Nada.

Around five times that I’ve tried to write something but having two jobs, demanding attention at the same time, is quite toxic.

Anyway, being overly occupied might have triggered an adrenaline rush that I seem to be hyperactive this past few weeks. I suddenly had the urge to text friends, visit this blog again, stroll around, and surf the internet. And I think I can still do more-except think. Which might probably explain the drought in ideas to blog about.

I looked around my room and there are six books (suspense thrillers) I have not yet read, four DVDs I have not yet watched, a Rubix cube I have not yet damnly match the colors, and a host of other things I have to think about. I think (at least I still am) I need an upgrade. Maybe i just have to tweak something in my life- to make myself interested in me.

Explore new clothing styles, learn new sports, develop new  hobbies, acquire new perspectives…meet new friends…

Financial Crisis.Origin.

Since this blog is for me to remember events, in case I lose them someday, I’ll pick for this post the Financial Crisis.

Teddy, this is what happened:

Banks, and lending institutions usually lend people who are capable of repaying their debt-based on income, properties etc, criteria which usually forms part of a “Credit Rating”.

These people who can pay, based on their Credit Rating, are called “prime” borrowers.

However, maybe because of greed, banks, and other lending institutions throught their agent started to consider people who can somehow pay, but is below the acceptable credit rating. These people are the “sub prime” borrowers.

Now, all is well, until…

Wait, before I continue, certain lenders offer borrowers what they call a “honeymoon period’. This is a period wherein the payment is discounted, or the rate is lowered, or to some extend passed. This would entice even more people who have just enough, only to find out that they really can’t pay once the payment scheme goes to its ordinary rate.

Going back, most of the subprime borrowers we’re not able to pay their dues (mortgage loans). The bank can’t do anything. Legal system does not imprison people who can’t pay, unless they do acts related to this in bad faith.

This would not be a problem, if we are only talking of a handful borrowers. Thing is, they are in the millions.

Consequence, banks and lending Institutions are now short of cash (borrowers can’t pay). Full payment, in cash, has been done to developer of the property once the borrower is approved of his loan.

With cash, in deficit, the bank and lending institutions can’t invest money, can’t cover its overhead cost, can’t repay its debt to creditors, etc.

The Financial system is one complex system that could lead a domino effect once one falls. And thats what happened to Leighman Brothers. We call this “exposure”. A bank, say in the Philippines, invest in a big investment bank somewhere to derive profit in exchange of holding the depositor’s money. That’s why interest is higher when you have your cash in “time deposit”, because the bank is sure that thay can use it at the agreed amount of time, and have it invested somewhere while your money “sleeps”. Hence, the penalty when you withdraw it earlier on the agreed time frame.

This started it all. Next blog would be, how the world reacted? Could we have avoided this global pandemonium?

Backtrack.

It’s difficult to do again the things you used to do in College.

A couple of weeks ago, I decided to do the things which I commonly do while I was in College.

Thing # 1. Ride the G-liner from Pureza to Rosario

Not exactly the way you want to be touched when your riding this type of transpo.

Thing # 2.  Re-connect, Re-bond, Re-paste with College friends

One thing I noticed- that whatever the size of our paycheks (its not that big, promise), we still like Aling Cely’s or Lisa’s Bulalohan. Pity that we we’re not able to visit Almers. For me, I missed the quail eggs of Asturias St. Way back, I can consume 25 quail eggs in one sitting, but after getting my Annual Check-up, the ”elevated” blood pressure made my servings down to 5, max.

Thing # 3. Wandering aimlessly

In College, whenever pressure gets to my nerves, I would walk and walk until I get tired. Good exercise though. But in the office, you can’t do this unless your looking for trouble with your boss. Sedentary office lifestyle is the name of the game, baby!

—

Would like to do # 1. Travel to places for free

Back in College, I used to travel a lot. I had the good fortune of going abroad, as well as going to places within the country. The demands then, for me as a student, was just to represent  the University. I had fun. I wish I could do this again.

Would like to do # 2. Be at the peak of Health.

Late night cramming, un-healthy eating, and prolonged physical activities was never a factor when I was in College. I am not saying that I feel “old” ,or anything, but I just feel that I could not do these things anymore with consistency an greater frequency. Wait, maybe I am old…

Would like to do # 3. Charismatic leader

From Elementary to College, I’ve always been assigned a position of governance. Maybe it started with ego-tripping, then became power tripping,and then with the help of good advisors, I became who I am when I graduated in College. This made me realize how important people are when dreams are being formed.

Well,  Merry Christmas everyone!

I’m back, I’m back!

Its been a while since my last post, and I missed wordpress.

Work is, as it has always been, busy but I would like to think that I had managed to squeeze some activities- and my birthday.

Just turned 2? last 13th, and maybe this is the simplest b-day I had. Oh, for all its worth, at least I had a full choir sing me a song as a gift.

Usual Christmas activities in Sarangani;Family day, Pasko sa Bata, Klub Riles etc. Though I admit that juggling the center activities, work, and personal obligations had leveled-up this year-just have to ride along.

 Oh, I’ll be changing job, still with Unionbank, next year. Surprising events, unthinkable twists,  that led to unexpected end- a sweet end!, or a start. Cheers!

