CNY2008 Day 2

Posted by jepoyzter under Random Post

Well, today’s plan didn’t go like I expected it to be. A sudden change of schedule. So I didn’t have the chance to take my Buena’s family out for a short tour around Taipei. At first, I planned to take them along Daan District’s Mall SOGO and Breeze Center, but seems like the whole family was tired from the trip. So I just drop by the hotel and brought some presents. Upon arriving at the hotel, I tried calling their phones but no one is answering. So I tried approaching the concierge and tried asked them to deliver my present to their room, but the problem is I didnt know to whom the room is registered to. So I called Buena to ask her sister to meet me at the hotel’s lobby. But well at least I did saw Beatrice, whos all grown up now.

Well I bought these nougat from 糖村 (Sugar and Spice) near my work as presents and as tradition to give sweets every Chinese new year. These really became my favorite the first time I ate them. They are really chewy and nutty. You all should really try them, and you’ll love them. But doesn’t come cheap though.

So after passing by the hotel. I have to run back to SOGO Fuxing Store to meet up with Krystl whos visiting from Kaoshiung. She always spend Chinese New Year in Taipei. At first, I was planning to go to Kaoshiung for a change. Since the only person I know in Kaoshiung already did plan to go north. I have no choice but to just stay. So we just had a very small chat, make some kamustahan along with a schoolmate back in college Diana together with two chikitings.

After my friend left, I called Christian and Bro. Saxon to have dinner before Christian left for the Philippines for a 3 or 4 days vacation. They pick TGIF across Chang Gung Hospital in Dun Hua Road.

Now after today I’ll be all alone from Friday till Monday. Dad is in TaiChung playing Mahjong and Mom I think will be going out with her Kumares. Sheesh…

CNY2008 Day 1

Posted by jepoyzter under Random Post

I really looked forward to this week. A time to take my mind out of work. 6 days of free time to do anything I want. To relax, to sleep till afternoon, and go to explore Taipei with less people around the street. But sometimes there are people who really knows how to make someones day sucks.  So I just stayed home today.

Slept till 12:00pm and watch TV all afternoon. Sigh! Ain’t this fun?? Duh!

Anyway, I hope tomorrow will be different. I have to get out of the house. Good thing a family of a good friend of mine is visiting Taipei for the Chinese New Year. Will tour them around Taipei in the afternoon. 

Say NO to CHEAP Shoes

Posted by jepoyzter under Random Post

SALE Season here in Taipei. Almost the end of the winter season. This Chinese New Year I am really not on the mood of buying anything for myself, since I have a really tight budget for my upcoming trip. Though I really want to buy a new phone.

I checked out malls and stores along ZhongXiao district where my work is located nearby. But didn’t see anything worth buying. Thus I plan to get myself a new pair of sneakers for every day use.

Sunday, after accompanying someone to buy a camcorder for his parents. We stop by XiMen Market and I saw these pair of shoes from LACOSTE which is on sale. A pair only cost $780 NT. It fits just right on me. So without hesitations I bought it.

The next day, I wear it to work and I started to feel uncomfortable with it. So I took it off for a while and give my feet a rest. Lunch time when I put them back on, and since I can’t walk on bare feet to have lunch. I started to complaining to my colleague that my feet starting to hurt. She noticed that its new, and says it natural. Yeah, its natural. But not this one. When we were about to cross the street theres only 20 seconds left for us to cross. So we all have to run, I can’t run because my feet really hurts a lot. But still try to, then I felt something really aches. I think right foot got wounded along my ankle. And yeah there it is, skin peeled off. OUCH!!!

SO NO MORE CHEAP SHOES!!!!

Some PEOPLE are INCONSIDERATE

Posted by jepoyzter under Random Post

As titled.

I just proven it. That not all things work both ways.

More depressed.

I have to stop being nice.

I have to stop being HELPFUL.

I think I had enough.

I really do hate to feel this way.

Year-End Party

Posted by jepoyzter under Random Post

Tonight is our company’s Annual Year-End Party

Posted at dawn.

