Guess who's back...

I've been missing-in-action in my blog lately... sorry my avid readers, yes, all 6 of you... nyaaahahaha...

I've been coming home quite late these past few days, so by the time I step in the house, I'm too tired to open the PC. (yeah...yeah...excuses...)

We have been eating dinner at different places lately, and since our home is pretty "provincial" (read: far from the city), we end up dragging our tired (and often bloated) bodies toward our beds by the time we open the front door.

But now I'm back and ready to spread happiness (and havoc) to the universe...

So what's new?... have you ever wondered what you missed about my little-island life? well, even if you haven't, I'm telling you anyway... :)


1. The Annex (parang title ng horror movie)
2 new engineers from my former company (cebu branch), came in to my present company... our number has reached double figures...we are now officially "the annex" branch, or more accurately, the "Abu Sayaf break-away group" version of NSP...


2. Malaysia truly Manila... ay este Asia...
I went to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia last oct21 and stayed there til the evening of oct24. I was sent there for the "Knowledge Transfer" (a.k.a. turnover activity) and to formally meet our telco client.

I need to go back 2 more times within the next few weeks to complete my training.

details like the annoying plane ride, the lonely walks, the strange conversations, and other twilight-zone moments on a later post...


3. I'm gaining weight!!!
waaaaaaaaaaaaaaa... and I've only been here for more than 80days?!!! must stop these dinner adventures soon... curse you "fusion" restos!!! I raise my fist in your general direction with utter disgust (and gluttony)!


4. Am I in the wrong country?, I thought this was SG?!
I just learned that almost all of the people in the office whom I thought were Singaporeans aren't. Some were from Malaysia, Vietnam, China,Indonesia, etc.

Apparently, I know only ONE Singaporean... one!?!!! (some girl from another team whose cubicle was next to ours). weird e??? Where have all the locals gone??? Have the foreigners totally taken over the island? Does the government know that their economy is powered by people from other countries?.... And why am I even asking these questions as if I care about other people's welfare? Ok, I better stop now...


5. some pictures are worth more than a thousand words...
I've compiled more weird/funny/creepy pictures... again, on a later post... dami ko ng utang na post!

laters... :)

Does this mean I'm screwed?

while studying the config files of the system i'm trying to learn, i came across this very interesting config file for the database :
(some words are omitted... it's an awfully long comment for one config flag... )

#STRONGLY DISRECOMMENDED
#Setting this flag to true may lead to subtle
#and bizarre bugs.......
#......... This is a terrible setting......
#...supports transactions "partially" (this is oxymoronic,
#as the whole point of transactions is to perform operations
#reliably and completely, but nonetheless such
#database are out there) .....
#........ ..... //some really long explanation why it's bad
#...............................................
#..... otherwise, setting this to true is just a BAD idea
#
#flag=false
flag=true

need I say more? :)

cool...but kinda creepy

... not your typical blog entry title about your first week of work, but let me explain...

week 1 of work was fine.

morning of day 1 included a security briefing. to summarize: i felt like i was working for the pentagon... id contact cards, security cameras, secret pin codes, "trap" doors (serously, sooo cool), annoyingly noisy alarms (with matching sirens), and scary security dudes that have that "we take R&D seriously" look on their faces, or more accurately, the "don't mess with my door!" look. it's cool but kinda creepy...

i met my groupmates in the afternoon. As of present, I'm the only girl (and filipino) in the group... again, cool but kinda creepy... :)

i was given an overview of what we do and number of documents and e-books i have to digest. IMSI, MSISDN, MNC, etc... terms I usually see from my old company but can't explain what, but now it all makes sense! it feels good to be working on something i can explain to my parents... cool, but kinda creepy...

there are 4 other people with me on my first day of work and 2 of them are Filipinos. and want to know what's really creepy?... both of them are from my old company, but from our Cebu branch... (no wonder they look familiar)... cool, but kinda creepy...

the rest of the week was basically spent on my "basic" education. last friday, our PL told me that they're thinking of giving me the KL client. they are still fixing the schedule of the turnover since the product is from a different team.

Off-Topic: now im in the receiving end of a turnover activity... yes, what goes around, comes around... karma! hehehe...

so this is really it... im working! so far im not yet bored. I guess it's the idea of being part of something big and important is giving me motivation. (or maybe im just way too happy im no longer stuck at home :) )

cool, but kinda creepy... :)

OMG! I'm a man!!!

I'm a dude!!!

No, I did NOT realize this while standing naked in front of a full-length mirror this morning. (my deepest apologies for the mental image this might have given you)

This was based on hacker factor's gender guesser. (Yes, I have nothing else to do with my time, bite me!)

I entered 3 past blog entries and got a 3 out of 3 "dude, you're a big burly hairy man" result. (well, they did not exactly phrased it that way... although it would have been more fun if they did...). Actually, they said I was a "weak Male". That's probably their "politically correct version" of a "girly-man".

Now how sad is that... It's bad enough that they think I'm male, they have to add insult to injury by putting in "weak". They also added "Weak emphasis could indicate European.". Aha... so they do mean "girly man"... hehehe...

Slightly Off-Topic: This reminds me of some online game I saw not so long ago wherein you're shown series of pictures and you have to guess: "Gay guy or Euro-trash". (Yes, I kill too many braincells for stupid things... in my defense, I WAS young... hehehe...)

Going back...

Before I rant any further (and hurl a few inanimate objects around the house), the website did indicate a few disclaimers:

Many factors can impact the interpretation from any single person's writing. The
content, knowledge of the material, age of the author, nationality, experience,
occupation, and education level can all impact writing styles. For example, a
woman who has spent 20 years working in a male-dominated field may write like
her co-workers. Similarly, professional female writers (and experienced
hobbyists) frequently use male writing styles. Gender Guesser does not take any
of these factors into account.

--> I grew up in a household full of men... does that count? (Yes, I'm trying to justify the result... I'M NOT A MAN!!!!)

Pasting the same text multiple times will not change the results!

--> mwaaaahaaahahaha... I actually tried doing this before I even read this part in the "author's notes"... It's the skeptic in me... (and I'm pretty sure alot of people did this too...:) )

And most importantly: This is an ESTIMATE. Please do not email me about
instances where it made the wrong determination. (I've seen it generate
incorrect results lots of times already.)

--> is this supposed to make me feel better? or is it just the author's way of avoiding raving lunatics like me from spamming him? I'm guessing both... hehehe...

my everyday funny things

I was waiting for my collection to reach 10 before I share them, but I am way too bored so I'm doing it now...

