Meralco Business Hours

I had a terrible time looking for Meralco's business hours online (seems to be unavailable on their website) so please consider this a public service blog post. 

Weekdays:

8am - 5pm

Weekends (payments only):

8am - 12pm

Jay~

Warhammer: 40,000 - Space Marine

Space Marine DVD Cover.

Two weeks with this game has been an interesting meld of monotony and heart-pounding action.

The game has two main modes of play, the typical single-player, and an online mode.

Single Player Campaign

While nothing new, a third-person perspective on a shooter is still not as good as a first-person in my opinion. The character, being a Space Marine, blocks a good percentage of the screen at times, especially during 'aim' mode. Still, it gave advantages, one being the ability to 'see' past corners with the right camera angle. The story is forgettable, and very linear, but in my opinion, not enough to disappoint the average gamer. Very good learning curve, and while some bosses would definitely require several restarts to beat, the skills learned during the campaign mode will serve one well in the online mode.

Online

Okay, I'm hooked. The online facet of this game, while no Call of Duty, is certainly enjoyable and interesting. Entering online mode without completing the campaign is, in my opinion, just madness. There is no regular jump button, and there are no 'stealth' or quiet modes as well. You are going to be in charge of a huge, hulking Space Marine and you will have to be very quick on the left hand (dodge/evade, roll, aim, etc.) to even hope for a 1:1 K/D ratio. My favorite component is perhaps the customize mode, where you can unleash all your W40k fantasies (on the design aspect, at least). You can only customize a Space Marine/Chaos Marine after reaching Level 4 online though, so you must really invest some time to unlock this. Also, you would start with a limited selection of armor, but the entire color palette is available from the get-go. Weapons are also unlockable as you progress. Maps are few but diverse enough that I was kill leader for several rounds, and suddenly a mid-level support in others (same map).

Game modes are also limited, but very fun. "Seize Ground" is the typical capture control point mode, while "Annihilation" is a first-to-41-kills" affair. 41 kills typically take only several minutes of play, creating a dynamic and fast-paced gameplay. Also, the "Exterminatus" mode is a great way to gain experience points; one teams up with other players and bear the brunt of wave after wave of AI-generated enemies. At the latter waves, they are virtually impossible to kill. Still, quite a fun way to spend an hour or two.

Overall, the beautiful graphics and environment, as well as reasonably well-made sound effects and voice acting make for a beautiful game, once you get past the numbing campaign :) Online mode also ensures you play this for a few more weeks (even months!) after you complete campaign.

Overall Score:

7/10

Recommended System Requirements:

Windows 7

Quad-core Processor

2GB RAM

20GB Hard Drive Space

512MB Video Card or better

DirectX 9.0c

Online Steam Account

I play the game on my custom rig which runs on a W7 Pro, i3-2400 quad-core, 4GB RAM, and 2GB Palit nVidia graphics card. Settings all on high, with Internet speed of 512kb/s (Globe Wimax).

Jay~

Remix 2011: Reminiscing

 With three days to go, it's all too real:

I am no longer competing with Skittlez in this year's Remix dance competition.

Remix has been something of a life "mile-marker" for me. This particular competition has brought out the best - and the worst - in me, as well as allowed me to discover a talent I never thought existed. For me, it has been more than a college dance competition. It has become a memory that will last my lifetime.

My beloved dance crew, Skittlez, was formed mid-2007. These ten students who comprised the founding members were all dancers who did not make the cut in our university's official dance team. They got to know one another, and formed a colorful and crazy crew which competed in Remix 2007. I missed this Remix; I did not know enough dance to save myself.

Fast-forward a year later and we grabbed our first championship.

In Remix 2008, a bunch of friends have grown to be inseparable winners, when just a little over a year prior, they "weren't good enough". How fortunes have changed!

In 2009, my crew suffered a loss (we placed second on the score-cards and fourth overall due to scoring technicalities) that I took personally. It was my first year as the crew's "Papi" - our leader - and losing the championship will ever be the black mark on my dancing life. It fired me up and drove me to instill discipline in the crew, teaching as many of these kids under me the value of never settling for 'good enough' and never ever resting on one's laurels.

