Psalm 46:10

I am just so inspired by this verse.

"Be still, and know that I am God". 

That is what the verse literally says, but it means something a lot more profound to me. I feel this is a great reminder for each and every one of us to occasionally kick back, close our eyes and just be.

A minute of conversation with Him daily does the soul good.

Rivalry: Ateneo-La Salle Musical

"Rivalry" is a play that puts the famed blue-vs-green pissing contest between two of the top private universities in the Philippines on-stage in a musical.

Blue vs Green, since 1939.

Thankful

It has been one of the roughest periods of my life, the past few months.

Now, at least, some semblance of things looking up for the better.

Thank you to the people who have been there for and with me every step of the way.

God, PJ, my parents, Skittlez, PJ's dad, and my adopted Lizada family.

And so my favorite Bible verse says:

"I thank my God every time I remember you" - Philippians 1:3

Condura Skyway Marathon 2012 - Perspectives from the Other Side

The annual Condura Skyway Marathon is one of the most anticipated road races in the country. For one day a year, thousands of runners ranging from recreational runners to international elites take this opportunity to enjoy Manila in a one-of a kind experience – running atop the Skyway. I was initially supposed to run in this race until I received an offer to experience a running event aside from, well, running in it. I was to lead the warm-up sessions before each race for all distances.

Over 14,000 runners!

Live the Day as if it was the First

Just a while ago, my colleague gave me some bad news the minute I stepped into our office. One of our co-workers, from another office, passed away last night.

No illness, no weakness in the body or the mind preempted his death.

I suppose this is why we are in a state of terrible surprise and shock right now.

It's a sobering thing, learning of someone's death, especially if the method was as sudden as it was unexpected. The first thing I thought of was something I read some time ago; "live not as if every day was your last, but rather as if it was your first". I agree with this. For me, living every day as if it was our last means we are dreading an end, expecting something we don't want to happen to, well, happen. My co-worker passed on with no warning, and I believe that he at least went to his final goodnight not thinking about the negativity and sadness that one associates with death. I believe that he went to bed on his last night alive just looking forward to tomorrow; as if it was his first.

We all mourn the loss of this soft-spoken fellow. It's never easy to lose someone we're familiar with, whether that person is a friend or a mere acquaintance. I pray that his soul is at rest, and that his family receives all the support we can muster. 

Rest in peace, man.

"Death is the condition of higher and more fruitful life"

- E. H. Chapin, Living Words

Ashton Taxi Driver - An Anecdote on Goodness

I occasionally have some choice words about many a taxi driver in Manila, but I was pleasantly surprised today experiencing what I can only describe as human goodness - especially when one least expects it.

I went to Makati City for a couple of appointments (which were very good appointments, may I add) and was generally having a good day. I flagged a cab home and went back to my place in Taft Avenue, Manila.

I was halfway home - I usually walk once I reach Taft Avenue proper; it's only a few minutes to my condominium - when I realized I did not have my house keys. Horrible feeling. I must have left it in the cab! I walked around a bit, silently trying to accept the fact that I was going to have to spend some money breaking open my condo lock and knob, and installing a new set, when I saw a familiar vehicle.

The driver of Ashton Taxi (registration number UVT 734, white Toyota Vios) headed towards me, jangling something shiny. He drove around Taft Avenue for fifteen minutes, backtracking where he dropped me off just so he could return my keys to me. Do you know what that means for a taxi driver in Manila, to spend a quarter of an hour hoping to find a previous passenger?

The chosen of weapon of Kindness today. Totally works.

Sometimes, the human spirit is just so damn amazing.

Image from this blog, retrieved on February 4, 2012.

Signature Removal

For years, I've been ending my blog posts with my signature "Jay~" at the end. I've decided to remove that, as I don't really sign anything else off with that.

Posting this just to inform :) Thanks for the patronage, as always.

jasoncruz2388.blogspot.com

Hi there! You made it, you found my blog again.

I've decided to do a little 're-branding' of sorts, and to unify my social media account names. Since I've been using "jsncruz" for Twitter ever since I signed up for that, I thought that it's a good idea to 'link' that name to my blog as well.

Out with the long, draggy blog name and in with the compact, condensed one!

I hope to continue producing content that gets better and better, and of course, thank you for visiting. Readers inspire me to write. 