#1

When you hear a conversation that's something like this:

Saleslady: "Yes, what do you want?"

Customer: "Malay ko!" (I wouldn't know!)

You'd more or less expect a word fight to break-out between those two. But not here in Singapore, especially when you're in this "Siopao Store".

Ma Lai Ko I think is some pastry? I guess if you'd ask me, it's safe for me to say "aba, malay ko?!"

#2

Because this blogpost is about funny things, of course it wouldn't be complete without any "remember-to-mock-jas-statements". So jas, this one's for you! (peace!)

mock the duck! mock the duck! mock the duck!

#3

I like going around in bookstores, even when I don't intend to buy any book. I find a certain sense of peace doing it. But somehow this one trip I had to the bookstore didn't do that...

Does anyone remember laughing while reading "A Walk to Remember" or "The Notebook" ? Hmmnn... I guess they find it funny... ???

the "humour" section in a bookstore

#4
One factor to consider when moving here to Singapore is the food. Sadly, there is no Jollibee outlet here yet. You know why? Because when Jollibee tried to cross from Philippines to Singapore, poof! he turned into a bean...

i was told that this store is NOT at all related to jollibee, so forget the bee-to-bean fairytale I told you. (shame on you if you believed it though! hehehe...)

#5
Need to wipe yourself clean? Try...

tekla... hhmmmn... i wonder how it smells... :)

#6

And looking at #5 reminded me of an old picture I shared a few posts ago...

tom tae..."genuine taste from the..." i can't read the next word... is it sea? who cares?

it's like having chicken pox minus the chicken pox!

I received a phonecall last week from the HR dept. of my new company. My employment pass has been approved by M.O.M. and all I need to do is just undergo the standard medical examination. She also informed me that my first day of work is on October 1. Whaaaat?!!! That means I have another two weeks to be a bum. But the thing is... I'M BORED!!! I want to work! --> I never thought I'd say that at any point in my life!

Two weeks?!! what the hell am I gonna do in that span of time?

I don't want to go out... I'm too lazy... And besides, there's really no point of going around too much, it's not like I'm on vacation... I'll be here for a really long time. I'm afraid if I go out too much, I'll exhaust the excitement out of whatever interesting place there is on this little island.

I'm tired of reading books, technical books atleast(the only ones they have here in the flat). I'm currently reading "Mastering Unix". IMHO, they should have named it "Unix for Beginners" instead. It covers too many topics but doesn't go in-depth on what's really going on. Too broad, but awfully shallow, and damn heavy as well! Good book for those who are new to Unix and wants to be acquainted to what it can do, but if you're already a professional with a few years experience with unix/linux systems and would want to know what's really going on when you execute a command, go get yourself another book (perhaps a lighter one, unless you want more muscles...).

Now, going back to my rants...

I'm tired of watching TV with really lame news. It's my 45th day and I still haven't heard a single mention of any killings in the news... c'mon! that can't be possible! Not that I'm praying that some bored person go on a killing-spree or something(I think I'm the only bored person around here anyway)... I just find it hard to believe that no one has been committing those kinds of crimes. Perhaps the news agencies aren't just reporting them??? --> just goes to show how much faith I have in goodness of mankind!

I've cleaned the house, did all my laundry, ironed all of my clothes(even those that don't need ironing!), uploaded pictures in my flickr account, installed my VM in this PC, read every blogpost i'm subscribed to (even clicking "refresh" all to often), and now i have absolutely ran out of something to do!

Oh! It's dinner time! Now I have something to do! --> pathetic eh?

Funny how a few months back, I was ranting about not having time for myself...
ah! humans!... what complex and often discontented creatures! especially this one.

breaking news: my 1st SG earthquake!

Just a few minutes ago, an earthquake which rated a whopping 7.9 in the Richter scale hit Indonesia. The tremors were felt here in Singapore.

We're on the 15th floor, so I really felt it!

Soooo cool.... :)

So now I can say that I have experienced earthquakes in 3 different countries: Philippines, Japan, and now Singapore. Not that I have any intention of collecting "them"... :)

On the news on TV just now, they are interviewing a Singaporean office employee who evacuated from their office building during the tremors. He said that he's just waiting so that they can go back to their building... Let me see... There's an earthquake and he can't wait to go back to work???

Well, that still doesn't beat my Japan earthquake experience: No one in the office didn't even care that there was an earthquake, they just don't f**ing care!

Can we then conclude that 1st world developed countries are composed of people who do not care if they are in the middle of a natural disaster? Maybe the Philippines should start doing this.... just be completely blase about disasters and problems, or better yet, be in complete and utter denial :

"Baha? Anung baha? Nasan ang baha?"[glirk glirk]
- Tomasino sa gitna ng Espana habang bumabagyo

Hmmmnn... nah... I don't think that would work... :)

snippets of info : salary package

Salary package... now this is a touchy subject. But it's seemingly the most asked question to me lately.

I won't be disclosing my salary here, since i find that unethical (and I'm also bound by a confidentiality contract).

I would just like to share the several salary packages I encountered while I was job-hunting here in SG. I hope this might help future jobhunters weigh their options.

Basically there are two types of employment:

1. Direct hire
Those hired directly by the company they are working for.

2. Contractual (a.k.a. via Agency)
Those hired by an employment agency and will be deployed to a client company.

Direct hires usually have a lower salary compared to contractual employees. This might sound puzzling for others, but there is actually a good reason behind it. Direct hires have company benefits while contractual employees on the other hand do not have any. Usual benefits include:
- 13th month pay
- health and life insurance
- annual bonus
- paid leaves

Contractual employees are hired by employment agencies and are then sent to client companies. They usually stay in that company for 1 or 2 years then move-on to other companies, unless their contracts are renewed by their current client company. The higher pay given to them is to compensate for their lack of company benefits.

Each type has it's pros's and con's, depending on each person's preferences. If you're the type who gets sick often in a year, #1 is the way to go. Medical expenses here are awfully high! If you're the type who likes to save a lot of money, and doesn't get sick regularly, go with option #2. If you value job security, go with option #1. If you like trying out new companies every year, go with #2.

If you're thinking of being a Permanent Resident here in SG, option #1 is better for you. Permanent Residents MUST contribute 33% of their monthly income to their CPF (forced savings). If you're a direct hire, 20 of the 33% will be shouldered by your company. If you're a contractual employee, you have to shoulder all of the 33% (ouch!)

