survey time!

By now we all know how this works!

1.FIRST NAME?
Manuel Elias

2. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE?
Manuel - my dad's name is Manuel, same as my lolo (it gets passed down)
Elias - no idea, it was added so that I wouldn’t have to put “III” behind my name

3. WHEN DID YOU LAST CRY?
Nung umiyak si franny!

4 DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING?
Yes, keeps my notes clean and tidy

5. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCHMEAT?
Just plain ground beef with ketchup and rice!

6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOURSELF?
Maybe I would – they always ask this question

7. DO YOU HAVE A JOURNAL?
Yup, but I don’t write on it religiously.

8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS?
Yes

9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP?
Yes!!!

10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL?
Kellog's Special K with strawberries

11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF?
Yes

12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG?
I think I am

14. SHOE SIZE?
10.5

15. RED OR PINK?
Red

16. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF?
I’m heavy!

17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST?
Franny!!!

18. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO SEND THIS BACK TO YOU?
Why not!?

19. WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING?
Blue tennis shorts, and plain flip-flops

20. LAST THING YOU ATE?
Rice with sinigang nababoy

21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW?
The humming sound from the AC unit in my room

22. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE?
I always like the blue crayon

23. FAVORITE SMELL?
The smell near the beach

24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE?
Tito Marc telling me that my cousin is about to enter surgery

25. THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE YOU ARE ATTRACTED TO?
Their faces

26. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU?
Of course, it’s lola tina!!!

27. FAVORITE DRINK?
Orange Juice

28. FAVORITE SPORT?
Tennis, basketball and bowling

29. EYE COLOR?
Dark brown

30. HAT SIZE?
I’m not sure about the first number I think its 7 and 3/8

31. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS?
No

32. FAVORITE FOOD?
Franny’s Lasagna and Manang Maria’s baked spaghetti.

33. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS?
Happy endings, not muchof a fan of scary movies

34. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING?
orange

35. SUMMER OR WINTER?
winter

36. HUGS OR KISSES?
A nice tight hug can really lighten up one’s day

37. FAVORITE DESSERT?
Oreo and strawberry cheesecake

38. WHO IS MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND?
I’m not sure, since a lot of people have responded already.

39. LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND?
Hmm… I have no idea, Tina said it could be Justin. I trust in Lola Tina!!! (sipsip)

40. WHAT BOOKS ARE YOU READING?
books – Rats, articles – Papers and Studies on Corruption

41. WHAT'S ON YOUR MOUSE PAD?
Same as lola tina, I use an optical mouse

42. WHAT DID YOU WATCH LAST NIGHT ON TV?
Last night, didn’t watch tv.

43. FAVORITE SOUNDS?
My sleepy time playlist on my laptop.

44. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES?
Beatles

45. THE FURTHEST YOU'VE BEEN FROM HOME?
I guess flying to New York when I first moved

46. WHAT'S YOUR SPECIAL TALENT?
Cross-stitching

47. AND WHERE WERE YOU BORN?
Gainesville, Florida – home of the Univ of Florida Gators!

48. WHO SENT THIS TO YOU? Lola Tina!!!

leaving on an airplane...

There are a few moments in our lives that we allow ourselves to endure periods of boredom. I am going through one of those moments, I am here at JFK airport waiting for my flight to start boarding. Luckily for me, they have a few televisions here and they are showing the Suns go against the Lakers.

My flight is scheduled to leave at 1250am, and I was informed by the travel agent that I should check-in around 9-930am. That's one thing I never follow. I still maintain and believe that you can still go and arrive just 2 hours before one's flight and for domestic flights, I feel that an hour before your flight is enough time. The only time that I almost missed a flight was when I was in Manila. For some reason, the airline that only had 2 counters open to check-in one's luggage. It was really messed up, and in the end, they just ended up delaying the departure time since there were still so many people still on line waiting 30 minutes before the estimated time of departure.

Well, its now 1141pm. I just have an hour to go. There seems to be some activity going on near the gate. We might be boarding soon =) will write again once I arrive in Manila.

Take me out to the ballgame...

