I don't own a digital camera. And for someone whose gadget lust is as developed as mine, it's hard to imagine, since nowadays, everyone I know seems to have a digital camera.
But I think holding out on buying a digital camera has been one of my wisest gadget-related decisions to date (maybe even ever). You know why? Because just a couple of months ago, a 7 megapixel digital camera was revolutionary, now, it's practically a standard! With cellphone manufacturers coming out with 5-megapixel cameraphones (SE K850i), there's no telling how technologically advanced digital cameras will be when I finally get around to buying one.
When talking about digital cameras, it used to be all about megapixels. The higher the better, now there's so much more to consider in a typical point and shoot digicam. Price, LCD screen size, optical zoom capability, bundled accessories, memory card format, built in applications that allow you to edit the images right on the camera, connectivity options like bluetooth and wifi, form factor, durability, water-resistance, image stabilization, face recognition, anti-blur technologies, scene selections, ISO, shooting modes...and that's just the list of factors I'm concerned about! I'm pretty sure other more knowledgeable photographers consider a lot more technical features that I probably did not consider since I have no idea what it's for. (Note, I am not a professional photographer, nor do I have any intention of being one anytime soon.)
Anyway, the point is, with so much to choose from and so many things to consider, how can I buy a digital camera without experiencing buyers' remorse later on? With new cameras sprouting up practically every month, it's only a matter of time before this months extraordinary features become standard, and I would then again want the newer, better, more fully-featured camera.
If I keep thinking this way, I may never buy a digital camera. *sigh*
I guess my 2.0 megapixel SE Z610i will have to do for now. =D
Monday, June 25, 2007
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Blogthings...
Not much to do again... :)
| You Are the Ego |
 You take a balanced approach to your life. You definitely aren't afraid to act out on your desires - even crazy ones. But you usually think first. Morals drive you as much as hedonism does. You've been able to live a life of pleasure... without living a life of excess. |
| Your Intrapersonal Intelligence Score: 74% |
 Your Intrapersonal Intelligence is High You have a great understanding of who you are, and your place in the world. You know what path you're on. And you are excited about your future. You're always deepening your inner knowledge and introspection. And enjoying it every step of the way. |
| Your Interpersonal Intelligence Score: 75% |
 Your Interpersonal Intelligence is High You are definitely a "people person." You enjoy spending time with others. You instinctively understand people, and you are both a good counsellor and mediator. However, there are definitely times when you've had enough. And that's when you cherish being alone. |
Friday, June 08, 2007
VILLMA...a history.
Yes, I'm still on full reminiscing mood. :) I think I'll be a lot busier at work next week, so I'm taking advantage of my free time now by updating my blog. Anyway, I wrote this entry because I had lunch with Apple, Leslie and Louie yesterday. It was our first get-together in over a month, so I couldn't help but feel sentimental.
VILLMA is a mnemonic for six gorgeous, driven and talented females whose paths crossed in Sun Life Financial. It started with just Van, Les and Mich, who all worked in Sun Life as programmers in 2004. They were known as the Scrabbled Eggs back then, because of a team name used in a scrabble match. Or sometimes, as Charlie's Angels. Even then, they were inseparable. And even though they were assigned to different teams, the three proved their worth by all being promoted a year and 3 months into their employment. This incident only brought them closer.
Apple, was added to the mix when she joined the GL team and Van became her "Sun Life buddy". Incidentally, her first impression of Van was that she was "plastik" for being too cheerful... Tama ba naman yun? Anyway, Apple's quirky ways, entertaining stories, and borderline green comedy quickly endeared her to the trio.
Mich, Apple, Leslie and Van at SLF Funtasy Xmas Party 2005
Louie first came into the picture when she and Van became teammates in a badminton tourney. The Orange team finished second and the two got to know each other through the team's constant practices. Louie, as a Regional Accounting (RAC) manager was also an end user for the GL group, so Apple and Van got to know her more because of production support. But they were merely friends at this point and will only truly bond later in this story. :)
Irene was the last to arrive, joining the GL team in late 2005. Her strong spirit and independent demeanor earned it's place in the group. They really bonded during their lunch breaks and especially during the CMG Scheme Transfer project for reasons I can't put into this blog. Irene also took over the "ate" role of the group, which Apple was not fit to provide, in spite of her "age advantage" over the others. :)
Van, Leslie, Irene, Mich and Apple at SLF Funtasy Xmas Party 2005
In the meantime, discontent, pressure and god-knows-what-else, drove Apple to apply for an opening at RAC. She was accepted and she left Central Systems, going back to her Accounting roots. This became the catalyst for Louie's crossover from friend to really close friend.
