When it rains...
... people multiply. It's true.
Here in the Philippines, it is especially true. When it rains, even a little bit, the streets are CLOGGED with people and cars. Filipinos are like mogwai, apparently. Drop a few gallons of liquid and there seems to be too many people all at once. They stuff the MRT, they choke the streets, they fill up the malls. It's true, it's true.
Tonight, after the gang's Friday Night Out, I took a cab from the usual drop-off point. We headed off to Katipunan where the expected snarl at the road construction sites could be seen. But even as my cabbie deftly maneuvered us past incompetent slowpokes, it soon became apparent that the usual bottleneck wasn't the only thing wrong. Soon we saw that Katipunan going the opposite direction was LOCKED in bumper-to-bumper traffic. Even in our side, the buildup was beginning. Luckily, I was able to reach a safe point where I could get off and walk home. As I looked about, ALL the roads- Marcos Hiway in both directions was heavy with traffic.
Apparently this was all caused by flooding, and the resulting traffic looks insurmountable. Hopefully it'll be gone by tomorrow. Gah. I'm lucky to have gotten home quick.
Looking at that nightmare, I'm so glad I don't have a car. Really.
Saturday, July 24
Friday, July 23
Siglo International
Speaking of Siglo, the first book in the series, Siglo: Freedom, is now available internationally! YAY! According to Vin, the book has just appeared in the August issue of Previews, on page 315 with a full-color reproduction of the cover.
Got Previews last night... guess I missed it. I'll check it out again tonight.
WOOHOO!!! International exposure once again! COOLNESS! Now hopefully all those nationalistic OCWs and Filipinos overseas will fork over the cash for the book and make us all rich and famous. Heh.
Speaking of Siglo, the first book in the series, Siglo: Freedom, is now available internationally! YAY! According to Vin, the book has just appeared in the August issue of Previews, on page 315 with a full-color reproduction of the cover.
Got Previews last night... guess I missed it. I'll check it out again tonight.
WOOHOO!!! International exposure once again! COOLNESS! Now hopefully all those nationalistic OCWs and Filipinos overseas will fork over the cash for the book and make us all rich and famous. Heh.
"Dibidi! Dibidi!"
Recently I've been able to take some time to scamper off to the Black Market and get myself some new dvd flicks. The latest batch includes the first three seasons of Futurama, which I totally enjoy... Shrek 2, so I replay my favorite Puss-in-boots moments, Fahrenheit 9/11, which I got intrigued by thanks to Noel "Flim" Lim... and a VCD copy of Azumi, the samurai flick by Ryuhei Kitamura (Versus, Sky High). I'll try to check them out over the weekend.
Recently I've been able to take some time to scamper off to the Black Market and get myself some new dvd flicks. The latest batch includes the first three seasons of Futurama, which I totally enjoy... Shrek 2, so I replay my favorite Puss-in-boots moments, Fahrenheit 9/11, which I got intrigued by thanks to Noel "Flim" Lim... and a VCD copy of Azumi, the samurai flick by Ryuhei Kitamura (Versus, Sky High). I'll try to check them out over the weekend.
Wednesday, July 21
Extra-extra! DOA Ultimate Extra!
"Hello! My name is Hitomi and I love cooking, cute animals and kicking people's butts! HAI-YAH!"
This came in from left field. The upcoming Xbox brawler Dead or Alive Ultimate, which features the Saturn version of the original Dead or Alive and a remastered, remade Dead or Alive 2 will feature an extra fighter in the DOA2 lineup. It's Hitomi, the half-German, half-Japanese karate student who made her debut in Dead or Alive 3. Apparently producer Tomonobu Itagaki of Tecmo's Team Ninja decided to include the DOA3 competitor because of the character's user-friendliness and popularity among fans.
Well, I'm pretty much jumping for joy inside; Hitomi's one of my fave fighters, and you never can have enough DOA babes. Having the karate princess in the earlier DOA2 is kinda weird, but I'm not complaining. Well, I'd complain that it's too bad that Christie and Brad aren't in along with Hitomi, but I'm too happy right now so I'll let it pass. For now. YIPEEE!!!
"Hello! My name is Hitomi and I love cooking, cute animals and kicking people's butts! HAI-YAH!"
This came in from left field. The upcoming Xbox brawler Dead or Alive Ultimate, which features the Saturn version of the original Dead or Alive and a remastered, remade Dead or Alive 2 will feature an extra fighter in the DOA2 lineup. It's Hitomi, the half-German, half-Japanese karate student who made her debut in Dead or Alive 3. Apparently producer Tomonobu Itagaki of Tecmo's Team Ninja decided to include the DOA3 competitor because of the character's user-friendliness and popularity among fans.
Well, I'm pretty much jumping for joy inside; Hitomi's one of my fave fighters, and you never can have enough DOA babes. Having the karate princess in the earlier DOA2 is kinda weird, but I'm not complaining. Well, I'd complain that it's too bad that Christie and Brad aren't in along with Hitomi, but I'm too happy right now so I'll let it pass. For now. YIPEEE!!!
