Note: A friend requested I post this particular experience since she said "it sounded like a scene from the movies."

It was raining. Hard.

I sat on the steps outside the school's laboratory, and watched muddy water swirl by in small streams. The rain pounded on the pavement like a drumbeat as my friends and I waited for our lab classes to start.

We didn't talk much. Rather, I didn't talk much and my friends talked with their respective boyfriends. Not that I minded; I liked having time to think to myself.

Someone padded --- or shall I say, splashed --- by and stopped in front of me. I looked up to see the school janitor struggling with a cart of wet paper. We often said hello to each other in the hallways; he knew my friends and me.

Before I could say anything, he parked the cart in the shade and plonked beside me.

"Whew! I've got to bring those papers across campus, but it's raining so hard," he said.

"I know! Is it okay if they get so wet?" I asked.

"It's fine; they'll just be recycled." The janitor looked up at the dull sky. "I think I'll wait for the rain to lighten up before I move on though."

We made small talk. Eventually, the conversation petered out as we took to watching the rain come down in droves. The janitor glanced at my friends and got a mischievous look on his face.

"So, they all seem to be getting serious now, huh?" I looked over at the couples, and nodded.

"That's good," he commented. "How about you? Have a boyfriend too?"

"No way!" I laughed out loud at the thought. "Well, not yet anyway."

"That's good too," he said. "There's no need to hurry."

"True," I mused. "There's still school to keep everyone busy."

"Seriously, you don't have to go looking for a boyfriend. You're fine without one." The rain was slowing down to a light drizzle.

"I am?" I grinned at the nature of our conversation. I mean, how often do I get to hear advice on my love life from the school janitor?

"Yep." He put out a hand to see if the rain had stopped. "If it's the right time, he'll come. And there's still a lot of time left for that."

"I guess so." I watched the janitor stand up and head for his cart.

"I'll be going now," he announced. "I might get to the next building before it rains hard again."

"I hope so. Hope you don't get too wet!" I saw my teacher coming toward the building from the other direction.

The cart's wheels squeaked as the janitor was in motion again. I waved goodbye, and stood up to go into class. I smiled at my beaming friends; they were content.

And I was content too.

Edit: Heading on a four-day trip tonight. You guys won't be hearing from me until next week. Keep happy!



Chances are you don't know them. Every person I've asked doesn't, anyway.

Sanctus Real is my favorite band. They sing catchy songs with thoughtful lyrics, and just keep improving. Their lead singer, Matt Hammitt, has one of the clearest voices I've ever heard. His voice reminds me a little of Bono from the band U2.

Their background vocals and other instruments are cool as well. Finally, the lyrics are really easy to understand --- a big deal for me in my choice of rock bands. I'm very picky about lyrics.

Anyway, why am I talking about this? I guess it's because one of the songs off their latest album is lodged in my brain. It's actually been going through my subconscious since the album came out last February.

I'm not annoyed though since it's a pretty good song. Just wanted to share it with you guys!

We Need Each Other
(Sanctus Real)

I think I caught a glimpse of

Life without friends

Bitter, empty, hollow, dark and lonely

We never meant to hurt each other

So can't we trust again

And take it as a chance

To keep on growing



I don't know why it doesn't come easy

But I know that we could be happy

If we'd only learn to love



Oh oh we need each other

So what's the fighting for

Oh oh we need each other

Please don't close the door
Oh oh we need each other

Through all the highs and lows

Oh oh we need each other

'Cause no one's meant to live alone



Life revolves around the need

Of having someone

Causing every complicated feeling

Oh and I don't want to lose you

And there is nothing wrong with

Telling me what you need

To keep our love strong



It's just a part of being a family

Taking the good with the bad 
And the ugly

If we could only learn to love



Oh oh we need each other

So what's the fighting for

Oh oh we need each other

Please don't close the door

Oh oh we need each other

Through all the highs and lows

Oh oh we need each other

'Cause I don't want to be alone



Well I need you

You need me
'Cause that's the way

It's meant to be

I need you

We need each other

I don't want to be alone
(2x)

"We're headed to a park in the mountains this Sunday," Ghe (or Abigail to you, dear Reader) said. "You want to come?"

