Its not a ride in the park.

It was the usual weekly project meeting when I got into the room.

They were all discussing the metrics for the past week, the working targets and some project updates.

Didn't think there would be something out of the ordinary until it was almost 6pm.

Two of the team members rushed in and they halted Lala from leaving.

Suddenly a powerpoint presentation was infront of everyone.

Cheesy? Not really.

It was just a collection of old pics of Lala with the team played along a background song that I do not know what is but its catchy.

After the 10-minute presentation, someone asked Lala what she feels now that she is rolling off, and it was her last day.

She couldn't speak because she is now crying. After four attempts to utter some words, she said, "I feel happy and sad."

And another question was asked, "How was it working with the team?"

With a smile, she said, "Well..it is not a ride in the park."

Very true.

Alongside her powerpoint presentation, I was doing some flashbacks of my own.

I rolled into the team last year, and some sixteen months later, I somehow believed every inch of that "not a ride in the park"...

Of how many times I got sacked because of some client issues. Or how many times I had to attend a conference call with a counterpart who couldn't help save my ass.

But Lala was also right in saying that the team has improved alot and that she is happy to leave the team now that it has gone better and with more interaction from the subteams.

On her last few messages, I smiled mainly because I realized that the only thing permanent inside the company is change, and with the quick turn of events, who knows who would roll off next.

But I am also glad that I was able to work with Lala. Her managerial style is a mixture of fun and pressure and concerns that you sometimes do not see but would later on realize that it is there.

I couldn't really call her my mentor even if she was assigned as my mentor and also my manager. For me, mentoring would have to be more than just a couple of meetings.

Yet, she will always be an inspiration because I saw in her the determination. The will to always deliver to the client's expectation even if sometimes she had to be so hard to her subordinates.

While at some point, working with her is not a ride in the park, in all other points it was a stroll.

so proud of you...

i read your blog entry last 14th and before i could finish the last sentence i'm already crying.

been a while that i think of your plight there...you must know that i tried to stop meddling in your activities there eversince we have decided to call it quits.

never been easy trying to live my life without you..much more without the thoughts of you...but i don't have much choice on that.

your last blog entry hit me again...i felt how hard it has become for you...but im doubly proud that you are alive and kicking there after one year.

i wish i could alleviate some pains and make you smile even for a while so that you'd be able to forget how hard it is there but maybe i'll just keep on praying so that you'll stay safe and healthy...and will thank the Lord that you are doing a wonderful job there for your dreams and your family.

some of our common friends teased me lately coz you're almost vacationing...i gave a fake smile and my signature roll-eyes...said i'm never gonna be able to meet you again without the tears..and i think its gonna be hard hiding these tears as well...but not to worry..the tears aren't just for the pain...its also because i'm so damn proud of you.

keep it up tavz...i'll always be proud of you.

Metrics...anyone?

I got entangled to a metrics battle this morning...err..afternoon.

The team lead was trying to point out that the defect field on the template is supposed to be used on all the stages of the software lifecycle.

The quality coordinator thinks otherwise as it has no use for metrics tracking of the entire team.

Which is which?

Hmm.

From what I do know...the defect field on the template is supposed to track at which phase of the lifecycle you have seen the defect as against to the origin of the defect to compute for the actual quality of work.

Stressful thinking isn't it?

Hmm...how about doing this every week?

Revisiting Lucban

It was a month ago when Jing brought the whole gang to Lucban Quezon for a long-weekend trip.

Last weekend, we drove back again to celebrate Vonne's birthday.

This time, we didn't have much time to revisit Majayjay Falls but fortunately, we were able to drive to Tayabas to see the church and enjoy what is probably the best cassava cake for 25 pesos only.

Then, we take a short drive to Villa Elma which is one of the biggest hacienda in town and only friends of the Elma family can see the wonders that is inside the farm.

What is noticeable is the landscape on the farm. It has its own station of the cross just like Kamay ni Hesus except for the huge Resurrection statue in the latter. It also includes three or four swimming pools and cold springs around it plus a status of Cory Aquino near the altar and a gazeebo that rests below the mountain side. To top it all, there is an auditorium filled with antiques and about four or five sculptures from Habagat at Amihan to the fishes and the face of Jesus.

The trip would not be complete without enjoying Palaisdaan food again and Kamay ni Hesus visit and lastly, Salud's Halo Halo which remains to be better than Chowking or Sandosenang Halo or Razon's at 35 pesos only.

As of this writing...i'm missing Lucban again...but its okay...Vonne's mom promised that we can go back before Christmas...even without Jing's approval. Hehehe

Foodtrip in Lucban

If you search for information regarding Lucban, Quezon, the first few information that you will get will be about the Pahiyas festival that usually happens in May. This festival is a harvest festival wherein all houses are dressed up with the family's farm harvest.

In my recent trip to Lucban last month, I realized that Lucban is not just famous for the harvest but also for the delicious food that they serve.

Amongst the variety that we enjoyed in our three-day weekend were Sinugno; Ginataang Kuhol na may pako; Sizzling chicken; empanadita and Lucban's famous halo-halo of Salud.

