King Fahd International Airport

It was today, seven years ago when I first set foot on the sands of Saudi Arabia with nothing but a hundred dollar bill that my mom pulled together, my passport and the proverbial “suitcase full of hopes and dreams”. Seven years, seven birthdays, seven christmases and seven new years, have gone by and yet I could still vividly call to mind the time when I wasn’t even sure about leaving even up to the moment I was already onboard the plane (for the first time) just waiting for take-off. It was tough for me for it was the first time that I will be totally independent, away from home. All my life, I have lived under the roof of my family- that would be my mom, grandma and my two other half-brothers all 5 of us, bar none.

At first, it was hardly unimaginable to leave the people you will surely miss and the kind of life you grew up with. The fact that you’ll be thousands of miles away from home when you need a shoulder to cry on, or a friend to laugh with or just having a close friend was too much for me to even anticipate. But times were hard back then and I had a failed relationship to run away from so I knew I had to do it! Hoping against hope that this would be a fresh start.

Seven years and two employers later, I still find myself in front of the computer, in an office and what do you know, still in Saudi Arabia. From a meager salary earner to a way better one after another I would say that all those 7 years of pressing on, they were surely not in vain. Although the first few years were still hard, it was a good thing that the Lord gave me the strength to hold on and wait until He opens the door that was meant for me in the infinite sovereignty of His knowledge. So I celebrate this day by thanking the Good Provider for “what do I possess that You did not give to me?”

Unlike E=MC2- the preceeding CD, Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel (in-stores Sept. 29) got to me the first time I listened to the tracks. They both have urban-flavoured tracks in them yet it took time before I got to like the songs on the earlier release. But with diva Mariah Carey’s 12th studio album (4th from Island Def Jam label), I would say that this is her best work yet, even better than the overrated comeback salvo, The Emancipation of Mimi granted that we set aside the songs We Belong Together (of course!), Don’t Forget About Us and Fly Like A Bird as everyone might agree these are the massive hits that brought her back to the top of the game. Call it bias but I’m a sucker for RnB/Urban numbers and among the last three MC albums mentioned, Memoirs has got the most in-depth attack. Since the time she smoothly crossed-over from bubblegum pop/syrupy ballads to RnB (so glad she did), I’ve come to like MC more and more over time. In here, MC has collaborated with Tricky Stewart and singer/songwriterThe Dream in most of the songs.