But if there's something that all of us had in common (aside from our key traits mentioned above), it was the genuine care we had for each other and the trustworthiness of each one to keep personal things private. You see, what really bonded us was our chikahan moments, either during lunch, during CR breaks, at Starbucks, at DQ, in Red Box, at our favorite lunch spots, Teriyaki Boy and Pancake House and even at the spa. We talked about everything under the sun, and provided each either support, advise, encouragement or even reprimands when it was called for. This type of friendship/candidness doesn't come by every day, and I was just fortunate enough to be part of this group.
Sadly, as the song goes, all good things come to an end. Leslie was the first to leave, she joined Navitaire late 2006. Irene soon followed and was the first to leave the Philippines, having been accepted for a job in the US. Two weeks later, Mich left for Malaysia. And a month later, I left Sun Life.
And unfortunately, VILLMA only came about when Irene filed her resignation to go to the US, because it was the only time that we realized that we were really going to be apart from each other. That's the reason why we never got a picture with all 6 of us in it at the same time. Since Leslie was already working somewhere else and couldn't join us for lunch often.
Irene, Mich, Apple, Louie and Van at Red Box - March, 2007
Although it's not really the end, as we still keep in touch thru e-mail/YM. It just can't replace the face-to-face contact we usually shared every day. But we all know that VILLMA will always be there for each other, and that sooner or later our paths will cross again. :)
VILLMA is a mnemonic for six gorgeous, driven and talented females whose paths crossed in Sun Life Financial. It started with just Van, Les and Mich, who all worked in Sun Life as programmers in 2004. They were known as the Scrabbled Eggs back then, because of a team name used in a scrabble match. Or sometimes, as Charlie's Angels. Even then, they were inseparable. And even though they were assigned to different teams, the three proved their worth by all being promoted a year and 3 months into their employment. This incident only brought them closer.
Apple, was added to the mix when she joined the GL team and Van became her "Sun Life buddy". Incidentally, her first impression of Van was that she was "plastik" for being too cheerful... Tama ba naman yun? Anyway, Apple's quirky ways, entertaining stories, and borderline green comedy quickly endeared her to the trio.
Mich, Apple, Leslie and Van at SLF Funtasy Xmas Party 2005Louie first came into the picture when she and Van became teammates in a badminton tourney. The Orange team finished second and the two got to know each other through the team's constant practices. Louie, as a Regional Accounting (RAC) manager was also an end user for the GL group, so Apple and Van got to know her more because of production support. But they were merely friends at this point and will only truly bond later in this story. :)
Irene was the last to arrive, joining the GL team in late 2005. Her strong spirit and independent demeanor earned it's place in the group. They really bonded during their lunch breaks and especially during the CMG Scheme Transfer project for reasons I can't put into this blog. Irene also took over the "ate" role of the group, which Apple was not fit to provide, in spite of her "age advantage" over the others. :)
Van, Leslie, Irene, Mich and Apple at SLF Funtasy Xmas Party 2005In the meantime, discontent, pressure and god-knows-what-else, drove Apple to apply for an opening at RAC. She was accepted and she left Central Systems, going back to her Accounting roots. This became the catalyst for Louie's crossover from friend to really close friend.
But if there's something that all of us had in common (aside from our key traits mentioned above), it was the genuine care we had for each other and the trustworthiness of each one to keep personal things private. You see, what really bonded us was our chikahan moments, either during lunch, during CR breaks, at Starbucks, at DQ, in Red Box, at our favorite lunch spots, Teriyaki Boy and Pancake House and even at the spa. We talked about everything under the sun, and provided each either support, advise, encouragement or even reprimands when it was called for. This type of friendship/candidness doesn't come by every day, and I was just fortunate enough to be part of this group.
Sadly, as the song goes, all good things come to an end. Leslie was the first to leave, she joined Navitaire late 2006. Irene soon followed and was the first to leave the Philippines, having been accepted for a job in the US. Two weeks later, Mich left for Malaysia. And a month later, I left Sun Life.
And unfortunately, VILLMA only came about when Irene filed her resignation to go to the US, because it was the only time that we realized that we were really going to be apart from each other. That's the reason why we never got a picture with all 6 of us in it at the same time. Since Leslie was already working somewhere else and couldn't join us for lunch often.
Irene, Mich, Apple, Louie and Van at Red Box - March, 2007Although it's not really the end, as we still keep in touch thru e-mail/YM. It just can't replace the face-to-face contact we usually shared every day. But we all know that VILLMA will always be there for each other, and that sooner or later our paths will cross again. :)
Tuesday, June 05, 2007
7 days...
It's been a week since I started at Sungard System Access. So I'm at the point where I can't help but compare between my old and new jobs, list down the pros and cons of my new job and generally reminisce about things I used to do.
Let's start with the good. I left Sun Life to learn new things, get new challenges and I already learned something new. Four days into my stay, I attended an orientation on API development. And now, I'm working on some programming exercises to practice what I've learned. So far, I'm getting the hang of it, and that's good.
People here are generally friendly, especially my cube-mates. Others, I'm pretty sure I'll meet in the weeks/months to come. Of course, it's still the people of Sun Life whom I miss most. Most especially, VILLMA... guys, when are we going to all get together?!?!
