Year 2012

I will just say significant events in my life for 2012 since a lot of us are saying “There are a lot of things that happened in 2012” but cannot really recall all of them. 🙂

First of all, the graduation from college was this year. It was quite a bizarre event for me because there are things that happened that made it a little bit sad but still great (after some time, I realized, it was not sad, afterall).  Five years in college was tough as your batch mates are already graduating and you still have one more year to go. With the help of other friends and course mates, we were able to endure BS ECE and graduated on time. It was tough but fun at the same time.

Second, the failure of board exams. Yeah it was really disappointing but given what was happening behind, I guess I can live with it. What I cannot take are the smug faces of those people who got it by luck or whatever. But, here we are, they have their licenses and I hope it will give them a big help. I remember one high school friend of mine that I met in TENCON in Cebu and asked him if he got the exam. He replied yes, but quickly told me that he does not need that license as it will really bring nothing much into his preferred career. He does not even plan on renewing that license and he hates paying penalty fees.

Third, new friends 🙂 Although most of them are still in Gabay since most of my year are tucked within the school proximity. Still, even if it makes me old, I miss people calling me Kuya Pau or Lolo Pau. For sure, I will be waiting for someone to shout Kuya Pau from afar when I am working. And I know they are good friends because just this December when I needed someone to talk to or just simpy gather some opinions, they were there for me, told me what they think and some possible things I can do. I cannot wait to see them once they all gather back here in Manila. 🙂

Fourth, the people who are guiding my spiritual life. Another year of full-blast effort and attention to my spiritual life. These people, you will really observe dedication to improve other people’s spiritual lives and I am thankful that they are still beside me, guiding me everyday on what to do, how to encounter problems in life and solve them.

Fifth, the blessings, material and non-material. At the start of 2012, I really did not expect much of gadgetry despite having a part time job by May because I am not really interested much even if technology is shooting up. However, I am still blessed with some opportunities to get some things I want. For instance, the Nexus 7 tablet was the very first gadget I got out of my work and it was a blessing indeed because I got it with no shipping fees, which means I got it for the price that Google exactly indicated in their store. The others are simply love from family and friends. The care that my parents have given me, despite their strict nature, the Ninongs and Ninangs who are there to ask how am I doing and my inaanak. Yep, I became ninong this year and so far I am happy with my inaanak. I even teach her Math! 🙂

Sixth, Love life? Hahaha! MISFORTUNES! But I learned a lot from those events. In fact, I may have been avoided a catastrophe but of course, all the moments and such… oh well. 🙂 Just recalling some of the events, makes me laugh.

There are also some events that have brought me into a thinking spot and even got me misinterpreted. Sometimes, confusion come along, either I really do not know what is happening or someone is messing things up. The introvert in me is surely making things a little bit miserable for me but at least it is keeping me on the safe side. So far I am doing well with things and I love what I am doing right now. 2012 taught me a lot of things through people and events.

Ups and Downs were a lot this year, I got confused, got scolded by people for some reason I cannot understand or rather I cannot put things or their side into context. There are people out there who are ready to bring me back to the road and escort me until I can go again on my own. I want to do more of that this year.

To the people who became part of my 2012, I love you guys so much, I miss you and I hope I will see you soon. 🙂 >:D<

 

Hopefully 2013 will not be just a year of better life, no more miseries, but rather a year of more challenges, more opportunities to learn, more chances to meet new people, then that better life can be achieved. 🙂

 

Cheers to 2013. Big *stuffs* ahead. :))))))))) *mwah*

I cannot think of something to write

Asus Nexus 7 Dock

It is not yet available worldwide as of this moment, but I got a unit at hand straight from Japan and here it is, the Nexus 7 Dock. The dock costs 3480 Japanese Yen from the Japanese Asus online store and you have a sturdy, well-built casing, a micro-USB port to feed power to the dock and a 3.5 mm jack for audio.

The packaging is also well made and simple. Well, when I say simple, you only get the dock and a folded manual. The manual also have different languages which suggests worldwide release.

The dock, however, have some requirements. First, your Nexus 7 should be running the latest iteration of the Jelly Bean, which is 4.2. I have not yet tried Nexus 7 with older OS and I will not be able to because all of my colleagues that have a Nexus 7 already have 4.2 on their tabs.

