Dear Toe,

I’ve been reading your blog in preparation for going to Cambodia. I am going there to teach in an International School run by a US-based missions organization, but I’m Pinay. Your blog has been very helpful and I’m grateful since I knew nothing about Cambodia until I started reading up when I got the job. I first applied last year but am only going to be able to leave in June (God-willing).

I promised my friends I’d keep a blog while I’m there, so I may be following in your footsteps… but that may be wishful thinking since this will be my first attempt at teaching.

I noticed a reference to Matabungkay Beach. I lived half my life right near that–on White Sands (now Terrazas de Punta Fuego). I wonder if my family knew yours?

But what I really wanted to ask you was that statement you made about Pinoys having “POEA”. I was just hired directly by the school and they’re handling my ticket and visa… so is there anything I should know and do aside from the papers they’re arranging for me? I understand if you can’t answer my question… but appreciate your taking time to read.

See you online, and keep up the blogging!

Ningning

Read my reply here.

“Now Toe,” you bloggers out there are probably thinking, “why would you want to scare us like that? What a horrible nightmare!” Nothing frightens a blogger to death more than the thought of his or her blog disappearing into oblivion. But disasters do happen. It’s not that bad, actually. In fact, I did it not once. Not twice. But three. Whole. Times. It’s been occurring with alarming frequency that I’m actually getting used to it…if it’s possible for anyone to get used to a constant state of panic.

The first time I lost my blog, I was trying to upgrade my wordpress when without warning, “404 not found” screamed at me from the computer screen and if it’s possible, cyberically punched my gut. My stomach turned upside-down and I felt like throwing up. It was almost like losing a loved one. Thankfully, after days of excruciating waiting, Job, my bloghost recovered it.

Read more here.

More eNGy toons here

President Gloria Arroyo has signed Republic Act 9504. This new law will exempt minimum wage earners from paying income tax, increasing tax exemption for all earners and additional exemptions for individuals with dependents/children.

Read more here for more info.

Here’s a two-week update of Philippines’ weekly music charts / countdown (june 8-15, 2008)— Myx International Top 20, Myx Hit Chart, Pinoy Myx Countdown, 103.5 Max FM Final countdown, RX 93.1 Top 7 countdown, and Magic 89.9’s Magic 30, and 99.5 Campus FM.

Check the charts HERE…

Know what scares me? I’ve been getting these awesometastic bouts of depression lately. I know that you’d probably either go “Oh, look, there’s Ade, overdramatizing again about his trivial problems. Let’s laugh at him!” or “Ade, here’s some Xanax. Please overdose yourself ktnx.” or “Ade, you need to get laid. Hey that rhymes!” or “Look, a pink unicorn!”

 
And I’m getting pretty scared because it’s coming on to often. But I just usually try to shrug it off by saying “Meh. I shall handle depression like a MAN!” and I’ll hide in my bedroom, burying myself in pillows and sobbing my eyes off while eating my second bucketful of KFC Chicken.

But to make me feel better I kinda had long talks with Kring and Sorsi (yeah, yeah, Sorsi’s the girl who makes me depressed and suicidal everytime I talk to her, yadda yadda. I was desperate.) and thanks to them I was able to cheer up. Also, I think Sorsi would make buttloads of cash if she ever does choose to take up life coaching as a career.
Read the rest of this entry »

More eNGy toons here

Various computer and tech gadget retailers are having their mid-year sale this June. If you are a student looking for a new laptop this new school year or just a person who loves you gadgets then this one’s for you. 

Items lined up for huge discounts are laptops, desktop PCs, printers, memory cards and flash cards, UPS, LCD TVs, LCD monitors and many more.

For three days and 2 nights, I explored the breathtaking Coron in the province of Palawan. The quiet town of Coron is part the Calamian Group of Islands or the Calamianes.

The Calamian Group of Islands is comprised of the Busuanga Island, where the town of Coron is located, the Coron Island, the former leper colony Culion Island, and several smaller islands.

Continue Here

My team mate, PIO wanted to visit the island of Bohol as he was never been there. Much of a thought that me and my girl pals have been to that picturesque local place, we offered a suggestion to tour him around. It was a plan out of the blue. And it’s been quite a while that we thought of re-visiting as we would like to feel the Loboc river cruise experience which we never had during our first time in it (it was raining that previous day!)

And what would be our itinerary then? Everywhere our driver-tour guide will lead us to! He was so kind and very loquacious in his native tongue which got us quite entertained in the Toyota Corolla car we rented. I would enumerate the place we’ve been too. So you might have an idea if you wish to visit Bohol. Read below:
More after the jump at http://www.obnoxiousqueer.com

Since Sunday was the last ToyCon day, I decided to put my Paparazzi-cum-stalker powers to a test. Seeing that several DSLR wielding people inside the venue looked more like child-pron-talent-scouts glorified with brand name cameras and little known talent, I let my ego feed on the idea that I am way better than most of them when we take the following into consideration: (1) I looked like a rockstar, as always; (2) I’m a brilliant point and shoot photographer, refer my “about” page for the ratified self-proclamation; (3) I have newly-acquired Photoshop skillz, validated several times by DSLR wielding peers (huzzah!); and most importantly (4) cosplayers “may” trust me because of my dead ringer of an anime-like hairdo.

Continued with photos here >>

More eNGy toons here

The E=MC2 Victory Party held at Eastwood Central Plaza in Libis last June 13, 2008 was a blast for hundreds of Mariah Carey fans who gathered to celebrate the big success of her latest album which got a “Gold” record in just 8 days from the day of its release in the Philippines.

Photos and more about the event at Music Picks blog!

More eNGy toons here

Today’s the last day for the 7th Philippine Toys, Hobbies, and Collectibles Convention (aka ToyCon 2008). Tonight, June 15, 2008 (Sunday), Ade’s band, Lose Your Beer Belly, will perform from 7pm to 9pm.

To get inside Megatrade Hall (the venue: SM Megamall, 5th Level), you will have to pay a minimal amount of P80 (boo!). My friendly tip for hobbyists and enthusiasts: do not bring more than P1,000 with you because you will surely spend everything once you are inside. Happened to me. Wiped out the contents of my wallet. Good thing I only brought P1,000. Talk about foresight! I only spent P800 on rare comicbooks, no more than that. Right now, I wish I had bought more stuff, though. Oh, well. Today’s another day.

Photos and the rest of this article through here >>

I got my ümobile SIM card this afternoon and obviously, I immediately inserted it on my Nokia N70. It took several minutes for my phone to acquire a signal and several more minutes before I could make a call. “Your number cannot be completed as dialed, please check the number and dial again”… Familiar? Yes. The same voice prompt from SMART and PLDT Landline Plus.

CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING

Special Thanks to Kevin Rivers of WaTunes for speedy upload to Napster of Identity Theft!

Here’s the link to Far Side of the World on Napster

More eNGy toons here

Dear Unilever,

Let me start off by saying that I have been a loyal user of your shampoo since it first became available in my part of the world. That would be approximately 8 months. Yes, I made the big switch and I did not regret it. Yours was better than what I used to use. Although the shampoo in sachets were less than the others, it made up for it by beign effective in removing my unsightly and much hated dandruff. So, in that aspect, thank you very much.

But all these changed this morning.(more)

I cannot recall when I first ate at Cibo’s cold steel chairs in Glorietta 3 but I do remember loving it for life. So much so that my friends knew to bring me my favorite Pate di Fegato the day after giving birth to my eldest son via C-section.

Read more…