Considering that I've been living here in the Bronx for almost 6 years already. It was only yesterday and the day before that when I finally got to watch a baseball game! Playing were the NY Yankees and the Cleveland Indians at the stadium here in the area. It was such a nice experience, we were able to watch 2 games, the first one was a night game and we had seats which were a few rows behind the dugout of the Indians (thanks again David & Taryn for inviting us to join you guys!) The second one which was an afternoon game was one we observed in the bleachers section.

Both of the games we watched were fun games, it helped that we won both games! Though for the second game we didn't get to finish the game cause Franny and I had to get back to school to finish some stuff and meet up with a professor. To sum the game up, it was a great comeback by the Yankees to win the game after being down by 4 runs in the bottom of the 9th inning.

I wasn't able to take too many pictures that night. I just wasn't too concerned taking pics. It was just enjoyable being there and enjoying the whole atmosphere of the game. Thanks Leanne for the pic during the afternoon game.

franny, cheering after a home-run by giambi!

the view from our seats.

leanne, tina, franny and me - bleacher section

I'm going home!

I finally booked my flight home! I've been delaying my purchase of a ticket given that I was going to be able to get home via a discounted ticket. Unfortunately, things didn't work out and I had to get myself a regular ticket. I don't really feel bad at all, though the savings was going to be really significant. I guess this is why funding was given for the research in the first place. Hehehe!

Looking forward to see family and friends when I go back, as well as get a lot of research work done.

Fr. Ben Nebres's visit

Ever since I started at Fordham University, Fr. Nebres would always visit the campus and give a talk at the Economics/IPED department. It would usually be either the week before or after Holy Week. Most of the topics involved would be the current political state of the Philippines, along with other issues being faced by the country. This year given that its a few weeks before elections, his talk touched on the the lack of issues being raised up by the politicians.

Along with that, Fr. Nebres also discussed Gawad Kalinga. An organization which is trying to gather more support for its projects which involve providing homes which clearly help in uplifting the poor. It may not seem much, but as he mentioned in the talk, that for the poor having a home for themselves that they can be proud of is really a major step for them.

One of the memorable quotes of the night was when someone asked about the issue of population growth. How the issue was being addressed in the country and what was the opinion on the said issue. Basically, he answered that increasing or providing a means of livelihood is the key issue, given that "0 divided by 10 is the same as 0 divided by 2, thus by giving them a source of income it would make them realize that planning the size of their family will have a direct affect with the income that they earn.

Just thought that was a nice way of saying things. I've included some pics as well.

leanne, justin, chilai, fr. ben, karla and me

me, karla, jose rizal, chilai, justin and leanne

the inside of the embassy lobby

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter Sunday to everyone!

It was a nice day today, a bit cold but nothing a jacket couldn't handle. Franny and along with a few other friends of ours decided to enjoy the day by going out to Curry in a Hurry. It's a nice little place on 28th and lexington ave. They have great food and its very affordable as well.

That was pretty much it. Hope everyone else had a great easter!

in front of the restaurant

look at all that nice food!

leanne and chilai happy!

A really random survey....

This is going to be one weird survey given the rules which are -->

Put your ipod on shuffle. Press forward for each question. Use the song title as the answer to the question even if they don't make sense. You'll be surprised though.

NO CHEATING.

*How am I feeling today?
Jungle Boogie - Kool and the Gang

*Will I get far in life?
Every Breath You Take - the Police

*How do my friends see me?
Mama told me not to come - Tom Jones & the Stereophonics

*Where will I get married?
House of Love - Amy Grant finally one of the answers make sense!

*What is my best friend's theme song?
Prayer for Generosity marami siguro hinihingi best friend ko hahaha! labo!?!

*What is the story of my life?
Don't Tread of Me - Metallica more and more answers are starting to fit. hehehe!

*What was high school like?
I Don't Want to Talk About It - Everything but the Girl not really accurate, high school was a great time.

*What is the best thing about me?
Eastside Jam - Kenny G I do like the east coast better than the midwest and west coast.

*What was today like?
Larger than Life - Backstreet Boys what a reply to a simple question

*What is in store for this weekend?
Rock with You - Michael Jackson I guess it will be a good weekend then

*What song describes my parents?
A Sight for Sore Eyes - M People it happens to be one of my mom's fave songs

*How is my life going?
Kiss on my list - Hall & Oats

*What song will they play at my funeral?
Get Ready 4 This - 2 Unlimited I didn't know my funeral would also be a sporting event?!

