I just got home from a night out with Auntie Emma, Uncle Ding and his niece and nephew. As I sit here at the computer, for the life of me I can't remember their names. Boo me. We all had dinner at California Pizza Kitchen were Auntie Emma insisted they had the best tiramisu she had ever tasted. I had to admit, it was pretty good indeed. After that we walked around the new Americana complex and I snapped a few photos here and there.

Today was pretty good. Still a light day considering there's not so much for me and Cathy to do specifically since the next classes that we'll be handling all start next week. For the most part it gave me time to catch up on email, chat with folks back at our Makati and QC offices and of course exchange messages with Brian |kitchengod| about how things are going and possible plans for when I eventually come up. The third quarter of the year has always been especially meaningful for us since our anniversary is in July, my birthday is in August and his is in September. There's also the day I left home, which is technically in the second quarter since it's in June, but then that's besides the point. What matters is a lot of our major events or dates in terms of our joint lives tend to be within the next few months. That always gives us a lot to talk about.

I've always been skeptical about how long distance relationships are really supposed to work and have had to learn a little about it with this experience. It sucks to be on the other side of the work from where the man you love is and despite the wonders of technology, they can only do so much to keep things going. I'm not saying things aren't going well or anything silly like that - it's just that it's hard to be apart and there's not much that can make it easier. At the same time, you can't help but see all the pretty baubles around, if you get my drift, and thankfully despite every desire to try and touch them, both my common sense and my own introverted nature work together to keep me faithful, for lack of a better term. Ugh, that was a very long sentence, now wasn't it?

In terms of work, I live from week to week or sometimes day to day even. Despite all that, I keep in mind that in the longer term, I'm inevitable coming home. I wonder, at times, how things are going to be like when I get back to Manila. Who knows how much some things might change.

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Oh yeah, the tears on Unicron's face really clinch it for me. =P

The week remains light, which of course is a good thing in many respects. I mean when you think about it, I've been pretty busy from the day I stepped off the plane so a little slow time is good for the mind somehow, right? That's been pretty much 6 weeks straight of being in the training environment, whether as a student for the first two weeks, a trainer and pretty much a member of the support implementation team in Texas for another and these last two weeks as a trainer for a completely different campaign that what I had been focused on for the previous weeks. In the short term, I'm still working with this same campaign, albeit a different line group, for the two weeks after this one.

Wait, wasn't I supposed to be talking about how light things are? Ugh, given mini-rants like that, I guess I really do need to relax a bit more.

So I pretty much spent today exploring the knowledge bases of the three campaigns I'm fully trained to handle now and watched every single video available to be within those knowledge bases. Ah yes, the joys of work-related media viewing. I actually brought a headset to work for precisely this purpose, haha.

The pseudo diet plan is doing okay, although I could be in better adherence I bet. I am managing to blindly avoid sources of carbohydrates like rice and potatoes but stumbled a bit when Cathy ordered pizza last night and when Armando brought us out for some Vietnamese - how can you not eat Pho without enjoying the rice noodles? Still, that part is doing pretty well and I was really good for dinner by only having fish and veggies.

In terms of exercise, Cathy and I have gotten into a pact to always use the stairs at the hotel, which means her going up three flights of stairs and me going up four all the time. That plus our walking to and from work and pretty much wherever we choose to eat for the day should help a wee bit in terms of helping us managing our weight and not falling prey to the ridiculous portions here and how rich most of the food is. In recent days, I seem to be managing to get Asian food as opposed to the US fast food which is a lot more prevalent and readily available in the area, which generally goes down better than all that beef. As long as I don't get too tempted to gorge myself on rice and other starchy foods, I should be well on my way to a more manageable weight before we eventually go home. Our goal is to try and come home lighter than how we came here, which isn't usually the case for most folks who visit the US and end up eating way too much.

Mamma Mia isn't going to happen anymore - Auntie Emma called to let me know that it turned out the show is no longer in Pasadena and had moved on. We'll still meet up tomorrow for dinner and maybe visiting a mall instead and I'm always good for the quality time and free food, haha.

