Caloy is a the name local weather experts used for the latest typhoon that hit the country. The estimated loss was at 300 million pesos and the death toll is raising rapidly. Caloy has finally reminded everyone that summer is finally over and that the rainy season is about to become its reign.
The death toll and the loss of profit are already good enough reasons to hate the typhoon but I have a more personal grudge against him. I had an entire weekend planned out for May 13 and 14. We were suppose to go up Mt. Daguldul and this has been planned for almost 2 weeks! Everything has already been set. The tents were ready, my schedules have been planned, people have been invited and some have already confirmed but it had to be cancelled the day before due to rising risk in the Batangas area.
Oh well, its a pretty petty grudge though but the next expected climb would be on July as the schedules of my mountain climbing friends are full for the entire June. I was hoping to get another reprieve from the busy life of the city but I guess it just was not meant to be. As the Alchemist said, if it was really meant to happen, then the rest of the world will conspire to make it happen. At least, I got to spend the weekend with my Mom who arrived last Thursday.
Btw, to all mothers and mother-like figures of my life and of yours, Happy Mother's Day!
Sunday, May 14, 2006
Thursday, May 11, 2006
Application form sumbitted
I have submitted my application form for MSCS at UP. I'm not sure if I would be accepted into the program, depending on the reccommendations that Vic and Maam Joyce gave me. I hope they're good feedback. :)Anyway, I will be doing the non thesis option and then specialize in Computer Systems. I was previously thinking of Information Systems and Software Engineering but I guess I can take those subjects as an elective.
We'll see what happens from this point. Take it as it comes, Mike. Just take it as it comes.
Wednesday, May 10, 2006
Decisions decisions...
Tick tock tick tock...
Call it a leap of faith, but by tomorrow everything will turn to reality. I'll be submitting my application form for a Master's degree in Computer Science. I'll be taking it at the simple University of the Philippines - that is of course, if they consider me good enough for the program.
Even if until now, I doubt that I can really put a lot of effort into the program despite the workload I already have (yes folks! I do have loads of work). Until this very moment, I have yet to decide as to what specialization I am going to take. It's a tough choice, but I am a complex person with many interests. It is very difficult to pinpoint or find the difference between what I really want or enjoy doing from what I really need to pursue my career.
The problem is I enjoy my job now and I can see myself in the medium term with the company I work for. The problem though is that working for a company or working for the industry in the long term is not dream. The simple fact that I do enjoy research and learning new things, despite the fact that I don't have the patience to code anything, is why I will return to the academe one day. I feel that the most important thing for me to do is to share what I have learned - not just as IT professional but as a person as well. Imparting the values that Pisay and UP has taught me. To pursue the things you enjoy most, and to enjoy seeking new things to learn.
However, you also have to understand that the "kaching kaching" also is very important for us to survive the real world. I could not spend one day without spending at least a hundred pesos. And I sleep on an empty stomach at that. I dread the times when I use to try my best to save a weeks worth of allowance just in case I don't get the next weeks allowance. Pride being a big part of me, I don't borrow or ask for a lot of food even if I'm pretty hungry already. And it is for this reason that I also want to establish the skills I need in order to push my career upward.
So, again, I find myself in the same situation I found myself a year ago. To decide whether to stay in the academe or to pursue an industry career.
The clock is ticking...
Call it a leap of faith, but by tomorrow everything will turn to reality. I'll be submitting my application form for a Master's degree in Computer Science. I'll be taking it at the simple University of the Philippines - that is of course, if they consider me good enough for the program.
Even if until now, I doubt that I can really put a lot of effort into the program despite the workload I already have (yes folks! I do have loads of work). Until this very moment, I have yet to decide as to what specialization I am going to take. It's a tough choice, but I am a complex person with many interests. It is very difficult to pinpoint or find the difference between what I really want or enjoy doing from what I really need to pursue my career.
