Homeboy - May 29 - Part 3

Boy bands - Filipino style.

Hehe. I already left when Anime was formed so I don't really care about them. JCS too. But Koolits? And Hunks? Dang!

Lost fans to finally get answers

By Erin Carlson, AP

Published: Wednesday, October 04, 2006


Those Lost writer-producers are a secretive bunch. How difficult could it be to give a hint about to expect next season? Apparently, very. A little digging, however, turned up some clues on the gripping drama (tonight on CTV).

WHO ARE THE OTHERS?
They're creepy, wear fake beards and have captured Kate, Jack and Sawyer. Are they "the good guys," as one high-ranking Other said, or are they up to no good? Finally — finally! — that enigma will be addressed this season, producers have teased. They better deliver. Also, expect to see much more of bug-eyed Other/hatch escapee Henry Gale, played by new series regular Michael Emerson.

WHO WILL KATE FALL FOR?
It's about time, Kate. The freckled tough girl (Evangeline Lilly) will finally make a choice between doctor-leader Jack (Matthew Fox) and con man Sawyer (Josh Holloway). Early intel suggests Cupid's arrow is pointing at a Kate-Sawyer hookup — they ARE a couple of good-lookin' outlaws. Why that coupling? According to an ABC press release, "Romance looms on the horizon as Jack's interests veer towards a mysterious woman, whose motives may be questionable."

WHY WAS LOCKE IN A WHEELCHAIR?
John Locke (Terry O'Quinn) lost of a bit of his faith last season, thanks to his frustration with entering that numbered sequence (4, 8, 15, 16, 23, 42) on the keyboard every 108 minutes. Still, he can't deny the island's mysterious healing powers, which apparently cured his four-year paralysis and allowed him to walk again after Oceanic flight 815 crash-landed. Those powers — and why exactly Locke was bound to a wheelchair in the first place — will be explored this season, Lost experts say. One theory: Locke, who helped his deadbeat father withdraw stolen money from a bank, was handicapped by angry victims of the crime.

WHO IS THE FATHER OF SUN'S UNBORN BABY?
Pre-crash, a doctor said Sun's loving husband, Jin (Daniel Dae Kim), was infertile. There are three possible explanations for Sun's pregnancy: The island healed Jin's infertility (worked for Locke, leg-wise); the zygote formed inside Sun (YunJin Kim) but is neither hers nor Jin's (creepy!); or Jin is not the baby-daddy. That guy could be Jae Lee, who gave Sun secret English lessons. She was unhappy in her marriage, and planned to leave Jin and go to America.

WHAT HAPPENED AT THE HATCH?
In the season 2 finale, Locke, Mr. Eko (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje) and Desmond (Henry Ian Cusick) were all in the hatch when Desmond turned the fail-safe key to diffuse whatever electromagnetic energy was quaking the island (yes, that button-pushing chore actually meant something). An explosion ensued. The hatch door landed on the beach. Survival seems like a long shot — but Eko and Locke are under contract. And Cusick is now a series regular. They gotta come out of this alive, if not somewhat — somehow — changed. Plus, ABC says Locke will team up with Sayid (Naveen Andrews) and others to try and rescue their comrades.

DID MICHAEL AND WALT ESCAPE?
The father-son duo, given a motor boat by Henry Gale, were last seen fleeing the island to destinations unknown. Desperate dad Michael (Harold Perrineau) betrayed his friends to save himself and his son, Walt (Malcolm David Kelley), who was kidnapped at the end of the first season by the Others. But don't be surprised if they return — those Lost-ies aren't the luckiest group. Note that Perrineau is not a regular cast member this season, but could be back as a guest star. And Walt is way too intriguing to make a permanent getaway.

WHAT IS DHARMA DOING WITH THE KIDS?
The Others snatched Walt, Frenchwoman Rousseau's daughter, Alex, and a very pregnant Claire (Emilie de Ravin). In memories of her abduction, Claire was taken to a hospital-like hatch and given a shot in the belly. A teen girl, who might be a grown-up Alex, warned her that higher-ups planned to kill her and take her baby. That's pretty freaky, and so is another theory: That the Others — those "good guys," remember? — are a social utopian experiment by the scientist-led Dharma Initiative. This could explain why they steal innocent children who haven't been tainted by society.