Posted by jepoyzter under Random Post

Hi, it’s been quite a while since my really last blog post. Blog post, meaning me really talking.

It’s dawn around 5:15 AM and I just woke up 2 hours ago. I was trying to go back to sleep, but I can’t. It’s been like my sleep trend over the past 3 weeks or I rather say since the year started. I also lose weight over the span of a month. I just checked and I am 10 pounds lighter. I don’t know if its good news or bad, but I am a little bit concerned with myself over these past few months. I am concerned with health (which is I always neglect), career, and my well-being.

Eversince last year, I quite felt a little bit lost. Work is really starting to bore me. I know lots of us feel this way. Sick and tired of the usual routine, and looking for more adventurous experience to improve ourself. Not just being tied on your desk, stare at your monitor and just wait for something pop-up on your email asking for request jobs. So I started to be more busy when work at the office is starting to slow down. Took some freelance jobs. Which is I thought is really exciting. Though I really enjoyed doing freelance it at some point coz I make money out of it than what I earn from my real work. Now I am having problem dealing with the pile of work from office and at the same time my part-time job (which is really I consider as my prime job). Sometimes my mind just wanna throw up.

Another thing I am dealing with is depression. I know I don’t look like depressed. But I feel it always, specially when I am alone in my room (like now). When I wake up in the middle of the night just trying to get back to sleep and mind started to wander off. I kinda felt all alone. I starting to doubt people around me, are they really friends or not? And I know it’s not a good attitude. But thats how I feel much lately. My social life is at the edge. Most of my friends here in Taiwan already left and some are leaving soon. I am now learning to be a man in an island and trying to survive. How long can I last?

I am quite having hard time dealing with all of this lately. I might be needing a psychiatrist.

I have so many plans for this year. Theres this one that I am really trying to accomplish for the longest time, and could be a turning point for me. A rest period to take myself out of this stressful and depressing environment. A time to explore what I do best and what more is in-store for me. I am optimistic about it. I know that I can do it.

At last a piece is already out of my chest. I was trying to blog about it way back in December when I started being serious with writing and posting on this site. But there is something that is holding me back. If you can just look at my WordPress CMS. I have tons of articles in drafts. Most are about my experiences that I didn’t started of finished writing. I had this trouble of expressing myself in writings and I am not confident with my writing skills. I have to work it out. But thanks for reading and the comments. I think I can now start writing like this. Thanks.

A Day of OFF!

Posted by jepoyzter under Random Post

This post is quite written randomly. So sorry if its quite a mess. Thanks for reading.

Today, I took a day off from work. Quite feeling lazy and dizzy when I woke up. So I took a few more hours of sleep and get up around 9 o’clock in the morning. I can still make it to office even I wake up that time. So took me 30 minutes before I come to a decision that I’ll take a day off.
So my morning is not that quite good. Felt dizziness, and my eyes are quite dry and its irritating. So I send an email to my manager that I’ll not be able to come. I need to relax.

Eversince the release of the new apps for iPod Touch, I just cant help it that I can’t upgrade mine. I talked to Bro. Larry and Allan, if they can find a way for me upgrade my iPod since iTunes Music Store is not available in most Asian countries. Grrrrr… So looked and looked for ways to get rid of my excitement. So I came up with an idea, why not use a iTunes Gift card to upgrade? Hmmmm… I’m quite clever. Now the problem is how can I buy one? I can’t buy online using my credit card, because you must have a US issued card before you can purchase anything from Apple store or iTunes music store. So thatsmy problem… Now, I turn my hope on eBay. Maybe someone is selling gift card. At last, I found someone selling $25 worth of iTunes Gift card. But it is my first time to try buying stuff on ebay, and I am quite nervous to do some transactions online. Even purchasing item from well known OS commerce sites like Amazon or Yahoo. So, I said what the hell. I bid and send the money online. But I didn’t use any credit card. I use my ATM. Here in Taiwan you can use your computer as ATM machine. You just buy a card reader from a bank, or sometimes banks make it as give-away items. So I send the money through Online Banking. Isn’t that cool? Hehehee

