Yeah ok, I was just trying to help

Due to some things going on around, I spent some quality time at home with my most neglected part of the household -- the TV. For some obscure reason, even though I don't get to stay in the office that late, I still don't get the time to watch TV. Today broke that as I spent the entire day watching TV instead of spending those hours trying to be productive infront of my workstation in the office. For some reason, that felt good. Nope, really good.

Both my mom and sister were a bit surprised seeing me laying on my back all relaxed watching TV. There's this little shock in their faces. If I didn't know them better, things are definitely running in their heads concerning my presence at home.

Mom came home from work perky and all seeing me sooo early at home. But my sister arrived with grouchiness in her. That's pretty much normal, so I just shrugged it off.

I showed myself to the dining table when I started feeling a throbing headache.I think it was too much TV for me. To my surprise, my mom and sister were in a little errr.. grumpy discussion. Their predicament, the USB drive won't STOP when tried being stopped using the "Safely Remove Hardware" tool of WinXP.

Just like what I expected, my sister bursted out yelling at my mom telling her that she (mom) doesn't understand what's going on. I didn't really mind getting my hands dirty and just minded my own problems -- dinner: which to eat first!

Mom requested that I help out with what was going on. We tried calling out for my sister as I try to ask details about the problem. Just what I expected, my sister kept on yelling. Yeah OK! That was a good way to describe the problem. Hmmp.

I only got bits and pieces of her problem -- the USB won't stop. She (my sister) added that it doesn't open. Which doesn't open, that I don't know. So yeah, mom and I still tried talking to my sister in a calm disposition to determine how to help her. I was proposing quick solutions based on what I have. Still, we asked what she was trying to do. And still, we got yelled on.

She finally slammed her laptop's screen to close and she walked out on us with all but a couple more yells as our souvenir.

Yeah ok. I was just trying to help. Then you'd be walking out on me with all but yells for gratitude. So yeah, I bid you good luck in finishing what you are trying to do.. MOVING ON.

One Shot at a Time

I have always thought of trying my hands on photography. I have tried doing this since I started owning my first digital camera waaaay back in 2003. If I remember it correctly, it was a Casio Exilim S3.

Since I got that cam, I tried teaching myself some basic concepts of photography. But since it's a point and shoot camera, I wasn't really able to shoot more creative shots. But still, the camera was able to produce a couple of good pictures. I kept on shooting when I finally grew out of my camera and thought that it's way too basic for me.

I've always wanted to grab those prosumer cameras with all the lenses, filters and all. But looking at the price tag of these equipment, it's not worth it if an ultra novice like me would use it. I don't think I would be to able to use the camera to the extent of its capabilities with so little knowledge that I have in photography.

So I got myself a cam which I think is more suited for me, the Canon S3.


The cam was flexible to be a point and shoot one as well as a function as a prosumer-like cam. I think it's just good enough to teach me the additional things I need to know. Now, I can will more pictures to put in my online photo gallery! yay!!

*****
With the desire of starting to be serious about photography, I thought that I should upgrade my camera little by little. I started browsing for the optional accessories my camera can have.

I had my eye on the telephoto lens for my cam. It's pretty much obvious that I don't know anything with cams because all the while I thought that the lens will attach to my cam in just a snap. To my surprise, I need to purchase a lens adapter before I could do fit the lens right in.

So I headed off to the nearest photo store and bought the LAH-DC20 Lens adaptor. I got it for Php 2300 in Digital Exchange in Glorietta.


Last Saturday when I bought the lens adapter, there was a photography event in Glorietta. The next thing I know, I was among the crowed, trying to blend in and trying to look at the high-end equipment some people have. Sooner than I think, I found myself buying a 58mm Sigma UV filter for the cam. Yeah, I'm a such a compulsive buyer!

When assembled, my cam would look like what photogrammer has:


I was trying to find the teleconverter lens I wanted. To my dismay, there's none available in Glorietta but in Mall of Asia. When I got to the shop in the Mall of Asia, I found out that the lens costed around Php 7200.

So yeah, my dreams for a telephoto lens will have to wait for the meantime while I try to save up for that. Hopefully, I would get the lens sooner that I have expected.

The English Hour

Out of some obscure reason, a teammate of mine has rolled out, with the approval of the teamlead, an English Hour (or hours for that matter) campaign. This is in the effort of encouraging people, specifially our team, to talk and practice speaking in English.

It has been agreed upon that in the afternoons of every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, the team will be required to speak in English within the premises of the team bay and all official team functions. Anyone caught speaking in Filipino will be fined Php 1 per word. But of course, there will be days when one's tongue won't cooperate with the campaign and for this reason, there's UnlimiTag. Unlimitag entitles you to speak in Filipino in the entire duration of the English hour for the day for the price of Php 50.

Initially the campaign sounded promising and professional. But with the UnlimiTag privilege up for grabs, it sounds more like of a money making scheme now. Hehe..

*****
The campaign was launched last Friday and to my surprise, I didn't realize the campaign was set to start this Monday afternoon. I'm not really a good speaker. Some say I sound American, but I realy don't. I think they just need to clean their ears more. Hehe.

I was excited hearing the entire team speak in English in our team bay albeit the sea of Filipino-speaking teams that surround us.

I thought it was exciting.
And yes it was.

When the clock struck 2:00pm, our normally noisy teambay quieted down. I think everyone was like me waiting and anticipating for the first person to speak in English. 10 minutes passed and not a single word was spoken. 20, 30, 40 minutes! Oh gawd, no one really spoke a word! I thought it was an English speaking campaign?!

Eventually a the team was forced to speak in English since we had a team function later that afternoon.

It's hard to say if the campaign was successful in its first implementation. Given that no one really spoke and that we were only able to collect Php 7. It's not much, but it's a good start. =)

*****
This was a (approximate) conversation between my team lead and the team manager through AOL IM:

team manager: (sitting far from the team bay) pwede tayo magmeeting?
teamlead: sure. where?
team manager: dyan na lang sa team bay
teamlead: sure. no problem
team manager: may iba. bakit nag-eenglish ka?
teamlead: coz we have the english hour campaign in place from 2-5
team manager: a talaga? mamaya na lang tayo magmeeting.