The problem is I enjoy my job now and I can see myself in the medium term with the company I work for. The problem though is that working for a company or working for the industry in the long term is not dream. The simple fact that I do enjoy research and learning new things, despite the fact that I don't have the patience to code anything, is why I will return to the academe one day. I feel that the most important thing for me to do is to share what I have learned - not just as IT professional but as a person as well. Imparting the values that Pisay and UP has taught me. To pursue the things you enjoy most, and to enjoy seeking new things to learn.
However, you also have to understand that the "kaching kaching" also is very important for us to survive the real world. I could not spend one day without spending at least a hundred pesos. And I sleep on an empty stomach at that. I dread the times when I use to try my best to save a weeks worth of allowance just in case I don't get the next weeks allowance. Pride being a big part of me, I don't borrow or ask for a lot of food even if I'm pretty hungry already. And it is for this reason that I also want to establish the skills I need in order to push my career upward.
So, again, I find myself in the same situation I found myself a year ago. To decide whether to stay in the academe or to pursue an industry career.
The clock is ticking...
Wednesday, May 03, 2006
Beginner's Guide to Swimming
Paddle your way to a six-pack with this fat-scorching swim plan
By: Matt Bean
We're giving it to you straight: You're never going to swim like Michael Phelps. For starters, you're probably not 6'4''--and in the water, length means speed. Then there's your--by comparison --penguinlike wing span. Phelps's span is 79 inches, and it propels him through the water like a nitro-fueled speedboat. And the 45 miles of practice he puts in a week? Great for him, but you have commitments.
Now, the good news: All of this had less to do with Phelps's six gold medals and three world records at the 2004 Olympics than one basic in-pool principle that anybody can learn: "The longer and more streamlined you can make your body, the faster you'll go," he says.
"It's that simple."
Phelps and swimming guru Terry Laughlin, president of the New York-based swimming think tank Total Immersion (totalimmersion.net), helped us put together a step-by-step guide to leaving your lanemates behind. If you're a beginner, our plan will keep you from flailing about like you're being attacked by piranhas. If you're a pro, we'll show you how to shave seconds without having to shave your knees.
We're focusing on the freestyle stroke here, not only because it provides a killer cardio workout, but also because it works the most muscles overall--building core strength and carving your V. And it shreds calories. Blows them right out of the water, in fact. Phelps is as thin as an Olsen twin, yet he eats 8,000 calories a day. His average breakfast: two egg-and-cheese sandwiches, a bowl of grits, a western omelet, French toast, and a stack of chocolate-chip pancakes ("for dessert," he says). Being 19 doesn't hurt, of course, but if Phelps can keep his abs well groomed despite eating enough for four, you should be able to make sizable strides with just a modest amount of effort.
Here's our seven-step plan for leaving everyone in your wake.
1. Swim tall. "Water is 1,000 times denser than air," says Laughlin. "So the single most important factor is to slip your body through the smallest hole in the water." Imagine a central axis extending from the top of your head to the opposite end of the pool. Rotate your body along this axis with each stroke, stretching your leading arm (the one reaching out front) as far forward as you can. Keep the muscles in your lower back and abs taut as you power through the water--doing so will keep the propulsion coming from both your arms and legs and stop your midsection from sagging like an old first-mate's belly.
2. Drop an anchor. Swimming with just your hands is like jumping with just your feet. Instead, grip the water with your entire forearm and hand, holding your forearm at a right angle to your upper arm and digging in like you're gathering sand with a shovel. Keep your hands broad, flat, and firm. You're not pushing your arm through the water as much as anchoring it and pulling your body over it.
3. Put yourself on heavy rotation. Each stroke begins with your leading arm having entered the water, and that side of your body--the low side--pointing almost at the bottom of the pool. The other side of your body--the high side--should be raised, with the arm that just finished its stroke getting ready to return to the water. Power is triggered when you drive down the high side of your body, Laughlin says, throwing your high-side arm forward along the central axis into the leading position and forcefully rotating your hips and torso. Meanwhile, your low-side arm becomes the pulling arm underwater, working with your rotating torso to provide acceleration.
4. Keep your head down. Freestylers used to hold their heads high. That forced the rest of the body to drop, turning it into a high-drag plow. "I look pretty much straight down at the bottom of the pool," says Phelps. Not only does this technique cut drag, it keeps your torso high, reducing strain on your neck and lower back.
