Powerless without power

Ahh.. the comfort of electricity! We have been deprived of it since yesterday. The sudden comeback of electric power refreshes my appreciation for it but also makes me realize how dependent we (or at least I) have become towards it.

Life practically froze in its absence and we were left sitting in the darkness. No TV, no computer, no internet. It was almost unbearable. Come daylight and the house revealed its sorry state. Without much to do, I noticed the ceiling is about to fall off. Old patches fail to hide cracks on the walls. Our stuff are hopelessly scattered on every little space.

These weird realizations came to my head because I felt powerless without power and did nothing but sit and look around. It's sad it required a 24-hour power outage for me to notice the real world that exists. The real world I easily ignore once I'm absorbed into the digital dimension.

The best phone accessory

I gave up a Nokia 6151 in favor of my good old 3200. I've been looking forward to having the 6151 that my mom receives from her retention plan. Now that it's finally here, I realize it doesn't have a flashlight!

The flashlight is the best thing Nokia attached to my phone. For countless times, it has guided me in darkness. Many missing coins were found because of it. With it, I have studied for exams despite blackouts. It also makes a very good light source for shadow plays.

I don't see why more expensive mobile phones with mp3 players, cameras, internet acces, and GPS can't have a handy flashlight.

Candle-lit blogging

Our neighborhood transformer went "kaboom!" this morning so we had no electricity for most of the day. In response, I've been either sleeping for hours or just sitting around and feeling useless.

I thought it would've been good to spend the time writing but then it's dark and only candles provide light to our little home now. For a while, I felt powerless, and as already said - useless.

It dawned upon me that the absence of convenient electric light should not be a hindrance to productivity. Many school children don't have electricity in their remote villages. Yet they get to do their assignments and projects.

So here I am, scribbling my way across a notepad. It's been a while since I actually wrote an essay or article without a computer. It's not so bad. After all, there's no distraction emanating from a strategically placed web browser button. The yellow glow of the candle also helps me concentrate. There's no TV to steal my attention, and the peaceful silence promptly delivers words from my pen.

One does not need a computer to write. One does not need fluroescent bulbs to work. All it takes is a challenge to be productive and the right amount of determination.

Saviour International Hospital

Saviour International Hospital was really great. Nice rooms, tasty and well presented food, good amenities, friendly nurses, and all at affordable rates. They do live up to being the hospital with the comfort of a hotel.

They sport an electronic bed that does all sorts of movements at the push of a few buttons. Their comfort rooms have hot & cold water. Upon your entry to the room, the refrigerator is stuffed with food and drinks. Theres even a digital safe inside the room. Of course there's the cable TV and telephone line.

The interiors of the hospital is neat and modern. The hospital is 4-storeys high but their staggered floors create a total of 8 levels. It is very efficients especially because the levels are connected by gently-sloping ramps. Ingenious. At the roof-deck is a helipad for the fu

The view outside is equally pleasing. We had a great view of the Molo Church from the room. At the other side of the building is the serene Iloilo River and the new Carpenter Bridge being built. As the sun moves across the sky, the change in the colors of the beautiful landscape is fun to watch.

The hospital is surrounded by squatters on two sides but it wasn't a problem. The hospital owner, Dr. Johnson, reportedly bought 4,000 sq.m. of the land occupied by squatters. I just hope they find appropriate relocation for them before they expand the hospital.

Iloilo City is lucky to have SIH. May it serve as a catalyst for the improvement of the health swector here. I wish them the best and I hope they maintain or improve their services. An expansion of a wonderful hospital is something to look out for.

Adsense pays through Western Union!

It was a surreal experience changing my payment mode from check to Western Union. Wow! Google Adsense can now pay to the Philippines via Western Union!

• No need to wait for one month for the check to arrive by ordinary mail. You can get your cash the next day payment is issued.
• No more bank charges and clearing periods.
• You get it in cold cash. Just bring the necessary documents (ID, name of payee, etc.)
• You can choose to receive payment in dollars or convert them to local currency while claiming.
• If you choose to receive dollars, no need to open a dollar account. It's cash remember.
  
• You can decide when to have the dollars changed to local currency. You can evade Google's tendency to issue local-currency checks when the forex rate is best for them.

Too bad Adsense has issued their payment to me a few days before. I guess I'll have to wait for next month to try out the new Western Union money transfer.

This is so cool!

To spend or not to spend

I endured a monstrous traffic jam in order to get to SM City on the first day of its 3-day sale. I was hoping to buy something with my hard-earned salary.

I don't know what got into me but all of a sudden, I wasn't in the mood to spend! I was hoping to buy a spare battery for my camera but... there was also this snorkel kit but... Our computer at home needed a new hard disk and power supply but... There was this Mr. Bean VCD for only 100 pesos but... I've been wanting to buy a microphone for my desktop computer but... I thought I need/wanted some nice clothes for next month's travel but....

