fine, fine line between together and not
And there's a fine, fine line between what you wanted and what you got.
You gotta go after the things you want while you're still in your prime...

There's a fine, fine line between love
And a waste of time.”

Klutzy me.

Hmmmm..... went to catch Janice for lunch yesterday... she was playing badminton in Tampines. When I got there, they were not done yet... so I decided to play with them. hehehe 5 minutes into the game I jumped and landed badly on my right foot... ended up with a sprain. huhuhu

I got a pretty bruise on my leg now... feeling way better than yesterday... It looks horrible but it does not hurt as bad as it looks... I just walk kinda funny. ^_^

Thank you Lord for healing me and it's just a sprain... not dislocated as we feared yesterday. Since I can't move around much... am going to spend my "down" time catching up on work and practicing my violin. Perfect excuse not to go out and exercise. hahaha

^_^ I think my bruise is photogenic. hehehe

Singapore Canon Marathon 2008

October 18, 2008
0700 - 2200H

My unedited entries for each theme.

Theme 1: CHANGE


Theme 2: DreamTheme 3: Freedom


hehehe mukhang puro sablay... ni hindi man lang naflash sa projector. hahahaha

10 flights. wahahaha

Mark this day! I was able to climb 10 flights of stairs after my usual long walk from the office to the mrt station then towards home. Resulta... di ko alam. I'm so tired. I still have work to do but my brain is fried. Imbes bilbil ko ang mabawasan... parang utak ko ang nanunuyo. hahahahaha
Sa lagay na to... may energy pa ako magbuklat ng laptop at magpost dito. Wala lang. Gusto ko lang marecord dito.

Goodnight everyone. I will now sleep... gigising nalang maaga para matapos ang work.

Thank you Lord for this wonderful day. Amen.

What does "baptism" mean to me?

These are my personal views/understanding and probably not in line with any church’s view. Hahaha

Mat 28

16Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee , to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17When they saw him , they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18Then Jesus came to them and said , "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations , baptizing them in^[a] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit , 20and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always , to the very end of the age."

This is my understanding. Followers of Jesus… his closest disciples… people who were closest and the ones who understood the most went to Galilee because He told them too. They were ALL obedient, they ALL worshiped him but SOME doubted. Then Jesus told them… go and make disciples… he told ALL of them… even the disciples who had doubt in their hearts. His command was for everyone who worships him… with or without doubts… to baptize in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

Now… here is the tough part. What does baptizing them mean? Yes, you are right… it means immersion and you feel renewed afterwards… but to me… it does not literally mean immersion in water. To immerse means to be surrounded… so the verse to me means… “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, surrounding them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”

When I first came to Singapore… I started to become surrounded with teachings and the word of God… slowly my time was consumed by church related activities that teaches, exercises and strengthens my faith and belief. My life was slowly but surely renewed because of this experience. Literally, my life is now surrounded by people who worship the Lord. More time (compared to nil before) is spent immersed in the word of God that even the music I listen to has changed. Though my faith is much stronger, I falter again and again and continue to struggle… so I guess I will have to work harder. ^_^

Changing the world one pencil at a time

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/lifestyle/09/24/08/changing-world-one-pencil-time
Kala ko mahilig lang talaga magpicture picture si zer at si momon... may ibang agenda ren pala. Go guys! Galing ng initiative ninyo.

Yummy: Feng Sheng Eating House

I've been passing by this place for months.... never bothered to try because it does not look interesting. I see the steamer up front and the stacks of siopao and steamed baskets and think... hmmmm.... siopao or grilled chicken foldover (it is near MCDO). Usually I go to Mcdo... which is familiar. hehehe

In my quest for healthier food... I decided to check if they have vegetable pao... however the lady tending the store said no... only pork lah! hehehe I was about to leave when she pointed out one steamed basket. She was gesturing to a green covered thing inside and said... fish healthy... many people get. ^_^ Then she proceed to open more basket with healthy alternative... hehehe

From the many she helpfully pointed out... I chose three. The steamed fish topped with green herb (the lady's first suggestion), the steamed chicken with mushroom and the red one (because it was attractive).