5. Find your glide path. In the pool, fewer strokes is better. Your goal should be a high DPS--swim-speak for "distance per stroke." Elite swimmers like Phelps can easily traverse a 25-yard pool in seven strokes (each hand entry counts as a stroke). Try to keep yours below 20 by conserving momentum. Pull yourself over your anchor and continue to glide forward with one arm forward and the other back. "You'll travel farther and faster with your legs streamlined near your axis," says Laughlin. When you begin to slow, start the next stroke.
6. Drag your feet. "If you're a good kicker, you're a good swimmer," says Phelps. The secret is turning your feet into fins. Here again, leverage rules: Your legs should be taut, scissoring you through the water, while your feet remain flexible. This will help them snap at the downstroke of each kick, adding oomph and helping twist your torso along the central axis. If your feet don't flex well, buy a set of kicking fins (we like the Slim Fin, forcefin.com) to add flexibility.
7. Don't waste your breath. Gasping for air every time your head nears the surface is a great way to drown. Instead, make each breath count. Emphatically exhale the air from your lungs (all of it, not just 90 percent) before snagging a quick, full breath on the high side. Beginning swimmers need to breathe after each stroke, but as your endurance improves, try breathing on alternate sides--that is, after three strokes. It'll reduce the strain on your neck and shoulders that results from always breathing on the same side.
By: Matt Bean
We're giving it to you straight: You're never going to swim like Michael Phelps. For starters, you're probably not 6'4''--and in the water, length means speed. Then there's your--by comparison --penguinlike wing span. Phelps's span is 79 inches, and it propels him through the water like a nitro-fueled speedboat. And the 45 miles of practice he puts in a week? Great for him, but you have commitments.
Now, the good news: All of this had less to do with Phelps's six gold medals and three world records at the 2004 Olympics than one basic in-pool principle that anybody can learn: "The longer and more streamlined you can make your body, the faster you'll go," he says.
"It's that simple."
Phelps and swimming guru Terry Laughlin, president of the New York-based swimming think tank Total Immersion (totalimmersion.net), helped us put together a step-by-step guide to leaving your lanemates behind. If you're a beginner, our plan will keep you from flailing about like you're being attacked by piranhas. If you're a pro, we'll show you how to shave seconds without having to shave your knees.
We're focusing on the freestyle stroke here, not only because it provides a killer cardio workout, but also because it works the most muscles overall--building core strength and carving your V. And it shreds calories. Blows them right out of the water, in fact. Phelps is as thin as an Olsen twin, yet he eats 8,000 calories a day. His average breakfast: two egg-and-cheese sandwiches, a bowl of grits, a western omelet, French toast, and a stack of chocolate-chip pancakes ("for dessert," he says). Being 19 doesn't hurt, of course, but if Phelps can keep his abs well groomed despite eating enough for four, you should be able to make sizable strides with just a modest amount of effort.
Here's our seven-step plan for leaving everyone in your wake.
1. Swim tall. "Water is 1,000 times denser than air," says Laughlin. "So the single most important factor is to slip your body through the smallest hole in the water." Imagine a central axis extending from the top of your head to the opposite end of the pool. Rotate your body along this axis with each stroke, stretching your leading arm (the one reaching out front) as far forward as you can. Keep the muscles in your lower back and abs taut as you power through the water--doing so will keep the propulsion coming from both your arms and legs and stop your midsection from sagging like an old first-mate's belly.
2. Drop an anchor. Swimming with just your hands is like jumping with just your feet. Instead, grip the water with your entire forearm and hand, holding your forearm at a right angle to your upper arm and digging in like you're gathering sand with a shovel. Keep your hands broad, flat, and firm. You're not pushing your arm through the water as much as anchoring it and pulling your body over it.