I'm not so sure if there are "hybrid" versions out there, but these are the ones I have encountered.

I guess my advice would be to not just look at the money you'll be getting every month. Try to also assess what other benefits the company could give you that will best fit your lifestyle.

Kampong Glam Tour

After nearly a month of being a full-pledged couch potato in a foreign land, I decided to do something beyond the walls of our flat. So yesterday, I reluctantly detached my tush from our couch and went out for an "adventure".

First off, I needed to decide which place to go to. After much internal debate (a good 5 minutes! :) ), I decided to go to Kampong Glam. (Special thanks to Donna for the walking guide) With map, bus guide, walking guide, and compass on hand, I dashed to the nearest bus stop.

map, bus guide, kampong glam walking guide, and compass

I rode a #80 doubledeck-type bus. Being that it was my first time ever to ride one, I sat on the front seat of the "second floor". It was a 1-hour trip. Considering the distance and number of bus stops, I'd say it was a fast trip. I could have gone faster if I took the MRT, but that wouldn't be half as fun. :)

distance from point A to point B : 20.3 km

I took some pictures of several Chinese stores I saw while inside the bus. I even saw jas in one of them... hehehe... :)

si jas!

old Singapore shops (not so clean-looking lah?)

Several bus stops later, I had to alight and walk my way to my first stop: The Malay Heritage Center, also known as Istana Kampong Glam.

This used to be the place where the Malay rulers held court. Istana means "palace" in Malay. Now, it serves as a historical landmark and museum of Malay culture.

Entrance to the Istana grounds is free. (Why else would I be there if it weren't?) However, the museum admission costs 3SGD per head. Being the cheap-ass bastard that I am, I skipped the museum. :)

There were several people that day as well. There was a tour full of Caucasians and there were people shooting a music video of some Indian song (Off-Topic: there's something about Indian songs that make me laugh... and i mean the condescending kind of laugh you wouldn't want to do if your surrounded by strangers, so I tried my best to get a hold of myself... walk away... walk away... then laugh! :) ).

Since there were many people around, (and I'm trying desperately to stay away from the music video people) the only pictures I got are these:

the sad thing is, i was such in a hurry, i don't even know what the hell is this!?!

i saw this lying around the walkway. i love the contrast in color. but upon close inspection, i noted that this was a fake flower. probably used by the music video people as props. (and again, i giggle each time i remember...)

To the right of the Istana is the Sultan Mosque:

Sultan Mosque. non-Muslims are welcome as long as they are fully covered (long sleeves and pants/long skirt).

Near the mosque is a pathway lined with several cafes and souvenir shops.

the pathway

old map of the area

Basically, that's it. There are a few more shops in the other streets but I wasn't able to take pictures of them.

Next adventure... Chinatown... when?... i dunno... hehehe... :)

now this will cause a lot of heat!

According to this post, Malu Fernandez will be back on Manila Standard Today.

Just a week ago, she allegedly resigned and issued a public apology after writing an article recounting her "horrible" experiences during her trip. The article "From Boracay to Greece" started a few fires over the internet after it offended (that being an understatement) our OFWs working in the middle east.

So basically, after a week, Manila Standard decided to bring her back in.

Is this for real? I mean, do they seriously believe that people, especially the OFWs have already forgotten about this issue? Whether this article is true or not, she better saddle-up, because I'm pretty sure people will not let it go just like that.

My 2 cents on the issue is quite simple. C'mon, admit it, on certain times and occasions it's really fun to "insult" people or a certain group of people. I myself am guilty of writing nasty stuff about other people in my blog. And if you'd read my diary, you'd come across several shades of insults from downright silly to insensitively indignant. It's a guilty pleasure I do not wish to deny myself or other people of.

A few dash of insults here and there adds life to the party, but then again, this ain't a party, and her article is surely not just an ordinary blog post or diary entry.

I'm no journalist, but I think there has to be a line somewhere. And I think that's where Ms. Malu and her editor made a mistake. Some things are just meant for your diary. ( just have your diary published when your dead, that way, death threats won't mean anything to you, incase you offend someone :) )

We're all guilty of offensive behaviour and stereotyping. The trick is finding the right time, place, and medium.


That's why in not in journalism... too much moral responsibility (plus spell-checking and proof-reading!.... im not even sure if the previous words have hyphens in them!?!) hehehe...

Random pictures part 2

random pictures from my camera and phone...

my first buys here in SG

mall decors in the mall near our place

why i don't usually go out... (other than being really lazy) :)

want a bite??? ewwwww...:)

sakae sushi!!!

is this the same pepper lunch jas is raving about???

the 20 dollars i won't get back...

if I had known I'd get a job before my social visit expires, i wouldn't have applied for a long-term social visit pass... damn! now that's 20 dollars i won't get back. *sigh*

looks like I won't be able to continue my "snippets of info series"... too bad...

on the brighter side, atleast I had the experience of applying for an LTSVP... the high-tech Q machines, the outrageously long wait, and the abysmally unfriendly enquiries officers... all for only 20 dollars!

27 is my new lucky number!

Today is Day 27!
And there are 2 things i should be screaming about today:
1. I've finally landed a job I really want! (and pays well) - woohoo!!!
2. Today is the start of ComEx Singapore - woooooooohooooooo!!!!

The Job
2 weeks from now, I will be once again part of the IT workforce. We're now waiting for my employment pass to be approved by M.O.M., and after that, it's all systems go! I like LOVE the job, as it entails a lot of business trips and it's a totally new domain for me (and the pay and benefits ain't bad either).

My new title: Research and Development Department Support Engineer. whew! that's an awfully long title! Hindi po yan call center job ah! (defensive! nyaahahaha) It's more on maintenance and deployment, (prang xGSN, pero may BT... hehehe...) that's why there's extensive travel and several training oppurtunities. They told me my first stop after my training is neighboring Malaysia. yeah, I know, so much for "out-of-the-country-experience", when it's a freakin' bus ride away. But hey, there's BT allowance so I don't mind at all... :) Hopefully I can be deployed elsewhere, as long as it's not Iraq or other war-torn country...

My future boss told me they are thinking of expanding (not sure when though)... so if you wanna join the "dark side" of the force... email me: dyingsonnet[at]gmail[dot]com


The Fair
ComEx is dubbed the biggest IT show of the year...

All of us (me, my brother, and his gf) are all working in the IT industry and are quite "IT-centered" (a.k.a. gadget geeks) so you can really smell the excitement in the air when all 3 of us are talking about comex even a few days back...Now, try to imagine us a few hours before the fair... I can bet my lunch money those two aren't working in their respective offices... to damn excited... well, so am I!!!!