Follow me on Twitter!

Jay~

The Rooms - A Short Story

It began not too long ago. A young man was getting to know how life went outside the safety, familiarity, and comfort of the world he was used to. He was about to enter a scary, yet unexplored world. The supposed world of 'real'.

It began well. A window of opportunity opened, and he quickly clambered through it. In that place, the room beckoned; he will be well, he will be treated well. He was indeed treated grandly, a first among peers one may even say. In a short while, the window closed and a door opened; this room promised to be even more rewarding, even more fulfilling. And for a while, it was.

He went away for a while, and things were never the same again. His spirit and belief in the promises first of the window, and then the door were shattered in the worst way imaginable. His trust and his faith were both shaken, and he had all the right in the world to not only run out of the room, but to take the house down for what they did to him.

He decided to keep quiet, for the most part. He loved the rooms so much, for the happiness and pride he has received from these rooms that he promised to try - as much as possible - to keep the status quo. He will stay silent on the failings of the rooms, and turn a blind eye to the wrongs even as his own soul suffered. The rooms were in silent cooperation.

He went away again, for a while, to clear his head even as he has already made up his mind to give the betrayal a no-look and to stay in the rooms. He even closed the windows and doors all around. He had faith. One day, it all came crashing down; he woke up to find that the world he knew hated his name, attached it to unspeakable things. He was more than a black sheep, he was a pariah in the domain of the rooms with the windows and doors shut closed. The grand treatment was gone; in its place there was scheming, stonewalling, and most painful of all, vicious lies. 

His world crumbled around him.

Is crumbling around him.

The wish was to lay down, to pretend things will be okay. The windows and the doors have become smaller. The rooms themselves look set to wither him away to nothingness. He cannot seem to escape, to find a way out. One thing is for sure though. He will not lay down and wish for things to be okay. 

He must fight. He must fight.

Jay~

Greetings 2012, I Come in Peace

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

It's a new calendar year, and for many of us, a new beginning - or at least the chance to start again on something. Let us all make the coming year 365 days' worth of awesomeness and blessings!

Special Mention:

Thank you, my regular readers. If you do not consistently follow and read my blog, there's very little for me to write on and about. Thank you for inspiring me as well. I enter 2012 knowing that this is my sixth year in the bloggosphere! It's been quite a journey, and looking back, I've improved so much. Thank you, and Happy New Year!

Jay~

Farewell, Eleven

The year is drawing to a close. In exactly one hour, we say goodbye to 2011. From my experiences this year, it couldn't have come sooner. Oh, this is also a scheduled post but I wrote it today.

Warning: Might be quite a read.

2011 has had many highlights for me. Several stand out from the rest, making the year a whole lot more bearable. Perhaps the most memorable moment of the year for me was PJ and I celebrating our first anniversary. It hasn't been a walk in the park, and I tripped a few times, but all in all this relationship seems to be going somewhere good. I also completed my first run this year, in my favorite place in the world (Davao) which led to four more races (Life Run, Run for Pasig River, RUNdividual, and Rescue Run, respectively). I thank God I have come to love running even as I slowly but surely lose touch with dancing. I'm also very proud and happy that my beloved Skittlez Crew was crowned Remix champion for the third time in our 5-year history. What a way we have come, and how far we will go! And of course, my first big family event with Pat's huge and boisterous relatives on noche buena was a major happening for me :)

On the flip side of the coin, I visited the hospital twice this year, due to a couple of illnesses that I shouldn't be having (both from work). My first year as a working individual could have gone so much better as well. I learned so much: from office power plays to department-specific etiquette, it has been a year of blood, sweat and tears. Some experiences will not soon be forgotten, and some pains may never go away, but I end the year with the knowledge that I didn't give up (even though opportunities were there for me to let go, which would have me fail myself). I made some good friends in my first working year, and I am sure this also comes with a baggage of 'not friends'. if you catch my drift :) It's all good; as one of my work mentors said to me during one of my lower moments, "Welcome to the real world. It's not just dog-eat-dog out here, it's dog-slaughter-dog." Nothing will quite ever prepare one for these types of experiences. I only pray for better (and kinder!) doors to open, and the ones that have given me bad memories, to close.

