Convergence

Convergence - noun  The act of two or more things coming together.

Converging blogs

I'm so happy I changed my blog theme. 

I discovered that Blogger has an import/export blog function! With that I was able to merge my old blog with this blog.  Convergence!  Hehehe.

I spent some time looking at past posts.  Some of the posts... I have no idea what I was thinking. 

Still fun reading through my web diary though.

Funny how it all started though.  First I just wanted to post some photos.  Then I added comments.  Then next thing I know, I'm commentating 'til the cows come home.  

Hopefully all of this will come handy when I write my autobiography.  3rdWill - the diary of a saucy legend.

Converging gizmos

During my last holiday, I went through the pains of using my broken Lumix digi cam  :(  

I loved my camera. It wasn't sexy, but the pictures it took were impressive.  

Sadly my mom messed it up on her USA trip.  I don't know what she did but the dial is forever changing from picture mode to movie mode to macro to view.

Then a few weeks into the new year and my Samsung phone died!!!!  

I can't tell you how gutted I was!  My phone was ringing but nothing I could do would answer the call.  The buttons died! :(  

That day I had like 5 messages that I couldn't read.  

My fans would have been upset.

I bought the phone from ebay, so even the authorised Samsung repairers can't fix it (or refuse to fix it).

So I tried to fix the phone myself (with the help of the Samsung U600 technical service manual I got from torrent sites).  I successfully opened up my phone and cleaned the lint and dust inside.  I checked the flexi cable to the buttons to make sure it was connected properly.  When I put the phone together again, I was two screws short!  

Hahahaha, I wonder where they went :P

So I spent a whole day stressing over a new phone.  I mean, I love gizmos, I just don't love the fact that it will be worth nothing in two years.  Mobile phones still evolve too fast.   And phones these days are loaded with too much gimmicky technology.  Smile detection?  Shake controls?

Plus the phone will most likely die after 12 months (funny that..  phones die just after their warranty period)

The dead ones. Photo taken by the new baby.

So after much deliberation, I got myself a camera phone. Its not that sexy coz its a brick, but damn... I'm loving the cyber-hotness of the Sony C905.  Don't really care much for its other functions, I just like the fact I don't have to carry a camera AND phone.  

Only two bulges in my pants now *wink *wink  :P

Converging relationships

A wedding proposal this month! 

And there's a wedding around the corner! I'm at a point in my life when all my friends are getting married.   

It won't be long when they start popping out kids and were all going to each other's kid's birthday parties.  Ohhh the humanity.

I learnt something the other day though.  Its quite interesting.

My friend told me that relationships and marriage is like a math formula.

He said that 1+1 = 0, doesn't work because that's a relationship where there's no love.

He said that 1+1 = 1, doesn't work either because that means someone in the relationship has taken over and is overshadowing the other.

Surprising, he said 1+1=2 was wrong as well.  In a working relationship, it should be 1+1 = 1+1,   a union of two individuals who remain themselves - unique and quirkily themselves.

  

I pondered on this for a while.  Was I still me? 

I mean, its true.  After a while of being together, sometimes its hard to distinguish if I should be thinking 'me' or 'we'. 

I concluded that my girlfriend and I have not mutated into some four armed freak with two heads.  

So its still all good.

3Willings

1) Really enjoying pretending to be a lawyer in Apollo Justice

2) I thought Paris is Burning was by Birds of Toyko (although this group is pretty good too!). Its by LadyHawke.  Awsome vocals. Digging the tunes.  So much better than the Ting Tings - their song drives me nuts.

3) Best dish I can recall recently is my sister's Chicken Biryani. Inspired by Cinnamon Club she says.

Comfort Zone & DS Lite Foam Grip

There is a point in a relationship when individuals start letting their hair down and relaxing their guards because they've grown quite comfortable and at home with their partners.

The comfort zone.

Its a time when strict disciplines are loosened because you finally realise your special someone loves you enough to see through your flaws and quirks. They know you're only being yourself.

Once in the comfort zone, personal standards start dropping because you're already attached! Its no wonder that some people start becoming sloppier or gaining weight after being in a relationship (either that or they go on too many dinner dates).

Back when I was single - it was exercise, exercise, exercise!! Needed to look my best to catch me a yummy girl. Presentation was up there in the priority list.

Now I'm a lot more relaxed.
Actually, too relaxed. I think presentation is now at the bottom of the list.

Now the starting point of the 'comfort zone' is when you or your partner openly fart in front of the other. Some reach the comfort zone faster than others (or they have poor bowel movement). The end is when one starts screaming to the other "change you're underwear please!!" Obviously its not a 'comfort' zone when there's unpleasantness.

I digress. My point is, when you reach the comfort zone, you return to your slack, unattractive self. Which is not good.

Not good at all.


*************************

Since my girlfriend's been away I've been indulging myself in video games. Happy happy joy joy... or so I thought!