What came into my mind was the capitalism, the consumerism, and the need to think less of oneself. Then another part of myself said it would be unwise to keep saving and not spend it. Eventually, the thought of leaving the mall immediately to avoid spending prevailed.

I'll try again tomorrow. Maybe I'll be in another mood.

The formidable Videoscript

I'm not liking the silence

Here I am, tapping at the keyboard and touchpad for most of the day. I'm now listening to the Madrigal Singers via Youtube. I've been posting and reading as usual at the the Philippine Forums of skyscrapercity.com. I also keep visiting the UPV Forums but apparently nobody's there or guests simply don't post. I keep switching from forum to forum and keep refreshing my real-time web stats. Yes, I'm bored.

There's this heavy feeling inside me every time it's like this at home. There's simply nobody to speak to right now. My parents are here but they watch TV a lot. Our helper stays in her room most of the time - if she's not watching TV with my parents.

I'm pretty sure where I want to be now. There:

1. It's not unusual to speak to three people at the same time
   
2. I can walk around the sprawling dorm/campus
3. I don't over-eat
   
4. I can witness/take part (!) in-the spot spontaneous dramatic plays
5. I'm busy until the moment I sleep
6. I get to a multitude of other things - as in!
   

It seems like I enjoy these most even if my mom seems to be against it. I think they keep me sane.

Learning Conciseness

I found out a few people actually read my blog and are asking for new posts. I would like to express my apologies to them for the silence in this little room of mine.

I have realized (again) that I have the tendency to narrate my experiences in so much detail. So much detail that I actually spend too much time composing and editing blog posts until I become too sleepy to finish them.

I have this tendency to think that every minute movement of a leaf deserves to be recorded in history. Every ripple has a story to tell. This is one reason why I decided to start a blog - so I could save at least some of my treasured thoughts, without physical clutter.

Each sentence in this blog, I feel, is another little treasure deposited into my online time capsule. On the other hand, I must find a way to keep the little from growing too large and end up not being posted at all.

Perhaps conciseness will help. The fewer, the more special each becomes.

Fixing a Globelines Speedtouch Connection

I've been trying for several days. Every time I try to connect the computer to the internet, it hangs at "Verifying user name and password".

This was very frustrating because we are paying P995 a month to Globelines for the DSL connection and we couldn't use it. We tried terminating the service but they said we were locked-in until December. If we insist, we would have to pay the pre-termination fee which was more than what out montly bills would be.

I had to find a way to fix the our internet connection.

I thought it must be some spyware or virus that's blocking the connection so I cleaned it up. I installed a new antivirus software and I detected a couple of trojan horses. I ran an anti-spyware program and deleted a few suspicious files and registry entries. I ran msconfig and HijackThis and cleaned up the start-up.

Still, the computer cannot connect to the internet. It hangs at "Verifying user name and password". Tinkering with the internet options proved frustrating. Besides, I'm no expert in these TCP/IP stuff.

I resolved to look for online help. For the first time in quite a long time, I used dial-up! I used the netexpress service of our prepaid landline and searched for a solution. It was only about 30 centavos per minute anyway. Whew! The dial-up was indeed slow, but seeing websites crawl in my browser isn't as bad as having no internet at all.

From the painstaking (because the connection is so slow) research on the net, I decided to reinstall the Speedtouch program. Speedtouch is the brand of the modem Globelines provided us with. I was faced with cryptic choices during installation so I simply took chances and chose the first on the list.

To make things short, that did the trick. I could feel the happiness flowing through my body as I read "Connection Established".

Guimaras Petron Project Launching

I'm off to Guimaras to document the launching of a Petron-sponsored project.

Stormy Weather

The weather was very stormy last night and the rain battered the roof of our house I had a hard time sleeping. Even as I woke up at 5am, the weather led me to believe the project launching would be canceled again. It wasn't, and just rightly so. The rain stopped when I left the house and the sea was surprisingly calm.

Iloilo Port Expansion

Another thing that surprised me was to see the Iloilo Domestic Passenger Terminal undergoing renovation and expansion. They are extending the wharf up to the Rotary Park, hinting that it's present size will be doubled. This is good news for Iloilo's infrastructure.

Getting there

It took about 1 hour and 30 minutes to travel from Parola-Jordan by pumpboat , Jordan-Nueva Valencia by multi-cab, and Nueva Valencia-Igang Marine Station by another pumpboat. The scenery at Guimaras was really a good breather to Iloilo's urbanity. The asphalted road gave a smooth ride across orchards of countless mango trees.

We stopped at a bridge where we rode another pumpboat that was to bring us to Igang Marine Station. From the river, the station's is easily spotted as you move out to the sea - tiny white cottages perched on top of tiny islets.

