Boot Camp on my iMac

So SWEET! I'm running Windows on my iMac now and the dual-boot functionality of Leopard is AMAZING! Boy am I a happy teddy bear ...

My Relationship with Technology: The Beginning

It all started with an internship at PHINMA in the early 90s, back when Windows 3.0 was just taking off in the Philippines.

I wasn't really required to take a summer internship at any company since taking Interdisciplinary Studies didn't really force you to unlike the Management courses in Ateneo. Thankfully the Management Engineering Department, with whom at that time I still had some affiliation with, assisted me in landing an internship at the MIS Department at PHINMA.

My computer background was very much limited to the vagaries of DOS and Wordstar at that time (Ctrl B anyone?) and the MIS Department at PHINMA I assumed was at a loss as to what to assign to me given that (1) I was not enrolled in or taking courses involving Computer Science and (2) I was not really required to take the internship as an IS student. So what did I end up doing?

Documentation.

That's right. I was introduced to MS Word 6.0 (on DOS) and was tasked to do documentation on the systems the MIS Department did for the various cement plants for PHINMA. I even vaguely remember the opportunity to go along with the team for a tour of the plant in Antipolo and understand what the systems looked like in place at the site. Impressive aye?

So for a measly P200 per day allowance, I was driving from Antipolo to Makati to my daily chores of creating an idiot's guide to these systems. It was through the course of this summer that I realize that I had a knack for computers. Not very in depth mind you, but enought to hold my own in any geekfest out there.

To be continued ...

Cebu Pacific: It's Time Everyone Waits!!!

I am writing this blog at the Davao International Airport, having come in at the prescribed 2 hours prior departure (me being very anal as far as punctuality is concerned). Just while I'm settling in for the prescribed wait for the plane to Manila ... BAM: another 30 minute delay for the Cebu Pacific flight.

Whatever happened to their ad: arrive on time, or something like that, (which was a direct dig at their only competition in the Philippines, Philippine Airlines)? PAL (or Plane Always Late as the jokes go) had a penchant for having delays in their schedules every time. To which you would wonder ... why set a departure time in the first place when you always miss it? But that's PAL. Which is why I never took PAL for domestic flights (among other reasons).

Now with the way Cebu Pacific has been very remiss at their responsibility to have their passengers "arrive on time" is the Filipino traveler left with no alternative at all???

This flight to Davao has not been very good schedule-wise by CebuPac. First off, I receive a text Friday (a day before my flight) that my flight will be delayed 7 hours. Excuse me? Did you say seven hours? Yes, I applaud their efforts to be proactive and have customer satisfaction at heart when they called me, took my rebooking and accepted my complaint with nary a squeak.

My flight to Davao this morning, supposed to leave at 5:10am, leaves at 6:10am. I had to wake up at 3 in the morning for it and this is what we travelers get ... idle, unproductive time at the airport all bleary-eyed and wishing you had that extra hour of sleep.

Maybe next time I'll take a boat.

the eXpat update

Final eXpat showing date (from the show's Executive Producer so don't quote me) will be on January 3 on TFC and January 4 on Studio 23. We had a photoshoot recently so watch out for our profiles on this website (once it's updated): http://chasingcarscreatives.com/