WHO IS LIBBY?
Michael shot and killed her last season, but viewers haven't seen the last of Libby (Cynthia Watros). She'll keep appearing in characters' flashbacks, producers said, yet her back story — she claimed to be a clinical psychologist and was supposedly among the plane's tail-section survivors — is shrouded in mystery. In flashbacks, it was revealed that she lived in the same mental hospital as an unknowing Hurley (Jorge Garcia) and gave Desmond her late husband's doomed sailboat. Fan speculation has it that she might be a member of the Hanso Foundation, which funded the shady Dharma Initiative, or a private detective.

IS CLAIRE JACK'S HALF-SISTER?
That's the buzz — and it appears to be so. After losing his medical license for operating while drunk, Christian (Jack's surgeon-father, played by John Terry) fled to Australia, where he drank himself to death after attempting to visit his secret daughter. It went down like this: He showed up at the house of a curly-haired, blonde Aussie — Claire's lookalike mother? — and boozily demanded to see the girl. The woman refused. Jack arrived Down Under to bring Christian's body back to the U.S. and, in a made-for-television twist, wound up on the same ill-fated flight as Claire.

CAN THE SHOW KEEP IT UP?
As many fans complain, Lost is more about the questions than the answers. It's confusing and captivating. At least some things were (sorta) cleared up in the finale of the dark and hatch-centric second season, which runneth over with sci-fi mysteries that had viewers scratching their heads. Thankfully, the Powers That Be heard the fan feedback — and they're doing something about it. In a recent podcast posted on the show's Web site, a producer revealed he was influenced by complaints that season 2 was "too mythologically dense." Expect to see a lot about relationships in future episodes, including a dose of much-needed romance.

© Associated Press 2006

Finding Lost: The Unofficial Guide gives fans roadmap to hit TV show

Maybe I should buy this one? I'm already a hardcore fan of Lost, but some plots can drive me nuts. I might also learn more. Hehe.

If I buy this one, my mother will kill me. Hehehehehe.

An Almost Perfect Job

The way God answers prayers is amazing.

Back in 1 January 2005, I wrote about hating my first job. I also enumerated what I thought the “perfect” job for me is. Let me remind you of them.

• accounting-related


• closer to home


• employers and colleagues as nice as the ones I currently deal with everyday


• accessible by bus and/or SkyTrain


• my own office space


• eligible bachelors

Last week – my first week in my new job – I remembered that I wrote about my “criteria” and posted them on this blog. So, do I have the “perfect” job based on these criteria?

• Accounting-related: Yes, it is! Actually I wouldn’t have been let go by my previous employer if it weren’t an accounting job. The position is Accounts Receivable Clerk. At the moment, I’m learning how to do the billings. As of Friday, I’ve finished four logging invoices and several manual cadet camp invoices.


• Closer to home: Yes, it is! I’m now working in Burnaby; actually, it’s very near the boundary of Vancouver and Burnaby. At least I only have to buy two-zone bus passes.


• Employers and colleagues as nice as the ones I [previously dealt] with everyday: Yeah. It was my first week, so everybody was so nice and welcoming. I hope it continues. Let’s see.


• Accessible by bus and/or SkyTrain: Yeah. It’s like when I was going to BCIT. I take a bus to King George Station, then take the SkyTrain and get off at Metrotown Station. Then I take a bus and get off. It’s only a very short walk from the bus stop to the office.


• My own office space: Oh yeah! I have my own workspace. And I have my own printer. Hehe.


• Eligible bachelors: Hmmm. There’s a guy. He’s Punjabi. He also graduated from BCIT; actually I think we were on the same batch. Thing is, he looks ridiculously like the guy I’m trying to get over. Not only that: the timbre of his voice resembles the other guy’s. And, since he’s Punjabi, he most likely does not love the God that I love. So he’s just gonna be an eye-candy. I’m such a bad girl!

I hope I can learn everything that I need to learn, because I really want to keep this job. This almost perfect job.

Thanks, Triage Data Solutions

Yesterday, June 27th, was officially the first day of my unemployment.

Nope, I wasn’t fired, though my boss should’ve done that a long time ago. I quit the full-time, daytime shift. Yes, that’s right. Only the full-time position, because I know that the office manager will be desperate for experienced people.

I finally found an accounting-related job! After two years of praying, hoping, wishing, and struggling to trust on God regarding my career, my prayer has been answered with a YES!

