SuperMario - Alive, Alert, Awake, Enthusiastic!

Open House @ SP (CASS area)

2012-01-03T22:30:00.000-08:00

So here I am, simply amused on a lot of special happenings at work.

SPACE Radio is now "Today's Hit Music!" Yes, finally got that one for SP's Campus Station! Hoping for more great stuff to come in the near future.

Space Cares via spspace.sg is also happening for 24-hrs as a live webcam concert on 5th Jan. Great acts are gonna be performing!

If you get a chance, simply pop by. We're open from 5th-7th Jan 2012. Details at www.sp.edu.sg or at www.aspirations.sg

It has come to life - THE AGENCY @ Singapore Polytechnic!

SPACE RADIO is Today's Hit Music!

Now, this is what we are and more!

I'm almost jealous here...ya mean, this is for a fun learning experience? Well, yeah!

Yep, this is how you pitch, present, even watch wonderful videos!

Huge screen for all to enjoy...

Tell it like it is....

I've yet to take a snap of the "Writer's Room" it's a cool spot!

Til my next blog....

Cheers!

Where are you?

2011-12-27T20:18:00.000-08:00

Since a lot of people have been wondering about my whereabouts, this is where I am now.
I'm with a hardworking/dedicated team of Lecturers and glad to be part of it!
I'm still doing my similar work for audio productions, music stuff, copywriting, and hosting works every now and then.

I'm grateful for this page of my life:) I just twitted a while ago "grateful living breathes life a whole new perspective and positivity."

Have a blessed 2012!

8 MINUTES TO TELL YOU THIS

2011-11-28T22:58:00.000-08:00

I've got exactly 8 minutes to tell you this before I go to my next session of training. I'm not even sure what's the training for but, since I' ve been assigned to represent my dept, I'm doing it with all my heart!

The photo above was a charity stint I've volunteered for UNIFEM, Singapore. Thanks for Marisse who remembered me through her wonderful Mother who's in heaven now. She's the reason why I was probably in this event, an event that raised over $300,000.00 for a great and mighty cause, especially so for MAITI NEPAL. I volunteered to donate my humble $300 and then, the room was like an mrt/choo-choo train and everyone started giving their support to send Nepalese girls to school! It feels good to do good for people around you.

This week, we've shopped for 5 needy families and it was all worth it. The good stuff about this is that you involve your loved ones to understand and feel what it's like to be in the place of those who are less fortunate.

To me, Christmas is more than the lights on Orchard road. More than the never ending wine and dine experience at the 5-star ballrooms at hotels. It's really about giving and sharing.

Share some to those who are in need. You'd feel good even though you are in the stage of a painful chapter in your life.

Your Bro,
Mario

Tata Betita's CamBuddy

2010-04-04T01:08:00.000-07:00

Tata, my buddy came to visit us here. Among all my friends who visited SG, he's got the most funny and the most useful present a friend could ever give to ya - "CamBuddy." It's not a tripod for camera, but a single pod that won't stand. It's like an invention with the camera man in mind to tilt, to crab in, to scroll in, and to simply lift and shoot your angle in the direction you arm and hand would bring it. I'll upload it here soon:) Thanks Ta and Tuesday!

Well, friends are hard to come by. I mean real friends who you can trust and at the same time make you laugh. Others can make you laugh but, hurts to say this...well, you can't trust them. Others, you can trust but they simply make you yawn the whole time you're with them. I'm glad to actually tell you that I have a mix of both. I'm trying my best to forget those who I can't fully trust. I've ejected some every year as part of my new year's resolution.

Tiring as it can be (don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining) it just so happened that Singapore
is becoming an even more promising destination to tourists (and to my friends everywhere). In a span of two months, I've had visits from almost everywhere. Friends from Viriginia, Manila, Australia, other long lost friends who I've already forgotten where were they jet-setting before I met them here.

I'm not complaining. Just that, I wish I'd have more bonuses (in $$ form) to be able to bring them around and have a good time.

Did I say that having too many visitors will make you broke? I'm not broke....not yet...

Til next blog. Hugs!

American Woman bullies front desk guy at Changi Airport

2010-02-17T16:28:00.000-08:00

First, let me get this straight - I love my American pals, they're warm, friendly, fun to rock around with, and very adventurous. I grew up playing music, going to church, and a whole lot of "makan" sessions with my AmBoy/Girl pals. Fact is, I've even maintained their garden and wash some of their cars in my town while I was in college. Those were fun times. One family's chief maid (governess) hated me 'cause I love watering the plants and washing the car, I end up wasting water! Oops!