Tired
I just spent the whole day in a hotel room in Ortigas, working on an upcoming pitch. I'm tired from thinking, but mostly I'm tired from eating and snacking! Chips, chocolates and cheeze curls kept coming whenever the plates thinned out, and there was food and soda for the taking. Of course, it was all a job so it wasn't all play. Unfortunately, I had little sleep the night before (still readjusting my body clock from last week's vacation) so it was a struggle to keep upright the whole day. By the time we finished, it was late, so I just went on home. Tired. Just gotta finish blogging and get some shuteye. Eyes hurt...
I just spent the whole day in a hotel room in Ortigas, working on an upcoming pitch. I'm tired from thinking, but mostly I'm tired from eating and snacking! Chips, chocolates and cheeze curls kept coming whenever the plates thinned out, and there was food and soda for the taking. Of course, it was all a job so it wasn't all play. Unfortunately, I had little sleep the night before (still readjusting my body clock from last week's vacation) so it was a struggle to keep upright the whole day. By the time we finished, it was late, so I just went on home. Tired. Just gotta finish blogging and get some shuteye. Eyes hurt...
Tuesday, July 20
Different Digs
Yesterday we went out of the office and had lunch at the condo of our officemate, Bennet. The potluck affair had an ecclectic mix, with Indian-flavored minced beef and pita bread, homemade hot and sour soup, KFC chicken and sodas. Dessert was even better, with chewy apple pie-bars and delectable leche flan.
The last time I saw Bennet's place, it was sparsely furnished, hot and smelt of dog poo (he lives with his pug dog, Jack). But this time, the place was fully furnished in a nice, classy, black and white style, with nice artworks about and creature comforts like a TV and dvd player ready for watching. With the climate control on, staying there was cool and comfortable. From his bedroom you had a lovely view of the nearby Makati Sports Club, and the surrounding park. At night, with the subdued lighting of the condo, seeing the lights of the surrounding cityscape must be really something.
I could probably live like that... if I could afford it. But then, I can't really ask for anything more than The Sanctum. Classy furnishings aside, I have pretty much everything else a single guy could want, and then some. TV and videos aplenty, gaming, reading, aircon, internet, cable... and I don't pay rent! That's the best part, I guess. Heh... Well, I don't have the view, but I think having a cool garden to walk through at night makes up for the lack of lights.
Perhaps in another life, I'd have a condo in Makati, to go along with a killer-debonair lifestyle. But then, it really isn't me. At least, not yet. Heh.
Yesterday we went out of the office and had lunch at the condo of our officemate, Bennet. The potluck affair had an ecclectic mix, with Indian-flavored minced beef and pita bread, homemade hot and sour soup, KFC chicken and sodas. Dessert was even better, with chewy apple pie-bars and delectable leche flan.
The last time I saw Bennet's place, it was sparsely furnished, hot and smelt of dog poo (he lives with his pug dog, Jack). But this time, the place was fully furnished in a nice, classy, black and white style, with nice artworks about and creature comforts like a TV and dvd player ready for watching. With the climate control on, staying there was cool and comfortable. From his bedroom you had a lovely view of the nearby Makati Sports Club, and the surrounding park. At night, with the subdued lighting of the condo, seeing the lights of the surrounding cityscape must be really something.
I could probably live like that... if I could afford it. But then, I can't really ask for anything more than The Sanctum. Classy furnishings aside, I have pretty much everything else a single guy could want, and then some. TV and videos aplenty, gaming, reading, aircon, internet, cable... and I don't pay rent! That's the best part, I guess. Heh... Well, I don't have the view, but I think having a cool garden to walk through at night makes up for the lack of lights.
Perhaps in another life, I'd have a condo in Makati, to go along with a killer-debonair lifestyle. But then, it really isn't me. At least, not yet. Heh.
Monday, July 19
Sunday, July 18
Nakakapanginiig!!!
During our nightout yesterday (A dinner at Steak Jack's and then coffee at UCC), one of the topics that surfaced was the "First Reality Horror Program", Nginiig!! The Hidden Files. Well, despite dealing with aswang and white ladies every episode, the scariest aspect of this show is its growing popularity. Despite the outright cheeziness that oozes in every episode, has not only proven entertaining to watch, it has been recently upped from thirty minutes to a full hour of scary stories and even scarier acting. Dean remarked, like an auto accident, you just can't-look-way. Well, it just goes to show how Filipinos LOVE being scared or spooked.
Heh. Well, no matter how cheezy it is, I have to admit that I enjoy it. Horror/suspense shows of this sort always interest me- from the 'ghost' episodes of the classic That's Incredible and Believe it or not! shows of the 80's, to the spooky In Search Of... program of Leonard Nimoy, to the annual Todos Los Santos special of Magandang Gabi, Bayan, I love mystery and frights. I even never fail to watch that hilarious Scariest Places on Earth thing, though I tune off whenever they have those STUPID American families stay overnight in those supposedly haunted castles. Yep, good shows of this sort... well, shows of this sort, period... are rare.
So I'll just watch Nginiig. At least it's funny. Not like another Studio 23 show, Wazzup, Wazzup... Heh...
