Sleep

It's 2:30 in the morning. Just finished Arnold Arre's graphic novel, "Martial Law Babies". My Ragnarok Online PH client is patching in the background while I review the data from mother station's latest survey.

I just formulated the news headline that will come out on Monday. I can't wait to discuss the latest update about people's satisfaction with how democracy works in this country.

It's been almost six years since I last saw my hunter and assassin in Ragnarok Online. These are the very first characters I created in the world of MMORPG.

I'm not playing them again, though. They have in them a lot of memories -- mostly wonderful -- that I dare not disturb their rest. They will stay immortalized, safely tucked in the pay-to-play server.

Instead, I'll just create new characters in the free-to-play server. I've been wanting to see the features of the newer server Valkyrie.

The Ragnarok client is done patching, and I hear that same, unforgettably haunting opening music at the log-in screen.

Memories, memories...

But my new archer will have to wait some other time.

And I'll write about the rest of the data later.

It's 3:45 a.m. I must get some sleep.

(My goodness... fezbook's news feed is still buzzing with activity, mostly by local friends. Amazing. Is this the new meaning of Saturday dawn?)

Goodnight. ^^

PW's Tideborne

After a year of waiting, Level Up! Games unveiled last July the new race in Perfect World -- the Tideborne. On July 24, I created my Wu Shih (Sorcerer).

The Wu Shih (WS) is everything I hoped for -- with the right build, this class is designed to be the ultimate weapon against the Soulless. Playing one has given me a refreshing break from my Yu Ling (Priest) -- I'm loving the firepower!

For a brief period after the Tideborne patch, the game client had a minor glitch that allowed players to log-on multiple accounts at once (it still can be done, but let's not go there haha). So for a while, my Yu Ling (YL) watched over my WS like a big brother.

But as always, real life takes precedence, and I had to revert back to my so-not-hardcore gaming habits when my WS reached 50+. My primary motivation is still to bring my YL to level 89, and get that first fairy (Sublime or Diabolic, I still can't decide).

The SWS-TAF friendship games

The Asia Foundation (TAF) has been mother station's longest institutional partner, going way back in 1980's when TAF gave SWS its first grant.

In my career in social research, my most memorable and fulfilling projects had been with them.

After so many years working with TAF, it was good to see them -- for the first time -- in their sports attire, talk about something else aside from projects, and engage them in a friendly competition last Saturday at the Timberland Nature and Sports Club in San Mateo, Rizal.

TAF did well in the 3-on-3 basketball, free-throw and 3-point shootout, volleyball, and three-to-five-legged race, while SWS excelled in cheering competition, billiards, "going to market", tug-of-war, wall climbing, and pool relay.

By evening, we all shared that love for wine, beer, and videoke (and Glee! Haha!).

Cheers, TAF!

(Photo credits to Mae L.)

***

I know I can swim since elementary days, and I have taken 4 units of swimming as PE. But it was only last Saturday when I was finally comfortable calling myself a swimmer.

I can swim fast. And if I practice and polish my techniques some more, I can go really fast and far.

But I'll leave it at just "fast" for now. It's nice to know I'm good at something.

And I was reminded how important it is to stay fit and healthy.

Naruto weekend

It's a Naruto marathon weekend for me and Joan.

I'm not a die-hard fan, but there will come a time when I must watch the series again in their undubbed, subtitled version. It's a different experience hearing the emotions in the original voices.

And my wife agree that that time is now.

***

And because of Naruto, I totally forgot about the scheduled Territorial War in Perfect World.

Congratulations, Sanctius, new ruler of Great Wall, Dragon server!

Honeymoon

We've seen something like this before -- a president with enough social capital that even a string of major and minor blunders could not spoil the honeymoon moment.

That, or we are simply too patient and forgiving, if not forgetful.

We'll see.

I just hope he puts all that precious social capital to good use.



Note for the news clip below: "satisfied" is "nasisiyahan", not "kuntento". Also, my family name is Laroza. Rando is my second name. ^^

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/video/nation/10/06/10/pnoy-give-report-his-1st-100-days#ooid=Q2ZTRyMTq2rUiIRuhRtcxa93UqyDS1S4

***

Hello, dear blog! It's good to be here again.

