Dinosaurs in a digital world...

We are riding the crest of another schism that will forever change the way our species exist in our planet. The internet has changed man's lifestyle in such a short span of time that what our kids take for granted now would seem impossible a couple of years ago. If you would tell me ten years ago that I could not go out of my home without my phone, I would tell you then that you must be out of your mind! or that bringing along a camera and taking pictures of almost anything would seem the normal thing to do.
Such is the wonders of technology that  camera film (whats that?)  is becoming obsolete and keeping in touch with family and friends are now only fingertips aways. The web has surely made our world a smaller place and the ease of communication it brings has trashed age old business models. Why pay costly long distance charges when you can chat or skype?  who now remembers the telex and shortly in the future, the fax machine? Broadcasting has taken a new form and streaming is slowly becoming the norm. The name of the game is adapting and as is usually the case, established giants and the bureaucracy are the ones who don't want to step out of their comfort zones.
I unfortunately, work for one such organization. I work in a computerized and web enabled environment, but we have failed to fully realize the potential of it. One example is that  we do not have an in house email system where communications such as memos or drafts of reports would be sent electronically via mail .Only final outputs should be printed, anyway the soft copy or digital records will always be stored.  I could just imagine how many trees would be saved if only we did this.  Unfortunately, we walk among dinosaurs who pay lip service to the language of technology but has not yet  grasped fully its potential. We have automated our systems and made it online transaction capable in compliance of the e commerce act but at the expense of sacrificing the efficiency of service that we provide. What good is technology if the end result is an inefficient organization that increased red tape? Even with the most expensive machines, what previously took 1 day and 7 people to accomplish now takes 3 days and 20 plus people and has virtually spawned a cottage industry of service providers within the vicinity of the office. So much for competitiveness.
Technology and change should be embraced and learned so as to know how best to utilize it in order to make  things easier. It sure is great to sound impressive with technocratic lip service and flashy statistics but ultimately, the proof of the computing is in the using.

AMBULA....lalala...

During times when we are tired or just plain lazy to cook, take out food is the solution to my broods needs. Luckily for us, restaurants and take out counters are a plenty in our vicinity. After many misses and near hits, my honey and i chanced upon this restaurant which was almost always full during dinner time.Surely they must be doing something good to attract such a number of loyal customers. So one day, we tried it out.

Ambula is a typical pinoy eatery with ready to eat viands ala turo turo style. What sets it apart is that they also offer ala cart  selections. So one has the best of both worlds, in a rush, just point to a viand that you like and your meal is there in a flash. Want your food hot sand freshly cooked? no problem, just order from the many choices in their menu.

food choices @ Ambula food cart

One item that has caught me and my honey's fancy is the sinigang na ulo ng salmon. We almost always order this from them. Although both of us are not really fish eaters, we found this perfect when craving for hot soup specially during rainy nights.personally, I found this better than the original ulo ulo at the back of Veterans Hospital and the price is just right for the budget.  We always pair our order of this with their lechon kawali. This sets makes a perfect meal for us.

While waiting for our food, I saw some of the other ala cart choices and I found most of it interesting and worth trying like thier freshly cooked katsudon and other rice toppings. I have also had the chance to order their kare kare and found it ok. Not great but also not so bad. But hey, for 50 bucks you wouldnt expect barrio fiesta. Located along Maginhawa St. in Teachers village, which is slowly becoming a food strip for the neighborhood and UP campus, Ambula satnds out and  provide a no frills value for money dining experience. It is worth coming back to.

backwards incompatability!

Our office just recently put restrictions on internet access.The reason cited was that open access was taking up valuable bandwidth thus resulting in less than favorable performance of our in house application systems. But even  after restrictions were put into place, there was no noticeable improvement in the performance of our systems. What does that tell us? That there are no shortage of idiots in the office? A simple study of our IT and network infrastucture would show that our systems passes through a dedicated line (leased line) different from our internet which passes through a different one. So theoretically, one line would not have a bearing on the other. There goes the bandwidth defense.
Knowing this basic set up, a competent network manager would study other points of traffic to solve the congestion. And it is almost always not about the bandwidth, it's the "throughput" stupid, the ease in which data transfer occurs. We can have the biggest bandwidth available but if our internal network is full of fault points, congestion will always be the end result.
Putting restrictions on internet runs contrary to the very concept of it. The net is the new global arena and social networking sites such as facebook and twitter are some of its biggest players. These sites may have started as social interaction pages but has evolved into a global marketplace of sorts. It is now being used as a business, political and marketing tool even by some government agencies such as dti and pnp and even by our President. I am glad that they realized its potential but doubly sad that our office do not. Change is the only constant in this world, and adapting to change is a must, lest we go the way of dinosaurs, extinct. I just hope that our bosses wake up from their jurrasic slumber and see the light, not drag the whole office towards it.

bloggingcaloy: straight from the mouth of babes...hoping for a better Phils. for them...

bloggingcaloy: straight from the mouth of babes...hoping for a better Phils. for them...

straight from the mouth of babes...hoping for a better Phils. for them...