You see, the company depends on the jobs that clients send. When my boss gave birth, the clients assumed that the company will temporarily shut down while my boss is on maternity leave. They didn’t realize that there are other people depending on the work that they send. And, so, there was a bit of a downtime. Something like a month without work – this also meant no income for most of us, except for the permanent employees.

So I sent out my résumé to different companies. Two of them gave me favourable answers: Compass Group Canada and Focus On The Family (FOTF) contacted me for interview. So the interviews were set a day after the other: Compass Group on a Monday (April 24th) and FOTF the next day.

I really wanted to get in FOTF, because

1. the job is accounting-related (can’t remember the exact position);
2. it’s in Langley – like, three or four blocks away;
3. it’s full of Christians;
4. it has a bookstore (hehe); and
5. it’s in front of Campus Crusade for Christ HQ!

On the other hand, I didn’t really care how I did in the Compass Group interview. I was myself. I was very honest, telling Jodie (the lady who interviewed me) everything about my life in Triage, including the bit about me getting pissed off at some of my co-workers. I told her even the negative things about me. I totally didn’t care about getting the job at Compass Group.

So I was surprised – yet super delighted – when my office manager told me that a guy from Compass Group phoned her. She said she gave me a “good reference.” And she said she didn’t lie. Hehe.

Over a month after the FOTF interview, the guy who interviewed me sent me an e-mail saying that they gave it to somebody else. And I didn’t hear from Compass Group so I assumed that I didn’t get the job. But at that time, I was back at Triage so it was all right. I was disappointed but what could I do other than try again?

Then Ate Emy, the sister-in-law of a friend of my sister’s, told me that she was leaving the company for an accounting job at Best Buy. That was on June 9th. On the same day, I learned that her friend, Ate Mildred, was also leaving. I was really frustrated, angry, and upset. I complained to God. I even cried. And, of course, I went on shopping therapy.

Imagine how I felt when I checked my e-mail the night of June 13th. Jodie sent me an e-mail telling me that she was offering me another job! I didn’t get the accounting clerk position, but she offered me the accounts receivable clerk position.

Obviously I accepted it. It’s an opportunity for me to move on and obtain an accounting work experience. I’m smart enough to grab this opportunity.

When I told my office manager, Seema, that I was leaving, I felt relieved that she easily accepted it. But then, she was worried because only one person would do the database checking. So she chose (kinda) another Filipino – a good friend and church mate of mine – for me to train in database checking.

So last Monday, June 26th, I only did administrative work for Seema, writing a data entry training document and starting a generic coding guidelines document. Then we had this little “beginning-of-summer” party, with sandwiches and salad. It wasn’t a going-away party for me. (That’s OK. I didn’t want one ‘coz I don’t deserve it.)

It felt so good that they wished me luck, hugged me, and made me feel that I contributed something to the company. I knew I had a lot of screw-ups when I was a new to the company, but the boss, Johanna, felt she had to keep me. I will be forever grateful to her, and to Seema, Ate May, and Mary Anne.

So when I finally walked out the door, I was emotional. I almost cried! If not for the lady in the elevator, I would have cried my eyes out. I even wanted to cry on the SkyTrain.

Those people love me and I love them too. Platonically, of course. Hehe.

I am very happy that I got the job that I want (actually, not quite, but it’s a start). But two years’ worth of experience at Triage made it hard for me to leave. Well, from the professional perspective, it was easy. But I built relationships – friendships – with the people I worked with. I may be a snob and mean at times, but for me, my co-workers are great. (Well, not all of them, but that’s another story… wink wink).

I only pray that they will hire people who value quality of the work over quantity.

God bless y’all at Triage. I’ll pray for you guys everyday. And I’ll try to come in once in a while, not only to work but to visit. I love you guys, and I’ll miss you!

My Take On The Da Vinci Code

Personally, I think The Da Vinci Code is a brilliant novel. It is a wonderful work of fiction. Its protagonist & other main characters, plot, setting, and story flow kept me on the edge of my seat when I read it a year or so ago.

I agree with Dan Brown when he said that it is a springboard in discussing faith in our world today. I also agree with him when he stated that interpretation of the ideas presented in the novel is entirely "left to the reader".

However, I'm not satisfied with his answer when he was asked if he was a Christian. But even that can spark a lively (!) discussion on what a Christian really is.