WHOOOOOOHOOOO!!! IM SO EXCITED!!!! (on the down side though, I've no money booooooooo!!! :( )
I'm hoping for a lot of freebies though (OMG! i'm running after freebies....i think i'm turning singaporean!!!??!!!)

gtg... got to get dressed for the main event!!! whooooohoooo... suntec city, here we go!!!! :)
yeah, i know, i seem to be more excited about Comex than getting a job.... that's because I am! hehehe...

snippets of info : Applying for an LTSVP using your EPEC

When you're finally in Singapore and your initial 30-day social visit pass is nearly elapsed, the next step is to get a Long Term Social Visit Pass (LTSVP) using your EPEC. If you don't have an EPEC yet, go here to find out how to get one.

Applying for a LTSVP is a 2-day process, so be sure to apply several days before your social visit pass expires.

DAY 1

Preconditions:

(what you must have before doing "Procedures")

1. original copy of your EPEC

This is the physical copy mailed to you by M.O.M. when your EPEC was approved online.

2. your passport

3. your disembarkation/embarkation card

This is the white card you filled up while you were on the plane bound for SG:

Disembarkation/Embarkation card

4. a photocopy of your EPEC
This copy will be kept by ICA.

5. a photocopy of your passport
Photocopy the page with your picture and personal details. This copy will be kept by ICA.
A photocopy machine is available on every floor of the ICA building. I forgot to check the price per copy though... sorry... :)

6. 1 passport-size picture
This will be attached to your Form 14. If you don't have one, you can have your picture taken inside the ICA building. Each floor of the building has a "instant photo room". 4 copies for 5SGD.

7. Accomplished Form 14
You can download the document in the ICA website. The form is also available in ICA, near the 4th floor elevators.

8. OPTIONAL: A really good/long book or a PSP or anything that can amuse you for a long period of time. (that is wholesome and legal in singapore.... :) )


Procedures:
1. Go to ICA
The ICA building is near the Lavander MRT Station of the East-West (Green) line. Just follow the directional arrows provided in the station (e.i. : "This way to ICA ->")

once outside of Lavander MRT station, walk a few steps and you'll see the ICA building

2. Proceed to the 4th floor
There are 2 ways to go to the 4th floor, each with it's own advantage/disadvantage:
a. Via Escalator
If you already have your photocopies, picture, and form 14, I suggest you take the escalators since it is closer to the 'Q' machines

b. Via Elevator
The trays for Form 14 is near the elevator. Also a few steps from the elevator are the "instant photo room" and "photocopy room".

3. Get a Form 14 from the trays near the elevator, fill-up the necessary requirements, paste/staple your picture.

4. Go to the 'Q' (as in queue) machines, lane #4 (labelled: Application for Social Visit Pass). Let the machine read the barcode in your embarkation/disembarkation card. The Q machine will give you a number. Obviously, you have to keep this number, as this will be used later.

my Q ticket. This will be cut in half once the documents are submitted

5. Go to the "Social Visit Wing". It's a few steps away from the Q machines. Take a seat as this is a REALLY LONG WAIT. This is where your optional item of amusement will come in handy. I would also suggest you seat near counters 28-38 as these are the counters that serve SVP applications.

6. Wait for your queue number to appear on the board. There is also a board there that tells you the average waiting time for applications. In my case it said 93 minutes. DO NOT BELIEVE that damn board. I waited for almost 3 hours (2hours, 59minutes to be exact). If you don't like to sit there and wait, you can have someone SMS you when your queue number is about to be serviced. So basically, you can walk around the lavander/kallang area... (not much to see though) For that feature do this:

text "VSC " and send to (+65)9070-6100

It will immediately reply indicating the current status of your queue number, and later on, SMS you when there are only 20 people ahead of you in the queue.

7. Once you see your number on the board, go to the counter assigned to your q number.

8. Give your q ticket, accomplished Form 14, passport, disembarkation/embarkation card, EPEC, photocopied EPEC and passport particulars page. The person at the counter will give you back your original EPEC and the other half of your Q ticket. You'll be advised to claim your passport the next day.
NOTE: DO NOT THROW your Q ticket. you will use this the following day to get a new Q ticket.

9. Go out of ICA building.


Postconditions:
(what you must have after doing "Procedures")
1. original copy of your EPEC

2. your Q ticket

===END OF DAY 1====



DAY 2
Preconditions:
(what you must have after doing "Procedures")
1. Your Q ticket from DAY 1
You'll need this to get a new Q number.

2. NETS or CashCard or EZ-Link card
You'll need this to pay 20SGD for the visa fee. They DO NOT ACCEPT CASH(they don't like touching money, remember?!), so be sure you have any of these 3(of course, loaded with more than 20SGD)


Procedures:
1. Go to ICA

2. Proceed to the 4th floor
Since your just there to get your documents, use the escalator, it's closer to the Q machines.

3. Go to the Q machines, this time. go to lane #3. Let the machine read the barcode in your Q ticket from DAY 1. The Q machine will give you a number. Obviously, you have to keep this number, as this will be used later.

4. Go to the "Social Visit Wing", a few steps away from the Q machines. This time take a seat near counters 43-48 as these are the counters that are dedicated for releasing documents.

5. Wait for your queue number to appear on the board. There is also a board there that tells you the average waiting time for document collection. In my case it said 10 minutes. Again, DO NOT BELIEVE that damn board. I waited for 22 minutes and 52 seconds.
NOTE: unlike in the "application phase", the Q numbers may not appear in sequential order, so be sure to periodically check the boards.

6. Once you see your number on the board, go to the counter assigned to your Q number.

7. Give your 2 Q tickets, the one from DAY 1 and the one you just got. Say goodbye to your tickets because you won't be seeing them again.

8. Pay 20SGD, using NETS, CashCard, or EZ-Link.

9. The person at the counter will return your passport, stamped with a 2-month extention of your SVP and a 2-page document, indicating that your application for LTSVP is successful, under 3 conditions:
a. you have a valid travel document - checked!
b. you have a valid social visit pass - checked!
c. you have passed a medical exam

Page 2 is the form the doctor will fill-up once you get your medical exam. Any singaporean clinic will do.

