aliping sagigilid

Nicolini's

2007-06-27T15:24:00.000-07:00

I went to Nicolini's for Su-jin's birthday dinner last saturday and I was finally able to take a pic of the lambshanks. This would have been perfect if I was able to get hold of some rice.... Anyway, it kinda reminded me of Asterix or those movies set in medieval times.

Spookers

2007-04-03T18:08:00.000-07:00

I went to Spookers last Saturday along with some friends from work. There were only 2 attractions, the '3D Vortex' and the 'Evil Corn Maize Maze'. The '3D Vortex was kinda cool but 'Evil Corn' wasn't really scary because there were 7 of us in the group. It didn't help that I accidentally dropped my camera off a bridge and the 'ghost' offered to get it for me. :P
I have to admit that I was surprised a few times and intimidated as well because for some reason, a lot of the 'ghosts' singled me out and hounded me.

http://www.spookers.co.nz

Weight Loss IV: The Final Ultimate Chapter

2007-04-02T06:10:00.000-07:00

I'm down to 65kgs (145 lbs) now. Next stop, abs. Yep you read it right.... I want the 'six pack'! If I'm going to hit the beaches of Boracay and Palawan this December, I need to have the 'washboard
abs'. It would definitely go well with my 'see thru' white Speedo... ;)

3D Gurus

2007-03-18T05:08:00.000-07:00

I really enjoy it when I see my friends being featured in interviews. It makes me feel... proud, I guess. :P Mostly, I already know their take on things but reading about them makes it more 'real'. Am I making sense? Anyway, I was planning on showing links for 3 people but it seems I can only find 2 (the kakosa link is non-existent anymore).

This is a link to an interview with Marco Di Lucca, Senior Modeler here at Weta (and my ping pong instructor!) He's a die hard Softimage guy who's been using Maya for the past 2 years. ;)

http://www.xsibase.com/articles.php?detail=123

And this one is for Lernie Ang. We went to the same college (Fine Arts, UP Diliman) and I was one of the 3 'assholes' who interviewed him at Underground Logic when he applied for a job. We liked, him we hired him and I had the privilege of working with him during my last days in Manila. He's a Lightwave master and is using both Maya and Lightwave (well mostly Lightwave now) for the work he does at Riot. Inc.

http://www.3dpinoy.com/features/profiles/LernieAng/index.php

Pinoy in NZ

2007-02-21T02:35:00.000-08:00

I've always wanted to have a blog where I can share my misadventures in NZ with my friends from the Philippines. Now, I finally got around to doing it. It's not much but it's a start.

http://kiwi-pino.blogspot.com/

It's also on my links tab on the right (My Kiwi-Pino Site).

Disclaimer - you probably won't understand what the heck I'm talking about if you don't speak filipino.

Weight Loss 3

2007-02-19T20:02:00.000-08:00

Ok so now it's down to 70 kilos. I wish Rainer was back .... at this rate I'll be 65 by Monday and I would look like a wimp. I could start eating again but I could go over 73 easily. I'm an expert at losing weight but maintaining it is a different story :P

Weight Loss Part 2

2007-02-14T13:48:00.000-08:00

Yup, Basketball did it. I'm officially 10 kilos less than what I weighed last January 23. It's probably mostly water but it's still 10 kilos. It's weird how I thought I was stuck at 74 kilos for more than a week. I checked my weight last night and it was still 74 but when I checked it again when I woke up in the morning it was down to 72.5.
Now the hard part is maintaining it till Rainer comes back from his holiday.

Weight Loss

2007-02-13T14:24:00.000-08:00

I started losing weight last January 23 because of a bet with Rainer, a friend at work. I'm sort of an expert at 'fad' diets so I agreed that I would have lost 10 kilos by February 26, the day he comes back to work after his NZ tour. I've already lost almost 9 kilos last Feb 9 but this last kilo doesn't seem to want to come off. Maybe because I haven't played basketball yet this week. I just wish Rainer would come back from his holiday sooner so I can stop this bullshit and eat normally again. All these sugar substitutes are making a mess of my system.

In case you're wondering, Rainer weighed me at 83 kilos (I weighed in after a really heavy breakfast) during the start of my diet. I weigh around 74 kilos now. I'll be playing basketball today so we'll see what happens tomorrow.