3. Put yourself on heavy rotation. Each stroke begins with your leading arm having entered the water, and that side of your body--the low side--pointing almost at the bottom of the pool. The other side of your body--the high side--should be raised, with the arm that just finished its stroke getting ready to return to the water. Power is triggered when you drive down the high side of your body, Laughlin says, throwing your high-side arm forward along the central axis into the leading position and forcefully rotating your hips and torso. Meanwhile, your low-side arm becomes the pulling arm underwater, working with your rotating torso to provide acceleration.
4. Keep your head down. Freestylers used to hold their heads high. That forced the rest of the body to drop, turning it into a high-drag plow. "I look pretty much straight down at the bottom of the pool," says Phelps. Not only does this technique cut drag, it keeps your torso high, reducing strain on your neck and lower back.
5. Find your glide path. In the pool, fewer strokes is better. Your goal should be a high DPS--swim-speak for "distance per stroke." Elite swimmers like Phelps can easily traverse a 25-yard pool in seven strokes (each hand entry counts as a stroke). Try to keep yours below 20 by conserving momentum. Pull yourself over your anchor and continue to glide forward with one arm forward and the other back. "You'll travel farther and faster with your legs streamlined near your axis," says Laughlin. When you begin to slow, start the next stroke.
6. Drag your feet. "If you're a good kicker, you're a good swimmer," says Phelps. The secret is turning your feet into fins. Here again, leverage rules: Your legs should be taut, scissoring you through the water, while your feet remain flexible. This will help them snap at the downstroke of each kick, adding oomph and helping twist your torso along the central axis. If your feet don't flex well, buy a set of kicking fins (we like the Slim Fin, forcefin.com) to add flexibility.
7. Don't waste your breath. Gasping for air every time your head nears the surface is a great way to drown. Instead, make each breath count. Emphatically exhale the air from your lungs (all of it, not just 90 percent) before snagging a quick, full breath on the high side. Beginning swimmers need to breathe after each stroke, but as your endurance improves, try breathing on alternate sides--that is, after three strokes. It'll reduce the strain on your neck and shoulders that results from always breathing on the same side.
Tuesday, May 02, 2006
Monday, May 01, 2006
Puerto Galera
I have just gotten back from a 3 days 2 nights Galera trip. It was definitely not the kind of experience I was hoping to get. Don't get me wrong. I enjoyed the company, the stories, the laughter, the secrets :p and the bloopers. I also will give Mindoro Sling the benefit of that doubt that it is a drink worth going all the way to Galera to taste (and get tipsy with). Yet, there are just some things that you can't get over without giving it a decent rant session in your blog.
1. For a long weekend, you'd expect a good number of people to be going out of the smog and hassle of the city for a vacation. But you would definitely NOT expect a mob of people going to the same vacation place! Meeting time was 4am at Buendia Station. We were fairly on time for the 4:30. However, there was a terrifyingly long queue of people waiting in line for the bus. My guess was if we did not think of an alternative mode of transportation, we might have arrived at Galera the next day.
The port in Batangas was no exception and the summer heat did not spare us at all. Arriving at White Beach in Galera, we had to look for a place as planned. We, however, did not plan to find tons of people also looking for a place to stay and hotel/motel/residential places were already filled up! Again, the summer heat did not spare us at least a breeze of comfort to dry the sweat and relax the fatigue we were already feeling. We were lucky to get help from someone who brought us to a resort (Talipanan) 2 barangays away from White Beach where we found a place to stay for the night. We planned to return to White Beach to scavenge for a place for the 2nd night.
2. We were successful with that but it costs us a lot which brings me to my second point. Everything costs something. Even when you go snorkeling, you pay 50 for the shoes, 50 for the mask, 50 for the floaters, and 50 for the boat guide. That does not count the 50 you would have to pay for the banig you'll use when you want to lay down on the beach. Too bad, the corals where beautiful and the fish were a sight. If only I was not paranoid with the things we left behind with the guide and if only I was not thinking of how much of a culprit that guide was having to make us pay a lot of money for the activity, then I would have certainly enjoyed it.
3. Finding a place to eat is like having Microsoft becoming a true open source. It was impossible! It was out of luck that we get to find a decent restaurant to eat. And that is after asking a dozen or more eating places. And again, it comes with a unfairly indecent price. Beggars can't be choosers and the hungry will just have to deal with it.
