Singapore Chronicles - 02

Date : 22 May 06
Time : 12:45 H

Just 4 hours into the training (which I will not post about, with due respect to the nice people at Sorin/Stoeckert - one of them said the guys from Terumo might read it and gain insight into the rival company.. she was joking ofcourse.. but still), I went out and took a little sight seeing into these cluster of buildings collectively known as the Singapore Management University.

According to the SMU website, they are the newest university in Singapore and boy, the people who built this place are really world class. They have patterned the university after Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, primarily, and they have the facade to show it. I am quite impressed. As in.

Each college and unique facility are housed in separate structures occupying an open compound in the district of Bras Basah. Kind of like University of the Philippines. Only, these are very much brand new (as you can see from my snapshots). Only the turnstiles (actually glass gates) keep away uninvited guests from entering. There are gates for visitors though I haven't tried to approach one. ^.^V

Each building is made with liberal amounts of glass, steel, marble (what looks like marble anyway), and flora. Which makes for very beautiful structures. Enjoy the shots.

Oh, you can visit the university on the 'net at www.smu.edu.sg

Singapore Chronicles - 01

Date : 21 May 06
Time : 17:15 H

7 days ago, I was in Singapore again for a biomedical service training for Sorin and this time, I was armed with a digital camera. I was not about to let this chance pass to do my usual antics with a camera in Singapore. ^^

Armed with this enthusiasm, I whipped out the camera right after immigration. Just inside Changi Airport, past the immigration line (of terminal 2) stood two foreign exchange counters. One was an American Express Foreign Exchange. The other was a United Overseas Bank. As I was approaching to exchange the money I brought into Singapore, several people went for the American Express counter. Only 1 or 2 people went for the United Overseas counter.

I observed the following from the American Express crowd:

a) most of them are Filipinos (like myself)
b) generally not acquainted with each other

Given that the US Dollar is the most stable currency (besides the fact it was the one I was carrying), I checked the exchange rate on both banks first before I approached any. United Overseas was paying better SGD for your USD but only by a fraction.

I exchanged my money at the United Overseas Bank, and told the lady at the counter that I don't get why the people exchanging their money thronged on the AE counter. The lady, with a laugh and a smile, told me it's probably because it was nearer from the immigration exit. And add to the fact that those people really did not even bother approaching the UO counter.

With those data, I deduced the following from the above: convenience is a real big issue, people, like electrical current, will always take the path of least resistance, this is besides factors like consequence, non-apparent benefits and rules.

Before making this journal entry, I made a computation of the exchange rate of the Philippine Peso against the Singapore Dollar using the USD-SGD exchange rate from both banks. If they made a PHP-SGD exchange, those people actually got a few more dollars than what would they have gotten otherwise. Which is a good thing ofcourse.

To be continued..

Lube It Up, Turn That Sumb*tch Sideways

Just to clear the smoke that turned the sky raven black, here's a little quiz. ^.^ The item on the left is best used...







a) on gaskets of pneumatic systems that need a little maintenance.

b) on the joints of your pet Aibo.

c) on the O-rings of your Anesthesia Machine so funny sleep gas will not escape.

d) on your body when you are shoved inside a prison cell with tough-as-nails convicts.

The Heart of a Lone Wolf

The heart of a lone wolf.

There's something within me that just forces me to go through life alone. A lone wolf mentality that makes me drive away friends and acquaintances and people near me. Once they get too close, something starts within me and makes me want to disappear from them. Close friends I had before, I left without a trace. Friends that are looking for me and found me, I still try to keep at bay.

That is why I have no qualms leaving this place and move on somewhere else.

And yet, this man loves. This man yearns for companionship. And this feeling and my other inner drive just mix and push my mind off the deep end.

I'm a real selfish man. And a weak one too. I sometimes can't control these inner demons. I leave people who need me and want me near them. But I want to be near people who I want to be with.

I guess, I'm just a man who has been through much hurt and pain and it still matters to me somehow. Any chance hurt and pain appears, I try to stay away from it. Whether I'm the one who causes it or the one who receives it.

But in the end, I still try. I know it's not enough I try only in my mind to rectify my errors, but I still try. Bear with me.

Now, I'm starting to rejoin the wolf pack of society. Be a head of the pack even. My inner lone wolf tries to destroy that newly born drive. But yes, I try. Try and crush that dark spirit that has haunted me for so very, very long.

I have my own pride now. A wolf pack I call my own. And I will protect them to the death.

-Myself, as a wolf-

It may not mean anything to you guys. That was my heart which spoke a while ago. And my heart, and everything it loves, means everything to me.

Finally.. the Rev has come back... to Baguio! XD

The summer capital of the country; the home of strawberries, pine trees, iceberg lettuce, wagwagan , sundot kulangot (XD), and phallic ashtrays (XDXD).

I was summoned to Baguio for a service call , a product demo for an ECG machine , and to collect a check for a previously rendered service. Three of my sales colleagues are going to Baguio to do their own product demo and representation. And I went with them to save on expenses for my important task in Baguio..

What I really did in Baguio was do a little sight-seeing, shopped for fresh veggies, abused the hotel cable service (Jack TV mostly XD, sad I know), and went to Camp John Hay! Obviously this is not what my bosses had in mind, but, for the shit I put up at work - you know what they say, when the cat is away - the mouse will play. *cackle*



First up, let's finish business with the service call and product demo in this nice hospital by Baguio Central University. The entire thing took 5 hours - less 1 1/2 for lunch, less 1 for lollygagging, less 1/2 for travel time, less 1/2 for waiting -- grand total of 1 hour lol. My service call practically only consisted of finding out who broke the ICU's monitor's pulse oximeter sensor. And my product demo practically consisted of phonecalls to my team, asking who checked the unit before it was sent to Baguio. Presenting how a non-working ecg machine works is beyond my mutant powers. XD The only good thing I got here is that I found the HRD manager cute. XDXDXD

After the above travesty, Eric (our Philips product specialist for North Luzon) and I went to Mines View Park to catch up with the other two who went to Good Shepherd for obscenely expensive pasalubong. Along the way, I took a picture of the mountainside. You'll only get to see pinetrees up here in the north in this country. And no, I did not take a picture of that smelly horse in Mines View.

And it's onto Camp John Hay! Eric suggested we see where they tried rapelling months ago on a previous trip. And there it was, a small adventure spot at Camp John Hay where they do paintball war games, wall climbing and rapelling. For a 100 php fee, you get to try the zipline and rapel down a 20 foot wall. Sounds good? Well I thought it was kinda expensive; but after a dare from our district manager that if I went through it, I'd get a free treat at Strawberries and Ice Cream! A sundae treat at that place costs more than 100 php, it's a bargain XD. So I went and suited up the crotch harness and dead-worn gloves needed to complete the course. Eric took a pic of me on the zipline while I was hurling invectives at everything. XDXDXD

The morning after, my left thigh and abdominal muscles (what muscles?) were aching for that stunt I pulled. XD

Well, I guess the rest of my trip is no longer important. It would've been nice if I didn't ran out of batteries and didn't know where to buy the following morning when I went to SLU - Sacred Heart. ^^;; Ah well, there's a nice view of the city from afar from the bus trip towards lovely, traffic-congested, smog-gets-in-your-eyes Manila! (I managed to buy batteries right before boarding the bus at about 11am. XD)