Well, here goes my airport story. I was here for an 8:35A.M. flight but it just got re-timed to 12:35P.M. and I slept at about 5A.M. mind you!
You can't expect passengers to be happy here. Well, I'm also not happy. But (pardon my lingo) this huge, gigantic woman with a very strong twang just kept on acting like crazy with degoratory remarks and all kinds of unwanted actions in front of the man she was complaining to (the Malay guy). She was like trying her best to piss him off just because she was angry and she was simply unreasonable.
(this moment, I have to log in again, it's airport policy!)
Ok, I'm back:) So, here I go again. That woman I was telling you, was a nuthead. Instead of bursting out and talking down to the man, she could have simply express her unhappiness in a more humane manner. It's not the guy's fault that this budget carrier was late. Like everyone else, I'm sure he'd be more than glad to see their passengers get on board on time and not like this. The woman was loud, acting really strange, it's like a primary school kid trying to bully her peers while pretending not to hear them and yet lashes out with "I'm sorry, you're talking to me? I thought there wasn't anyone here to listen to me at all!...(turns her back, puts her hands on her ears and goes back to the guy) Huh? What? You mean you don't have the phone numbers of your Managers? What the...?!"

It didn't stop there. She needed a pen, the guy was holding one and she grabbed (didn't ask for it) she grabbed it from his hand without asking first. I was like - OMG! If that happened in my side of town, this girl's gonna get it.

To my Dear American tourist pals, and to all travellers (including myself) to date, the rule still applies "When you're in Rome, do as the Romans do." Don't act like you're in your own city or turf because chances are you're getting yourself into a lot of trouble. I've seen Brit Men punched and beaten in Indonesia (perhaps he deserved it, he was a rude man) some other visiting Americans chased by the bouncers at a bar in Singapore. My list goes on, it won't stop.
Bottom line: BE NICE. It doesn't hurt to be nice. Your adventures will be nicer. You'll have more friends to go around with and you'll have people to show you around and even invite you to their private parties.

That (sorry to say this, but i'll say it again) fat lady just walked by while I'm writing this. I pity her kids and husband. I pity her friends. I pity her.

PICK UP LINES

2010-01-25T08:18:00.000-08:00

The Big V Day is coming and let me be the first to go a little cheesy here. You could use my cheesy lines from the photo attached...what I mean is below lah! Thanks to my friend Haidee from Dubai who gmailed this to me and I simply translated it to be MORE cheesy! Enjoy!

Live Concert @ the Esplanade

2009-12-05T09:05:00.000-08:00

Music breathes life in me. It brings me to places, memories, especially the good old times. This is why I love Music Deejaying and Live Performing.

Allow me to share our kind of music this December 11,12,13th at the Esplanade Outdoor Stage. Hope we can also inspire you and lift your spirits up in time for Christmas.

Blessings and Peace - SuperMario

I took a photo of a police car and I was told off by a cop!

2009-10-27T04:21:00.000-07:00

(Caparo T1 RRV: The Fastest Police Car EVER! British made)

WARNING: This wasn't the police car that we snapped a photo of at Bkt. Merah View!

A couple of nights ago, I was walking along Henderson/Bukit Merah view area with my Sister and nephew who are both first-time visitors here in Singapore. We took a lot of cheesy shots from around the neighbourhood, stairs, lamp posts, more stairs, more HDB blocks! Pinoys - suckers for kodak moments.
I for one admit that, I used to love taking pictures since I was a kid. Remember those disposable flash bulbs? Oh, never mind, you must be 18 or 16, what would you know about disposable flash bulbs when you're using a 12.2 megapixel Sony cybershot or or 12.1 megapixel Samsung digital camera!

On to my police story. So we were walking around my hood and just near the Henderson Community Club there's a parked police car on the sidewalk, I said "Wow! Let's have a creative photo and pose on the side mirrors of the police car!" We took one shot. Just as when I'm about to take a picture of the community club, another police car drove past us and suddenly made a quick reverse, rolled their window down and told us off

COP: "You cannot take pictures of the police car, it's against the law!"
ME: (just to cool it down) "I'm a resident here by the way"
COP: "you must delete that photo"
ME: Really? (They both gave me a stabbing stare)
ME: (smiling and shaking my head)...Ok...
They drove off like the Batman & Robin - zoom!

