NO CHEATING.

A familiar reminder given to students especially during examination day. 

Cheating has become a shoddy habit amongst students. However, it is not common only in school but in the political arena as well. Vote buying, flying voters, and what not. Politicians would do everything just to win. I am not generalizing these national leaders but let us not be blinded by the fact that these kind of people exist. 

May 10 is only 4 days from now. I am eager to cast my vote on my candidates. Moreover, I am ecstatic to try the new system of voting and counting which is done automatically. It's not my first time to partake in such responsible task since I placed my preferred set of senatoriables a few years back. But this time, a bigger task is at hand for registered voters have the power to elect a president and vice president. Two authoritative positions which should go to honest and deserving people. I have chosen my candidates and for some reasons, I will not be naming them here. With strong belief, I know that my candidates can lead the country well. 

In reality, especially in the Philippine set-up, choosing a leader is not entirely in the hands of the people. Some evil-minded politicians manage their way to win through cheating. This is what I fear the most come this election day. Rumors have been circulating regarding the major possibility of failure of elections or vote buying. Not believing in my country's capabilities to progress is the last thing that I would do. I love the Philippines but with this system and with these people running our country, I may not have a chance to believe. 

Come this election day, let us all vote wisely. Others may try to influence you to vote a particular candidate,some may even resort to doling out of goods but always remember that it is always up to you. It's just you, your pen and that fragile sheet of paper. Shade the circle beside your candidate's name well to make sure it is counted. We hope for the best candidate to win, fair and square, whoever he or she is.No cheating, PLEASE. 

GOD BLESS THE PHILIPPINES!

MY BUDDY

Charlie.

  Born and raised in Davao. Bought at Pet Mate. Japanese Spitz. Male. Spoiled. Stubborn.

Introducing our House Dog, Charlie. Well, we actually have 2 other dogs namely Tabbie and Akon but they're kinda weird..haha.

He's turning 3 this Sept.17, 2010. That's around 21 yrs old in human years. Charlie is my official jogging buddy besides my mom. I wake up around 5:20 am and as soon as he sees me, he jumps around crazily wanting to be chained up and accompany me around the neighborhood. There are times that we bump into other owners and their respective dogs, and my Charlie barks angrily at the other dogs. He doesn't care if it's a Lab, a German Sheperd or an AsPin (Asong Pinoy). I have a belief that the reason why barks at other dogs is that he thinks he is the "Mighty Dog". I always compare him to Bolt, the dog from the movie 'Bolt'. hahaha. 

Charlie is stubborn and maarte. He's a picky eater and everytime he does that, I tell him "Buti ka pa may food dyan, ang ibang aso nagahanap pa sa basurahan ng food tapos sira pa makain nila". He just looks at me with his button-shaped eyes and walks away. I guess he didn't really understand what I said. HAHAHA. That dog! 

There are also times that when we go jogging, he gets tired and stops to walk or run. So I pick him up and carry him around. One guy told our helper that Charlie is sosyal daw because he is being carried. haha. Sometimes, I lose temper that I literally drag him to walk. (Bad owner. hihi). 

When I woke up, I decided to have a morning run. My alarm rang at 5:30 am but I ended up not going because I thought of Charlie. I figured that if he acts stubborn again, then I would lost interest to walk around so that's why I ended up blogging. 

Thanks to Charlie, I get to sit here lazily and not burn calories this morning.

I love you Baby Charlie. :)

ONE MORE CHANCE.

Nah. I'm not doing a movie review about Bea and John Lloyd's movie. Come'on. That was ages ago. Bea was still kinda fat and John Lloyd..well, he looks the same. haha.

Life is all about chances.

People make mistakes. Mistakes may be influenced by so many factors yet it remains as it is that it's regretted by the person who did it. I have made errors in the past that I never want to remember. But hey, I did it. I said sorry. I learned from it. LIFE GOES ON.

This very important person broke my heart. I guess it was pretty obvious with the blogs I wrote and the daily status that I post on my personal Facebook account. That person crushed my heart big time. I thought it wouldn't be mended. So then someone came along and I thought he would be the one to put the pieces back together. I wasn't ready at all to jump into anything but still, I came along for the ride. I thought everything was starting to be okay until the important person started coming back.

I was in a dilemma.

Yes. It's in past tense. Because that dilemma has been solved. I made a decision. I'm not entirely sure if it is the right decision but one thing's for sure, BEING WITH HIM FEELS RIGHT. People deserve a second chance. He is worth to be given another shot. Yet he still has to prove himself, I am willing to wait and see. Things don't happen in an instant. I hope we can make things right this time. (OMG. I'm getting emotional. *sniff sniff).