Of course!

This led to another summer escapade with a bunch of friends from church. Specifically, it was Glynnis, Judy, Ghe, Miong (or Michael, depending), Patrick, Marlon, Ryan, and me.


Judy likes to think I'm her older sister --- which I'm not because I'm younger than her --- since I'm supposedly more mature than her. We get some laughs out of that.

Well, the weather was cool, the skies were wonderfully rain-free, and the view was awesome.


The gadgets Ryan brought created a whole other dimension to the outing. I mean, just check out the light we used to cook dinner!


He also brought an unusual lamp, canned gas to light the grill, and some compact utensils. And let's not forget the little PSPs most of the group (read: the guys and Glynnis) whipped out.

"It figures. Even here, they just have to play video games!" Ghe grumbled good-naturedly.

They eventually kept their toys as we all helped grill the meat and various seafood.


The food was delicious; everyone got pretty stuffed.

And the part I'll always remember? Us talking and laughing the rest of the night while hotdogs and marshmallows sizzled in the darkness.

It was cool.




Not that this superhero ever seemed to do chores in the movie. He was as rich as Croesus; his assistant did all the dry cleaning.

Anyway, I enjoyed reading Marvel comics as a kid. I didn't get to read a lot of issues --- a consequence of not living in America, I suppose --- but the ones I got to read fascinated me. I guess it's the whole superhero idea; it used to make my mind go on overdrive as a kid.

This led to me watching all the superhero movies that have come out in the past ten years or so. It also led to a bit of skepticism. I mean, how many of these movies can people come up with that are actually good?

Well, Iron Man was really good. The gadgets and effects were eye-popping (as they're supposed to be). It's just so cool watching the guy fly around, and his computer system was beyond my imagination.

Underneath is a pretty good story too. Some parts were a bit predictable, but the way the characters grew in the film was great. The acting was mostly top-notch --- Robert Downey, Jr. made Tony Stark a more likeable and real character --- and the storytelling was amazing. Nothing was boring, and there were subtle layers to a lot of the characters. There was also a lot of humor (and chemistry!) balancing darker parts of the film.

All I could say after watching that movie was WOW. It was an enjoyable ride. I occasionally forgot I was watching a movie; that's how cool it was. I recommend it for anyone who wants to see something fun.



I'm embarrassed that I forgot to update my blog last Monday.

I got so excited over a shirt design I'm doing that I dropped some other activities. I've been sketching since last Sunday.

As a reward --- peace offering? --- for waiting around, dear Reader, here's how the uncolored draft looks like:


It's actually for our church's Sunday School t-shirt. I've been tinkering a bit with the light rays and the bird's position. I hope to get this colored and sent for printing by next week.

I normally don't watermark my drawings --- they look better without my nickname emblazoned in big ugly letters --- but repeated thefts of my work have changed my mind. They were never a big deal; I knew most people didn't do it intentionally. It wasn't worth troubling myself about.

Getting accused of stealing my own work last month was the final straw though. The whole experience disgusted me, and caused a lot of stress. Thus, some of my drawings will now sport ugly but light lettering.

Happily, I won't be putting them on everything. They won't be going on stuff that have been resized considerably, or have been clearly copyrighted.

Moving on to less serious topics, I also doodled a lot, and went through my sketchbooks for ideas.

I'm not sure if I got any great ideas. I did enjoy the doodling though.


And here's a hurried sketch of a tower in Belgium from my last Europe trip. It's not really that great, but it did bring back great memories.


I guess that's it for now.

Looking back on the first half of my summer vacation, I can't believe how much I got done. I got in touch with God, worked a bit, had fun with family and friends; and just had a cool time. All I can say is "Thank you, God!" and "WOW!"

I'll be spending some time finishing work and learning a few programs this month. I hope it turns out really well.

'Til next time!



Note: If you're tired of reading about my work angst, the light at the end of the tunnel is near. My deadliest deadline is today, so you will not be hearing me rant about work for a long time.

I'm sorry if the whole work thing has been tedious (I can just hear people saying "Hmph! You should hear about my experience!" right about now.), but please forgive this newbie. And cheer up, dear Reader. Sillier posts are just around the corner!