Playing.

It’s hard to decide.

Even harder when your sick, and you have to decide.

Strange things are happening with my employment in Unionbank. I’ll write about it when I’m done thinking.

Circumstance, or Unionbank, seems to be playing its game on me- and i’m not ready for it.

Air Philippines.

I was not even excited to do my first official business. First, It has been postponed twice. Second, I don’t know what to do with this study. Third, my work dues suddenly became gold mines, and they are exploding.

Apparently, I think I was not really meant to go. When the plane was about to land in Naga City, just fifty feet high from the strip, It suddenly scooped back to the air, circled the airport and then this annoucement:

“Due to minor technical difficulties, we will be reverting our flight back to Manila”. And this picture is how I looked like.

 

They did not tell why, they just assured us that everything is fine, and we CAN land.

Returning back to NAIA 3, we were given jollibee burger meals for breakfast while waiting for the plane to get fixed. I found out that the flops we’re not working so they needed a longer runway.

 

I was supposed to be in Naga by 7am. I arrived 1:30pm, using the same plane.

Air Philippines.You fly by air-worry how to land later.

Beggar at KFC.

It was in February that I blogged about a family begging for money, and asking myself when to give and when not to.After eight months, it happened again.

While I was eating with the Wednesday guys in KFC (Kainan sa Food Corner), a girl, maybe 13 years old, went to us and begged for money. Our initial reaction was to ignore the girl, until she became insistent. She reached my arm in an attempt to get my attention while I was busy telling the guys a story.

I told the girl- “Wala”.

This was the time that she went to the other table where she was entertained.

It left me pondering- Was I insensitive? Did i just violate one of the corporal works of mercy-Feed the hungry? Have I just broke my favorite quote- We are our brother’s keepers?

I hope the girl is fine.

Double posting.

“For 8k, you can have your own house!”

I was thinking about this ad for the past few days.

Maybe owning a condo or a house would be the next logical investment after, of course, paying my masteral bond.

—

Last Sunday, I went out with my friend from High School. While waiting for him, I  went around the perfume section of Galleria, sniffing scents in the hope of finding the perfume that  I will ask somebody to give me as gift for Christmas

When my friend showed up, he introduced me to more scents; “hardwood”, “citrus”, etc. Having no intention of buying, I went around and to my surprise, it’s my friend who bought a perfume-talk about shopaholiscm.

I tried persuading him to think about it first, and look around for other alternatives, but the plastic has already been swiped. One good thing about this erratic behavior is that it comes with a 30ml burberry weekend as freebie. He gave it to me as an early Christmas gift. The freebie cost 2k. Sweet!

He then went to buy new prescription glasses. He chose an oakley worth 13k.

My eyes popped out.

Hairy ordination.

I’m always reminded by people at Unionbank that there might be shortage of blades in Pasig.

Keep on reminding; cause the facial hair will surely stay.

Last Saturday, I attended the ordination of Randy for priesthood at the Antipolo Cathedral. I remembered the time when the cathedral was a treat for me when I was young. My parents used to bring me to this shrine to pray and eat suman. I also joined alay lakad twice with friends, in the hope of pleasing the virgin and, in turn, intercede us on our prayers.

Going back with Randy’s ordination, I am happy he persevered. Being inside the seminary was never easy, but/and he made it through. From eating sardines for months, to having nothing to eat at all. From having dissidents inside the circle. Changing schools more often than changing assignments, and all other “things” I never knew he trekked-he made it through.

Congratulations, Randy!

Blabbering.

Blogging has always been ego-centric; come on, this is the only avenue where you can talk, or type, endlessly and moderate the comments of people after. I can also be anonymous, except for a few friends.

It has been three weeks since I started working for Unionbank. So far, I have not experienced anything that disturbs me. The Financial crisis in the US, indeed, has a far more reaching effect. The collapse of investment ‘gurus” and the failure of investment models which had been effective since seems to be evolving again to another frame of mind-shrinking of the industry to a few (or 2) giants.

Anyway, Unionbank is not exposed, making me worry less on the stability of our bank.

At 27, I developed this habit of looking back and thinking what have I done in the past. I started to do an accounting of the events, milestones and in a way failures I did. While doing this exercise, I noticed that most of the good things happened either by an unexpected twist to a seemingly worthless choice, or after a bad decision. I am thankful to God that since my introduction to mortality, I was blessed of having options.

Entering the seminary, maybe was one of the unexpected twist I made. Coming from a Science High School, I was oriented to take a Chemistry course with a DOST scholarship, either in UP or UST. It was all set, until a friend/org mate, asked me to accompany him in a one week vocation search-in seminar. After the seminar, I was shell shocked, apparently my options had been revised. My friend continued regular College, while I enrolled in the Seminary, plus the Latin course.

As it turned out to be, I was not cut-out to be there, so I left and went to UST. But being once a cloistered guy made me evaluate my life, orient my self towards what is only needed and simple, and develop that deep commitment to the One up there. 

Going back to my exercise, looking forward, I guess I did my job in doing what is to be done and more in the past 27 years. I guess the next logical thing to do is walk down that familiar aisle. With whom? Haha, even I don’t have an Idea, I just know she’s there, somewhere.