All three were great!!! yummy. The fish had delicate herb taste. The red one was surprisingly not very spicy... it was shrimp and fish patty stuffed on red chili pepper and the green one on the side was the same patty sandwiched in eggplant (my fave!)... and the chicken with mushroom well... was chicken. hahaha

I was so happy while eating the food that I decided to be brave and ask if I can take pictures... some establishment do not like having their menu photographed. The lady was so nice... I was just planning to take one picture of the steamed baskets... but she not only let me take a picture... she opened all the stacks of steamed basket so I can take a better picture of each item they have. ^_^

I will definitely go back there and bring friends. The food is great and the people are friendly. ^_^ Next time... I will try to get the names of the food. hehehe

By the way... it's at Bedok Reservior Road between McDonalds and the wet market.

Despair

Despair
Originally uploaded by h20tubig

Among the 3 Ds... Dream, Delusion, Despair ...
This one is my favorite... ^_^

Will post the work flow when I have time. ^_^

Delusion

Delusion
Originally uploaded by h20tubig

Dream

Dream
Originally uploaded by h20tubig

Amoy niluto....

For me Olympics is Gymnastics and I would watch whenever I can catch it... After reading these two articles... I kinda feel bad for Nastia Liukin and admire her more for her poise. I hope this does not mar her confidence.
http://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/beijing/gymnastics/news?slug=ap-gym-eventfinals&prov=ap&type=lgns

She does not look too happy in the picture on this article
http://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/beijing/blog/fourth_place_medal/post/Why-is-a-tie-breaker-needed-in-gymnastics-?urn=oly,101564

Singapore 2008

Singapore 2008
Originally uploaded by h20tubig

I've been here for month's and I have kept postponing WALKING down to Marina to take a picture of the Merlion. Finally went there with Leo after work... we took a lot of pictures along the way but this one is the one i've been after.

Unfortunately am not happy with the result... it's soft. wahahaha I was using the unsharp mask on my other pictures days before the excursion and I was hoping it would help check the inherent softness of my kit lens.

Anyway, everybody knows that a kit lens wide open is really soft... not even unsharp mask could hide it. ^_^ But it could also be soft because my tripod plate was missing (forgot to take it back after I loaned it to someone) so I was holding the camera on the tripod.... and the wind was strong....

Will have to go back and take a picture with a complete tripod and hopefully no wind to see the difference. ^_^ I hope my photo shoot buddy will still join me. hahaha

Can I have that chicken?

Can I have that chicken?
Originally uploaded by jay basa

I was caught on cam unaware while pondering whether I can eat chicken wings. I know I am not supposed to eat it... but was debating whether I can get away with eating a little. hahahahahaha

I actually ended up finishing 4 wings. wahahahaha
oops.

Pasir Ris Park

Traffic
Originally uploaded by h20tubig

This is Pasir Ris park... the one I mentioned on my previous post. This scenic spot is a couple of bus rides away from our place. Free entrance... free camping grounds... you can bring food... it's quiet and relaxing.

The first time I went here was for Tonjun's birthday. We rented bikes for a couple of hours and exercised before pigging out. hehehe The second time was to prepare for our church group's fellowship. Both times, my feet hurt from the exercise.

My ideal visit to the park would be... to ride a wagon big enough to comfortably fit me... then someone would tow me all over the place so I could take pictures without hurting my poor feet. My wagon would have food and drink stored in it too and an umbrella to cover my head when I need to. ^_^ Simple lang diba?

Singapore... so far so good

I've been here for nearly six months now and I'm glad to say I've settled in... more or less. hehehe I wouldn't be here if Janice wasn't here... I'm not brave enough to venture out on my own... and she literally took me in. After the initial confusion on learning to find my way around, learning to hear the language and finding food that I can stomach... I am enjoying my stay.





My first hurdle was finding my way around. I am good with directions and could probably find my way back to a place where I've previously been. I've never been good at commuting... I grew up in Bacolod and never went anywhere there that took me more than 30 minutes from home... longer than that and it's considered FAR. For Singapore, if it takes me more than an hour to get anywhere, then that means I took the wrong route. On my route going home, I usually walk through a plaza going to City Hall Mrt. It's not well lit but many people use it as a shortcut... I enjoy walking there because the lights up ahead really looks pretty and when you look up, you can clearly see the night sky.