Program Emcee

I could hardly enjoy the stay at first because I was to be the emcee of the program. Changes after changes in the program came. The congressman, governor, Petron Foundation president, and parish priest can't come, but the list of people to be acknowledged was getting longer. For me, the most awkward part is having to acknowledge each "VIP". Why can't I just say "Welcome guests"? Everything in the program went good. "Good", but not excellent.

I was told earlier that maybe I should host programs as a sideline. Somebody also said my voice was like that of a call-center agent. Uh-oh.. not my liking. I'd prefer to avoid unnecessary stage-fright.

The launching

The rain was intermittent and we waited a while for it to stop before proceeding to the cages. As they released the fish, the rain visited us once more. I had to hold an umbrella over the videographers I hired as they shot clips of the event. I had to be very careful about their equipment. It might cost us our entire year's budget for video production.

I was surprised they cooked a sabalo (milkfish broodstock) for lunch. Nevertheless, it was an interesting experience eating a humongous slice of milkfish. The interstitial bones were not so much of a bother since they were large and easily removed.

Petron might be the sponsor for the project we launched but the ladies washing the dishes didn't care if the bandanas they wore were Shell. Coincidence?

-----------
This post has been staying in my drafts for a long while. I'm deciding to just post this unfinished.

New Bag; SM vs. Gaisano

I finally got to buy myself a new bag!

My old backpack has gone dirty and torn inside and outside. The zippers are a headache and opening a pocket takes three unconvenient steps. The old bag I inherited from my dad who bought it from the ukay-ukay needs to retire.

I spent more than an hour scouring Gaisano City Iloilo's Department Store for a bag. At some point I resolved to prefer a sling-bag instead of the usual backpack. Bags at Gaisano were really cheap, seldom going over P500. HOWEVER, they also looked "cheap". There were a few "okay" ones but not OK enough! I gave up and headed over to SM Delgado.

A few paces inside SM Delgado and there was the line of bags at the Department Store. I was quite amused. All the bags were great! Some of them were just what I was looking for! After several minutes of comparing them to one another and making sure my things would fit in it, I brought a dark-blue Illustrazio sling-bag to the counter. It was P720 (inclusive of a 10% discount). A major purchase for me.

Gaisano does offer much cheaper items and for a while I was happy about the low prices. I would however conclude that, unless you don't mind quality, it would spare you frustration, time, and effort searching if you go to SM Shoemart. I would say SM's slightly higher price is justified by their much better selections... and shopping environment.

How much tip do you give your barber?

I just got myself a haircut at one of the two barber shops in SM City Iloilo. As I was about to sit on the big chair when my barber's previous customer approached from the counter to give him a tip. I didn't mean to, but from the large mirror in front I saw the barber just received a crisp 500 peso bill!

Do most people give three-digit tips to their barbers? Am I the only one giving 20-peso tips? Sometimes I don't even give any. Or perhaps, that was one extra-generous-philanthropist customer who doesn't mind a tip seven times the cost of his haircut.

As for me, I gave that barber 20 pesos.

Taking down Adsense

I'm now in the process of taking down my Adsense ads at one of my websites for the College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences Student Council (CFOS-SC).

This is in response to Google Adsense' smart pricing which I've read a few weeks ago. It is the last site other than philmoney.blogspot.com to serve my Adsense ads. I don't think clicks would convert well from that CFOS-SC site so it might just drag down the earnings per click of my entire Adsense account. Right now, I will concentrate my Adsense efforts into philmoney.blogspot.com.

Since I started removing Adsense ads from my other sites that (I believe) wouldn't convert well for advertisers, I've noticed a slight increase in my earnings per click. That was not too long ago so I'd say my trending is inconclusive. Nevertheless, I hope to see an increase in my earnings next week when Adsense updates its smart-pricing for my account. They are said to update it weekly.

This is one of the first relatively complex sites I have manually put together using Dreamweaver. It's now very laborious to update so I decided to use Wordpress instead and host it in my own domain. Still, I don't plan to place Adsense there.

Tomorrow I promise...

I admit I have been spending a significant amount of time at work checking my websites, traffic stats, Adsense earnings, and personal email. Of course, these things do not have anything to do with work.

Tomorrow, IF I do get back to work, I promise not to check ANY of those during office hours. From 8AM to 12NN and 1PM to 5PM. Not even once, I promise!

I have to do this blog post as a test to myself. May this be a testament against me if I fail this simple test of self-discipline.

Sea ranching of abalone launched in Nogas Island

More than 5000 abalone (Haliotis asinia) juveniles were seeded into the Nogas Island Marine Sanctuary last July 24. This is part of an experimental sea-ranching activity jointly undertaken by the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center (SEAFDEC) and the Municipal Government of Anini-y, Antique where the sanctuary is located. Abalone is locally known as lapas or sobra-sobra in Hiligaynon.