As I say goodbye to 2011, I wish to express my warmest appreciation to the people who carried me up when I was down. Thank you so much to these people who have made my year better for all its bumps and bruises (in no particular order): Pat, my rock when I'm being battered by the waves of life. My parents, who remain proud of me. My grandma and relatives, who will always be my only kin. Skittlez Crew, my brothers and sisters (and now, my 'children'!), for never leaving me in my darkest times of need. Atty. Lizada and Holyan, who have given me a new family to love and a new city to call my home. Sr. Aida Sabandal, who is my spiritual guide when my spirit is all but gone. My friends, who because of their existence, never allowed me to feel like an only child my whole life. My colleagues, who gave me more than enough lessons to face the year ahead armed to the teeth (so to speak). And finally, to YOU, my readers - this blog and The Gazette - who inspire me to write more and better.

It's been a rollercoaster-ride year for me. Fun and awesome at times, heart breaking at others, this may be the first year of my life where I actually have regrets. This is something to ponder over as I enter 2012, with fresh eyes opened wider, and a heart much more ready to face the unexpected.

Jay~

Christmas Eve 2011

I'll be spending tonight with PJ's family, both immediate and extended.

This should be fun. And very, very interesting :)

I gotta say, I'm real excited about this. So long!

Jay~

The Mistress, The Flag

It's a generally accepted statement that having a mistress is a bad thing.

Having 'another woman' (or another man) is mostly never a good thing in any culture, and is frowned upon by most members of any society. This split in loyalties has been described in more colorful language than one can bear to hear, and has destroyed many a good relationship, far too many for counting.

Why then, do we Filipinos tolerate dual-citizenship?

In my opinion, having 'another flag' is far worse than having another woman.

This is not only a split in loyalties; I believe that this is tantamount to having no loyalties at all. One's flag must be the object of one's complete loyalty, one's perfect allegiance.

It pains me to see people renouncing their nationalities.. and worse, publicly swearing fealty to two nations. To fit in? To find better employment? To have benefits for one's children? What reason is so compelling and so potent as to make an individual turn his back on his flag? Only death should separate a person from his loyalties to his culture, traditions, and country. 

Whatever your nationality is, hundreds and thousands of people bled and died so that you may have that sense of belonging to a particular territory. It is identification redeemed in warm, red currency, and dual-citizenship makes a joke of this payment.

Jay~

iStudio High Street BGC

Repaired my old (read: antique) iPod video 80GB at iStudio, High Street, Bonifacio Global City and I must say the service is excellent. The technician cleaned the insides of my technologically-ancient sound machine, as well as replaced the click wheel for free. To think that I didn't even purchase my iPod from there, that was decent service if I ever had one (the problem I sought to fix was an outdated software problem - which was fixed in about 10 minutes). This is perhaps one of Apple's biggest selling points for me: good, hassle-free service. The technicians were all very friendly, and the sales associates were quite chatty with the people waiting in line at both the cashier and the service area.

Why do I have to blog this? Well, I'm not the biggest Apple fan, but this particular branch may sway me a little :) Just sayin'.

iStudio

B3, Bonifacio High St., Bonifacio Global City,
Taguig, Metro Manila Philippines 1634
info@istudio.ph
Tel: (632) 8562395
Telefax: ( 632) 8562396

Store Hours:
Monday - Sunday : 11:00 am to 10:00 pm

Jay~

7 Days To Christmas

It's exactly a week before Christmas!

I wasn't always a fan of Christmastime; I went through a phase when it was just 'another holiday celebration'. Of course, I am older and while the fantastical aspect of the season is long past me, I am rediscovering the magic that this celebration creates. At least for me.

For the next seven days then, I challenge you to join me in a journey of self-realization, thankfulness, and love. Here is a list of seven things I will do for the next seven days, perhaps to live during this once-a-year season the way we were meant to. Also, buy yourself something nice; it will come in handy on December 24.

December 18

Forgive, Forget: Food

There will always be that person (or even persons!) we've just really wanted to push towards in-coming traffic. Perhaps they have committed an offense that angered or insulted us, and it could be something petty or it could be something crazy big. The point is, identify that person and in the spirit of Christmas, forgive and forget by giving s/he a nice small item of food. I will personally get cupcakes. And of course, you don't have to explain what it's for ;)

December 19

Unseen Utility

We never notice the people that make our lives so much easier. The janitors at our workplaces, schools, and buildings; the guards that watch over us; the house help who prepare our clothes and food. Take this day and give them something thoughtful, like a Christmas card with a hand-written note in it, or something sweet to munch on during work. From experience, I have found that something so simple and plain like a card goes a LONG way to cementing relationships. My cards list this year was over 40 people!