The Oswegan (or Scott) told me to relax on my last post. It's good advice; I tried to stand by it. It is my summer vacation, after all.

Things just seemed to pile up though: the job, church, family, and some other uncuttable --- Yes, I know that isn't a word, but my vocabulary isn't stretching much today. --- tasks. And it wasn't even caused by overworking myself; it was just that some things I was supposed to finish by last week kept taking longer to do.

I mean, the job --- which I will not detail so that you, dear Reader, will not go into a deep coma --- was done two weeks ago. Then it was redone a week ago. And then it was done again. And again. And again.

"This is how work really is," my always wise Mother quipped. "It's different from school; you just have to get used to it."

Sigh. Getting used to it made me feel like the car below.


How dazed was I yesterday? Well, I worked until 2 am to meet today's work deadline. I had already met said deadline a few days back but revisions were made. I then woke up at 3 am to catch the first flight to Manila, our country's capital, for an appointment at 8:30 am.

I managed to catnap here and there, and was back at the airport to catch a flight home yesterday afternoon. I was already planning to sleep a bit before heading to work. And then it happened. The plane was delayed. Long enough that I'd have to go straight to work when I got back.

So I was flexible (I tried, anyway). I slept in one of those metal chairs at the airport, and woke up every few minutes to ask if the plane was leaving yet.

I got home with a raging headache, ran around in the office for two hours, and popped over to church for a calming meeting. Yep, calming. Church often does that for me when I'm in over my head; it reminds me to trust God with my best and not stress about the uncontrollable. When I forget this and panic about everything, it just makes me tired.

I rested a lot more today --- with Oswegan's advice continuously marqueeing through my head --- but re-editing my re-re-re-edited revisions for another deadline was still stressful.


Work is hard, but in an interesting and mind-bending way. The funniest thing is my job isn't even as hard as other jobs are! It just shows I have a lot to learn.

At least I'm learning this a few years before I really have to work. I have more time to strategize towards my ultimate goal: working well and keeping sane in the workplace.

I think it'll be strangely fun!

Note: A friend requested I post this particular experience since she said "it sounded like a scene from the movies."

It was raining. Hard.

I sat on the steps outside the school's laboratory, and watched muddy water swirl by in small streams. The rain pounded on the pavement like a drumbeat as my friends and I waited for our lab classes to start.

We didn't talk much. Rather, I didn't talk much and my friends talked with their respective boyfriends. Not that I minded; I liked having time to think to myself.

Someone padded --- or shall I say, splashed --- by and stopped in front of me. I looked up to see the school janitor struggling with a cart of wet paper. We often said hello to each other in the hallways; he knew my friends and me.

Before I could say anything, he parked the cart in the shade and plonked beside me.

"Whew! I've got to bring those papers across campus, but it's raining so hard," he said.

"I know! Is it okay if they get so wet?" I asked.

"It's fine; they'll just be recycled." The janitor looked up at the dull sky. "I think I'll wait for the rain to lighten up before I move on though."

We made small talk. Eventually, the conversation petered out as we took to watching the rain come down in droves. The janitor glanced at my friends and got a mischievous look on his face.

"So, they all seem to be getting serious now, huh?" I looked over at the couples, and nodded.

"That's good," he commented. "How about you? Have a boyfriend too?"

"No way!" I laughed out loud at the thought. "Well, not yet anyway."

"That's good too," he said. "There's no need to hurry."

"True," I mused. "There's still school to keep everyone busy."

"Seriously, you don't have to go looking for a boyfriend. You're fine without one." The rain was slowing down to a light drizzle.

"I am?" I grinned at the nature of our conversation. I mean, how often do I get to hear advice on my love life from the school janitor?

"Yep." He put out a hand to see if the rain had stopped. "If it's the right time, he'll come. And there's still a lot of time left for that."

"I guess so." I watched the janitor stand up and head for his cart.

"I'll be going now," he announced. "I might get to the next building before it rains hard again."

"I hope so. Hope you don't get too wet!" I saw my teacher coming toward the building from the other direction.

