The Abrera Family

The gentleman on the rightmost of the right photo is Uncle Jaimito. He has a tweety bird tattoo on his chest. He recently helped us kick out some loud-mouthed property encroachers in Busuanga. The fourth lady seated is Aunt Lourdes. I had no idea that she looked that fierce in the 1960s.

The lady sitting solo on the left photo is Aunt Monina.

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I find striking the photo evidence that show the the cultural collateral damage that took place in the late 60s, early 70s, when people, our families, decided no longer to dress in tailored dress and suits.

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We were the hosts this year of the family reunion.

rough presentations

Now I know what it's like to work for a company that nearly everybody in this city has a relationship with. You have no choice. You have to deal with us. But what the company is coming to realize is that it will not be like this for long. Soon enough, there will be choice. And our proposition will be: don't leave us.

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I gave a presentation today. It was rough at times. I left from it feeling rather positive though. I thought it was just a shade funny that sometimes people could not understand my point. . .black humor.

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When was the last time you were anticipating a particular date for a books release? (Maybe the last time was in July 2007). But am beginning to discover that Amazon manufactures anticipation, too, with it's e-books. It's rather amazing what they've done to people's reading habits. Mine are only transforming now. . .

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I think people might be surprised at our capacity to still hike up our media consumption. We're increasingly becoming screen starers a society. . .

By Your Hand

I can't get into my livejournal account.

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I learned the meaning of a new word today: suyod. For those of you who don't know either, it's to go over something very closely, like going through something with a fine-toothed comb. That's been the nature of the work I've been working on the last 5 or so weeks. We've gone through decks and a refinement process. I have so much high quality scratch paper.

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When we were kids, our idea of a fun time was a whole box of scratch paper. We were early on paper-lovers, and the dox matrix paper w/ the wholes on the side, seemed particularly luxurious. Now, most things are on the screen, but we began with paper. . .

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My boss says, I'm sorry I hope you don't mind that I'm OC and very careful with communication. Not at all, I think. If we could all be as cautious.

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Tomorrow is two things: Meralco Night Run at 5pm. And the 3rd Xmas quiz night people party at Jim's at around 8. I am really looking forward to tomorrow before working (gladly) on a Sunday, to finish something for Monday. My 5 weeks in Meralco has actually been pretty awesome.

Live Those Days Tonight

Things sometimes move fast. I received a new job offer on the 7th, my 31st birthday, I officially tendered my resignation on the 13th. My final day in the office was last Friday, the 21st. On the 24th I officially start my new place of work.

Friday was also "FUNtastic Friday" at PwC, an early halloween celebration in the office. We had decorated the entire advisory area to look like Mario World. Mark played Mario which was ridiculously spot on. I think he got the most number of people wanting to pose for a photo.

The day ended with a scheduled Advisory dinner. It also turned into a sendoff of sorts for me. Big boss partner gave a speech, and so did one of the senior managers. There was talk of leaving a nest, and spreading wings. I appreciate those hopeful metaphors. But in my transition to my new place, I want to focus first on just doing a good job.

aging decisions

I'm planning on buying some insurance. Someone came to me with a similar proposition 3 years ago, and I thought, um, I don't think I need it. Now, same person asks me -- do you want to buy insurance? And now, I think it might actually be a good idea. Back then it seemed like paying for security I didn't need. A good way to totally cramp very important cash flow. Today, with the marginal benefit of additional cash flow just a little smaller (the after effects of a higher salary), plus the realization that forced saving is a service worth paying capital costs for. . . suddenly it makes sense.

Please let not this decision age me. Buying insurance surely is not too far away from buying athritic medicine.

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I went to a Nikki (sp?) Luna exhibit yesterday evening along with Grace. She had hanging resin artwork that looked like hardened bed sheets. I thought it was fine. I enjoyed more Gutsy Tuason's photos of mountains, rivers and ice though.

Happily bumped into Tanya who I had not been in touch with since the Cubao-X gimmick disaster. Would like to touch base with her again, especially as a friend is leaving for Berlin and I need new friends again. . .

which brings me to Bob's party the night before. Crowded and good night at 70-D. Did not get sloshed as much as before. Nice to see the usual crew. Vinny cried and I had to drive his car back to Makati with David in tow. Good to spend time talking to David, since we don't always get the chance. We've been friends for a while now.