Yesterday, while driving home from mass, we chanced upon a traffic accident. It was fairly recent and the police has just arrived. When my youngest daughter, Fiona, saw the policemen, she told me to hurry up because she was afraid of policemen. To say I was surprised by this is an understatement. At a young age of 6, she already has a negative impression of our supposed protectors of society. It hit me that the symbols of government in the Philippine streets have such a tainted image that kids don't want anything to do with them. In fact, upon further reflection, I also don't want anything to do with them of for any other people in uniform for that matter. And I work for a national government office!
I remember being out on the streets of Quezon City when (typhoon) Ondoy struck. And the most distinctive impression I had then was that at that time, there was no government. It was the people helping each other. No road signs, no advisories, no MMDA personnel to direct traffic. What we had was the citizens helping other citizens cross flooded streets, rescuing trapped people, offering food and shelter to less fortunate people. Where were the people in uniform?
Yet in every heinous crime or gruesome accident, the people in uniform take center attention.It does not help that it is very hard to distinguish on sight who is the criminal and who is the authority. Seeing a traffic enforcer of the Metro Manila Development Authority or any local government does not bring the comfort of a thought that the traffic will move smoother but evokes memories of predators waiting for prey. Of them waiting for someone to make the slightest infraction so as to make a buck.
These people have their work cut out for them. It would take generations to correct this image. I just hope that this thoughts reach them and start to affect them. That deep inside there is still a glimmer of idealism that the dream to put on the uniform was not motivated by the need to make a quick buck but to be a protector of society. I still believe, for the sake of my kids....

bloggingcaloy: Re-discovering the City of Pines....

bloggingcaloy: Re-discovering the City of Pines....

Re-discovering the City of Pines....

BAGUIO STRAWBERRIES!

Baguio City has long been considered the summer capital of the Philippines. Many a childhood summer memory is reminisced with carefree days in Baguio, taking in the cool air and pine fragrance that permeates the place. Who would not remember going "boating" and biking in Burnham park or horseback riding in Wright park, and visiting mines view park? But unfortunately, due to the development of other tourist destinations and overdevelopment, the city has slowly lost its standing as the country's summer capital. Or so i thought.

Session rd. after an afternoon downpour, cleansing

Got a chance to go up to the mountains recently to do some soul searching and came back with much more than my soul. To truly appreciate Baguio, one has to lose sense of time, to think of carefree days and appreciate the laid back pace of the place. When going up, think of Zen, of breakfasts at 1 pm or coffee at 1 am. Forget about the beer (it will only make you pee) and think about the wine or much stronger spirits.

piping hot sinigang na bagnet served with steaming rice

Session road is the lifeline of the city. While the development of SM  Baguio shifted much of the commercial activity there, Session still perseveres and its nook and crannies still offers pleasant surprises. It boasts of a wide array of restaurants that contributes to a unique experience. During a stroll, me and my honey chanced upon a restaurant with a unique name, Solibao Restaurant. The menu had a lot of sizzling choices but one dish caught our eye instantly. We ordered it without hesitation and found it be as good as we hoped it to be. We found Solibao's sinigang na bagnet perfect food during a chilly and rainy Baguio afternoon. Other establishments abound that is unique to the place and is as much as an institution there that Session would not be  the same without it.

Pizza Volante going head to head with an industry giant. 

yummy pizza!

Going up Session, a fairly new landmark has created an impact on the city, SM Baguio is unique as it is the only SM mall that does not use airconditioning but instead blend an architectural design to fully maximize the strengths of its environment. Its viewdeck offers a spectacular panorama of the city.

Baguio cathedral as seen from SM

                                      

My Honey and I opted to forgo the usual tourist thing and decided to explore the city by foot and by jeep. Off we went to Baguio market to have a feel of the city. It's vegetable and flower sections are truly amazing and affords one a vibrant feel and unique perspective of upland life.

going up Baguio market

whatta beans!?

Vegetables galore!

Baguio brooms

This trip not only provided a refreshing break but also provided a unique perspective on the city of Pines. It may have lost its standing as the summer capital to bora.  but to Me and my Honey,  Baguio offers a truly relaxing respite from the hustle and bustle of city life and will always be our sanctuary. We will surely come back.

How to  get there: Victory liner cubao offers hourly trips from Cubao station to Baguio. Once there, taxis abound so its easy to get around. Most of the drivers are honest and charge only by the meter. Accomodations  is also not a problem as there are many choices available ranging from Five star accomodations to transient houses.