10. Go out of ICA building.

Postconditions:
(what you must have after doing "Procedures")
1. your passport stamped with 2-month SVP

2. the 2-page document given to you

===END OF DAY 2====

So what's next?
so there! you're nearly done with the LTSVP application. All you need to do now is to submit yourself to a medical exam, give the results to ICA, and pay 40SGD, then walla! you can now stay in SG for 1 year even without a local sponsor.

+Disclaimer: The documents I listed are those which were required from me at the moment I applied. It may change later on, so the point is, always be prepared. Bring all the documents you think will be needed and have them photocopied early on (if possible, in the Philippines since it's probably cheaper).

coz it's raining and i've got no umbrella...

i never really like rihanna's "umbrella". i'd have to say though, that mandy moore's version is more to my liking. watch for yourself:

what i've learned after a few days...

after almost 2 weeks here in SG, I've learned a couple of things. Some of them were knowledge passed on to me by my brother and his gf, who have been here for more than 5 years, and some I have learned (both fortunately and unfortunately) first-hand.

1. Ang lakas ng sipa, men!
kala ko nung una, joke lang nung sinabi nila na masusuka ako 'pag naamoy ko sila. Then I got to experience the "aroma" myself... wow p're! di mo na kelangan ng kape... magigising ka sa amoy nila... Most pinoys call them "anaps". Naawa tuloy ako sa isang kong ex-officemate na dun pupunta sa motherland nila... Grabe talaga, di kompleto ang MRT ride pag di mo sila naamoy... Ang bad ko no? pro promise, kung ikaw ang nasa kinalalagyan ko, you'd understand.

2. Kaya nga food store eh, kase "food" lang...
Hiwalay sa kanila ang bilihan ng food, at bilihan ng drinks. I find this really weird. Nung 2nd day ko dito, kumain kame sa isang hawker malapit sa robinson road. nung 4th day ko, nag-lunch ako sa kopitiam sa may mall malapit sa amin. in both of those places (actually, all hawkers, koptiams, etc...) hiwalay ang bilihan ng food at bilihan ng inumin. may separate stall na drinks lang talga ang binibenta, so pupunta ka dun after mo bumili ng food, hiwalay din ang bilihan ng dessert... medyo hassle di ba?

3. Tissue na lang, pahirapan pa...
kung sa Japan, parang umuulan ng tissue dahil sa dami ng mga "giveaways", dito naman, taghirap sa tissue. hindi sya binibigay by default. kung meron mang bibigay syo, say for example, sa isang resto, for sure daw may charge yun. sa kainan lang yan ah, pro sa mga public toilets, meron namang tissue.

4. gentleman? ano yun?
kung ikaw daw ay isang binatang pilipino na nakaupos sa mrt/lrt/bus, wag na wag kang mag-o-offer ng seat sa isang babae, dahil ma-o-offend lang sya. Yung gesture daw kse na yun ay ginagawa lang para sa mga matatanda at disabled. so parang sinasabi mo na din na matanda na sya... (ei, auntie, want to seat?)

5. sungit!
pansin ko lang, karamihan ng mga locals medyo may pagkamasungit by philippine standards. kse tyong mga pinoy, pag may makabangga sa paglalakad accidentally, normal sa atin na mag-sorry or something like that. dito, di yun uso. di rin uso dito ang pag-ngiti, unlike sa atin na nagkatabi lang sa jeep, nagchi-chikahan na bago bumaba. dito... deadma!

6. biglang dadami ang mga kamag-anak mo dito
dito daw, ang usual na tawag sa mga nakatatanda ay "uncle" at "auntie". parang version nila ng "manong" at "manang" natin sa pinas. so pag kelangan mong kausapin si manong taxi driver, call him uncle.

7. ambilis ng escalator!
ibang level ang bilis ng escalators nila sa mga mrt/lrt stations... promise, minsan nakakatakot! unlike sa pinas na minsan may "humps" pa (refer to mrt ayala station, leftside, going down), dito OA sa bilis. ginawa daw ganun kse lagi daw nagmamadali ang mga tao. sa mrt/lrt stations lang naman. yung sa mga malls, so far, wala naman akong nakitang "express escalators"

8. pedestrian lanes do work!!!
i love it! motorists here respect the pedestrian late. ang galing talaga. sa pinas kse sanay tyo na yung tatawid pa yung magbibigay sa motorista. dito sobrang opposite. kahit malayo ka pa sa pedestrian lane, at yung kotse malapit na, hihinto talaga sya at hihintayin ka. kaka-pressure tuloy minsan na tumawid agad... hehehe... consistent ito ah, mapa-bus or kotse, hihinto talaga... so nice!

9. what money? don't you have a card?
for a country that has a lot of money, they sure don't like to touch it. you can use an ez-link card if you want to ride the lrt/mrt/bus. the fare is higher if you're gonna pay in cash. pwede rin ang ez-link sa mcdo. meron ding cards ang mga food courts dito. may 10% discount pag card ang gamit. kung taxi naman, pwede kang gumamit ng credit card or debit card. (wala atang discount) for every thing else, believe it or not, even small and cheap-looking stalls also accept credit / debit cards. Bills, concert tickets, mail stamps, and fund transfers can be done in several kiosks, charging it to you bank account. syempre meron pa ding old fashioned hand-the-cash-over-to-the-lady-in-the-counter, but the government is really making an effort to make transactions cashless.

10. Reload == top-up
Top-up ang term na gamit nila sa "reload". Top-up your ez-link, kopitiam card, and of course, you prepaid phone, via counters, kiosks or atms.

11. Library == video rental shop
di lang books ang pwedeng hiramin sa library, pwede ding audio/movie cds, dvds, pati mga comics at magazine. pro di lahat ng library ay mapalad. the one here in sengkang only has books, magazines and comics... booooo...

12. di ka rin galit sa plastic eh noh?
grabe talga ang mga grocery baggers dito. kulang na lang i-plastic bawat item na binili mo. dapat mag-seminar sila sa pilipinas. galing mga mga baggers natin e, daming items napagkakasya efficiently sa isang bag.

13. di uso ang libre dito...
bumili ako ng sushi nung isang araw, hihingi dapat ako ng wasabi, aba! may bayad?!!! teka, di ba yun included na dapat since bumili naman ako ng sushi??? at itong malupit... may "sushi sauce allocation table" sila. so kung 1-5 sushi ang binili mo, meron ang 1 sachet ng sushi sause, pag 6-10, 2 sachet and so on... huuuuwaaat??? sa pinas hinihingi lang ito sa yoshinoya ah?!!!