Last night I discovered why I was doing so bad in Mario Kart DS - my fat fingers are too big for the Nintendo DS lite!!

How can I play endless hours of Final Fantasy XII DS (when it comes out it May?) if the diminutive console strains my hands after thirty minutes of play?

Shrink my hands? - Nope. No way in hell do I want to look disproportionate.
Plus I don't want to ruin my sex life.

Make the DS bigger! Yes!! That's the way!!

So I googled my way around the net to discover Nintendo DS Lite hand grips. US$30 for plastic majiggies?! No way Jose. I can make something cheaper than that!

.
.
.
In fact that's exactly what I did!

I took a brick foam used for padding some appliance bought long ago. Why foam? Coz it's made of inert polycarbonate compounds that don't react to skin. Its porous enough aerate the hands - important when your fingers start sweating from excessive play AND is ultra light weight.
And its the only material I could find.

Then I carved out a DS cradle.


Cut out the corners and made it ergonomic
Presto!! Beautiful!

Now for the test drive!

Before my foam grip - I couldn't even come 3rd on the first race of 100cc Flower Cup - Mario Kart DS.

With the foam grip, I've finished Flower cup. I came first in all the races on my first go!
*sigh* I'm in gaming heaven. ITS SOOO GOOOOD!!
I'm so IN my comfort zone.

Hope and Will

hope is the belief that something desired will happen
will is the inner strength that makes it happen

Sweetchic, one year ago I asked you a question.

Thank you for 'going steady' with me :)
I wouldn't have taken no for an answer anyways :)

Happy one year

Blind Date (Part 1 of 3)

March 2003

His Place

I sat alone in the back of the 4WD as it droned is way through the dark streets of Quezon city. My cousin was well versed in driving the champagne Toyota Revo . In fact, he looked to be enjoying driving past small cars and honking his way through traffic.

My cousin, at 5'10, was bigger than me. He's got a wide built but wasn’t fat. His inch long hair was styled forward, which was odd because it was usually untreated and puffs like an Afro. He was hunched in front of the steering wheel, wearing a blue polo shirt and jeans. He seemed to be in his own world now.

My cousin and I were born the same year thats why we get along well. But we're very different. We have different priorities, different ambitions and different goals. We've taken differents paths and have now ended up in different sides.

The first time I rode with him I went pale from fright, but tonight, sitting at the back, traffic was the least of my concerns.

I had other things on my mind.

Sitting in the front passenger seat was a girl with long brown hair I've met just twice before. She wore a plain yellow top, jeans and white head band. She kinda looked like Anne Hathaway, with soft filipina features. She's very pretty. I saw her photos in my cousin's house and there I discovered how really attractive she was.

She sat there faintly humming to latest pop songs on RX931, bobbing her head as she looked out the window.

She was definitely my type. But I knew I couldn't pursue this personal inkling because she was already my cousin's girl.

The 4WD came to a red light and my cousin turned around to check up on me. He grinned

Okay ka ba dyan?
[are u okay?']

My palms were making hand prints on my brown pants. I’ve rolled up the sleeves of my white business shirt to get some air circulating through. Last thing I’d want to do is scare my blind date with wet patches around my armpits.

I want to believe I’m okay. Dressed in my best gear - including boxers I’ve just bought the previous afternoon. I was styling a new haircut, slick and sharp reinforced with a tubful of hair gel. And although a little sweaty, I was still radiating scents of Giorgio Armanis' Aqua de Gio. All I needed was a heart shaped box of chocolate and some roses and I’d complete the picture of a nerdy first date.

My stomach churned in resistance to this date.

I feinted a smile to my cousin.

I was really worried.

Then she turned to have a look at me as well I guess she found it quite adorable that I was nervous.

hwag ka ‘alala, best friend namin si Kat, bagay kayo
[Don't worry. Kat's our best friend. You'll look good together]

She smiled.

hmmm, I hope so

And with that, I felt a little bit better.

Doing the distance

We’re doing the long distance thing.

I’m a pessimist to long distance relationships when there’s no goal or end point. When its just two people doing their own thing separated by a great distance and there’s no plan to see each other in the future. I thinks thats simply holding on to memories without the promise of better, brighter new ones.

I’ve learnt this from my former relationship with Jessica Alba. It didn’t work out because she did her thing in LA and I did mine here. I was really sorry but I had to let her go.

This time it’s only for a year. I’ll definitely see her every ten or so weeks when she comes down and visits me and her family during the holidays. And I’ll find my way to where she is in between those times. So it's really not so bad. I've heard of worse.

Still, it’s going to be a hard slug. I’m going to miss her so much.

This little sacrifice will go a long way in the future. She's following her dream and I can see her blossing already.

Lucky are those who don’t have to go through with this, but luckier are those who get through it. She'll be alright because I know she's a tough cookie. Will'll be alright because I'm a tough cookie too. Two tough cookies doing the distance.