4. Coming from a place where going to the beach is a regular thing, it took me a while (and I am still trying) to understand what the is nice about Galera when you can't swim far enough or you'll get hit by an incoming boat or near to the shore since you would have to apologize for hitting someone else. In Davao or most of the beaches in Cebu, there is usually a port or a landing area for incoming boats to drop off beach goers and this port is far enough not to distrub the swimmers by the shore.
Well, it might be inappropriate to compare Galera with the beaches of Davao or Cebu most especially when I have only been to Galera once and have only seen the not so pretty side of things. I liked the resort in Aninoan or Talipanan though but I guess there wasn't that much to do for the rest of the group.
I usually go to the beach for some quiet time, away from the busy-ness of the rest of the world. It is there I forget that I am a slave to the corporate world and that there are a lot of worldly concerns that I have to resolve. The beach, and nature itself, is a nourishing place where I want to just stare blankly into the space, smell the breeze, listen to the waves and the slush of the leaves, and feel the sand and stone beneath your feet.
I guess concrete and glass has taken too much environmental space in my life that real nature is now just a small piece of the chart. I need to get out of the city a bit more.
1. For a long weekend, you'd expect a good number of people to be going out of the smog and hassle of the city for a vacation. But you would definitely NOT expect a mob of people going to the same vacation place! Meeting time was 4am at Buendia Station. We were fairly on time for the 4:30. However, there was a terrifyingly long queue of people waiting in line for the bus. My guess was if we did not think of an alternative mode of transportation, we might have arrived at Galera the next day.
The port in Batangas was no exception and the summer heat did not spare us at all. Arriving at White Beach in Galera, we had to look for a place as planned. We, however, did not plan to find tons of people also looking for a place to stay and hotel/motel/residential places were already filled up! Again, the summer heat did not spare us at least a breeze of comfort to dry the sweat and relax the fatigue we were already feeling. We were lucky to get help from someone who brought us to a resort (Talipanan) 2 barangays away from White Beach where we found a place to stay for the night. We planned to return to White Beach to scavenge for a place for the 2nd night.
2. We were successful with that but it costs us a lot which brings me to my second point. Everything costs something. Even when you go snorkeling, you pay 50 for the shoes, 50 for the mask, 50 for the floaters, and 50 for the boat guide. That does not count the 50 you would have to pay for the banig you'll use when you want to lay down on the beach. Too bad, the corals where beautiful and the fish were a sight. If only I was not paranoid with the things we left behind with the guide and if only I was not thinking of how much of a culprit that guide was having to make us pay a lot of money for the activity, then I would have certainly enjoyed it.
3. Finding a place to eat is like having Microsoft becoming a true open source. It was impossible! It was out of luck that we get to find a decent restaurant to eat. And that is after asking a dozen or more eating places. And again, it comes with a unfairly indecent price. Beggars can't be choosers and the hungry will just have to deal with it.
4. Coming from a place where going to the beach is a regular thing, it took me a while (and I am still trying) to understand what the is nice about Galera when you can't swim far enough or you'll get hit by an incoming boat or near to the shore since you would have to apologize for hitting someone else. In Davao or most of the beaches in Cebu, there is usually a port or a landing area for incoming boats to drop off beach goers and this port is far enough not to distrub the swimmers by the shore.
Well, it might be inappropriate to compare Galera with the beaches of Davao or Cebu most especially when I have only been to Galera once and have only seen the not so pretty side of things. I liked the resort in Aninoan or Talipanan though but I guess there wasn't that much to do for the rest of the group.
I usually go to the beach for some quiet time, away from the busy-ness of the rest of the world. It is there I forget that I am a slave to the corporate world and that there are a lot of worldly concerns that I have to resolve. The beach, and nature itself, is a nourishing place where I want to just stare blankly into the space, smell the breeze, listen to the waves and the slush of the leaves, and feel the sand and stone beneath your feet.
I guess concrete and glass has taken too much environmental space in my life that real nature is now just a small piece of the chart. I need to get out of the city a bit more.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