14. sale kung sale!
mataas ang bilihin dito... and singaporeans are known to be quite stingy. tipid kung tipid talga, since mahal nga ang bilihin. pro wag ka, pag sinabing sale, aba! bagsak presyo talga. branded sneakers that usually costs around 20SGD, would sell at 10SGD, 42 inch plasma tv, priced regularly at around 5,000SGD would cost around half during a sale. insane diba???

anything...? whatever...!?!

para sa mga taong ang madalas na sagot ay "kahit ano", pag tinatanong kung anong gustong inumin...





















ang kulit noh?

"whatever" is non-carbonated drink, while "anything" is carbonated. There are several possible flavors... click here for more info... :)

Discover your Sentosa...

Rear of Vivo City Mall, near Sentosa

Harbor near Sentosa

Sentosa monorail entrance

Rear view of Vivo City Mall from the Sentosa Monorail

Merli, the Merlion

Merli, upclose

Images of Singapore

View of the Harbor from the Sky Tower

more pictures to follow...

Random Pictures...

Manila -> Singapore

My room:

View from my room window. we're on the 15th floor

the next day, we're off to sentosa...

snippets of info : In the airport

So you already have your EPEC, plane ticket, and pocket money... next stop, the airport.
As usual, be there 3 hours before your flight. Look decent, smart casual will do. Check-in your bags, and pay the whopping 750-peso terminal fee. At the immigration counter, indicate that you are going to SG on VACATION, not to find work. DO NOT SHOW your EPEC. There are several possible questions like where you work, where you'll stay in SG, what you'll do in SG, etc. just don't look like you've committed a crime and you're good to go. RP to SG flight takes around 3.5 hours. PAL serves their usual crappy food and you get to watch a movie you've already seen... goody!

Once you've reached SG, go straight to immigration, and show them your passport and EPEC. I think EPEC holders are given a 30-day social visit pass by default. After that, go get your luggage and ride the taxi/mrt.

Next topic: getting a Long Term Social Visit Pass(LTSVP) using your EPEC. I was told it would be advisable to apply for an LTSVP few days before your 30-day social visit pass expires. (say a week before) I'll post it here once i've done mine.

I've landed!

I'm finally here in SG.
will post pictures later... :)

pack shet!

this whole business of packing really gets on my nerves.

buti na lang talga at nagawan ko ng listahan few days back, kahit papaano may direkyon ako... kung di, malamang maraming gamit na ang nagsiliparan sa kwarto ko...

haaaay... kakapagod...

it's the veggies, i tell you! the veggies...

There seems to be a flu virus floating around the house. My mom, then my kuya, then my dad caught it, and guess what?! for the first time in my life history, i didn't catch it! since time immemorial, im usually the first or second one to contract a contagious disease in the family.

I have no concrete idea why im suddenly miss iron woman, except for the fact that i've started a vegeterian diet nearly 2 months ago. I've also stopped drinking coffee and substituted green tea for it.

yeah, maybe it's the veggies...

i also noted a noticeable drop in my weight inspite of the fact that i have no tedious physical activity (unless you consider typing as tedious). This could mean that i'm burning stored fat since my usual intake of fat has been lessened OR i could be losing the muscles i have built during the time i was still active in the gym. (muscles weigh more than fat) I'm hoping that it's the former.

opsss... got to go, dinner time...
my dinner: adobong sitaw, their dinner: adobong baboy... tsk..tsk... kaya di gumagaling eh! hehehe... :)

snippets of info : EPEC

Snippets of info i would like to share...
Dahil naniniwala akong magkikita-kita din tyo sa finals... :)


if you have decided to take a chance and go to Singapore to get a job, you might want to apply for an Employment Pass Eligibility Certificate (EPEC). (unless you got a job offer while you're still in the Philippines and your would-be employer already got you an employment pass, then there's no need for an EPEC.)

Why get an EPEC?

The typical length of a social visit pass to singapore is 14 days, 30 days if you're charming enough to the immigration officers. since 14 or 30 days is usually not enough to land a job, you'll be needing an EPEC. an EPEC entitles it's holder a up to 12months of stay in SG. You should apply for an EPEC while you are STILL in the Philippines. Applications are done online.

The EPEC is issued on a one-time basis and is non-renewable. You may apply for
EPEC if you hold acceptable tertiary/professional qualifications. You should
apply only when you are ready to come to Singapore.

Here's a step-by-step procedure...

1. Apply for an EPEC online. Follow the instructions, and select New Application.

2. Fill-up the required information.

3. Remember the reference number that will be given to you. You will use this, together with your passport number to check the status of your application. (If you're the type that worries alot... :) )

4. Wait for an email from the Ministry of Manpower (MOM), confirming your application. This email also contains your reference number. This is sent the same day you submitted your info to the MOM website.

5. Prepare scanned copies of your recent passport-size picture, passport particulars page, college diploma, or transcript of records, or other documents that would prove you're qualified to work. MOM will later email you to upload them.

6. In my case, after 3 days, MOM emailed me to request scanned copies of the items specified in step5. I uploaded a 2x2 picture, passport particulars page, college diploma, and transcript of records. You must upload the documents within 7 days upon receipt of the request email. otherwise, the EPEC application will be rejected.

7. In my case, after a day, MOM informed me via email that my EPEC application was approved.

8. Wait for the physical copy of the EPEC approval via snail mail. Waiting time is dependent on the efficiency of the Philippine postal system... so good luck na lang! hehehe...
Based on the timestamps on the mail i received, MOM sent the mail 5 days after they sent the approval email. It reached the Valenzuela post office after 8 days. And it was sent to our home after a week.

