Thanks to Chrissy, here is yet another meme for you to read (and participate in) :)

INSTRUCTIONS: Remove the blog in the top spot from the following list and bump everyone up one place. Then add your blog to the bottom slot, like so.

1) Pointless Drivel
2) Shelli’s Sentiments
3) Curiosity Killer
4) Chrissy
5) PJ

Next select five people to tag: (if you haven’t done it already)
1) Conne
2) Berne
3) Mark
4) Kimmie
5) Maan

What were you doing 10 years ago?
I was still in college picking my nose and taking up Computer Engineering. :-D

What were you doing 1 year ago?
I was based in Clark, Pampanga, working for Wallem Innovative Solutions as the Technical Services Group Manager. I remember that I was really having a hard time then trying to adjust to living away from my family and coming home only during weekends. CJ was only a few months old then and I had some trouble bonding with him since he’d usually cry every time I tried to carry him. Being a new dad, who misses his family, it was really devastating for me. I’m glad we were able to get through it.

Five snacks you enjoy
1) Instant Noodles – the spicier the better!
2) Goto
3) French fries
4) “isaw” and other Filipino barbecued snacks.
5) fish balls, squid balls, “kikiam” (que-kiam) and one-day-old chicks.

Five songs to which you know all the lyrics:
1) More Than Words by Extreme – the first complete guitar piece I learned.
2) Only You by the Side A Band – one of my favorite local bands
3) The Alphabet Song (A, B, C, D, lah-dee-dah)
4) Nursery rhymes (Hey, you gotta learn these things if you’re a parent!)
5) Some religious songs (This was from singing class at school when I was a kid)

Five things you would do if you were a millionaire:
1) Give some of my money to my parents and brothers
2) Donate to the church and other charities
3) Go on a trip around the world with my family
4) Put up several businesses
5) Build my dream house

Five bad habits:
1) I sometimes don’t think before I talk
2) I sometimes don’t put things back where I got them from
3) I am a terrible procrastinator
4) I sometimes forget to remove my contact lenses
5) I have a terrible temper

Five things you like doing:
1) spending time with family
2) cooking (yes, I do know how to cook, thank you)
3) reading
4) blogging
5) watching TV

Five things you would never wear again:
1) a dress and makeup – I had to wear these in a contest I entered (and unfortunately won), ha!
2) adult diapers – My teammates and I wore these as part of a gimmick for our college intramural opening rites.
3) dirty contact lenses – I had a terrible eye infection the last time I did this stupid stunt.
4) my lucky shirt – because I don’t have a lucky shirt ;-)
5) my pride – really hard, but hey, I’m trying.

Five favorite toys:
1) my laptop
2) my cell phone
3) my car (yeah, it’s a toy)
4) my old Lego set
5) CJ’s toys! (A dad’s gotta do some quality control, if you know what I mean.. ;-p)

Kimmie left a message earlier, telling me that she’s tagged me for this Restaurant Meme, so here it is:

The rules:

1. Add a direct link to your post below the name of the person who tagged you. Include the state and country you’re in.

Nicole (Sydney, Australia)
Velverse (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia)
LB (San Giovanni in Marignano, Italy)
Selba (Jakarta, Indonesia)
Olivia (London, England)
ML (Utah, USA)
J (California, USA)
Curiosity Killer (Hong Kong, SAR)
Chrissy (Manitoulin Island, Ontario, Canada)
Kimmie (Metro Manila, Philippines)
PJ (Metro Manila, Philippines)

2. List out your top 5 favorite places to eat at your location.

#1: Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. (Greenbelt 2, Makati): The food is great and the service is A-1 awesome. Here’s a typical lunch Conne and I usually gorge on: New England Clam Chowder, Caesar’s Salad, Lt. Dan’s Drunken Shrimp, Dixie Style Baby Back Ribs, and Bubba’s After Storm “Bucket of Boat Trash”. Mmmmmmmmm. Another plus is that you’d get to watch the Forrest Gump movie for free via screens scattered throughout the restaurant area (I never get bored watching it).

#2 Gourmet’s Cafe (Tagaytay): Good food; great ambiance; and really fresh salads (they have a vegetable farm/garden at the back of the restaurant where they harvest their veggies, so I guess you can’t get any fresher than that!). Their Caesar’s Salad is a killer, the lettuce and other greens are oh so crunchy! And their pasta offering is also great. Although I once ordered their squid’s ink pasta and I tried to keep myself from smiling or laughing after dinner (You guessed it, the black ink was all over my pearly whites! Ha! From afar, I looked like I lost a tooth, and then some!) It was a blast.

#3 Saisaki (Glorietta): I love Japanese food, especially sushi and sashimi! And since Saisaki has a buffet (all-you-can-eat) setting, then it’s definitely one of my favorites. Tip: If you’re really up to the task of bloating your belly, then I suggest that you go for the “crossover” dining option where You get to feast on any Triple V – Saisaki, Dad’s or Kamayan – buffet.

#4 Gumbo (Mall of Asia): We first came across this restaurant one evening while waiting for the next “300″ movie screening schedule at the SM Mall of Asia. We had 30 minutes prior to the screening time and decided to have a “quick” dinner first. And since I love Cajun cooking, we decided to give Gumbo a try. It’s too bad that we had to eat in a rush, because the food was actually great. And the staff were accommodating enough (we told them that we had a movie to catch and needed something that was quick to prepare) that they gave our order VIP, A1 treatment! Wow! To sum it up, Gumbo equals good food, and even better service!

#5 This is really a tough choice between 1) Dencio’s (Brittany, Sucat), 2) Toho Restaurant (BF Homes, Paranaque), 3) The Coffee Shop (Subic) – all close to home, and 4) Burgoo (SM Mall of Asia) and it’s hard to choose one over the other without having to feel guilty for leaving out the rest.

3. Tag other people (preferably from other countries/states) and let them know they’ve been tagged.

I’m initially tagging: Conne, Berne, and Mark

4 things meme….
From Chrissy at Life on Manitoulin

Four places I have worked:
1. Wallem Innovative Solutions
2. Total Information Management
3. Trend Micro
4. IBM Philippines

Four movies I would watch over and over:
1. Top Gun
2. Braveheart
3. Serendipity
5. Cutting Edge

Four of my favorite TV shows:
1. Supernatural
2. GMA News / ABS-CBN News
3. Discovery Channel: Myth Busters
4. Discovery Channel: American Chopper

Four places I have been on vacation:
1. Cebu
2. Boracay Island
3. Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte
4. Davao

Four of my favorite foods:
1. Filipino Cuisine: Sinigang
2. Filipino Cuisine: Bistek Tagalog
3. Filipino Cuisine: Pinakbet
4. Sushi / Sashimi

Four things I like to do in my spare time:
1. Spend time with my family
2. Blog
3. Sleep
4. Eat