We avenged this slight on our status as the premier dance group in 2010.

As I held that championship trophy on stage in front of a couple of thousand people, I felt the anger of loss dissipate into tears of joy and affirmation. We are the best.

Vindicated :')

This year, we will prove again that we are the best.

Whatever comes out on the judges' scorecards, one thing is for sure. Skittlez has left a true legacy in the Lasallian community, and we have created not just a dance group but an honest-to-goodness community and family. This is our fifth Remix and our second title defense; we will not give this so easily.

Remix 2011 Official Poster.

In the short history of Remix (and dance in De La Salle University in general), no crew has ever had the number of members that we have had (over 80 currently), no crew has ever produced dancers of such caliber as to be literally world-class, no crew has ever produced students of such academic esteem (22 Dean's List students last term), and no crew has ever shown as much love as we have to our beloved Green and White. We will continue to give shows and performances to all Lasallian groups and organizations for free, because we love dance so much that we refuse to put a price on it. We will continue to admit anyone and everyone in, because talent can develop from nothing. We will continue to share our philosophy and creed of One Love, Chyeah, because we are one in everything that we do.

Saying goodbye at his despedida to one of our most beloved supporters, Br. Armin Luistro, FSC.

This Saturday, I might go all teary-eyed because I won't be on stage defending the quirky, crazy family that is Skittlez. More than that, I know those tears will be for the legacy of winning, success, and love that we have created in the Lasallian community. I will miss dancing with Skittlez, but they are in good hands and will continue to be examples of faith, service, and communion to every one we encounter.

We love, we hate. We succeed, we fail. We win, we lose. We stand, we fall.

We have gone through everything, and still here we are.

Here we are.

Five Remixes on.

Here we are.

We will win. 

'Champion' is not a number.

Jay~

Run for Pasig River Time

3k in 16:22, bib #F9232

Jay~

MoMo at Ayala Triangle

 Another food post!

We initially wanted to go to Ayala Triangle a couple of nights ago to see the Christmas lights, but unfortunately, the light show would only begin on the 16th of this month. We ate instead.

MoMo Cafe is a very interesting contemporary Italian restaurant serving seemingly strange but very homely dishes that taste pretty good. We sat outside, and with the light rain, had a casual albeit cold atmosphere.

Mushroom Soup "Cappuccino".

Making faces.

Melted Crab and Spinach Cheese Dip.

Close-up of the dip.

Hehehe :)

Blue Marlin Kebab = awesome.

Big fish stick!

I really, really like MoMo.

So much so, that instead of the restaurants in Serendra, I might just bring my grandma here for her birthday dinner. The serving sizes were really just right for a full meal (we finished our food!) and was served relatively quickly. I was very impressed with the soups (I ordered something else but wasn't able to snap a pic) and the exact not-too-hot temperature in which they were served. 

Our appetizer was very interesting, and it was easily one of the best starters I've had. The crab and spinach combo was good on sourdough bread (I tried) and even better on plain tortillas, which came with it. Not so with the vegetable sticks that it came with. Our entree, the fish, was absolutely humongous. It was four slabs of blue marlin, in two kebab skewers, and served with stir-fried rice (at least, I believe it's stir-fried). I paired it with a superb glass of Stamp Reisling, making for a pretty foodgasmic night. Haha.. Now if only it wasn't raining..

Food: 10/10
Service: 9/10
Ambiance: 8/10
Value for Money: 10/10
Minimum Budget for Two: PHP 1,200.00 - PHP 1,500.00

Jay~

New Orleans at Resort's World

We seem to be eating out a lot lately :) Good company makes for good food, and good food makes for a happy blogger! Haha..

This time, we had dinner right before catching The Sound of Music (the theatrical play) at Resort's World's Newport Theater last night. We didn't know where to eat, and New Orleans looked like a good place, so we went there.

Sourdough Bread.

Crab and Corn Bisque.

Not very clear, but this was Pork Belly.

PJ with her massive Cajun fish (I forgot the proper name).

