Catching up these past few weeks...

Hi guys. Forgive my absence this past week. It's inexcusable. I have been busy - not because of wedding arrangements (I won't be doing that until next year). This past week has been a combination of work overload, catching up with movies, and a game of pool or two.

I went through training at work for our system and processes upgrade. This, in, short, would mean more work and Big Brother will be watching us closely. Oh well, I was getting a bit bored anyway. At least this way, our productivity measurements are going to get tightened and will force everybody to shape up. This also means that I may have to lead another training program for my colleagues... sigh, I remember doing this when our system was brand new around 4 years ago. That was fun... NOT!

Very challenging though. Imagine teaching people who have no IT knowledge whatsoever and making them believe that the new system is the best thing to come out since sliced bread? Hard work, I tell you...

Now, it'll be DOUBLY fun to teach people that we have no way of doing anymore shortcuts in the processes or else it will result in a service failure, which will result in the workers not getting their incentives. I could just picture the tomatoes being thrown my way.

Isn't that always the case? The messenger always get killed, while the author goes scott free.

I'll just have to make sure that I wear my protective armour...

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Since it's my school holidays for the next 3 months (hooray!), I was able to catch up on some valuable movie time - alone and with my mates. I watched "Elizabethtown" alone a couple of weeks ago while the boys (read: Arnie, his brother Rey, and Caloi) watched "Doom". I wasn't in the mood for mindless violence so I opted to watch the former.

"Elizabethtown" is a cute romantic comedy with Orlando Bloom ("Lord of the Rings", "Pirates of the Carribean", "Troy") and Kirsten Dunst ("Spiderman", "Interview with the Vampire", "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind"). I enjoyed it. Like I said, it was cute. I'd rather hear Orlando Bloom with his usual English accent though. He sounded a bit funny as an American.

Last week, my post grad friends Pat, Em, and I watched "Pride and Prejudice" with Kiera Knightly playing the lead role of Elizabeth Bennet. I am a big fan of the BBC tele-series of the same novel, but with Colin Firth playing the dastardly Mr. Darcy. It was a good film, although I still preferred the movie adaptation of "Sense and Sensibility" with Emma Thompson and Hugh Grant - not to mention that Severus Snape, er, Alan Rickman was an excellent and dashing Captain Christopher. After the movie, we had a few drinks and had a nice chat. We are all planning to have a barbeque party at my place soon for our "Doctor Who" marathon! Em is giving me the 9th Doctor's first box set as her engagement present - a bit late but very thoughtful of her nonetheless.

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What else happened? Ah, discovered this quaint little bowling and billiards place right in the heart of the city. Fantastic place to chill, play video games, have a few drinks, play a little pool, and probably play a bit of bowling. It's a bit steep though - $15 a game of bowling! Sheesh!

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I have become a chocolate addict. Going to Max Brenner or Koko Black has become my habit - a very bad habit. I actually feel some sort of withdrawal symptoms if I haven't consumed anything chocolatey for a day or so. Help!

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To top that off, I have been craving korean barbeque this past week, which is sad since I had it twice the week before.

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Will post soon so that I refrain from updating with meaningless dribble...