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This actually sounds like a fun idea to try, LOL

Sometimes you just get so busy that when you finally stop moving, it feels like the world is spinning. You know that feeling, right? How you just get used to the world moving at a certain pace and once you finally get to slow down and stop, things seem like a blur around you and you need to take some time to breathe and consciously will the world to fall back into order. Once things settle down, you see things you didn't notice in your mad dash from one activity to the next and realize that there are other things that need your attention, things that you may have ignored for the most part but now see perfectly clearly.

Yeah, my thoughts were pretty much in this area over the weekend and now I'm pretty sure of what I need to do. In some ways it may seem like a totally new direction and yet then again it could just be the natural progression of everything I've been working on thus far. I've always been one to think ahead and not just live from moment to moment - everything is part of a greater whole and contributes to a larger future of plans and objections, of goals both personal and professional in nature. I think it's this single-mindedness at times that saves me and keeps me moving forward despite all the crap life throws our way. It's just how I operate and I doubt I'm going to change anytime soon.

Today is going to be a light week for me and Cathy. We both don't have actual classes to care for and are devoting our time to side activities related to our preparations for our next activities - her new hire class and my script training all for next week. It gives us time to relax a bit more and have decent lunches instead of the rushed meals we've barely managed in the past weeks given our classes and our highly restrictive breaks. Yeah, just enough time to stop and smell the coming rain.

I only have a temporary desk to work from amidst the floor stations of a campaign I don't actually handle. It's no biggie since I'm among QA staff so I don't mind the company and I know that at least I have some level of privacy as needed. It's not like I'm up to some scheme or plot from my cube - I just don't want people see me chatting with folks back home, LOL. The joys of unblocked third party instant messenger clients and botched firewall jobs.

I wonder how this week is going to turn out? It's like we're nearing a particularly important junction and things are liable to change dramatically at any moment.

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This just cracked me up to no end when I saw it in the paper today.

For those of you who missed yesterday's greeting based around Manila time - HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY! We still have a few hours left here on the West Coast, hehe.

I have a new friend in the form of the internet radio station BoysTownLive, which constantly streams free dance remixes with pretty much no commercials apart from station IDs. I haven't really dealt with streaming music since my Yahoo LAUNCHCast days, which are long since passed especially with the advent of BitTorrent clients. Why stream when you can download, right? Still, dance music remixes are devilishly hard to find at times and I don't actually need to have them on my computer all the time - I just need to be able to play them when the mood hits me and I need good back-up music for whatever activity I'm busying myself with.

Today was a nothing day.

Cathy woke up close to noon and I didn't really feel like going out today. I probably could have partied against last night had I the nerve for it, but at the time I didn't feel that either. In truth, I had fallen asleep in the middle of uploading photos from our day out yesterday that I woke up with my glasses on (and thankfully intact), with me on top of all the slip covers and stuff. I didn't even get to put a blanket on - I just collapsed on the bed as in with the TV on and my laptop running. Ugh.

Our only trip out of the hotel was to go around the groceries in the area to scout out some low carb stuff my sister wants me to buy for her. It was an initial foray into the groceries so we didn't actually buy anything major this time around apart from me picking more load for my prepaid mobile, bottled water, peanuts for low-carb snacking and vitamins. Yum yum, what a combination, haha. Next time around I'll remember to pick up some tuna snack cups as opposed to just the peanuts. They're good and all, but I know I can't have a lot of them when going into semi-Atkins mode. They have a lower carb content, but still aren't without consequence.

I'm trying to be serious about this change in eating habits. I'll still indulge myself from time to time, I'm sure, but for the most part I need to get rid of the massive amounts of potatoes I've been eating and even the rice and other carbs that come with them. Thus dinner today was some grilled chicken and beef from some Japanese restaurant we found (or was it Korean?) and the side salad that came with it. I don't plan to go ultra-strict like I did back in high school since that just left me overly depressed. I just need to manage things better so I get back to a more manageable weight.