A GREAT FRIENDSHIP. A GREAT LOVE deserves ONE MORE CHANCE.

-jeck-

The HKM Experience

jeckitout is BACK ON THE BLOGGER BOARD! Yey! haha

Just got back from a much needed respite. My world got a little bit chaotic over the past few months that's why the vacation felt like a breakaway.

Now, I am back and I have something to blog about! I am referring to my recent trip to Hong Kong and Macau.

Last time I went to Hong Kong was in year 2001. I have been there thrice since I was young and it's my fourth this time. What could I say? I LOVE THE PLACE. Perfect weather. Posh malls. Fun theme parks. Flashy city lights. But there is more to that.

When I was young and didn't care much about the world, I was too naive and just enjoyed everything around me. But this time, when we got to this place, I started to notice so many things that my two cute little eyes were too blind to see way back.

 I'm not trying to dirt bash this country. DON'T GET ME WRONG. I LOVE THIS PLACE! But the people, I can't take them. tsk. People there walk pretty fast..and I mean fast, that even when they bump into you, no matter how strong the impact is, they just give you this 'look' and walk ayaw. No SORRY's. I'm even the one who is saying sorry even though it was their fault. tsk. It didn't only happen to me but to the rest of my family.

In fast food establishments and restaurants, the servers are not super nice unlike Filipinos who greet you with a smile. There was one time when this old employee, who served as a cashier and food server, got mad at my little brother who asked for some water. "Can we have some water, please?", my brother said nicely. Then this woman said "Grrrr.", in front of my lil bro's face. If they do that here, they might get terminated right away. tsk2. That's not how they should treat their customers. This Filipina worker at McDo just told us to leave them alone since they're really masungit daw. hehe. Now we think twice before asking for water. haha. They also have this habit of taking away your plate even if you are not yet done. That's what happened during our buffet breakfast. There was still ketchup on my plate and I wanted to dip my potato wedge in it then this lady had her hand on my plate. Before I could say no, she took it away. Just like that. haha.

Communication is also very difficult. We have a hard time ordering food at restaurants because the waiters/waitresses can't speak English so we ended up choosing meals that comes with a picture on it. haha. One more thing, they don't say THANK YOU. When you leave their place, they just say "BYE" in a weird manner. haha. Maybe that's the way they show their appreciation, I guess. hihi. And when you try to purchase something and haggle for the price, you talk to the seller via his calculator. She inputs the actual price and then I press the numbers of my preferred price. When she nods, then its a deal. That's how buying basically happens. hehe.


When we were in Macau, we found it a bit easier since there were a lot of Filipinos there. From hotel guards to fast food workers. It was easy to ask for directions and order food. My dad even had fun playing at the casinos because of the Filipinos there. This dude down here worked at Macau Tower. Flashing the "LABAN SIGN" for Noynoy. hehe. :)

But just basing my experience on the breathtaking views, wide array of brands, cheaper cost of branded items, the lights, thrill seeking rides, captivating shows, I LOVE HONG KONG and MACAU.

I would love to go back again. I have a few reasons to go back. One is that, I wasn't able to ride the Abyss Turbo Drop @ Ocean Park because I chickened out at the last minute. haha. To give you an idea about the Abyss, it is vertical free fall ride that is 20 floors high above ground level. You could hear screams from miles away. haha.

Another reason would be, because we missed out on the Esprit outlet located at the Ferry Terminal. hehe. :) Even the theme parks and shopping malls are worth coming back for.

For Macau, I would definitely go back, if given the chance and funds. hehe. It is still trying to develop. More hotels are being built, and that would mean more attractions, shows and activities for the tourists and locals. Once everything is established, I'll find a way to go to Macau again. :)

Travelling feels so good. Now where is my next stop?
 
*for more pictures, check out my photo albums @ my facebook account. OPEN TO FRIENDS ONLY! :)

-jeck-

CHANGING PASSWORDS.

At present, I am holding the following accounts for personal and business transactions:

http://twitter.com/jeck_s
http://jezykah.multiply.com/
http://click2order.multiply.com/
http://thetopick.multiply.com/
http://s79.photobucket.com/home/jeck_888
http://davaosale.com/
jeck_888@yahoo.com
thetopick@yahoo.com
clickto.order@yahoo.com

I am managing quite a number of accounts. Believe me if I say that all these accounts have the same passwords. Being forgetful of passwords has become a nasty habit for me, so as to save myself from trouble, I decided to use one password for every account that I have.