During our nightout yesterday (A dinner at Steak Jack's and then coffee at UCC), one of the topics that surfaced was the "First Reality Horror Program", Nginiig!! The Hidden Files. Well, despite dealing with aswang and white ladies every episode, the scariest aspect of this show is its growing popularity. Despite the outright cheeziness that oozes in every episode, has not only proven entertaining to watch, it has been recently upped from thirty minutes to a full hour of scary stories and even scarier acting. Dean remarked, like an auto accident, you just can't-look-way. Well, it just goes to show how Filipinos LOVE being scared or spooked.
Heh. Well, no matter how cheezy it is, I have to admit that I enjoy it. Horror/suspense shows of this sort always interest me- from the 'ghost' episodes of the classic That's Incredible and Believe it or not! shows of the 80's, to the spooky In Search Of... program of Leonard Nimoy, to the annual Todos Los Santos special of Magandang Gabi, Bayan, I love mystery and frights. I even never fail to watch that hilarious Scariest Places on Earth thing, though I tune off whenever they have those STUPID American families stay overnight in those supposedly haunted castles. Yep, good shows of this sort... well, shows of this sort, period... are rare.
So I'll just watch Nginiig. At least it's funny. Not like another Studio 23 show, Wazzup, Wazzup... Heh...
The King is Back!
SNK's latest game in it's popular King of Fighters line looks to steal a bit of Tekken 5's thunder by giving PS2 gamers a taste of 3-D streetfighting sooner than Namco's flagship. King of Fighters: Maximum Impact is fully 3-D, with polygon graphics taking the place of 2-D sprites. The graphics and animation so far look good- attacks and movements are smooth and the action is fast and furious, apparently staying true to the 2-D games' mechanics despite adding elements of 3-D movement and evasion.
Maxima pays the ultimate price for mistaking Chae for a guy.
The game will feature a large roster of both old and new characters. Veteran pugilists include eternal rivals Kyo Kusanagi and Iori Yagami, members of the Sakazaki clan- Ryo and Yuri, the powerful Ikari Warriors, fighters from the more recent KOFs such as 'K' and Maxima, and of course Fatal Fury mainstays Terry Bogard and Mai Shiranui.
The new competitors include such novelly-named characters such as Alba, Soiree and Mignon, the latter being a cutesy-girl fighter. Also making their debut are Lien, a busty blonde female assassin (How many blonde assassins AREN'T busty?) who's seen a lot in the cinematics, and Chae, a female taekwondo expert who takes over the space vacated by the now-absent Kim Kaphwan.
Ryo Sakazaki and Chae Lim re-enact a scene from the first Spiderman movie.
The PS2 game will feature two distinct costumes per character, and various modes of play including Story, VS, Team Battle and Mission modes.
While SNK's track record with 3D fighters have not been impressive (Wild Ambition, anyone?), KOF:MI looks impressive from the get-go, and the gameplay looks tight. This should satisfy fighting gamers who've been waiting for a good 3D fighter to come along for awhile now. With DOA Ultimate due in October (maybe) and Tekken 5 for later in the year, the 3D KOF may be just what the players ordered.
King of Fighters Maximum Impact hits Japan this August, and September in the US. We can't wait to get cracking.
SNK's latest game in it's popular King of Fighters line looks to steal a bit of Tekken 5's thunder by giving PS2 gamers a taste of 3-D streetfighting sooner than Namco's flagship. King of Fighters: Maximum Impact is fully 3-D, with polygon graphics taking the place of 2-D sprites. The graphics and animation so far look good- attacks and movements are smooth and the action is fast and furious, apparently staying true to the 2-D games' mechanics despite adding elements of 3-D movement and evasion.
Maxima pays the ultimate price for mistaking Chae for a guy.
The game will feature a large roster of both old and new characters. Veteran pugilists include eternal rivals Kyo Kusanagi and Iori Yagami, members of the Sakazaki clan- Ryo and Yuri, the powerful Ikari Warriors, fighters from the more recent KOFs such as 'K' and Maxima, and of course Fatal Fury mainstays Terry Bogard and Mai Shiranui.
The new competitors include such novelly-named characters such as Alba, Soiree and Mignon, the latter being a cutesy-girl fighter. Also making their debut are Lien, a busty blonde female assassin (How many blonde assassins AREN'T busty?) who's seen a lot in the cinematics, and Chae, a female taekwondo expert who takes over the space vacated by the now-absent Kim Kaphwan.
Ryo Sakazaki and Chae Lim re-enact a scene from the first Spiderman movie.
The PS2 game will feature two distinct costumes per character, and various modes of play including Story, VS, Team Battle and Mission modes.
While SNK's track record with 3D fighters have not been impressive (Wild Ambition, anyone?), KOF:MI looks impressive from the get-go, and the gameplay looks tight. This should satisfy fighting gamers who've been waiting for a good 3D fighter to come along for awhile now. With DOA Ultimate due in October (maybe) and Tekken 5 for later in the year, the 3D KOF may be just what the players ordered.
King of Fighters Maximum Impact hits Japan this August, and September in the US. We can't wait to get cracking.
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