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Earlier in the Friday I was checking some e-mails I had received from 2004. Hilarious to read back on some grad school and mountaineering messages. Realized that it was time to form some kind of B2K4 facebook group, and also that all those econ readings I didn't have time for back then -- I can read them now. They don't date fast, which is good.

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Have not been back to QC for several weeks, which isn't a terribly bad thing I guess. I'll have to figure out someone who is going to air out this tent though.

Chicago

Just got back from this city a few hours ago. The family spent six days together in the city, primarily to attend my dad's receiving a public service award from the University of Chicago (good job, Pops), and secondarily to have a long overdue family vacation. Quite a lot of things happened so will see if I can even get most of the highlights down in this blog post.

I guess I can start in the middle, which was the awarding ceremony itself. The short of it is that thanks to a good friend of my dad's and fellow alum of the university, Tita Nita, a nomination for the award was put through, and voila it actually got through the committee. The ceremony was in the Rockefeller Chapel, and took a very civilized 75 minutes to complete. There were other interesting folk who received awards as well, complete with a 60 second thank yous and speech period a la Academy Awards. Those who made a bit of an impression on me were Janet Davison Rowley -- the matriach of genetics according to the NYT, 80 something woman who bikes around campus -- and Sidney Hyman, who was a speechwriter for Robert Kennedy. Hearing people exude intelligence is still a novelty for me, 'coz I live in a certain part of the world I think. Pops gave his speech also, which was pretty good, quite punchy and I won't give all the details but I thought it was good. If you must know who was there here's the link: http://bit.ly/eHFFql.

Incidentally, I should put out a special mention to young alumni service awardee Koren Phillips 'coz she went ballistic on the mucked up way the shuttle was operating during the day. She got all biatchy when I couldn't. Kasi naman may K siya.

In the course of this trip we couldn't but spend a lot of time in Hyde Park, the overly described as leafy neighborhood where the university is set, and factoidally where Barack Obama's house is. The neighborhood is naturally very academic; I just presume that well-off tenured professors live in all the old houses all over the place. Of all the places we visited on campus/Hyde Park, two most stuck out. One was the seminary coop bookstore, a massive warren of a bookstore in the basement of what seems like a church, and also lets you know which books are required reading for students in their various courses (a lot, poor things). The second was the apartment of the aforementioned Tita Nita and her husband Uncle Jim. It's a long apartment on the third floor of a building that has its community garden next to it. We spent good time here making breakfast/brunch early in the week, and then celebrating post-ceremony. The "adults" of the group actually went heavy on the wine during the celebratory dinner, including Tita Nita who was even more gregarious than usual. :)

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If part of our trip was about the Southside of Chicago, about Hyde Park and the University, and all the academic folk surrounding us, a good part of trip was also right smack in the center of the city, and the architectural cluster bomb that made me want to learn more about architecture and at the same time re-watch the Dark Knight. The day our cab dropped us to our hotel's brilliant location on E Wacker Drive, we thought: this is GOTHAM. And with bizarrely good weather. So good that I found myself taking 530 am morning runs down Michigan avenue through Millennium Park and around Lake Michigan (um, did having jet lag have anything to do with it?). But really the architecture is pretty rocking, and I don't think a city has ever give me this much 'structural attitude'. On that note, one of the best places to buy souvenir stuff is the well curated Chicago Architecture Foundation store fronting the Art Institute. No bulls/bears/blackhawks jerseys. Ha.

We were in Chicago so we had to do the museums. Too overwhelming to talk about it, but here's the main thing: Art Institute of Chicago > > > Field Museum. The Field will still kick the butt of 99% of the other museums out there, but I was disappointed that they hadn't updated the geography data of their Africa exhibit since 1993. We were going to do the Shedd Aquarium, but we ran out of time and it wasn't too cheap either. I was talking to a cousin on the phone about how maybe I should make an attempt for the Shedd Aquarium because of the Philippine reef exhibit which I shouldn't miss. She said: that's okay, just go home and look at the real thing. Good advice.