The CD opens up with Betcha Gon’ Know, MC sings a dark, slow tempo plus synth and heavy knocking bass number with low key register on the verses until she climax her way towards the chorus (as she usually does) all the while with deep sighs and the signature whistle notes on the background as she blurts out about an unfaithful lover. Before the song fades to an end, there will be references to Oprah Winfrey and Barbra Walters (20/20). The bouncy Obsessed follows through- the first cut released even before the album is. I believe everyone’s heard this Eminem (or not?) diss song which has gone up to #4 as of this writing on the Billboard Hot 100. She then recalls a lost love then turns rather bitter as she croons the line I can’t wait to H.A.T.E.U. which actually stands for Having A Temporary Emotional Upset. Candy Bling – here MC travels back in time and wishes to rekindle an old flame in this mid-tempo number reminiscent to Underneath The Stars. The subtle bass, keyboards sequencing and the finger snaps makes this an easy listening song perfect while driving home at the end of the day. If there’s one song that I like the least from this album, it would be Ribbon. Simply because to me it’s just a regular RnB track- nothing special about it. Inseperable samples a line from Cyndy Lauper’s Time After Time (“if you’re lost and you look and you will find me”). I thought its cute! The next 3 songs are clever breakup/get over songs. First MC gives an unfaithful lover a Standing O (ovation)- a theme similar to Rihanna’s Take A Bow, then dismisses him with the doo-wop song It’s A Wrap and finally lashes back at him with Up Out My Face, a song with revengeful tongue-twister diss lyrics while still maintaining a certain level of class in it. It is then followed by a 51-second Reprise of the song’s chorus accompanied by snare drums and horns, giving us either a marching band or a cheering squad feel. A smart diversion, something I never saw coming. Meanwhile, enough of the breakup motiff. This time, the diva “puts on her Jimmy Chus and gets it all cute” as she tries to win a man to be More Than Just Friends- another bouncy track about how much she admires a guy “like fries at McDonald’s” and how she wants him to “love her till she hits the top of her soprano”. I just love that line as she releases her ultra-sonic high note on the background. The heavy RnB-acoustic guitar laced The Impossible is a tribute to a man whom she loves like summertime, like a cherry wine, like milkshake, bubblebath and freeze pop amont others. Now its time for the ballads, something for old-school MC fans to smile about. Angels (Prelude) is a brief prelude of whistle notes and whispers which kind of gives you a feeling of being surrounded by an ensemble of angels each having a song of their own. It sets the mood to the next song in the album, which I really like. In fact this is my favorite “Memoirs” track. Angels Cry is Memoir’s We Belong Together and I Stay In Love. You would know when you hear the similar MC formula- keyboards, drum bass and and hand claps. Only, this is what I would call the “new improved” version because it has got more complex backing vocals (all of which are MC’s), deeper lyrics and a melody that you would surely love- trust me on this one. Languishing is a mellow 2-minute-or-so interlude as Mariah sings on her low, breathy register with finger snaps and piano being played on the background. You would hardly even notice that she would then segue this to the last song on the album as before the song ends, the intro of the next songs gets in. That would be her marvelous take on a Foreigner classic I Want To Know What Love Is. The song starts with soft keyboards and breathy vocals then it progresses eventually until she brings out the choir for reinforcement towards the transition, whistle notes and all – a classic moment only MC can deliver.

Basically, it’s not like she has reinvented her music or something, it’s got the same MC touch only better and bolder- just exactly how I hoped it would be.

Alright so I pirated this entire album only because i can’t wait til the release date.  But I would definitely buy the CD first of all being a huge fan of hers and of course it’s worth having the original as this is is surely a must-have item in my CD rack.  Afterall, I highly recommend the entire album and give it a 5 out of 5.

I wonder what they would do next year? Break into homes and offices?

Exploding iPhones: Panic, or chill?

Reports are coming in from France, the Netherlands, and the UK of iPhones and iPod Touches—just a few so far, mind you—blowing up in people’s faces, and the European Commission has launched an investigation into the matter. So, is your iPhone a ticking time bomb? Before you freak out, read on.

Exploding iPhones: Chill... think of it as an added perk!

So, what’s going on?
There have been a handful of reported incidents of iPhones and iPod Touches exploding, causing minor injuries in some cases (mainly due to flying glass shards from the iPhone display).

You’re kidding! How many iPhones have blown up so far?
Like I said, only a few cases have been reported, mostly in Europe. The latest “exploding iPhone” case comes from France, with the AFP reporting that a 26-year-old supermarket watchman from Villevieille suffered an eye injury after his iPhone screen exploded and shattered. Among the other recent reports: a French teenager was “slightly” injured by flying glass shards from an exploding iPhone, an iPod Touch in the UK “overheated and jumped into the air” after being dropped, and an iPhone in the Netherlands caught fire and melted the passenger seat of a car.

OK, so only iPhones and iPod Touches, eh? What about other iPods?
They’ve been known to explode as well, with a recently uncovered safety report detailing at least 15 cases of fires in the U.S. blamed on overheating or sparking iPods.

What’s so dangerous about iPhones and iPods?
According to Ars Technica, the majority of cases are traced to the iPhone’s built-in lithium-ion battery, a type of rechargeable battery that powers everything from iPhones to laptops. So, are lithium-ion batteries inherently dangerous? Not necessarily, explains HowStuffWorks, although they can overheat, spark, and burst into flame “under the right circumstances”; just ask anyone who lived though the great laptop battery recall of 2006.