NOTE: EPEC is not recognized by the Philippine immigration. DO NOT SHOW your EPEC to Philippine immigration officers. it is only relevant once you reach Singaporean shores.
Also note, getting an EPEC does not instantly give you a 1-year social visit pass. Once you arrive in Singapore, you still have to go to Immigrations and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) to apply for a Long Term Social Visit Pass (LTSVP). The EPEC is only a proof to ICA that you are qualified for an LTSVP even though you don't have a local sponsor (an employer or a relative that is a PR or Singaporean).


more snippets of info to come... :)

credit card scammer?

warning to all credit card holders...

just this afternoon i received a call from a certain "Mr. De Leon of Makati City Warrants Section" saying that metrobank allegedly filed a case against me for breech of contract regarding my metrobank mastercard. to which i responded with a "huh?". he asked for my credit card number so that he can "verify" the case. hhmmnn...let me see... some random dude over the phone probably pretending to be some person wants to get my credit card number... yeah, like i'd give it! what a moron! so i didn't give him my credit card number and said i would have to call metrobank directly to confirm. i asked for his number so i can call him back.

too bad for "mr. de leon" because he has not done his homework well. first, my metrobank credit card is visa, not mastercard. second, metrobank does not know the number through which he contacted me. third, i don't have an outstanding balance with my metrobank credit card. fourth, my metrobank credit card was not issued by makati city. fifth, "breech of contract" is not one of the cases credit card companies file against it's users, but RA 8484. (thanks to my dad's lawyer for this info... :) )

just to be sure, i called metrobank to confirm this "case", and i was told that no such case was filled, and assured me that they have no reason to file one. I also asked if there are other cards / loans under my name, baka kase mamaya eh may gumagamit na pla ng pangalan ko. wala naman daw. I reported this incident to metrobank, just incase other people would get this same call.

i have no idea how this dude got my home number and name. and how in the world he knew that i have a metrobank credit card. i tried to call the number he left me, but guess what... it can't be contacted!

so far he hasn't called yet. but just in case he does... talking with him will definitely be fun...

snippets of info : Airlines

Snippets of info i would like to share...
Dahil naniniwala akong magkikita-kita din tyo sa finals... :)
(or kung trip nyong magbakasyon... *wink* *wink*)

4 Airlines with regular flights to Singapore:
(ordered from "cheap-ass" to "OMG-i-have-no-intention-of-buying-the-plane!?!")
1. Tiger Airways
2. Cebu Pacific
3. Philippine Airlines
4. Singapore Airlines
(not so sure if there are other airlines out there...)

1 and 2 are also called "budget airlines". airfares are relatively cheap, however prepare yourself for philippine immigration "interrogation". I've read/heard several stories of people not being able to make it to SG because they seemed "suspicious-looking" to the immigration officers. Pro kung bakasyon lang talaga ang habol mo, at kung wala ka namang tinatago, then go lang. malaking tipid din kung dito... :)

if you want to save yourself from the trouble, take 3 or 4. Immigration officers assigned to these airlines are allegedly "kinder" than those in budget airlines. Airfare however is nearly twice as expensive as 1 and 2 airlines.

If your taking PAL, also note that the length of stay also determines how much your airfare is. If the duration of stay is less than or equal to 8 days, you save more than 1 thousand pesos.
ex:
length of stay is 08 days = price of ticket is 14,072.00 (roundtrip)
length of stay is 14 days = price of ticket is 15,888.00 (roundtrip)

no idea why they have this scheme. just call PAL hotline for more info... hehehe :)

also, try surveying prices in travel agencies. according to the PAL hotline dude i talked to, agencies usually have cheaper deals...

more snippets to follow... :)

now this is insane...

14 Spy Squirrels In Iranian Custody

spy squirrels???
they should have used tarsiers...
i bet they'd be better spies!



-----
ps... thanks to donna for the link :)

slow blog day

it's a slow blog day today...
almost all the blogs i'm subscribed to have no new entries. what the hell am i supposed to do now??? haaaay...
matulog na nga lang...

breathe... breathe... breathe...

As I am a person who likes to plan things, I'm not particularly fond of people who don't keep their end of the bargain... i have a schedule to keep you know... baaaah...
it's back to the drawing boards again!

breathe... breathe... breathe...
count to 10 and breathe...

Rich Dad, Poor Dad

I got a copy yesterday and planned to start reading just the first few chapters since it was pretty late (around 9pm), but somehow I ended up finishing the book in one sitting… puyat galore… I seriously could not get myself to put it down.

The book has the same advice I’ve heard a few times, pay yourself first, buy assets, not liabilities, make money work for you, etc…etc… but it’s only after reading the book that those concepts actually sunk in my thick skull. Ika nga ng merit rating sheet namin dati, “Naa sya point!” hehehe…

Suddenly the DSLR and electric guitar I was drooling over does not look so good in my eyes right now. I’m also having second thoughts on that Master’s Degree I was hoping to get… talk about overnight paradigm shift… I really need to think hard smart about this.

Reading the book made me think about my own dad. I was raised by a father like “rich dad”. He was able to own a nice house in the suburbs, sent all 5 children to college, and at the peak of his business, had 4 branches and was supplying 70% of the trucking companies in Metro Manila with recapped tires which was produced by his own recapping plant. All of this he did without a college degree, and without a truck load of money as capital. “Abilidad ang tawag dyan”, he used to say. But the irony of it all is that my “rich dad” gave me “poor dad” advices like “get good grades, finish school, and get a secured job”. Perhaps he didn’t want us to go through the hardships he went through, or maybe its just plain old Filipino culture.

And now I’m off to find ways to make money, and then making the money work for me… but first, how the hell do I do that??? Hehehe… think, think, think….

Religion 101 : Buddhism

Medyo natagalan ako dito...
madaming resources... at medyo natagalan sa initial testing phase... hehehe.. :)

Disclaimer: Contents written here are based on my opinion and excerpts from various research materials (websites, audio books, ebooks). Contents should not be taken as a concrete resource in knowing Buddhism. Ika nga ni Buddha, "I encourage you to test the teaching rather than accept it as true" For more info, just google Buddhism :)
Apologies na din sa mga taga-ibang religion kung ma-o-offend man kayo sa mga sasabihin ko, as i've said, opinion ko lang naman yan... kaya peace tyo hah... :) kung may madadagdag kyong information to enlighten me, then by all means, feel free to post your comment.

I will start first with my misconceptions before I started reading about buddhism. I think marami-rami ding tao ang may kaparehong maling akala...

My Misconceptions:
1. Buddha (a.k.a. Siddhartha Gautama) is their god.
No, for Buddhists, Buddha is their great teacher, not God. In fact, Buddhism is a religion that centers around man, not God. Buddha, by the way, means "one that is awaken". So technically, all of us have the potential to be Buddha.

2. Buddhists worship Buddha
They pay respect to their great teacher, not worship. It’s more of gratitude for sharing his teachings. As i've said, Buddha is not God.

3. Buddhism = being poor
Blame the movies for this misconception! Hindi naman sinasabi ng buddhism na wag ka ng magka-ambisyon or kapirasong orange na tela lang ang isuot mo, magpakalbo ka, at dapat mukha kang malnourished. Ika nga sa kanila, one should take the middle path, di OA sa pagpapakahirap, di din OA sa pagpapakasasa… in short, moderation.