The Departed Infernal Affairs

2007-02-11T13:26:00.001-08:00

We went to watch 'The Departed' with really high expectations. 'A lesson in how to make a good movie great' was what it said in one of the reviews that Trish has read. Awesome, we thought as we really liked 'Infernal Affairs'.

30 minutes into the movie, I found myself yawning and wondering whether the camera angles and transitions that Scorsese has done was appropriate. There's this circular/telescopic transition which kinda reminds me of James Bond and this Bird's eye view shot that sort of bothered me. But that's ok I guess, maybe I'm over-analyzing it. Then I realized I wasn't really happy with the editing either. I looked at Trish to find any clues if she's enjoying the movie but the expression on her face looked like she's just been given a calculus equation.

Ok, so what's wrong? This was supposed to be a tighter version and it's been getting rave reviews like how Jack Nicholson was so 'intense'. We thought he just looked old and pathetic. Only Leonardo did a decent job but maybe that's because I kept comparing it to the Hong Kong movie. Even Mark Wahlberg's character seems unnecessary and in fact just feels distracting. Don't get me wrong, I like Marky Mark and I've actually seen most of his movies.

I thought that 'Infernal Affairs' established the backgrounds of each character really well. It gives them depth and makes the connections seamless throughout the entire movie. This was missing in 'The Departed' and when they rewrote it, they just added more loopholes.

If I would write a review for this movie, I would probably say something like 'A lesson in how to ruin a really good movie'. But then again, that's just me. And Trish. And that's all that matters (to us).

MS Paint Master

2007-02-08T12:52:00.000-08:00

Reminds me of Joel Alagao.

Christmas 2006

2007-01-23T20:58:00.000-08:00

This is our 3rd Christmas in NZ and we found an overpriced 'parol' for sale in the Filipino Store at Waiwhetu. We bought it for $180 (ouch!) but it really looked wonderful and reminded us of home. Tricia also attempted to glaze the ham and it was delicious. We ended up eating ham leftovers for a week though. I didn't realize it was that big. You can also see Bobot Jr at the table enjoying the ham.
Because it's summer here in December, Christmas almost felt like I was back in Manila. Well, not really. We don't have the Christmas decor overkill that you get when you pass Ayala avenue. New year's eve is the worst. They treat it like just any ordinary day here. No fireworks, parties are rare and people don't even stay up late to welcome the new year. We were so depressed we went to bed at 10pm, just a few minutes afer sunset. I was able to save some sparklers from Guy Fawkes and we lit that when we woke up the following morning. At least we didn't get to be partially deaf with blackened nostrils on the first day of the year. Boring.

NBA Brawl

2006-12-18T00:05:00.000-08:00

This used to have a video link to the Knicks/ Nuggets brawl but it has been pulled out of youtube. I wish they'd show the NBA on TV here in NZ. I had to get cable just to get my NBA fix but unless it's the play-offs or the all star break, I'll be lucky to see a single game each month.

Summer?

2006-11-09T12:14:00.000-08:00

It was around 5 degrees this morning when I woke up. Wasn't it supposed to be summer already? I want to rant but I'm just too tired. I need sleep. This week is hard for me. It's contract renewal time and we're supposed to receive our next contract in the next two weeks. It's been a week and I haven't received mine yet. Shite! My debts are sky high and I don't know how I'll be able to pay it if I don't have a job. I was going to ask for more money on my next contract but this videogame movie was shelved so I think I'm in no position to negotiate. I am so underpaid, guys doing the same things as me earn 3x more than me. I am soo out of here after this sci-fi movie project. Unless of course they give me more money.

University of the Philippines Campus (Diliman)

2006-11-07T13:11:00.000-08:00

Cool aerial view of UP Diliman. The campus was so big, I remember running to my next class which was in another building around 4 blocks away. Looking back, I wonder how I coped. I didn't own a car and had no money for the bus (or the 'Ikot' jeep). How the hell did I even make it through enrollment?! There was a time when I had 3 hour gaps between classes. I'd start my day with Spanish 20 at 7am and finish it with English 3 at 8:30pm. In between that, I'd be at the UP Rifle Pistol Team 'tambayan' or at SM City, the birthplace of filipino mall culture!