Whoa. What do the authorities say?
As the New York Times reports, the European Commission is investigating the latest cases of exploding iPhones and iPod Touches, as is the French government. Meanwhile, federal safety officials in the U.S. say there’s no need for an iPod recall based on the small number of reported incidents.

What does Apple have to say for itself?
Not much, so far, with a spokesperson telling Reuters (via the NYT): “We are aware of these reports and we are  waiting to receive the iPhones from the customers. Until we have the full details, we don’t have anything further to add.”

OK, so … panic, or chill?
Chill. Batteries in gadgets, including the iPhone and iPod touch, always have the (very small) potential to explode, but look at the numbers: for iPods, only 15 documented cases in the U.S. after hundreds of millions of iPods sold, while just a handful (as in five or so) of iPhones/iPod Touches have reportedly exploded out of an install base of about 40 million.

Of course, that’s not to say that government safety officials and Apple shouldn’t stop, take notice, and do everything they can to eliminate the danger altogether. However, based on the figures, you’ve got a much better chance of being struck by lightning—or dying in a plane crash, drowning, or even perishing in burning pajamas, for that matter—than having your iPhone or iPod catch fire.

That’s a relief. Still, any safety tips?
Sure: If your iPhone or iPod gets way too hot (more than the usual heat from playing a game or downloading a video file), turn it off immediately and take it to an Apple service center.

It's the simple things in life we forget...

When I first came into this office, someone gave me a small plant, sort of a welcome gift so to speak.  Being an appreciative person, I was sincerely touched by the gesture.  Aside from its aesthetic purpose in my office, I thought that it would be nice to nurture it and watch it grow as I “grow” in this new job opportunity I am in.  So I placed it by the window where there is sufficient, yet gentle sunlight.  Everyday as soon as I step in my office, I immediately water it (no, i don’t talk to the plant!).  Time went on and the work got so overwhelming that sometimes I would forget to water it.  “Sometimes”  broke down further into “less and less” as I got overwhelmed with more workloads, or when I come in late that I have to rush things needed for the 8am meeting or simply because I have adapted new routines every morning.  It got covered with the files that kept piling up on that small table.  It was only one time when I got the chance to really look at it that I noticed that the plant has almost dried up literally. It was like 80% of it has actually dried up and there was only little part where you could find life in it.  All the leaves are gone and the soil was so dry.  I don’t know, it’s just a plant but I felt a little sad about it.  It’s a small thing yet it meant a lot to me- it reminds me of my first day in this company, of the feeling of being welcomed.  It would have been a mute testimony of my stay in this company.  It’s a small thing or perhaps worthless, yet it has served as a reminder of how much I have been blown away by life’s daily rush that I have already forgotten the only thing that has life in my office amidst the office equipment and electronic gadgets, that sometimes I have to stop and smell the flowers, it reminded me that I haven’t called my mom in Manila for quite awhile, that I haven’t chatted with my brother in NY when I said we would… these are all just small things in life, yet they mean a lot.

How cool is that?

It’s not like it’s my first time to see such submersible/waterproof-whatever camera.  Just the thought of having one excites me.  Canon Powershot D10 was said to be waterproof up to 33meters and is shockproof as well- don’t ask further, I don’t know much about the more specific details- and by the way its 12.1 megapixels.  I gave my Olympus (spare me with the details please!) digital camera to my brother so I ain’t got one no more.  For sometime now, I have been depending on my Samsung’s phone camera.  Right now I must say that it’s not really an urgent thing to have one yet I’m so into it that I have been going through reviews in the internet and guess what?- I’m already convinced that it’s a good buy at SR 1550 (US$ 400 more or less).  Until I hop into my car and head straight to Extra, the question still remains: “To buy or not to buy?”

So now I’m bringing “real” back into its proper perspective.  I branded my new product after a name that most people know me with.  No need to think of a too-deep-too-good-to-be-true name.  And the tagline says it all- “Keeping It Real” is about keeping it real, right here- it is what it is!

Cheers!