The place was quite crowded but we were lucky to get a nice table at the side. Food servings were huge and for the price, one of the most worth-spending-on we've ever had. The pork belly went okay with the house wine, though they could have had a better selection (the waiter only mentioned 3-4 bottles). Pretty decent, and the service is quick, if a tad hasty. Even though the servings were heavy, it left a little bit (not enough to stop me from going there again, mind you) of a greasy after-taste.

Food: 8/10
Service: 8/10
Ambiance: 8/10
Value for Money: 9/10
Minimum Budget for Two: PHP 1,200.00 - PHP 1,500.00

Jay~

Run for Pasig River

See you there! I'll be doing my usual 3k.

Registrations end Nov 15!

Sign up now!

De La Salle University registration booth is located at the St. Joseph Hall lobby.

For more information, please visit Run for Pasig River 2011.

Jay~

Run for Life

3k in 13:55, bib #3704

Jay~

Balducci Dinner Date

Balducci Ristorante is a pretty Italian restaurant at Serendra, at The Fort, and it is currently my new favorite restaurant. Good food, good wine, very good service = recipe for a good experience.

Appetizer.

PJ with her seafood soup.

Minestra di Pesce alla Balducci, or as I like to call it, "seafood soup".

Spaghetti alla Pescatora, or "seafood pasta".

A glass of Chianti to cap the night off. But no liver, Mr. Lecter :)

I cannot stress enough how much I loved the food that night. It was really good, much better than the many (commercialized) Italian places around Manila. I could be going to too few places, but for now, Balducci is a decent place to have a meal. The ambiance was very nice as well, but the music choices were strange for the place (pop and some heavy R&B?). Well worth whatever you spend.

Balducci menu courtesy of munchpunch.com, if you're curious :)

Food: 9/10
Service: 9/10
Ambiance: 8/10
Value for Money: 10/10
Minimum Budget for Two: PHP 1,000.00 - PHP 1,500.00

Jay~

Weekend Getaway

After what has turned out to be a very draining first ten months in the working world, a nice weekend break to my favorite place - Davao - was in order. Obviously, I cannot detail the trip here in its entirety but perhaps some pictures would help :)

I ran a race (Life Run 2010), joining in my usual 3k. I'm pretty fond of the 3k; the speed and competitiveness of the first kilometer is an adrenaline rush for me, and the mad dash at the last half a click gives a massive high for me later. I posted my best time so far in a run, at 13 minutes 55 seconds. I know it's not that fast (world record stands at a little over 7 minutes) but I am continuously improving :)

Julian, my Davao brother (blood couldn't make us any closer) also opened his mum's graduation gift for him. A massive 840W sound system. Holy crap LOL.

840W of sound muscle.

For Halloween, we spent it at Julian's uncle's place, which turned out to be the largest private residence I have ever been in. For comparison, the outdoors dining table where we had dinner on was a little less than the total length of my condo. WTF. I also had the opportunity (since it was Julian's graduation and all) to have had a couple of glasses of Cristal, definitely one of the most delicious drinks I've had. Also, a bottle of Cristal goes for something like $800. WTF Pt. 2.

Also known as the pimp of all champagne.

Spent the next couple of days with friends, and then a day with a Sister of the MIC (Missionary Sisters of the Immaculate Conception) for the much needed spiritual R&R. I learned a lot about myself, and so much more about life and the challenges I have overcome and should expect.

Capped off my November Davao Retreat with an awesome Japanese dinner, but unfortunately, I was so famished I only managed to snap a picture of the appetizer.

Sashimi goodness.

All in all, one of the best retreats of my life, and needed so badly too.

Jay~

Typhoon Quiel

As Typhoon Quiel passed by the Philippines yesterday, I went to the rooftop of my condo building and snapped some pictures of the very low clouds and very little visibility caused by the second storm to hit us inside a week.

Overlooking Mandaluyong City.

Overlooking North.

Manila Bay takes the cake!

Thank God this storm has passed, and did not deliver a nature-smackdown the way Typhoon Pedring did.

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~