Yeah, I want to try to be one of those Filipinos who will actually come back from the US thinner. I certainly love a challenge, hehe.

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Sound advice, as always. =P

Back home, it's already Sunday so let me say HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY! That goes out to my mom and of course all you other mothers out there. I hope my flowers arrived on time...

We've been pretty busy within the last 24 hours, although it's a nice kind of busy since it's been all about staying out.

Friday night Cathy and I were pretty much set to go to Rage at West Hollywood together, so I wouldn't find myself sad and depressed in the middle of the dance floor or something silly like that. Besides, after our respective classes, we deserved a break. We worked things around so we had dinner early enough and were in the area around 10:00pm. We walked around West Hollywood so Cathy could see the various bars, the public displays of homosexual affection and of course a side trip to see the sex shops.

Ironically enough when we got to the entrance of the bar, it appears they were asking for valid IDs from everyone, which had not happened to me in the two prior times I had visited. I was okay since I always bring my passport for just that reason but Cathy was sans bag last night and pretty much had nothing on her. Thus, she couldn't go in. Bugger. A few frantic calls later, the Filipino team managed to pick her up since they were already out for karaoke anyway and I found myself alone at Rage again. Given how I had pretty much set my mind to heading out today, I persisted and ventured in alone. I just had one drink and did a lot of dancing and this time around I think I generally just had fun and didn't spend too much time thinking of how much I miss my friends back home during nights like this. Still, next time Cathy is definitely bringing a valid ID.

Today Cathy and I headed down to Hollywood yet again to play tourist and visited both the Hollywood Wax Museum and the Guinness Museums, which had a two-for-one deal for just $17.95. The wax figurines weren't all that amazing and they were only interesting in the context of the films that they represented. The Guinness museum was pretty much just walking through the records with a few exhibits and factoids posted everywhere. Still, it was nice that we actually went to see them.

That was topped off with a trip back to the Mann's Chinese Theaters to watch Speed Racer. It was just okay - extremely campy and only totally fun for someone who liked the original cartoon. Otherwise, it'll feel too kid-focused.

I weighed myself at Guinness in comparison to the world's fattest man and it said that I'm currently 196 pounds. Crap. Considering I actually lost weight after my time in Texas, then overall it seems I'm heavier than when I arrived from Manila. Then again, it's been a while since I actually weight myself. Of course the exact number doesn't matter right now - the general plan is that I need to take greater control of my eating. Cathy and I were talking about this over breakfast before heading out and we're sort of agreed to attempt to pull an Atkin's and drastically reduce our carb intake. The official start date is Monday but already I'm trying to stop eating rice and potatoes at least since both still seem to be in abundance in terms of the food here.

Now it's Saturday night and I'm just here at the hotel. After all that being out on the town, I guess it's only fitting we just chill out here for a change.

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Stephen Pastis really knows how to push good taste, LOL!

It's Friday - the end of the working week. I'm finally done with this training class and will be a little freer next week since I'll just be preparing for the next big initiative.

After a week like this, I think I deserve a break, right?

Thus, I'm dragging Cathy down to West Hollywood for a night of limited drinking but a ridiculous amount of "dancing" if you want to call it that. Oh yeah, I'm not going to get all gloomy on the dance floor this time.

I least I hope not.

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Dogbert's last question is a pretty valid one, you know...

The situation in Myanmar is just appalling - why do we let politicians get in the way of basic human decency? People are dying needlessly you stupid bastards!

The work week is almost over - thank the stars above and the gods below for that. It's not that I'm complaining or anything, but you have to admit that the weekend is always a welcome event even for dedicated busy bodies like myself, LOL. The class that I've been handling has been a difficult one given all the unusual factors involved - their disjointed first week of training under 4 different trainers / mentors, the cultural differences, the resistance to the training practice as a whole as opposed to more hit-the-ground-running kind of on the job learning - UGH! Still, I think I've grown with this experience and in the end I think I've been able to command some kind of respect with the group that should make a mark on their careers with the company. Well, at least that's what I hope to happen.