Now about the language barrier. People here speak english, although it's not the same as what we are used to. My problem was not about understanding their english, it was more like hearing their words. Even when I moved to Manila, I had this problem initially... I don't know if it's the same for everyone else but to me a language usually comes with a certain pitch. Some word's pitch are too low or high to what I am used to and I think my brain just cancels them out as noise. hehehe So something like "Do you think you can come around 3 pm next Monday" would sound like "_ you ink you can _ around _ p_ _ Mon_" or something like that. Eventually, I learned to listen... hehe and even if I can now hear full sentences... sometimes I still don't understand.

Food... uhmm... I don't want to talk about food... other than am on a diet now and thinking about food makes we want to binge. Oh... beware of Kaya toast by the way... I was eating that regularly and the doctor told me a teaspoon of Kaya is equivalent to one Roti Prata (Some sort of Indian FRIED bread). My food tripping here made my blood pressure go up and am now on a low salt low fat low carb low taste low low low low diet.

On a brighter note... if you want to relax and just hang out by the sea... beach parks are just a bus or taxi ride away. It's not Boracay, but it's got sand, sky and sea... when you have had enough... you can easily commute home to your comfy bed. I've been to Pasir Ris Park twice already and it's really nice.

Favorite...

Farewell to my most favorite woman... I love you.

I see trees of green, red roses too
I see them bloom, for me and you
And I think to myself
What a wonderful world

I was not fortunate to inherit your green thumb... but still you tried your best to teach me to work the soil you love. As a child I saw you sow seeds and healthy plants grow. You used to fill our yard with roses and orchids. To this day, I am still ignorant of what you were trying to teach me... all I know is flowers are beautiful and you love them so.

I see skies of blue, and clouds of white
The bright blessed day, dark sacred night
And I think to myself
What a wonderful world

You let me play outside as much as I want... as long as the sun is out but when night falls you would call me home and would bring out bring your slipper to my stubborn backside if I don't heed your call. You loved me and never hesitated to discipline me. Thank you.

The colors of the rainbow, so pretty in the sky
Are also on the faces, of people going by
I see friends shaking hands, sayin', "How do you do?"
They're really sayin', "I love you"

While I was growing up... I took you for granted. I know you love me and I love you but I have never spoken the words to you... when I was sure you would still understand me. It was too late when I was able to hold you hand and say "I love you"... I hope you heard me and understood. These past days... I've prayed hard that the Lord will let you feel how much I love you... across the distance... it was one miracle that I have asked of Him. In my heart, I know that He has granted my secret wish. I love you.

I hear babies cryin', I watch them grow
They'll learn much more, than I'll ever know
And I think to myself
What a wonderful world

You heard me cry and watched me grow... and I think I did learn more... but most are not as important as those you have tried to teach me. You tried to teach me how to conduct myself as a girl... how to keep house... how to cook... how to sew... you were great in all these aspects and I was (still) a slow learner. The best lesson I learned from you and I hoped I learned well is to be strong. Despite the challenges you faced... you did not give up... you did your best with your abilities to keep moving forward. You worked hard despite whatever emotional or physical pain you feel. You had faith and would pray even when you could barely keep track of your rosary. You were independent. You are our role model.


Yes, I think to myself
What a wonderful world
Oh yeah

Without you, we will not be here. Farewell my beloved Lola and rest in peace. It was an honor to have been your favorite granddaughter.

Sheet Music - Ave Maria in G Major by Franz Schubert

Hallows!!! I've playing around with Finale Notepad... you can download it for free from here.
Now what would inspire me to find a music sheet and retype it in Finale? hehehe Anime of course. My sister forwarded a link a few weeks ago... it was an anime series called La Corda d`Oro. I watched the entire series on crunchyroll and if you are interested you can start here. There were several classical music played on the series but what seems to be the main piece (played more than once and on several episodes....) was Ave Maria by Franz Schubert.

Now if you liked the anime and would like to try playing it on the violin maybe the attached Finale file will help you get started. You can transpose it automatic in Finale to any key you want and you can make it faster or slower so you can practice with it.

So can I play it yet? Wahaha nope. It's still wishful thinking on my part.

**You need Finale Notepad to open attached file ave_maria_GMajor_high.MUS**