Manual

Ports

The Micro-USB port and the 3.5 mm audio jack can be found at the back of the dock. As I said earlier, the purpose of the Micro-USB port at the back is just to feed in power to the dock. The dock will not work and will not be recognized by your Nexus 7 without it having plugged in with power.

Nexus Logo at front

Asus logo at the rear

You need this to make your dock work.

The good news with this setup is that the power will now be fed through the pogo pins in the dock. This leaves the micro-USB port on your tab to be used for other purposes. Right now I am using it with a USB OTG cable and plugged in some peripherals like game controller and keyboard.

Nexus Pogo Pins

Respective connecting port on the dock.

Attach good quality speakers and plug in HD movies and you have a mini theater system. 🙂

I admit, there should have been more to this dock like what most people expected, a HDMI port but the dock itself is fine. For instance, when docked, you can attach good speakers and you have a mini theater system, given the HD screen. Or, like what I am doing, I attach the speakers, use the micro-USB port of the tab to attach peripherals such as keyboard and mouse and I have a mini android desktop. 🙂 You can also configure how the tab will react when docked:

Daydream options

Audio options

Overall, the dock is nice. It is perfect for your desk at the office or at home, whether you are checking some stuff over the internet or using it to search, say, some recipes for cooking. It is a great companion when you want to set your Nexus 7 up in a landscape, tilted position good for viewing what is on the screen. Oh yeah, you can use it as your table top clock, just make sure you do not push it off the surface when snoozing its alarm. :))

The Night Drive

A friend of mine waited until 7:00 pm or 8:00 pm for the traffic to calm down along Katipunan. It is always traffic because aside from the rush of college students and some primary and secondary students going home late, Katipunan is a major route for people going home from work. Which means that around 5:00 to 7:00 pm, the traffic is heavy. Much more worrying for me who goes beyond Katipunan and reaches the junction that connects Tandang Sora and the way to Capitol Hills and that street who’s name is quite difficult to pronounce or spell “Zuzuaregi”. Both ways can bring me to Commonwealth and new traffic problems arise from there.

So last Friday, all Christmas parties squeezed in and I asked permission to bring the machine so that I will not bother my parents for fetching me late at night. Rest assured, the 12 o’clock rule will be followed. That rule means you have to be home before 12 midnight. 😀 (Sounds weird for someone who’s out of college but come to think of it, I am still living under their roof so technically, I cannot complain. 😀 Despite the car.. :D) So they let me bring the car for Friday and joy of joys, it was also my cleanup day and I can place all my things in the car with no problem, including the bike I borrowed from my brother.

Then the parties started! Almost all of the venues were inside the campus except one: AECES Christmas party. I went there just to check what is going on because I am sure, alcohol will be involved. 🙂 And yeah, there is alcohol when I went there and a lot of people who recognized me tried sharing drinks with me and were denied. I said, I will be driving tonight, I cannot afford shattering one of the headlights. Being the senior among them, they cannot force me. 🙂 So after some meeting with other people I know, my batch mate who is a teacher of these people, decided to go home at quarter to ten.

Driving alone sure is a bit lonely, especially during the night. Not even music from stereo can help as I even consider it as distraction. I was able to escape Katipunan traffic due to late driving but I was not able to escape the terror from the junction though it was moving quite at a considerable speed but still many vehicles. One thing I have noticed with driving at night is that it did not make me wonder why a lot of accidents happen during late times. The dark environment with flashy lights is the main contributor. Much more difficult in my case as my car is fully tinted as if I have super ugly face that I do not want people seeing it. Another is that vehicles tend to move faster as authorities also sleep with the night and that the only people awake are the medics and some police just waiting for emergency calls but anticipating authorities on the road, nah.

What is nice about driving at night is that, at certain parts of the route home, there are vacant roads or at least only few cars around which makes you relax a bit and because of the silence of driving alone, it can make you realize that it could be a time to think, time to work stuff out. 🙂

That is why that night, I had quite a fruitful conversation with someone. 🙂 and I am happy with it. My 2012 can end well. 🙂

Difficulties in Gaming