And this song from the Eraserheads sums it all

minsan sa may kalayaan tayo'y nagkatagpuan
may mga sariling gimik at kaya-kanyang hangad sa buhay
sa ilalim ng iisang bubong
mga sekretong ibinubulong
kahit na anong mangyari
kahit na saan ka man patungo
chorus
ngunit ngayon kay bilis maglaho ng kahapon
sana'y huwag kalimutan ang ating mga pinagsamahan
at kung sakaling gipitin ay laging iisipin
na minsan tayo ay naging
tunay na magkaibigan
minsan ay parang wala nang bukas sa buhay natin
inuman sa magdamag na para bang tayo'y mauubusan
sa ilalim ng bilog na buwan
mga tiyan nati'y walang laman
ngunit kahit na walang pera
ang bawat gabi'y anong saya
repeat chorus
minsan ay hindi ko na alam ang nangyayari
kahit na anong gawin
lahat ng bagay ay merong hangganan
dahil ngayon tayo ay nilimot ng kahapon
di na mapipilitang buhayin ang ating pinagsamahan
ngunit kung sakaling mapadaan baka
ikaw ay aking tawagan
dahil minsan tayo ay naging
tunay na magkaibigan

The use of the aerial photo of the UP Campus is unauthorized. Same goes for the lyrics.

Incredible Fishing Video

2006-10-24T20:40:00.000-07:00

/td>

I got this from noise, a mailing list that I subscribe to at work. I don't know why I'm posting this actually. I don't find it cool.
Whatever.

Wellington Weather

2006-10-03T21:23:00.000-07:00

I know that Wellington is a windy city but today is just too much for me. I wanted to cross the street after parking my car but it seemed that my foot is not moving anywhere and I was trying to keep myself from toppling backwards. It took me around 10 seconds to get to the door of the building where I work, even though my car was just parked exactly across the entrance. My puff jacket didn't help. Well it was awesome in keeping away the cold but the wind turned it into a parachute. The guy sitting next to me at work said he couldn't get out of his car because he couldn't open the door. He had to wait for the wind to die down a bit before he could get out. Flights are being cancelled and even the trains going to the Hutt (where I currently live but am dying to get out of) have been replaced by buses.

And Manila was battered by typhoons last week too. Funny thing is that during winter here, the wind feels like a Philippine storm signal number 3 but everyone just acts normal. Schools don't close and I think they don't care if the kids play outside in this weather.

Here's a link I found in youtube about how windy it is in Welly. First one is about the Wellington airport on 'normal' days.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=P_LaAkAyoz0

And this is from a typical day with gale force winds. It's even sunny so most people won't think this is too bad.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=yWqp6Qggpbs
http://youtube.com/watch?v=3dC7q3m_4No

Arriba Letran!

2006-09-27T17:45:00.000-07:00

I found myself singing this song as I was driving to work. It's in Spanish so I couldn't help but think if I had the accent right. The school was founded in 1620 by the Dominican friars and was still an exclusive boys school when I studied there. They used to teach Spanish in the final year of High School but I'm not sure if they still do. This used to be a really prestigious 'institution' and I hope they bring back that old Letran glory. And I'm not talking about NCAA basketball here. I am hoping it would again become the school where the future 'Jose Rizals' would want to enroll in, and produce graduates with the intelligence and tenacity of 'Manuel Quezon'.
Arriba Letran!

HIMNO DE COLEGIO DE LETRAN

Coro

Alma Mater, Letran esplendente !
Como el sol es tu gloria, sin fin,
Y perfuman los lauros tu ambiente
Como exhala su aroma el jasmin

Orgullosos de ti y de tu historia
Nuestras almas desde hoy juraran;
Conquistar por tu honor nuevas glorias
Y jamas olvidarte, Letran !

Solo

En el magico eden Filipino
Fuiste antorcha de luz y saber;
Y atraves de su augusto destino
De esperanza seras rosicler,

Pues lograste segun tu modelo
Tantos hombres ilustres formar;
Que semejan estrellas del cielo
En la noche serena al brillar!

Ngarag!