The cart's wheels squeaked as the janitor was in motion again. I waved goodbye, and stood up to go into class. I smiled at my beaming friends; they were content.

And I was content too.

Edit: Heading on a four-day trip tonight. You guys won't be hearing from me until next week. Keep happy!



Chances are you don't know them. Every person I've asked doesn't, anyway.

Sanctus Real is my favorite band. They sing catchy songs with thoughtful lyrics, and just keep improving. Their lead singer, Matt Hammitt, has one of the clearest voices I've ever heard. His voice reminds me a little of Bono from the band U2.

Their background vocals and other instruments are cool as well. Finally, the lyrics are really easy to understand --- a big deal for me in my choice of rock bands. I'm very picky about lyrics.

Anyway, why am I talking about this? I guess it's because one of the songs off their latest album is lodged in my brain. It's actually been going through my subconscious since the album came out last February.

I'm not annoyed though since it's a pretty good song. Just wanted to share it with you guys!

We Need Each Other
(Sanctus Real)

I think I caught a glimpse of

Life without friends

Bitter, empty, hollow, dark and lonely

We never meant to hurt each other

So can't we trust again

And take it as a chance

To keep on growing



I don't know why it doesn't come easy

But I know that we could be happy

If we'd only learn to love



Oh oh we need each other

So what's the fighting for

Oh oh we need each other

Please don't close the door
Oh oh we need each other

Through all the highs and lows

Oh oh we need each other

'Cause no one's meant to live alone



Life revolves around the need

Of having someone

Causing every complicated feeling

Oh and I don't want to lose you

And there is nothing wrong with

Telling me what you need

To keep our love strong



It's just a part of being a family

Taking the good with the bad 
And the ugly

If we could only learn to love



Oh oh we need each other

So what's the fighting for

Oh oh we need each other

Please don't close the door

Oh oh we need each other

Through all the highs and lows

Oh oh we need each other

'Cause I don't want to be alone



Well I need you

You need me
'Cause that's the way

It's meant to be

I need you

We need each other

I don't want to be alone
(2x)

"We're headed to a park in the mountains this Sunday," Ghe (or Abigail to you, dear Reader) said. "You want to come?"

Of course!

This led to another summer escapade with a bunch of friends from church. Specifically, it was Glynnis, Judy, Ghe, Miong (or Michael, depending), Patrick, Marlon, Ryan, and me.


Judy likes to think I'm her older sister --- which I'm not because I'm younger than her --- since I'm supposedly more mature than her. We get some laughs out of that.

Well, the weather was cool, the skies were wonderfully rain-free, and the view was awesome.


The gadgets Ryan brought created a whole other dimension to the outing. I mean, just check out the light we used to cook dinner!


He also brought an unusual lamp, canned gas to light the grill, and some compact utensils. And let's not forget the little PSPs most of the group (read: the guys and Glynnis) whipped out.

"It figures. Even here, they just have to play video games!" Ghe grumbled good-naturedly.

They eventually kept their toys as we all helped grill the meat and various seafood.


The food was delicious; everyone got pretty stuffed.

And the part I'll always remember? Us talking and laughing the rest of the night while hotdogs and marshmallows sizzled in the darkness.

It was cool.




Not that this superhero ever seemed to do chores in the movie. He was as rich as Croesus; his assistant did all the dry cleaning.

Anyway, I enjoyed reading Marvel comics as a kid. I didn't get to read a lot of issues --- a consequence of not living in America, I suppose --- but the ones I got to read fascinated me. I guess it's the whole superhero idea; it used to make my mind go on overdrive as a kid.

This led to me watching all the superhero movies that have come out in the past ten years or so. It also led to a bit of skepticism. I mean, how many of these movies can people come up with that are actually good?

Well, Iron Man was really good. The gadgets and effects were eye-popping (as they're supposed to be). It's just so cool watching the guy fly around, and his computer system was beyond my imagination.

Underneath is a pretty good story too. Some parts were a bit predictable, but the way the characters grew in the film was great. The acting was mostly top-notch --- Robert Downey, Jr. made Tony Stark a more likeable and real character --- and the storytelling was amazing. Nothing was boring, and there were subtle layers to a lot of the characters. There was also a lot of humor (and chemistry!) balancing darker parts of the film.