Teachings in a nutshell:
Meron daw na 4 Noble Truths:
1. Life, although sometimes beautiful, is filled with suffering. It’s not pessimistic, but realistic.
2. The source of suffering is desire.
3. Suffering can be overcome, and happiness can be achieved.
4. The Noble 8-fold path is the path that leads to the end of suffering.

In other words, getting what you want does not guarantee happiness. Rather than constantly struggling to get what you want, try to modify your wanting. Wanting
deprives us of contentment and happiness.

The Noble 8-fold path:
1. Right View
2. Right Intention
3. Right Speech
4. Right Action
5. Right Livelihood
6. Right Effort
7. Right Mindfulness
8. Right Concentration

1-2 pertains to having wisdom
- It means to acknowledge the 4 noble truths and to have the commitment to ethical and mental self-improvement.

3-5 is about ethical conduct:
- One must live life in harmony with EVERY creature. Aside from not stealing, have a generous heart. One's livelihood must not cause harm to any creature. One must not indulge in alcohol / drugs, since Buddhism is about being in control of your mind and body.

6-8 is about our personal mental development
- One of the ways towards enlightenment is to be self-aware, to have focus and control, wherein all mental faculties are unified and directed to one particular object at a time.


My Pro's and Con's:
Pro's:
1. Going to the temple is not required, kahit sa bahay lang pwede na!
- pang tamad! :)

2. It's a very peaceful religion
- nakarinig ka na ba ng suicide bomber na sumigaw ng "for buddha!"... kidding aside, please see this excerpt: (sorry di ko na maalala yung website na pinagkunan ko nyan... dami na kse...)

Real Buddhism is very tolerant and not concerned with labels like 'Christian',
'Moslem', 'Hindu' or 'Buddhist'; that is why there have never been any wars
fought in the name of Buddhism. That is why Buddhists do not preach and try to
convert, only explain if an explanation is sought.

3. It's a religion that uses the head.
- although may mga anecdotes and "flowery" stories, most of the teachings are very well grounded. ika nga, walang "now it's bread, later it's something else, wala ng tanong-tanong, basta ganun!..." (no offense meant dear christians :) )

Buddha himself asked his followers to test the teaching rather than accept his
word as true. Buddhism depends more on understanding than faith.

4. It's a very "accepting" religion
ngayon lang ako nakarinig ng religion na ok lang ang gays and lesbians, live-in, at pre-marital sex. basta ang importante lang, pure ang intention, consensual, at hindi nagcau-cause ng harm.


Con's:
1. The religion centers on man, not God.
- kaya nga sabi ng iba, mas accurate daw na tawaging "way of life / philosophy" ang buddhism, kaysa religion, kse nga it's based on understanding, not faith. kya parang gusto ko syang ihalo sa ibang religion, preferably a monotheistic religion. mono, meaning ISA lang talga... ayaw ko nung "isa pero tatlo" di ba nakakaloka? ...

2. I find some Buddha statues scary…
- actually, pati mga santo, barbie dolls, or life-like dools / images for that matter... blame it on chuckie!

3. I am incapable of sitting still and having a full meditation…
I’ve tried and I’ve tried, but to no avail… in fairness, dati less than 1 minute, give up na ako, ngayon umaabot na ako ng 2 minutes! (nagmalaki pa e noh?!) Masyado lang talga siguro akong neurotic... yung feeling ko dapat may mas "tangible" akong ginagawa kesa naka-upo. One day at a time ika nga... still the mind and be self-aware!

as of now, testing phase pa din ako...

"always act with a compassionate heart" ---> parang ang hirap!

bakit di ko ito ginawa dati???

ngayong wala akong magawa sa buhay ko, aside from "research"(a.k.a. aimlessly browsing random websites), naisip kong patulan ang mga audio at ebooks na nakatambak sa pc ko. at dito ko muling nasilayan ang "Getting Things Done" ni David Allen (c/o of Dennis). Isa lang ang masasabi ko, bakit hindi ko ito ginawa dati??? akalain mong may mapupulot pla sa mga sinasabi ni dencio??? hehehe... joke lang cio! ngayon ko lang na-appreciate ng mabuti yung mga pinagsasabi mo about it. ngayon gets ko na why you're really raving about the book. :) marami akong "oo nga noh!" moments...

At dahil nga sa kawalan ng magawa.... masdan ang nagawa ko...

ang problema ko na lang ay wala akong matinong protective covering...
kakahanap ng kung anu-anong pang cover, may naisip akong magandang lalagyan, at swerte naman at saktong-sakto sya!

yun nga lang.... passport ko naman ngayon ang nawalan ng tahanan... hehehe...
makabili nga ng bagong passport cover... akalain mong kasya pala dun ang 3x5 index card! swak na swak!

wala lang... naaliw lang ako...

-----

kapag ang tao walang magawa....
mag-iimbento't mag-iimbeto ng gawagawin...

rainy days...

make me so laaaaazy....
ZzzzzzzzZzzzzzzzz.....

ang cute-cute

from http://www.funnyordie.com.
Warning: Contains slight violence, but the baby's really cute!!!

I AM THE LAW!

going...going...gone...

OMG...

4 more...
then another 3...

i hope they do something about it...

bye bye...

bye bye gloi...
make ingat!

Atheism

In the spirit of fairness, i will also look into this kind of belief...

Atheism is the absence of belief in any Gods or spiritual beings. The word Atheism comes from "a", meaning without, and "theism" meaning belief in god or gods.

Atheists say that human beings can devise suitable moral codes to live by without the aid of Gods or scriptures. There are several reasons why these people don't believe in God, mostly because there are no evidences to prove God's existence.

Some atheists are also critical of religions. For them, religion imposes irrational rules of good and bad behavior, divides people, and is a cause of conflict and war, doesn't give equal treatment to women and gay people, and thus offends basic human rights, and stops people thinking in a rational and objective way.

I'm a logic driven person. Given this argument, Atheism may be the choice for me. But no. I believe in God. I believe that there is a higher power out there looking out for me and everyone else in the world. Cheezy, but it's true. It's one of those things I really can't explain, but know for a fact.

-----Side Note Begin-----
One might think this is an oxymoron... but did you know that there is such a thing as "Christian Atheism"? They say that they do believe in God - but not in a fairy tale way. He exists, but only in your head. For them, God is a projection of the human mind.
-----Side Note End-----

He exists I tell you! He's everywhere! Not just im my head... how do I know?... I just do. And that's more than enough reason for me to believe... and now i will stop screaming... :)