I miss Red Box, I miss the proximity to Glorietta/Greenbelt. I miss the long lunches, the pay-day lunch outs, the afternoon meriendas, the morning coffees, the after work chikahan. I miss Starbucks, Quickly, Mini-Stop, Watsons...I miss the work. I miss waking up in the middle of the night to answer data center's call. I miss using Merant VM, Tracker and even RFS! I miss the online HR forms. I miss ProdSupp - hard to imagine because it was one of the reasons why I transferred in the first place, but I think the bottom line there is I miss talking to people, to different users and immediately getting a sense of achievement when you've successfully answered their query. I know, mababaw talaga ang kaligayahan ko. Here, you get your specs, work on it, and that's that. Hardly a life for an extrovert in an introvert's body (or is it the other way around) if you ask me.
But being far from all the conveniences of the Enterprise Center has it's advantages. I get to save more (yay!). And anything that brings temptation farther away is a good thing. I also miss TEC's facilities, but even if we use a common washroom here, it doesn't have long queues and faulty plumbing so, I guess it's a tie for that point. :) For water, there's a water dispenser (not a drinking fountain), so I don't need to buy 10L of water every week from Watson's anymore. For food, if Sun Life has Laling, we have Ate Febe. So far, I have yet to be disappointed with her menu for the week. :) I order in almost every other day, and she wins hands-down on presentation over Laling, with rice wrapped in a banana leaf. Today I had a beef pot roast with mashed potato. It includes rice and a banana. Yum. :) All for P62.
Also noticeable here is the quiet... only occassionally broken by a telephone ring, or a work discussion. But since speakers are not allowed, it's really quite peaceful...sometimes in an unsettling way. My Ipod is definitely maximized in this place. I'm leaning on this as an advantage because you can really focus on what you're doing.
Lastly, unrestricted Internet! I can finally use YM during the day and I've reconnected with some old friends who I haven't had the chance to chat with in years. :) Oh, and if you'll notice, this entry was posted during lunch break.
Bottom line, accepting change is all about knowing what you're willing to give up in exchange for something new - be it good or not so good. I've accepted this change and I think everything is still pretty much going well. Anyway, C'est La Vie! ;-)
Let's start with the good. I left Sun Life to learn new things, get new challenges and I already learned something new. Four days into my stay, I attended an orientation on API development. And now, I'm working on some programming exercises to practice what I've learned. So far, I'm getting the hang of it, and that's good.
People here are generally friendly, especially my cube-mates. Others, I'm pretty sure I'll meet in the weeks/months to come. Of course, it's still the people of Sun Life whom I miss most. Most especially, VILLMA... guys, when are we going to all get together?!?!
I miss Red Box, I miss the proximity to Glorietta/Greenbelt. I miss the long lunches, the pay-day lunch outs, the afternoon meriendas, the morning coffees, the after work chikahan. I miss Starbucks, Quickly, Mini-Stop, Watsons...I miss the work. I miss waking up in the middle of the night to answer data center's call. I miss using Merant VM, Tracker and even RFS! I miss the online HR forms. I miss ProdSupp - hard to imagine because it was one of the reasons why I transferred in the first place, but I think the bottom line there is I miss talking to people, to different users and immediately getting a sense of achievement when you've successfully answered their query. I know, mababaw talaga ang kaligayahan ko. Here, you get your specs, work on it, and that's that. Hardly a life for an extrovert in an introvert's body (or is it the other way around) if you ask me.
But being far from all the conveniences of the Enterprise Center has it's advantages. I get to save more (yay!). And anything that brings temptation farther away is a good thing. I also miss TEC's facilities, but even if we use a common washroom here, it doesn't have long queues and faulty plumbing so, I guess it's a tie for that point. :) For water, there's a water dispenser (not a drinking fountain), so I don't need to buy 10L of water every week from Watson's anymore. For food, if Sun Life has Laling, we have Ate Febe. So far, I have yet to be disappointed with her menu for the week. :) I order in almost every other day, and she wins hands-down on presentation over Laling, with rice wrapped in a banana leaf. Today I had a beef pot roast with mashed potato. It includes rice and a banana. Yum. :) All for P62.
Also noticeable here is the quiet... only occassionally broken by a telephone ring, or a work discussion. But since speakers are not allowed, it's really quite peaceful...sometimes in an unsettling way. My Ipod is definitely maximized in this place. I'm leaning on this as an advantage because you can really focus on what you're doing.
Lastly, unrestricted Internet! I can finally use YM during the day and I've reconnected with some old friends who I haven't had the chance to chat with in years. :) Oh, and if you'll notice, this entry was posted during lunch break.
Bottom line, accepting change is all about knowing what you're willing to give up in exchange for something new - be it good or not so good. I've accepted this change and I think everything is still pretty much going well. Anyway, C'est La Vie! ;-)
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