December 20

Poor and Prejudiced

I'm personally not a fan of passive charity, such as giving money to beggars and street children. I've always believed that this is one of the reasons we cannot bring them out of poverty. Having said that, treats in life are rare but oft appreciated. Find that street kid you see all the time on your commute to work or school, and give him/her a nice slice of Christmas cake or sweet treat. Don't be stingy; that might possibly be a first-time (or at least very rare) experience, and you want the kid to enjoy his/her Christmas present from you :)

December 21

Friends Forever - Part 1

You know your acquaintances; the ones you 'know' but you don't really 'know'. Pick one from your hundreds and thousands of Facebook friends, send a private message (or chat, or tweet, or a text message - heck, even call) and just say "Merry Christmas!" Yes, s/he might be surprised, but I have never met a person who disliked a surprise Christmas greeting. Bonus challenge: Do this to ten (10) friends.

December 22

Friends Forever - Part 2

Every one has that special group of friends where one can just run to and talk anything. These are the people who would die for you, and they know you would do the same. They deserve at the very least a phone call (props for an actual Christmas card) from you wishing them "Merry Christmas!" These are friends for keeps, and forgetting to greet them spells you as a merry douchepacket. Massive hell-no for those ready-made-and-ready-to-send email Christmas greeting. You're cheap if you do that.

December 23

Familiar Family

Not all of us are close to our family members; heck, I cannot say with a straight face that I'm very close with some of my relatives. However, this is one time in the year when we can greet them at least, and when possible, actually visit them even just to say hi. A card is the very minimum in this one. If they appreciate it, all's well and good. If they don't, that's not a problem on your side at all. Blood is something we cannot and will never be able to change. 

December 24

I Love Me

It's Christmas eve! This is when we have dinner with our family, or join special people when family isn't available. Today though, I would like you to open a present you gave yourself (as per the instructions at the beginning of this post). Now thank yourself for being strong when you could have been weak, for being faithful when you could have lied, for being the best you could when no one would care anyway, and for giving your all even when you have pushed so hard already. For over three hundred days, you could have given up at any point and yet here you are. Celebrate life. Celebrate YOU.

December 25

Big Belief

I'm a big critic of labeling faiths. I don't really care if you call yourself a Catholic, a Muslim, a Buddhist, or a god (hopefully not a god though; you're not Tom Cruise). Whatever creed you follow, whichever prophet you listen to, take today and give thanks and acknowledge the greater power that must be out there. Especially for those times when you know you shouldn't have been able to, but you overcame. There are those times when things just go the way you want them to, and no credit to you. Yes, those days. Appreciate.

Merry Christmas! I wish you the best of luck in your next seven days!

Jay~

That Feeling..

..when it's Christmas time and you want so many things, some necessary, and some just nice to have.

One day :)

Jay~

Grandma's 76th at Ayala Triangle

Since it was my grandma's birthday this month, PJ and I decided to do something different for her this year and took her out. The place was Ayala Triangle, located in Ayala Avenue, Makati, and it was perfect timing as our dinner trip coincided with the famous Christmas light-show at Ayala Triangle. We celebrated my grandma's birthday at MOMO, which is turning out to be one of our favorite restaurants.

Pretty lights.

Pretty lights again.

My girl and my grandgirl :)

Calamari.

Mussels (I remember this one was marinated in beer or something)

Cappuccino soup.

Pumpkin soup.

Mussel pasta.

Us and the birthday cake.

The girls with the lights.

With grandma and the lights.

Happy birthday! :D I hope you enjoyed yourself. I wish my grandma health and happiness for many more years, as well as more awesome birthdays like the one she had this year. We love you!

Jay~

Globe Postpaid

I finally have a post-paid mobile number, but I have to say, the experience was less than charming. In the end though, throwing some weight around fixed some problems (permanently, I hope).