I was quite excited about my iTunes card. I thought I’ll be able upgrade last night. But the seller says that she doesn’t have any cards right now and I should wait till morning to receive it. I kinda get furious and I text her back and ask if she has anything with her right now. I mean I would buy $50 if she has one that time. But she didn’t reply. GRRRRR…

The next day, YESTERDAY MORNING. I got an email and she send me the code. Now I have to upgrade my iPod NOW! NOW! NOW! Then seems like iTunes all of a sudden having this connection time-out problem. I am afraid that I already enter the code then says connection time out. So is it just a waste of $25? So I tried for so many times, and then at last. But wait, I have to review my .Mac account. Crap, I don’t have any US address. I can’t use my friend’s address in California and I can’t find my aunt’s home address in Florida. Now I am panicking. Last resort, I have call my grandma and ask my aunt’s address. Too 10 minutes long distance call to Manila before I got the address. So much work…. hassle….

My dilemma didn’t stop there. Now I already top-up my card to iTunes music store and bought the January upgrade for iPod Touch. But I didnt see the new apps on my iPod. Where is it? Where is it? Told myself, I didnt just waste money and time for this. Where the hell is it? I am really furious. So I look for way to sort the problem out. In the end, after 2 and half freaking hours. I had my iPod updated. GRRRRR…

Oh well the only thing that not working with the January Update for iPod Touch is the map. SIGH… everything else is working perfectly.

The next thing I did. Worked on some of my freelance projects. Which took me so long because of my busy sched, and I promised that I’ll deliver it on Monday. SO MONDAY it is.

Yesterday, I also forgot to have lunch. I didn’t even felt hungry till 5:00 PM, when I accompanied Jernie to change his Windows recovery disc from chinese to english at ASUS service center.

Went around Taipei Main Station to look for bluetooth headsets and my next phone.

Since I am already in Taipei and Jernie already wet back to his dorm. I called Francis to watch “Sweenie Todd” hehehehe… Actually the movie is so so… I just loved the music… story is not that bad.

Heres another OFF I wanna share. Francis told me that GIGABYTE lay-offed some employees yesterday. He’s quite shocked about it, and asked me lots of question. SIGH, I think I should really get out of here. Here, I mean Taiwan. GOOD LUCK!

There’s something in the air.

Posted by jepoyzter under Random Post, Tech & Gadgets

Hmmmm something cold is coming.

Just a day more for the much awaited Macworld Expo.

Macworld Conference & Expo is a trade show dedicated to the Apple Macintosh platform with conference tracks held annually in the United States, usually during the second week of January.

Ever since the existent of the iPod, the iBook, the Powerbook, the now the Intel Macs. Macworld Expo is one of the most anticipated event of the year. Giving excitement to Mac fanatics all over the world.

This year there have been speculations about some new and exciting products. Some says, its a new portable Macbook Pro, other says its a new 3G iPhone, or a bigger capacity iPhone. And I am here hoping they wont release a higher capacity iPod Touch for now, coz I just got mine months ago.

But this year its quite different. This year’s Macworld doesn’t just talk about what latest product will Apple Inc. be releasing this year. But there are also rumors about Steve Jobs stepping down as CEO. Say what? Actually I first heard about it this morning when I was talking with my colleague about the upcoming expo. I said, “Will you watch live feed Wednesday morning?”. He says, “No”. Then followed by “Steve Jobs is resigning”. HUH? What the hell. He says, “Let see Apple’s stocks fall.” Then he told me its just a joke but there are rumors. So I visit some famous community sites and blogs about Apple and read some articles.

According to a post from Dan of uneasysilence.com.

“We know that Apple has been secretly working to find a suitable replacement for Steve Jobs ever since he underwent a successful cancer operation in 2004.

…..

As you can see, the simple fact that the FONT is different on the banner – it indicates that Apple is changing.