Originally our plan was to do the some food tripping and eat at some places which had gotten a lot of attention like the Girl and the Goat but it was pretty impossible to get a reservation. So we settled for eating deep dish pizza, greek food (no more Cyma for us), italian, and the best ribs I've had in a long while. Each morning also I ended up eating fruit parfaits at the corner cafe a literal stone's throw from the hotel. Let's just say I'm going to have aggressively diet now that I'm home.

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One trip highlight would have to be something that we would have missed if my sister hadn't bothered browsing through a TimeOut Chicago while we were lunching and coffeeing at the Art Institute. Manila Luzon show at Boystown. We watched this fabulous heather at Spin bar, got wasted with Mahar and Chicago-based college friend Vicky at Roscoe's, and ended the evening with the Manila Luzon meet and greet. I had all of 30 seconds to pose for a photo and tell Manila: we're from the Philippines and you have graciously and beautifully represented our country. Everyone at home loves you (this last bit from Mahar). Okay, we exaggerated a bit telling her all that but we really thought she was awesome.

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This was the best family bonding trip we've had I think. But gonna end with saying that the times alone were actually pretty good, too. On my last full day, I just had the urge to get some art supplies. Ended up getting something at Utretch Art supply store on S Wabash Avenue. Ably assisted by a red-headed 20 something who helped me pick paintbrushes out. She asked me so what are you going to do / why are you painting something? I said, I just feel like it. She goes, yeah that's a good reason.

I took a few short rides around the Loop area on the pink and orange lines before heading back to the hotel to create a watercolor of the map of Chicago.

Ecopark weekend, Heima event

Went out the whole weekend, and spent Sunday relaxing at home.

Friday. Met up w/ Jojo and Vincenzo @ 121 Adamson Center to eat and drink the same things we munch on normally at the Allegro branch. I have had a thing for their burgers lately. A couple of friends were next door having a more upscale meet and drink. I enjoyed talking to them over the low wall fronting their outdoor table.

That evening and for much of the next morning, was texting, scrambling for any type of outdoor trip that could be pulled off -- this as a result of my Pinatubo trip being called off because of weather uncertainty. I think people are still paranoid as well because some French pasaway tourists trekked up even if they were told not to, and some flash flood got them.

So my original trip buddies had to peel off since nothing was happening fast enough. Ended up unexpectedly with Namee and Justin -- people who typically are busy and/or asleep on the weekend. After lunch and with Driver Butch, we made our way to La Mesa Eco Park . A small wrong turn got us on the road towards the Payatas dumpsite. Lovely. In the end we found the park.

The park is full of beautiful large trees, and plants. Green everywhere. And now that I think of it, the park was quite clean and well maintained. There were a lot of people making use of the public pools. We could smell the sweat and chlorine. People were also having picnics, napping in the shade, and doing fun family things, like kiddie birthday parties. There was also a rather bizarre "romantic" photo shoot of an Amboy/Pinay in the Orchidarium. The sort of photos that probably wouldn't be out of place in a karaoke slideshow.

We got to see the famous view of that tower that is in the middle of the La Mesa reservoir. There was a chain-linked fence in front of the viewing space and signs saying that no camera/video is allowed. Later was told by a park policeman that this was because the dam is a "vital installation" and that we should be careful, what with Bin Laden being killed and retaliatory terrorist attacks expected. I did not expect this coming from a policeman.

The whole time was sunny and hot though so we couldn't stay long. We stuck around for just under 2 hours and headed to Maginhawa to recover. We chose to eat at Crazy Katsu -- a small Jap places that only serves 5 dishes. The Chicken Katsu was quite scrumptious. Nams and I tried to brainstorm our 5 item Thai restaurant menu.

In the evening met up with Bob and others at the Heima event in Reposo. It was pretty good. Outerhope played. Really liked the stuff Owel and Nice put out. I drank a lot of beer. Ended up back at Bob's place, drinking more, and "doing commercials".

Sunday was hangout day in the house. Got some cool pasalubong through Pops. Also discussed a bit the coordinating for the upcoming Chicago trip. Will probably write about that over the next few weeks.