My next 2-3 weeks have already been mapped out and I'm always glad for the work. It always pays to keep busy and to always have new tasks to perform or roles to fulfill - throw in the context of being in a different country with such a diverse culture in such a small space and it certainly makes for a more interesting learning experience for everyone involved. There's a pretty big initiative coming up and the clients will be present in numbers for the project kick-off and I suppose it's a fortunate coincidence that I'm here at this time. With resources stretched so thinly here, it seems I've come in at the right time to really make an impact in terms of meaningful training assistance for the campaigns here. The joys of being multi-skilled, I suppose.

The weekend holds promise. Cathy and I are planning to head down to West Hollywood tomorrow night for some dancing and fun in general. After all the crap from the past two weeks, I think we deserve a good night out. I'm okay with returning to the club scene since at least I'll have someone with me this time around. I'll still miss my friends, who are essentially my second family in my life as a gay man, but then I'll also try to have fun since they'd certainly want that for me too. For Saturday we've been invited to a barbecue party of sorts at Armando's place - sounds like another very Filipino event complete with videoke via Magic Sing, LOL.

Auntie Emma called me yesterday - she's invited me to go watch Mamma Mia! with her next week since its currently touring in Pasadena. As far as plays go, I know it's not the most amazing musical or anything like that. Then again, I'm a fan of musicals and of ABBA, strangely enough, so either way I know I'm going to have fun. It's nice to have relatives who share your love of musical theater, hehe.

Oh, and don't forget Speed Racer! I so have to catch that movie this weekend, too!

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This is amazingly true! 87% of Dilbert readers agree with me on that! =P

Still no rain today, but the day was generally overcast and slightly gloomy. I think it was even a little bit colder today compared to yesterday, which definitely can't be a good thing. I don't want to be caught outside in a down pour given I don't have an umbrella over here and rain would totally ruin the work to or from work. Hmm, maybe I should pick one up at the grocery or something. Anyway, I find myself constantly sniffing the air while I'm out - I guess I'm sort of hoping that I'll be able to use my nose to sniff out the rain despite being in a non-tropical environment. Who knows - it just might work!

I'm finally past the mid-week hump and my current class is quickly drawing to a close. It's somehow ironic now that the campaign I'm trying now is one of those campaigns I handle in Manila and went into so much effort to endorse and pass on to my boss Carlo prior to my trip. Now I'm knee-deep in their activities again, possibly rolling out a new script for the group next week. I guess that's what I get for being multi-skilled for different campaigns and lines of business and not just one - I get to put on different hats as needed. It's certainly fulfilling work - Training always is, really - and I have to admit that I can't even possibly remotely imply that things are boring or anything like that. While it's not quite me performing to my full managerial capacity, it's still a lot more than what I was busying myself with at home.

It's kinda disappointing to actually type that, but then it is what it is as many people love to say. Things have just changed dramatically over the past months that now it feels more and more like this is where the action is and possibly where resources like myself might be more needed. That leaves me with figuring out how to balance my domestic life with the demands of the job, but then so far I think I'm managing decently well. It's a known fact that I miss Brian |kitchengod| terribly, that I miss Smoke and Mist and that I miss all my friends back home, but then I've always figured myself to be built of stern enough stuff to handle such emotional challenges. Its not that I don't care or feel the same way - of course not. I just do my best not to display those feelings too much when unneeded and of course to not let any of this affect my ability to perform the work. Quite the corporate loyalist, aren't I?

The next two days should be interesting - between T3's via conference calls, individual role-plays to listen to and evaluate and assessments to track and calculate. Emails to send, meetings to attend and plans to implement - all in a day's work really. And then we just enjoy the weekend as best we can in order to get ready to do it all over again the next week.

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TAKE IT BACK!!!