*How does the world see me?
Innocence - Kenny G another Kenny G song? what are the odds? I could solve for it but I'm lazy. hehehe!

*Do people secretly lust after me?
No Ordinary Love - Jennifer Love Hewitt I guess that's why its lust and not love. hahaha!!!

*How can I make myself happy?
Tragedy - Bee Gees are you saying I delight in the misery of others???

*What should I do with my life?
Give It Up - K.C. & the Sunshine Band ummm.... sounds suicidal. rather ironic given its a fun song!

*Will I ever have children?
Don't Damn Me! - Guns N Roses

*What will you name them?
Hopelessly Addicted - the Corrs

*Who will you marry?
New York City - the Village People

*Do you have a gf/bf?
New Mother Nature/Verwirrung - Wolfgang

Bisita Iglesia...

Following the traditions that we used to do back in Manila, we did a Bisita Iglesia. Pretty much it meant us visiting 7 churches and praying the Stations of the Cross. It was nice being able to redo the traditions that Franny and I used to do back home with our respective families back in Manila.

Churches we visited :
Mt. Carmel - 187th Street & Belmont Avenue
St. Paul the Apostle - 60th Street & 9th Avenue
St. Patrick's Cathedral - 50th Street & 5th Avenue
St. Malachy's - 49th Avenue b/n 8th Avenue & Broadway
St. Francis - 16th Street b/n 5th & 6th Avenue
the Transfiguration Catholic Church - corner of Mott Street & Mosco Street
Fordham University Church - Fordham Rose Hill Campus

After the 6th Church, we ate dinner at Hop Kee! Hehehe! Always a great place to have dinner and just pig out. It also gave us a chance to meet our friend Dom's mom. She was in town for a week or two and they were able to join us for dinner. Click here for more the pictures I took from our little go around. As is the case, I'll post a few pics here, the rest will be on my multiply site.

first stop mt. carmel

in front of the nintendo store

St. Malachy's Church

after dinner at Hop Kee

on our way home from Mass at Fordham

Congratulations to all our new lawyers!

Congratulations to all those who passed the 2006 Philippine Bar! I'm sure you are all rejoicing and celebrating with your loved ones on this great accomplishment.

monday weigh-in and another survey!!!

Franny and I took advantage of the nice weather today. We played for over an hour, then I went off to the courts to play a few pick-up games with the undergrads. I was pretty impressed with myself cause I managed to play for over 2 hours and I was able to keep up with them. Though there were times that I would pace myself and take my time going down to the offensive end. Hehehe! At least I managed to play through it.

Of course going to the courts, means a weigh-in before I leave.

current weight : 247.5 lbs
previous weight : 250 lbs

Making progress! Hehehe!

-----000-----

And to break the monotony of just posting my weigh-in, let us include a survey!

70 Confessions grabbed from Karla who grabbed it from Maris

1.The phone rings. Who do you want it to be?
right now, I want it to be from the place where I applied for an internship

2. When shopping at the grocery store..
i usually end up buying things which aren't on the list of things to buy, namely - candy like gummi bears!

3. If you had to kiss the last person you kissed, would you?
i don't mind kissing franny again!

4. Do you take compliments well?
I would like to think that I do

5. Do you play Sudoku?
yes! I used to play online always, but not lately

6. If abandoned alone in the wilderness, would you survive?
yup yup! I know I'm pretty capable of taking care of myself.

7. Do you like nipple rings?
nopes

8. Did you ever go to camp as a kid?
I used to join camps to learn a new sport every summer when I was a kid.

9. What was your favorite game as a kid?
agawan base

10. If a sexy person was pursuing you, but you knew he/she was married what would do?
I'd turn them down.

12. Could you date someone with different religious beliefs than you?
I don't think so. I'm sure that it would lead to issues later on

13. Do you like to pursue or be pursued?
who doesn't want to be pursued. I've pursued long enough already!

14. Use three words to describe yourself at the moment.
tired, sleepy and bored

15. Do any songs make you cry?
yes, but I can't remember what songs those would be

16. Are you continuing your education?
finishing up with my ph.d.

17. Do you know how to shoot a gun?
I sure do!

18. If your house was on fire, what would be the first thing you grab?
Franny, and other important documents of mine

19. Who was the last person you shared a bed with?
Franny!

20. Who do you call the most?
Franny!

21. What is your favorite children's book?
I really didn't have one favorite.

22. What color are your eyes?
dark brown

23. How tall are you?
5'10"

24. Do you have a crush on 'Dave the Goofy Professor'?
I have no idea who "Dave" is

25. If you could do it over again, start from scratch, would you?
Hmmm... I'm happy with my life, but I would curious to find out.