Our official prediction for Macworld 2008: Steve Jobs will announce a phased retirement passing the reins of Apple to Phil Schiller or Jonathan Ive.“

Read the whole article here.

This is really unexpected. But who knows rumors are just rumors. I hope its not true. But if its true good luck to Apple. Hope it would not drive them to the stone age.

By the way I saw this cool form on the net via  www.bureauofcommunication.com. They are conducting this contest by filling up the form you see below. Quite cool eh. Its my prediction for the upcoming Macworld. Hahaha

The Classic Games…

Posted by jepoyzter under Random Post

Isn’t it fun to reminisce those childhood memories?I grew up with my cousins all my childhood days. With my 3 aunt’s children in a 3 townhouse apartment, all in all there were 10 of us. My sister and I lived my grandma and together with my aunt and her 3 daughters before we moved to the next door. It quite fun living with relatives, specially you have lots of cousins to play with. My Lola is quite strict with us, we are not allowed to go outside to play. Whenever she caught us playing outside, she would count to ten and everyone must be inside the house. Or else, she’ll catch you with her long thin bamboo stick that really stings if it hits you. So we more like play in doors. My cousins have several different board games we usually play, and we really did have lots of fun with it. And sometimes, end up fighting when someone cheated or doesn’t agree with the rules of the game.So here are some games we play those days:

1.		Scrabblea word game in which two to four players score points by forming words from individual lettered tiles on a game board marked with a 15-by-15 grid. The words are formed across and down in crossword fashion and must appear in a standard dictionary. More…
2.		MonopolyA board game published by Parker Brothers, an imprint of Hasbro. Players compete to acquire wealth through stylized economic activity involving the buying, rental and trading of properties using play money, as players take turns moving around the board according to the roll of the dice. More…
3.		PictionaryA guessing word game published in 1985. The game is played with teams with players trying to identify specific words from their teammates’ drawings.Each team moves an object along a track formed by a sequence of squares. Each square has a letter on it. The objective is to reach the end of the track first. More…
4.		CluedoA crime fiction board game originally published by Waddingtons in the United Kingdom in 1948. It was devised by Anthony E. Pratt, a solicitor’s clerk and part-time clown from Birmingham, England. It is now published by the United States game and toy company Hasbro, which acquired its U.S. publisher Parker Brothers as well as Waddingtons.The game is set in a mansion, with the board divided into different rooms. The players each represent a character who is a guest staying at this house, whose owner, Dr. Black (Mr. Boddy in the North American version), has been found murdered. Players attempt to solve the murder. The solution to the murder requires the three components of Suspect, Weapon, and Room. More…
5.		BoggleThe game begins by shaking a covered tray of sixteen cubic dice. Each dice has a different letter printed on each of its sides. The dice settle into a four by four tray such that only the top letter of each cube is visible. After they have settled into the grid, a three-minute timer is started and all players simultaneously begin the main phase of play.Each player searches for words that can be constructed from the letters of sequentially adjacent cubes, where “adjacent” cubes are those horizontally, vertically or diagonally neighboring. Words must be at least three letters long, may include singular and plural (or other derived forms) separately, but may not use the same letter cube more than once per word. Each player records all the words he or she finds by writing on a private sheet of paper. After three minutes have elapsed, all players must stop writing and the game enters the scoring phase. More…
6.		Uno CardsA card game played with a specially printed deck (see Mau Mau for an almost identical game played with normal playing cards). The game was originally developed in 1971 by Merle Robbins. It is now a Mattel product. The game’s general principles put it into the Crazy Eights family of card games. More… Uno StackoOne of the many variations of the card game Uno. This game is a block-stacking tower game which combines the gameplay of Uno and that of Jenga. There are two versions of the game: the earlier version requires the use of a die, while later versions eliminated the die, making the game play closer to Jenga. More…

How about you? What games you like to play?

Old photos direct from the vault.

Posted by jepoyzter under Photos, Random Post

Was browsing through tens of back-up disk I made a couple of years ago. Then I saw some old picture stored on my computer before. Just wanna share some.

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