So here's the thing. My password USED TO BE the name of the most important person in my life. It doesn't matter if I revealed this information to the rest of the world (Well, if the 'rest of the world' reads this useless blog.) because, as you have noticed, IT USED TO BE...past tense.

I am getting a move on. I am changing lanes. I just changed passwords.

-jeck-

BETTER LEFT UNSAID.

Did you ever feel like you and your friend understood each other just by looking at each other's eyes? Or kiss someone even though you're not officially together yet you both know what it means? 

There is something that we call a MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING that takes place between two or more parties. An action is not needed to be defined by words. You just know what it means by merely feeling it. 

Some things in life are better left unsaid. A hug can be just a hug. A smile can be just a smile. A kiss may be just a kiss. It doesn't need to be explained to be given emphasis. It is as it is. No words can describe it because YOU ONLY FEEL WHETHER IT IS GENUINE OR NOT. But when you start reasoning out like, "Oh, that was just a friendly hug...", or "Don't give much thought on that kiss"...and so on, that's when it starts to hurt. Because you know it meant more than that...but out of formality's sake or you just wanted to play it safe, you begin to explain your actions. This and that. Blah blah. And that's when it starts to hurt. You didn't need to slap reality onto my face. I know my limits. I stand my ground.

Then the mutual understanding becomes a MISUNDERSTANDING. So you started to say more and more. You even start apologizing for what you said. But I KNOW WHAT YOU SAID. I HEARD IT RIGHT. The first time I heard it, I tried to ignore it. So you said it again and I JUST CAN'T LET IT GO. Now things get worse. What could have been a happy separate ending became the opposite. Now we go on our separate ways, feeling confused and bitter. I do not know what to do, I BET YOU ARE AS LOST AS I AM. I understand what you were trying to say, BUT I WISHED YOU DIDN'T SAY IT because honestly...........

EAT ERTS. You know what I mean. :|

Some people just don't know WHEN TO SHUT UP.

-jeck-

TIC TOC TSK.

TIME is one of the most essential elements in a relationship. May it be with God, your family, friends, your special someone or even your pet. As I grew older, I have a better understanding what TIME really meant...and it is more than the long hand, short hand and numbers on your wrist watch.

Here are some quotes about TIME.

* TIME IS PLATINUM.
 - Some people said it was gold. However, others believed that platinum is more precious than gold. And so there you have it. :| Time is as precious as the most wonderful minerals on earth. It can even be more valuable than them. Therefore, one must not waste it.

* DON'T COUNT EVERY HOUR IN THE DAY, MAKE EVERY HOUR IN THE DAY COUNT.
 - Instead of doing lame things like dozing off more than the recommended number of sleeping hours or just plainly being a couch potato, do something productive. Or better yet, make someone happy by just letting that person know you care. Surely, that would make her day.

* LOST TIME IS NEVER FOUND AGAIN.
 - We can never turn back the minutes, the hours or the days no matter how bad we want to. Always and I repeat ALWAYS find time to let someone know she is loved in any way you can. A simple :) would do. Remember: REGRETS HURT BIG TIME.

* TIME HEALS WHAT REASON CANNOT.
 - There are certain tribulations in life that we cannot understand nor take. So many why's, but's, what if's keep running in this person's mind. A reason is stated for every action, however, not everything can be understood right away. A hurtful statement is said, a misdeed is done...and you try to grasp the idea behind these actions and no matter how hard you rationalize, the wound just won't heal. Only time is the answer for everything.

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

Unlike other people, I cannot afford to waste time. (No, blogging and pouring out my bitter feelings in this account is NOT A WASTE OF TIME.) Being the type of person that I am, I find a way to make a person feel important. Like BDO, I FIND WAYS. (Okay, that was cheesy. haha). Seriously though, I am that kind of person. When there is a will, there is a way. I find time for someone no matter what busy schedule I am in. Well, I do not expect everyone to be like me. But maybe through this post, I can inspire someone. One of my greatest fears in life is NOT BEING ABLE TO DO ENOUGH. I do not want to be that person crying and saying "I'm sorry. I was so busy, I didn't spend enough time with you...." and all those drama. Trying to live a life with no regrets...that's what I am doing. Apparently, some people are not on the same page as mine. But now, I have realized that I have poured so much time for someone that I eventually lost myself in the process. I need time to rethink. I need time for myself.

Honestly, I do not know how to end this note. My mind is messed up.

It's 10:36pm.

TIC TOC TSK.

-jeck-