Mr. Armando Fermin, project leader of SEAFDEC’s Integrated Mollusk Program, Dr. Hiroshi Ogata, SEAFDEC’s deputy chief, Municipal Mayor Reynaldo Pollicar, Vice Mayor Amado Rubite, and SB Members Jonathan Diana and Magdalena Cazeñas led the ceremonial releasing of abalone juveniles. It was the first time SEAFDEC released abalone into the wild for sea ranching.

The abalone could be partially harvested after about 9 or 10 months. The rest will hopefully become the parents of a healthy abalone population which will thrive in the area for generations to come. “Go forth and multiply,” Mr. Fermin said to the abalone as they settled among the corals.

After the release, a memorandum of agreement was signed between the Municipality of Anini-y and SEAFDEC. While SEAFDEC is responsible for stocking and an information campaign about the benefits of abalone ranching, the local government of Anini-y and their Municipal Fisheries for Aquatic Resource Management Council Systems (MFARMCs) will provide assistance to SEAFDEC personnel and protection to the seeded abalone.

“Today is another milestone in the history of our town,” said Vice Mayor Rubite during the MOA signing. The abalone seeding “could help our fisherfolk generate income which should mean economic progress in our municipality.” In addition, Dr. Ogata revealed that if large enough, abalone in Japan could cost from P1000 to P1500 per piece.

SEAFDEC divers and scientists continued to monitor the abalone for two more days after their stocking. According to Dr. Josefa Tan-Fermin, SEAFDEC also plans to stock abalone in the Sagay Marine Reserve and at Malalison Island in Northern Antique. She also added that while SEAFDEC may have the technical and financial resources to launch a reseeding and sea-ranching program such as this, it is more difficult to organize and educate people about sustainable aquaculture. The cooperation of the community is vital to the success of the project.

Abalone Sea Ranching

I haven't been to Anini-y for ten years now! It's good to revisit the place as part of my job, and for a good purpose. We reseeded thousands of abalone into the coral reef around Nogas Island. I shall post a copy of the press release I will write later.

I waited for an hour and a half for the coaster to arrive from Tigbauan. Just when I was about to lose my patience, the sight of this cute vehicle approaching almost made me smile. The road to Anini-y is rough so it's good we will be riding an airconditioned vehicle.

The travel was quicker than I thought. The subtle sting on my eyes told me I lack sleep but the beautiful scenery along the southern coast of Panay was not worth missing. We had steep, colossal cliffs on one side and the glistening sea on the other. The mountains were beautifully covered with a carpet of green and the aged trees along the coast held their leaves on enchanting branches.

We first got down at the municipal hall of Anini-y. Just outside, is the charming church of the town. The scientists with me greeted the Mayor and Vice Mayor while I took pictures. We immediately proceeded to Sira-an hot springs where we could ride a boat to the corals.

The boat took a loooong while to arrive. Much radiation has already penetrated my skin by the time we boarded. To my dismay, I was to expect even more radiation because the boat was only half-shaded.

When we finally got to the corals, those involved in the ceremonial releasing of the abalone juveniles scrambled to get into a smaller boat where the styro boxes containing the abalone were on. I too had to endure awkward positions just to balance myself in the small boat while taking pictures and videos of the deputy chief, abalone program leader, mayor, vice-mayor, and SB members releasing the abalone which were kept inside PVC pipes.

As the pipes were thrown overboard, the abalone were finally released into the wild. Now we can only hope they would survive, avoid being illegally collected, and reproduce to increase their numbers.

In the formal program for the signing of he Memorandum of Agreement, the local government officials appeared surprised when the deputy chief, Dr. Hiroshi Ogata revealed that if big enough, one piece of abalone in Japan could cost from P1000 to P1500. The master of ceremonies admitted at the end of the program hat they weren't really aware of what an abalone is.

SEAFDEC/AQD may have the technical and financial resources to launch a reseeding and sea-ranching program such as this. However, without the cooperation of the local government and its people, the program would be in vain. In order to build capacities, much, much effort must be exerted to make the fisherfolk appreciate the concept of sustainable aquaculture development. Please respect the sanctuary.

First Post!

Finally!

This is my first personal blog. I've been longing to make one for several months now.

I originally planned to start a personal blog upon my graduation from college last April 25th but for reasons I now find silly, I just didn't get to start one. Quite a lot of experiences have been missed since then. Nevertheless, who's stopping me from blogging about the past?

My first blogs, hall1.blogspot.com and philmoney.blogspot.com, were originally Adsense-motivated. This blog is really meant for my expression.

I used to think that blogging personal matters would be foolish when anybody in the world could just read them and know stuff about you. I guess I was paranoid about being stalked. Now, I guess the obvious benefits outweigh the (present) imaginary risks.

Wish me luck on this one!