26. Any secret admirers?
I have no idea at all

27. Have you ever taken pictures in a photo booth?
Yup while in a mall in florida

28. When was the last time you were at Olive Garden?
was when I watched a Knicks game. That was in November last year, I think

29 Favorite ex?
ummm... none

30. Where is the furthest place you've traveled?
New York

33. Do you prefer to sleep or eat?
Hmm... I think it would be sleep especially on a nice cold night

34. Do you look like your mom or dad?
I'm not sure who I resemble more

35. How long does it take you in the shower?
I'm a quick shower taker. It takes me less than 10 minutes always.

36. Can you do splits?
Nopes, but the closest I was roughly an inch and a half away from doing a complete split!

37. What movie do you want to see right now?
If I answered this question a few days ago, it would be 300, but now its Blades of Glory

39. What did you do for New Year's Eve?
Had dinner with my family at my mom's apartment. Last time we all had dinner together was in 2002.

40. Do you think The Grudge was crappy?
I never got to watch it

Hmm... we're missing a number #41, so its just 69 confessions!

42. Do you own a camera phone?
Yes, but I don't use it that much

44. Was your mom a cheerleader?
No idea

45. What's the last letter of your middle name?
C

47. How many hours of sleep do you get a night?
When I was working, it would be around 4-5 hours, but nowadays I usually get 8-9 hours

48. Do you like care bears?
yes! I think I still have their movies in vhs somewhere in manila. hahaha!

49. What do you buy at the Movies?
Usually popcorn and a big soda!

50. Do you know how to play poker?
Yes! I love playing poker

51.Do you wear your seatbelt?
Yes, I learned the hard way to always wear it. The scars above my eyes are a constant reminder

52. What do you wear to sleep?
boxer shorts and a basketball jersey

53. Anything big ever happen in your town?
something always happens here in new york

54. Is your hair straight or curly?
right now, I'm bald. But if I grow it out, it will be curly and wavy

55. Is your tongue pierced?
nopes

56. Do you like Liver and Onions?
No!!!

57.Have you ever been in love?
of course I have!

58. Do you like funny or serious people better?
maybe it would be serious people, I'll take care of being funny!

59. Ever been to L.A.?
yes, that's where I first stayed when I moved to the US.

61. Do you visit goofyauctions.com daily?
Nopes. This is the first time I've heard of the site.

62. Do you steal or pay for your music downloads?
I just download, though I have bought some songs on Itunes as well

63. Do you hate chocolate?
Nopes, I like chocolate, but I'm not one who craves it.

64. What do/did you and your parents fight about the most?
The usual arguments between parents and their kids

65. Are you a gullible person?
nopes

66. Do you need a boyfriend/girlfriend to be happy?
No need, I think you need to be happy with yourself before you can make other people happy.

67. If u could have any job what would it be?
I'd love to run my business in Manila as well as teach part-time in a University

68. Are you easy to get along with?
I would like to think that I'm sociable and that I don't rub people the wrong way

69. What is your favorite time of day?
past midnight, things usually really quiet down at that time.

70. Are you a generally happy person?
Yup yup! I think I'm an optimist!

Happy birthday to April celebrants!

Even though my palm desktop may have screwed up, I will still make sure I greet all of you celebrating their birthdays! Hope you all have a great time celebrating and may you have more birthdays and blessings from our good Lord.

1 - maita j., ferdie e.
3 - ep g.
4 - gemma a., daphne o.
7 - tringie c.
9 - alf c.
10 - tita belen
11 - jenell c., vincent v.
12 - errol m.
15 - mian d-d.
20 - jowie m., rj v.
21 - mark d., kayo c.
25 - geof m.

God bless and have a great year ahead of you!