We were somewhat taken aback while walking towards our flat (about 3 minutes away only).
My sister said, "could we get imprisoned for that?" I said, "I'm not sure, that feels weird!"
To date, I'm still confused about that incident. So, before I performed my class lecture at Ngee Ann Poly, I phoned the Henderson Police station (got the number from Singtel #100 ).
ME: (polite) Hi... (told a Malay Sergeant, my story, about 4:45PM)...
COP: (nice gentle voice) What can I help you with?
ME: (told him my story, blah, blah) I said, could you ask your Senior Officer there, If it's illegal to take   a picture of a police car?
COP: Hang on a moment, I'll ask my Superior. (sounds of office commotion, hollow room ambience)
          (sound of phone cracking, sound of the phone unit) He spoke to me again and said "Sir, it's not
         against the law to snap a photo of the police car."
ME: (Basically told him my feedback that their cops told us the other way around. Told them to remind the other officers to be more clear on this.

That incident didn't paint a nice picture to both Singapore first-time visitors - my youngest sister and my nephew.

I do have faith in the Singapore Police Force. This incident that happened 2 nights ago wasn't one that will buy my loyalty. I hope they'll give me a better answer next time I wanna be more proud of our Singapore authorities - this nice police car for that matter. Perhaps, I should just shoot more photos of the Ministry Of Defence's powered tanks, warfare vehicles, and those high-tech taser guns. They're more eye-candy features are more worthy to upload and feature in my blog and to entertain any web surfer.   I have a photo of that bomb sensor robot thingy, the Army guys even wrote my name for them to say hi to me some years ago.

China & Hongkong adventure

2009-09-14T19:49:00.000-07:00

I'll empower my Mandarin from here onwards!
I've just added Shenzhen, Guangdong, & HK in my good books to visit during any of my breaks!
I used to be simply hooked on to the thought of jet-setting to Thailand (anywhere ther), Vietnam, Philippines, Malaysia (esp.KL). Now, I'm getting more into this:) I've even got my QQ chat now!
I'll master this Language soon (I wanna believe that lah!)

Next adventure coming up!

Rasha left....I'm broken...really...

2009-08-24T02:35:00.000-07:00

When I was a little boy we have so many pets at home. At one point, there probably were about 8 cats going in and out of our house, we've got about 2 dogs. Well, I've seen countless of puppies delivered by our she-dogs at home and we have to take care of some and the others share with those who'd love to take care of them as well. One of them actually grew up in a valley where my eldest sister used to stay.

Here in SG, I've always been toying around the idea of adopting an abandoned cat or any stray cat. We've adopted (unofficially) one when we were staying at Holland Drive. It was a good deal for the cat "Ming" (as we call her). She comes to our house, she sleeps on the couch, eats when she likes, lies on our floor whenever, wherever. When we left Holland Drive my old pal Marc continued to take care of Ming. But one day, she disappeared, nowhere to be found. We were all really sad. That cat was one of my Mum's favourite as well. Perhaps coz she bonded more with Ming than me who hardly has not much of free time at home on weekdays due to work back then. (I miss my Mum terribly!)

So here goes Rasha's story. One day, we all went to SPCA to checkout who we can bring home. But on the day of our visit, it doesn't seem like the SPCA people we spoke to were interested with our keen desire to take home a cat. I may be wrong here, but it seems like they're pushing us away:( Delete that incident, step to an hour apart and then our friend Elaine told us about the option of adopting a lovely cat that's been abandoned at her building. That's Rasha.

Rasha's first day at home wasn't bad at all, she adjusted well within minutes and all I did was grab a couple of toys and play with her.
She grew up as a good cat. She's ok when It's time to cut her nails, or when it's time to sponge or wash her, she takes her vitamin on a spoon, she like kembong fish more than the canned food, and she likes sleeping in between bedsheets and blankets.

On Sunday morning, she left us and I'll spare you with the details of her death as it tears me apart to even remember it. We drove her to the hospital and that's when the Doc told us, "she's not gonna make it...let's put her to sleep..." I'm screaming from the inside and in tears while saying goodbye to my buddy - Rasha. I took her necklace with some shimmer of blood...we drove off in tears recalling some good times with this naughty cat who just left this world so early. Barely a year old...
We'll miss her a lot. Fact is, we can still her necklace bell every now and then at home.
Pershaps, subconsciously.

Life's Getting Tougher

2009-08-18T09:33:00.000-07:00

Try to remember the words from your Parents - "finish your food", "eat your veggies", "respect your elders", "behave", "be grateful" etc, etc.