I'm a proud bookworm and I will read any good work of fiction. I have read The Da Vinci Code and I think it is brilliant. Best of all, I am still a Christian; I have not given up my eternal life with God after reading the novel, because the theories presented in the novel urge me to investigate further. This leads me more to truths about God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit.

I only hope that other Christians strongly against every aspect of The Da Vinci Code will not condemn (in the strongest sense of the word) those of us who like it for the great work of fiction that it is.

Click here to read Dan Brown's FAQ Page on his official website.

Yes, No, or Wait

The ALPHA Course that I took last fall taught me a lot of things about Christianity. One of those is about prayer. Nicky Gumbel said that, contrary to popular beliefs, God actually answers our prayers.

He may answer them with any of the following:

1. Yes
2. No
3. Wait

A "No" or a "Wait" is, logically, a valid answer. It's just that we want to hear "Yes" all the time.

Well, I had a hemithyroidectomy more than two weeks ago. The left half of my thyroid gland was removed because the doctor couldn't tell what exact abnormality he found in the needle biopsy. When he told me of the results of the fine-needle biopsy, he explained that the left half of my thyroid gland would be examined to see if it was a benign growth, a benign cancer, or a malignous cancer. Of course, best-case scenario is it's a benign growth, which means that I'd be fine after the hemithyroidectomy. Worst-case scenario is it's cancer; according to the otolaryngology specialist, thyroid cancer isn't life-threatening, which means that the other half of my thyroid gland would have to be removed through surgery and that I would have to take thyroid hormone replacement pills, calcium replacement pills, and vitamin D replacement pills for the rest of my life.

Since I talked to Dr. Maharaj (the otolaryngology specialist) about that, I had been praying for God's will in my life. While waiting for the bus to take me to the SkyTrain station, I said this aloud: "Your will, not mine." And I believe - I still do - that God let my thyroid gland grow for a reason. That reason is still not apparent in my life, but I know that there is one.

Anyone should expect, though, that I'd prefer the best-case scenario: that it is only a benign growth. I had been praying that I could accept God's plans for me, even if it meant that I would have thyroid or throat cancer. But deep inside my heart, I didn't want it to be cancer.

Seventeen days after the hemithyroidectomy, my prayers were answered in my favour. It's only a benign growth!

God is so amazing. He gave me the inner peace that I wanted and needed regarding my health. Everyday since the surgery, He reminded me that He is the pilot of my life; I'm only a co-pilot. Above all, He loves me and that He lets all things happen for my own good, even if I have to wait a long time for my prayers to have a "Yes" answer.

Thank You Father.

Also, I want to thank everybody who prayed - and are still praying - for me. My family. My true friends. My co-workers. Everybody who cared - and cares - enough to keep me in their thoughts and prayers.

"He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken." - Psalm 62:2

Ready to Travel the Globe?

Hey ya! Got this weblink from a Yahoo group. Have fun!

http://www.fekids.com/img/kln/flash/DontGrossOutTheWorld.swf

Maui

I went to work today. Actually, I didn't have to, but I still did. Anyway, I was so tired and I just wanted to chill when I got home after seven hours of hard work and half-an-hour of lunch.

Then my mom told me that my sister bought us a DOG!

Oh my goodness! Even before I was born, my family has owned dogs, called askals - which means dogs other than pure bred ones. So I grew up with dogs around me.

So I waited for their return and anticipated seeing a dog. Then the doorbell rang.

I opened the door to my sister holding a furry puppy in her arms.

The name of the "furry puppy" is Maui, spelled exactly like the Hawaiian island. Maui is a month-old female Shih Tzu puppy. She was born on 27 December 2005. She's just as big as the plum purse that I bring to work or to outings.

Now we have to potty-train her. And we have to do it step by step. We built a fence around her and put her food, water, potty and bed there. If she pees or poops on any newspaper sheet that we put around her little area, we put the sheet on her potty so she'll learn to pee or poop on her potty. Eventually she'll learn to pee or poop where she's supposed to. When that happens, we're gonna give her treats!

We also had a little family meeting about scheduling her walks. I was assigned to the Saturday afternoon shift. Hehe.

I don't mind walking a dog. I remember when I didn't go to the 2004 family camp, I volunteered to take care of Manang Carmen's pug named Charlie so she could go to the camp. I walked that mega-hyper dog twice a day (once in the morning and once in the evening) for two days. He was just mega-hyper (turned out he had diabetes) but he was OK.

I'm so excited to take care of a dog!