On September 19, I applied for my post-paid line at the Globe website (the plan I availed was the P299 line + P599 unlimited call/text to Globe or TM). The company emailed me, and said that my SIM card would be ready within twenty-four hours. True enough, they delivered on this promise (it was delivered to my doorstep), and by the evening of September 20 (when I was out of town for work) I was making phone calls and sending out my usual ungodly amount of text messages. I was on unfamiliar territory, having a line and all, so the next day, I called Customer Service, just to check if I was being billed for my usage. The answer was "No". 

The next week, on the 27th, saw Typhoon Pedring make landfall. Rains were heavy, winds were wild, and my line was cut. Yes; in the middle of a natural calamity, my means of communication to the outside world was taken away. Why? Because apparently, I have not been on any unlimited call/text service - note, one which I paid in advance for. For the next three days, until yesterday, I spoke with customer service a total of fourteen (14) times, a ridiculous amount of "helpful and eager" assistants.

And NONE of them looked like this.

Here were my three problems with Globe post-paid.

1. My P299 plan with the add-on of P599 totals at P898. My line was cut because I went over my credit limit (more on that later) of P600. If the system automatically cuts lines that go over a credit limit, then why was my initial application for the line (which amounted to P898, mind you) approved in the first place?
2. My credit limit was set at P600, a limit when an applicant's monthly salary is P10,000 or less. Since I was not earning that amount at all, where did they pull that number out from?
3. Why did my requests for information, customer support, and assistance reach fourteen instances? Shouldn't any number more than one be too many, and thus reflect gross incompetence in their customer service department?

How about UNLIMATH to 8888?

Anyway, at my wits' end (and a little beyond), I emailed Globe's president.

I receive a call from the office of the president and guess what? Globe will fix everything. Currently, my credit limit has been increased in reflection and in parallel to my actual salary, and my unlimited call/text package has been activated. The company has also promised me that they will investigate the customer service issue.

Moral of the story:

Sometimes, you gotta go all the way.

Jay~

Work: It Kills You

 I spent the past five days away from Manila, on a business trip. There was possibly only two good things that came out of it: I was in my favorite place in the country (Davao City) and I made a few new friends. Other than that, it was one of those things that I would very much rather forget.

While it is tempting to write a detailed account of the trip, this little should suffice:
Work is work. It should supersede any and every thing else.

Jay~

My Eye Looks High

Too much porn ruined my eye.

Just kidding. I was diagnosed today with a nasty little bugger of an eye condition called uveitis. According to that helpful Wikipedia link, "uveitis is an inflammation to the middle layer of the eye, called the uvea". It is not comforting at all to know that this is responsible for a tenth of the causes of blindness in the USA.

I woke up today at around 6am with my eye feeling as if it was being prodded by a toe. A crabby, pointed toe. Looking out of my window hurt even more, and by 7am, the pain was pretty much intolerable. I then gave my boss a call to inform him that it is quite impossible for me to attend work today as I could barely see, and I was not a very pretty sight.

A little later, I made an appointment with a Dr. Santos at the Manila Adventist Hospital (where I was hospitalized back in 2009). He then diagnosed me with an eye infection, and since a flare developed inside my eye, he concluded that I had the damn uveitis. It explained my heightened (and painful) sensitivity to sunlight and bright lights in general. I am, for all humorous intents and purposes, technically a vampire. LOL.

He prescribed a couple of eye drops, one to clean the infection and the other to paralyze my pupil so that it would remain dilated. If this was not so, the pupil could stick to my lens, which I am assuming is not a very healthy thing for a pupil to do. So not only am I sensitive to light, my left eye is also dilated. I am, for better or for worse, a high vampire. I don't even know where to begin poking fun at that.

As for the cause, Dr. Santos told me it's either I picked it up somewhere (damn you, infected person!) or it's in the season. Apparently, quite a few are turning up with various infections, not necessarily eye-related.

The pupil dilation will be for 2-3 weeks, and hopefully I do not get any "got grass" jokes during this time. All joking aside, the condition is very painful and the bright Manila sunshine is something I am not looking forward to for a change. I hope this gets better quick, because not only are my good looks - if any - are ruined, squinting painfully while crossing Taft Avenue on the way to work can also be potentially hazardous.

Wish me well, and please pray for my eye.

Jay~

EDIT: Just noticed this is my first post for August. What a way to start the month..