Salads and mushrooms

A good weather on a long weekend with no pressing errands would usually mean a little road and food trip, so off to Tagaytay we went last Sunday.

Our objective was to have a healthy and relaxing day, and Sonya's Garden was just the place for it. A hearty lunch of healthy salad, pasta, and salmon, -- followed by an hour-long body massage -- took care of the stress I accumulated for the month of August.

Of course, the trip home wouldn't be complete without Sonya's freshly-baked delights, and a pitstop at Mushroom Burger. Yum!

Trenta y cinco

The birthday greetings started arriving two days ahead, and ended four days after. I don't remember ever celebrating my birthday that long.

And it's been a while since I last celebrated it outside of office-related festivity -- my birthday usually falls within the same date of mother station's annual general assembly.

Turning 35 is another personal milestone, and calls for nothing less than an all-out inuman and singing session haha!

The original Pork Barrel gang of 2009 were there: Anne, Mear, Micko, Mike, Liz, and Ramon. A few more guests completed the party: Anne's fiance Sergey, Ramon's wife Anna, and mother station's latest discoveries Eunice, Anna M., and Cherish.

Cheers!

That's it

I'm done here. ^^

After six years, two months, nine days, 220 posts, 16 drafts, and 10,625 visitors, Chemical Rhapsody is wrapping up.

First of all, I have to thank Lynn, Cez's sister, because the name Chemical Rhapsody was inspired by her site. Hers was one of the few personal websites I follow back then, and it was there where the words "violin rhapsody" and "chemical-free zerg" caught my attention.

So however late this may be, my apologies to Lynn for ripping bits of words off her site to arrive at Chemical Rhapsody.

Nevertheless, I could not think of a better name for the online incarnate of Jughead (the name I use for all my journals).

And I could never be prouder than I am now with this blog's small achievements: aside from saving my sanity countless times, chances are this blog will be among the top five pages if you search it now in Google.

So here's to you, my dear ChemRhap *raise mug of coffee* for housing my hopes, dreams, adventures, beliefs, alter-egos, vices, illusions, anger, frustrations, joys, triumphs, failures, pain, and everything else that is Leo, Leigh, Lei, Lee, or Bon over the past six years.

Cheers!

And thanks to you all. The comments left within the pages of this blog will be reminders of how wonderful this little ride has been.

Catch you all somewhere, most likely (final fezbook moment here), in FB hee hee. ^^

Ingat po ang lahat!

Silenced

The words will come out eventually.

For now, they're all in my head and heart.

So high

For the latest Philippine news stories and videos, visit GMANews.TV

Destroy and build

There are four things I want utterly destroyed this very moment: 1) the new Monday uniform of a certain government institution; 2) its new Tuesday uniform; 3) its new Wednesday uniform, and; 4) its new Thursday uniform.

I'm not blaming the designer. Not anymore. They will always stay consistent to their unique styles, even if at times such styles may be inappropriate. I'm putting all the blame and responsibility to the committee -- if at all there was one -- that approved those designs.

The designs are unique and the construction is sound, but in my humble opinion, the uniforms scream of something else -- something distant from what the institution represent.

Anyway, it all depends now on the people who will be wearing them. If majority of them like the new set of uniforms, then indeed the world is changing.

***

My friend Cez inspired me to go back to keeping a journal.

I'm going to enjoy making this one -- the fifth since I began in 2001 and stopped in 2007. The office has been accumulating quite a pile of recyclable bond paper after the elections. ^^

***

It's been so long since I've done anything that involves creativity (the aesthetic kind, that is). Judging by how I worked in the past, it's a kind of task that requires a different kind of inspiration.

As the office's 25th anniversary celebration draws near, I'm in desperate need of this particular kind of inspiration.

Mercifully, a piece of that familiar mix of feelings came back yesterday -- driven, informed, updated, motivating, challenging, and inspiring.

How I missed that feeling!

It's been a while. Thank you thank you!