All I could say after watching that movie was WOW. It was an enjoyable ride. I occasionally forgot I was watching a movie; that's how cool it was. I recommend it for anyone who wants to see something fun.



I'm embarrassed that I forgot to update my blog last Monday.

I got so excited over a shirt design I'm doing that I dropped some other activities. I've been sketching since last Sunday.

As a reward --- peace offering? --- for waiting around, dear Reader, here's how the uncolored draft looks like:


It's actually for our church's Sunday School t-shirt. I've been tinkering a bit with the light rays and the bird's position. I hope to get this colored and sent for printing by next week.

I normally don't watermark my drawings --- they look better without my nickname emblazoned in big ugly letters --- but repeated thefts of my work have changed my mind. They were never a big deal; I knew most people didn't do it intentionally. It wasn't worth troubling myself about.

Getting accused of stealing my own work last month was the final straw though. The whole experience disgusted me, and caused a lot of stress. Thus, some of my drawings will now sport ugly but light lettering.

Happily, I won't be putting them on everything. They won't be going on stuff that have been resized considerably, or have been clearly copyrighted.

Moving on to less serious topics, I also doodled a lot, and went through my sketchbooks for ideas.

I'm not sure if I got any great ideas. I did enjoy the doodling though.


And here's a hurried sketch of a tower in Belgium from my last Europe trip. It's not really that great, but it did bring back great memories.


I guess that's it for now.

Looking back on the first half of my summer vacation, I can't believe how much I got done. I got in touch with God, worked a bit, had fun with family and friends; and just had a cool time. All I can say is "Thank you, God!" and "WOW!"

I'll be spending some time finishing work and learning a few programs this month. I hope it turns out really well.

'Til next time!



Note: If you're tired of reading about my work angst, the light at the end of the tunnel is near. My deadliest deadline is today, so you will not be hearing me rant about work for a long time.

I'm sorry if the whole work thing has been tedious (I can just hear people saying "Hmph! You should hear about my experience!" right about now.), but please forgive this newbie. And cheer up, dear Reader. Sillier posts are just around the corner!

The Oswegan (or Scott) told me to relax on my last post. It's good advice; I tried to stand by it. It is my summer vacation, after all.

Things just seemed to pile up though: the job, church, family, and some other uncuttable --- Yes, I know that isn't a word, but my vocabulary isn't stretching much today. --- tasks. And it wasn't even caused by overworking myself; it was just that some things I was supposed to finish by last week kept taking longer to do.

I mean, the job --- which I will not detail so that you, dear Reader, will not go into a deep coma --- was done two weeks ago. Then it was redone a week ago. And then it was done again. And again. And again.

"This is how work really is," my always wise Mother quipped. "It's different from school; you just have to get used to it."

Sigh. Getting used to it made me feel like the car below.


How dazed was I yesterday? Well, I worked until 2 am to meet today's work deadline. I had already met said deadline a few days back but revisions were made. I then woke up at 3 am to catch the first flight to Manila, our country's capital, for an appointment at 8:30 am.

I managed to catnap here and there, and was back at the airport to catch a flight home yesterday afternoon. I was already planning to sleep a bit before heading to work. And then it happened. The plane was delayed. Long enough that I'd have to go straight to work when I got back.

So I was flexible (I tried, anyway). I slept in one of those metal chairs at the airport, and woke up every few minutes to ask if the plane was leaving yet.

I got home with a raging headache, ran around in the office for two hours, and popped over to church for a calming meeting. Yep, calming. Church often does that for me when I'm in over my head; it reminds me to trust God with my best and not stress about the uncontrollable. When I forget this and panic about everything, it just makes me tired.

I rested a lot more today --- with Oswegan's advice continuously marqueeing through my head --- but re-editing my re-re-re-edited revisions for another deadline was still stressful.


Work is hard, but in an interesting and mind-bending way. The funniest thing is my job isn't even as hard as other jobs are! It just shows I have a lot to learn.

At least I'm learning this a few years before I really have to work. I have more time to strategize towards my ultimate goal: working well and keeping sane in the workplace.

I think it'll be strangely fun!