I'm 38 and I'm saying those things now! I recall getting my butt belted by Dad coz (apparently) I was naughty. Well, If you consider pouring a 250ML perfume into the pee-pee bowl naughty, then I was (I guess?). My reason as a child, "But Dad, the bowl stinks!"

In all honesty, I'm really grateful for everything that's happening with my life good and bad. Gotta have that balance although my wicked flesh says "why be thankful for the bad stuff?"

my new challenge, (as in everyday) is to get my babies to eat vegetables so that it'll help them poo-poo easily....SERIOUSLY!

Back With A Heavy Heart

2009-02-10T02:15:00.000-08:00

I left for Manila about 2 weeks back and back in Singapore with a heavy heart - I left my Mum who's now bedridden and with a Nanny. Mum fell down while trying to go to Church in hometown. I'd like to complain to God coz, she's supposed to be rewarded for making an effort to visit Him in his house right? Well, that time, the so-called Angels are sleeping!

Mother's got a colourful history and I draw a whole lot of inspiration from her life and stories. I could still remember her animated stories of the Japanese war in our town - bodies floating on the river, her Aunts painting themselves with charcoal and smelling really bad so that the soldiers won't molest them. I got a relative who's raped during the Jap occupation in our town, she survived even though they stabbed her with a bayonet! She delivered a half-Japanese baby mind you. My Grand Aunt's husband got tongue-tied during and after the war. In a village in a place called Bataan during the Death March, a villager pulled him out of the death queue that's why he wasn't murdered at that time. He passed on years ago as an alcoholic and still tongue-tied.

I loved Mum's stories. It made me treasure each and every moment I spend with the people I care for. I loved her stories of picking up trunks for firewood in the forest even if it rains...they'll pick it up, hold on to each other even if it floods there, and then go home dry it up the next morning so they can cook their food. I loved the romantic story of Mum and Dad. Mario Senior (coz I'm the Junior) as a romantic! He'd write stuff like "UNDER THE MANGO TREE, TIME OF LONELINESS" then he'll express his love and concern for Mum. I mean, does it still exist today where men would express it this way? When our house got burned in the 90's, Mum wanted me to throw all Dad' letters. Perhaps she just wanted to move on and probably because the letters are all shimmered coz it's written on fountain pen's ink. I kept it and read it that whole night and it was the most amazing bunch of love letters I've ever read in my life!
Dad's not just fluent, he even write in style - it's almost like art! That's something I didn't inherit from Dad, the good handwriting part. I loved Mum's love tragedy when she hid from Dad for a year coz Grandma don't want her to be associated with Dad at all. For one whole year, Dad tried to seek for her and when she found her, got the blessings of my Great Grand Aunts and got GrandMa to agree (hesitantly) for them to marry. Mum's having high fever during the wedding she said, this is due to all the physical pain Grandma induced on her, yes, GrandMa locked her in her room with no food with no water in the past. It's ala-Romeo and Juliet. Mrs. Cecilila Austria Ocampo Lajarca is such a woman that's inspired me then and now.

I tried my best to provide and give her what she'd need to get on with life. Physically weak and has been on medication for years. Now Nanay or Mum or Mom, is bed ridden after having that fall. With her condition like that, she still inspires me.
I believe, she's trying her best to get up and survive her ordeal. I believe she knows I'll always be here for her. Just that, when I came back here - my heart's heavy...
I gotta go back to work...and all I can do now is pray hard that Nanay's gonna be fine.

Could 2009 be tougher than the previous years?

2008-12-31T22:54:00.000-08:00

This is my first stuff here. I was simply googling news on what happened at the Santika Club in Bangkok. It breaks me to know that 59 people (and counting) died on the spot. I've checked out the news and they've got fresher updates on the body count. I really hope that the Thai authorities would do something about the safety of their club patrons for both locals and foreigners. May the Architect of Life comfort the families of those who passed-on. No words can describe their grief especially when it's just the beginning of 2009.

Being based in Singapore since 1997, I've experienced pay-cut, braved the recession again in 1999 & 2002. From the media industry and the special events side, the crunch that was felt couldn't be described. Ads were re-ran, events cut down, promotional launches and parties have been silenced to many. Those were really sad years.

I've placed some of my $$ into fixed deposits, I even alloted some to another investment and took the risk just to see where it'll lead. I took it from my surplus budget. Just hoping and waiting for a much better day.

Til then, I'll try and keep up with other stuff that will inform and entertain you on the pages of this blog. Big hugs!