2006-09-21T23:08:00.000-07:00

Work this week was so hectic, it actually felt like I was back in Manila. I only had 6 hours sleep in 3 days. And I wasn't sure about what I was doing so it reminded me of the time that I was working in Optima and Commotion.
Shotsculpting. That was what I was doing for 3 days. I looked it up in Google and Wikipedia but I could not find any definition for it so I'll try to explain it as best I can. Or maybe not. Unless someone actually reads my blog and asks me what it is, I don't think I'll bother.
We stopped basketball today when Mike Bain injured his foot. I haven't played basketball in months and I did not have the energy nor the stamina anyway. But I guess I'll play hockey tonight then. I need to get some exercise because I really feel that I'll have a heart attack soon. Nothing like sitting on a desk all day eating food made up of mostly fat and sugar and being sleep deprived.
I wonder why I like sports where I don't really have any advantage. I was too short to play competitive basketball in Manila but that's an understatement here. Now I have to guard someone that's half my age and more than a foot taller than me. But hey, I still get my shots in and could play good defense till my age catches up with me. The guys I play with here are twice my height and half my age. And hockey? Sounds interesting but I really can't skate. If I go fast, I wouldn't know how to stop. Kinda like that Mighty Ducks movie.
And I received an email this morning from Trish (my lovely and still teenage looking wife) that there's going to be a Filipino festival at Palmerston North this weekend. Hmmmm... siopao! Now that's getting me hungry. I better go grab some food downstairs. It's 5pm and a friday so it's beer o'clock!

Instant Coffee

2006-09-12T14:23:00.000-07:00

Everyone drinks coffee at work. We have this fancy coffee machine (two of them in fact) and I envy people who walk back to their desk with something that looks more like a work of art than a cup of coffee. It would usually have some spiral design on top made up of cinnamon powder and froth. Which made me wonder if everyone here used to work at Starbucks before they joined the digital effects industry.

Now why can't I do those? I know how to work the coffee machine (I'd like to think so). I guess I just don't have the patience. I work till 2am and I'm back at work at 9am with the usual 4-5 hrs sleep. The last thing I need is to spend another 10 minutes just to make coffee. I don't even like coffee. I drink coffee because it keeps me awake. Red Bull doesn't go well with my empty stomach in the morning.

I'm probably the only person here that drinks instant coffee. Nescafe? Maybe. I don't know, I just get it from this glass jar in the 'deserted' 2nd flr kitchen. I'm kinda hoping it is though because it reminds me of Manila. Not that I drink Nescafe in Manila (I usually have a mocha frapuccino at Starbucks if I run out of Red Bull), but because I always used to see the Nescafe commercial on TV. It doesn't really matter, I can never tell which coffee is which. It's pathetic I know, but they all taste the same to me.

Pastries

2006-09-10T14:46:00.000-07:00

One thing I like about Mondays are the free pastries they give out in the kitchen. Nothing like carbs and sugar to wake you up and start the day. I like Fridays too, but for the opposite reason. Free drinks and chips at beer o'clock to drown the sorrow of being stuck in your desk all week. I'm not sure if this just happens in OZ and NZ but wouldn't it be great if other countries did the same? Aside from the fact that your company is giving you free booze, you get to socialize for an hour or two and get paid for it.
I love this job.
And now that I'm done eating, I have to go back to work. It would be good to finish my second season of Grey's Anatomy. The series, not the anatomy book. We have lots of stuff in the network and most movies, tv series or mp3s can be found on someone's local drive. You can listen to music or an audiobook, learn a new language or just watch movies while working. I can't wait to watch the whole season 2 of Prison Break.
I really love this job.

Grandma's Boy

2006-09-07T14:24:00.000-07:00

If you are working in the 'Video Games' industry, you should watch this. This is about you.

Or if the company you work for has a 3D/ animation department, maybe you can also relate to these guys.

This is a Happy Madison production so better smoke some heavy stuff first. You'd then be surprised at how funny this movie can be.

Goodbye SGI

2006-09-06T19:27:00.000-07:00

The end of the dinosaur.

http://www.sgi.com/support/mips_irix.html

I hate to think that I gave up my P55k/month job at First Multimedia Center for a mere P16k/month at Optima just to be able to work on one of these.

Stupid. But that was 1992. I wanted to do 3d work for commercials and not AVPs (as they call it in Manila). And I wanted to see my work on the big screen. I have Optima to thank for that. Oooh..... the Onyx! In it's own little glass room. I wanted to bow down before it. The mother of my little Indigo and Indigo 2s.

But then I was transferred to Commotion. Suddenly my Indigos were nothing more than paper weights. We even had O2s but they were seldom used and not by me.

And now their reign is over. The last of the 'supercomputers' would be delivered late this year. People still use a few of them here at work. But if you go down to the stockroom you'll see them scattered on the floor, gathering dust in a dark corner of our building. Almost like a graveyard.