Sinugno is Inahaw na tilapia with gata. Rather easy to prepare at home but so tasty to feast on. Try making it a bit more spicy and you would enjoy it more.

Ginataang kuhol was surprisingly sweet and fun. You get to slurrp the kuhol out of the shell. Quite fun if you ask me.

Sizzling chicken could have been the usual meal you order in sizzling plate, but what made it diffrent in Palaisdaan is the sauce. It tastes quite special.

Empanadita and Salud's Halo-Halo were not part of our Palaisdaan dinner. The halo-halo came after dinner and we had to drive back to bayan to get a taste of it.

Salud's was few blocks from Lucban church and it was rather an old house. They serve halo-halo and mais con hielo and costs about 35 pesos only.

The halo halo does not boast of a special kind of ice like Razon's or the commercial fantasy that Chowking's and Sandosenang Halo offers, but it was probably one of the best that I have tasted since my very first halo halo experience in Tondo. Just look at the mouth watering colors of the blend and the sweetness that is blended perfectly to ask for another round. I wish that they have Salud's in Manila so that I can enjoy it anytime I want.

Lastly, the empanadita came quite a surprise. There was this modest food court outside Lucban church were you could enjoy most kind of street food from bananaque to isaw to hotdogs. Empanadita looked cute for its 2.50/pc and I just had to try it. What was interesting was that it did not have meet or chicken inside like the usuals you get from goldilocks...rather it had sweet kamote inside. Delicious and cheap and rather light for the stomach. The gang bought 250 pieces of it and became the pasalubong.

Just hang on there my friend...

Today is one of the saddest days ever.
My friend was diagnosed with a spleen cancer.

I didn't even know what a spleen is and what part of our body it is locate...but right now I am browsing google to find more answers as to what a spleen is and what are the types of spleen cancer.

In this age where cancer is one of the more notorious killers, it is doubly hard getting news like this, especially if its coming from a very dear friend.

So many things going on my mind right now...and yet I know and I feel that my friend is gonna fight this disease and hopefully wins over it.

But more than anything else...sadness still envelops me hearing the news. I don't even know yet how to react to this or how to keep this bit of information to myself till the day he decides to tell everyone in our group.

Still I pray...that the Lord will be more merciful to him and delivers him from this disease.

some thoughts from the alternative world...

I looked into my other circle today and got some interesting notes on the alternatives...

read on..

Quote:Originally Posted by bboycrumbs84
Making a choice to come out about your sexuality is a healthy part of affirming your choice and your worth as a human being. By discussing what it does and does not mean to be who you are sexually, you may also help to educate others and even to empower some individuals to accept their own sexuality and realizing that is good to discover sexuality in all ways.

my thoughts:
its always hard to come out to your friends and family and tell them what you really are underneath that clothes or that facade.
that is never easy because there might be rejections and then the stigma happens all over again as if it hasn't been working through the most parts of your life.
but in this age, i think more people are open to it...open to the accepting sexuality and the differences that friends bring into the circle...and its good because you somehow feel that the society gets more humane into accepting whatever differences it brings on the daily fold.
to those who come out in the open...congratulations...coming out is not just really putting a label to what you know you are...but moreso, getting the real freedom of life that one truly deserve.
to those who cannot come out...its their choice to live in the closet..and for whatever reason they have...i'd always give them that choice to make...afterall..it is their life to live.
happy independence guys..

Quote:Originally Posted by bboycrumbs84
It is nice to be with people who are very open minded.

my thoughts:
There is nothing wrong to be liberated in making decisions in life especially the so called "sexuality" but its just that we need to keep our values within us.
somehow ur values would be changing when you come out in the open...you widen your horizon and then take new things into consideration.
the principles that you have actually built when you were in the closet would still be applicable into most situations but of course you will do some bending of rules from time to time if only because you are now open to alot more possibilities that were not options for you when you are in the closet still.

Originally Posted by voltz87
and it's you, the real you, if one does is to always blindly deny the truth of his/her own sexuality then he/she wouldn't be able to enjoy a good life. this is what i told myself when i really tried hard to change my sexuality, wala eh ayaw talaga eh

my thoughts:
hmm. i've always believed naman that sexuality isn't just the private organs that you were born with.
it is also something that you feel inside you.
for instance, a byukonera would always feel that she is a girl trapped inside that body..whether he chooses to change her organs in the future when he can afford to...or not...he would always remain to be that woman inside that body.
in the past, i tried to deny myself with homosexuality and for two or three months i was successful until the fourth month...
on that fourth month, i did things i never thought i would kasi sobrang "nagutom" yata ako..haha.
but when I asked God kung bakit nga ba iba ako sa mga kapatid ko at sa mga friends ko...i didn't get a straight answer but i got acceptance little by little...from myself and from my friends and family...
to which I always think na it was God's way of showing me that I have to accept myself first and then acceptance and peace from the others would come along.
afterall...God's love really has no gender.