Henry Lubong's Journal » Life

“Kung Saan Sila Masaya, Bayaan Mo Sila”

Henry Lubong — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 20:51:02 +0000

Ito ang bago kong motto for this year, napulot ko sa kanto

Sa totoo lang may mga natutunan din naman ako sa mga nangyari sa akin last year. Totoo ang kasabihan, “you can’t please everyone.” Kahit na ano ang sabihin at gawin mong mabuti sa isang tao, mayroon at mayroon ding masasabing hindi maganda sa ‘yo. Kaya kapag may mga nakikita at naririnig ka, ang mabuting gawin ay… “manahimik ka na lang!” Minsan kasi, namimis-interpret ng ibang tao. Kapag nakikita nilang masaya ka, ang akala na nila ay wala kang problema. Kapag nakikita naman nilang tahimik at minsan ay gusto mong mapag-isa, aakalain na nila na problemado ka. Kapag minamalas, ang itatawag pa sa ‘yo ay masungit. At sa mga close-minded, iisipin pa nila na galit ka sa kanila. Hay buhay, may mga tao yata na talagang ipinanganak ng ganyan.

Kaibigan, kung ako sa ‘yo, kapag may mga naririnig kang hindi maganda, bayaan mo na lang sila. Isipin mo na lang na yun lang ang kanilang kaligayahan sa buhay. Ang mahalaga, wala kang ginagawang masama at wala kang inaapakang tao. Kapag inisip mo ang lahat ng yan, ikaw din ang kawawa. Sabi nga ng Apo Hiking “ang buhay mo’y alalahanin at ‘wag naman maging maramdamin; at tatanda kang bigla, pag tumulo ang luha; hahaba ang mukha at ikaw ang siyang kawawa.” Iukol mo na lang ang pansin mo sa mas mahahalagang bagay sa buhay mo. Life is too short nga daw ‘di ba.

Kaya samahan mo na lang ako sa motto ko… kung saan sila masaya, bayaan mo sila!

I Offered All I Had And God Didn’t Forget

Henry Lubong — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 16:01:22 +0000

Ten years ago, I went through one of the most devastating situation in my life. I lost my job during the dot-com bubble burst and pretty much drained my savings in a few months trying to keep up with bills and mortgage. Soon after, I literally had nothing left in the bank and almost lost everything. The government was my only source of income and that too didn’t last very long. I was pretty much living off my parent’s support.

Then came Thanksgiving of the Church and my faith was further tested. Probably, out of my parent’s pity on me, they gave me $250 so I can get myself something nice to wear for the occasion and some extra cash to use for other things. That was my only money. But I didn’t use it for anything. Not clothes or any material things for me. I offered that full amount on the day of Thanksgiving. I believe it was the best and the most righteous thing I have ever done in my life. This is one thing that I will never ever forget as long as I am living and I am proud of it.

I may have lost my hard earned money but not my faith and hope. God is just and He remembered me. Just a couple months later, I was able to start a small business and became very profitable. I was receiving more than what I was earning before. Then I went to work back for corporate companies and the blessings from above just kept pouring down on me and now to my own family. I am blessed with a wife and two beautiful children.

Why am I sharing this story to you? I believe there’s a great thing to learn from it. We don’t give thanks to God because we are blessed with money and material things. We give thanks because it is God who provides everything specially the life that we possess. Yes, I was going through some hardships, problems and trials but I was still able to offer services and fulfill my duties to God. Those are unmatched blessings.

Do not be close-fisted when it comes to giving offering. Open your hands and give cheerfully so that the windows of blessings may be opened to you as well.

Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. – II Corinthians 9:6 (NIV)

When My Kids Turn 7…

Henry Lubong — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 18:09:39 +0000

Just assessing the damages… when my children or my youngest child turns 7, I would have to do the following:

- repaint the whole interior of my house!
- replace the flooring!
- replace all the doors!
- renovate the kitchen!
- replace all the house appliances!
- replace the beds!
- replace all my sofas! no wait, replace all the furnitures!!!

I might as well buy a new house!!!

Does it really stop when they turn 7?

Someone’s Knocking…

Henry Lubong — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 18:02:10 +0000

I took a peek and looks very good. Is this the answer to my prayer?

Disconnect To Reconnect

Henry Lubong — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 05:39:34 +0000

I think disconnection is a good thing. Sometimes we need to disconnect to reconnect.

Like Before… And Change Starts Right Now

Henry Lubong — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 07:43:23 +0000

So much had happened last week and some events prompted me to look back at my old ways which was proper and better. Usually people would say “no sliding back.” But this is the time I have to say going back is good so I can go forward. On that note, change starts right now.

Listen to this video, “Gaya Ng Dati” by Gary V., which is a good inspirational song

My Cholesterol Went Down Significantly!

Henry Lubong — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 22:23:30 +0000

Minus 58 points, how bout that!? I can definitely attribute this change to a healthier and more active lifestyle – a lot of pedaling on the trail and on the road. Last year, my cholesterol levels were out of range and my doctor actually recommended that I should start on Lipitor. That’s crazy! I didn’t need that. She even doubted me when I said I’d exercise first and have me tested again. I proved my point this year. Talking about sticking it to the man, LOL. Here is a comparative report of my cholesterol level from last year to this year.

Year 2010:
Total cholesterol – 214 (out of range and high) *a good range is between 125-200 mg/dL
VLDL cholesterol – 21 (good) *a good range is between 15-35 mg/dL
LDL cholesterol – 149 (out of range and high) *a good range is less than 130 mg/dL
HDL cholesterol – 44 (good but can be better) *a good range is greater than or equal to 40 mg/dL
LDL/HDL Ratio – 4.9

Year 2011:
Total cholesterol – 156
VLDL cholesterol – 15
LDL cholesterol – 99
HDL cholesterol- 42
LDL/HDL Ratio – 2.36

My cholesterol level may have improved significantly but there’s still more work to do. Some articles I read are actually suggesting that for men, 130 mg/dL total cholesterol and 50 mg/dL for HDL cholesterol are the numbers I should be targeting. I know it can be achieved. I just need more self discipline specially on eating unhealthy foods. Nonetheless, I’m still happy with this result and will continue biking for a healthier and happier life!

Carmela Boiled And De-shelled Her First Egg

Henry Lubong — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 20:08:03 +0000

and she enjoyed eating it too… more than I did, I swear!

Photography Dream Came True Today

Henry Lubong — Sun, 17 Apr 2011 05:25:58 +0000

I went to the Sea Otter Classic in Laguna Seca today. I brought my camera gears with me (Nikon D90, Nikon 80-200mm f/2.8, Nikon 35mm f/1.8G and my all around lens Nikon 18-200mm) including my newly purchased ThinkTank belt and bags. I didn’t expect much from this event but to capture a few shots of bike merchandises from the booths and some far away shots of the racing events. Next thing you know, I was on cloud 9 living my dream… even only for a few hours.

The first race I shot was the Pro Cross-Country Race for men. The race is in the Laguna Seca track itself, 50% pavement and 50% dirt. I can’t believe how open this event was to the public. What I mean is, there was really no barrier that separates the spectator from the track. You could literally touch the riders when they pass by you if you want to. So I was like, great, I can take some close up pictures. I think I’ve shot a few good ones and some portrait shots of the top winners.

The next and last race of the day was the Dual Slalom, held on the hill just right next to the famous cork screw. It’s also a pro race where Brian Lopes, a world-known BMX and mountain bike racer, happened to be racing in this event. It was packed with spectators and my friends and I couldn’t even find a good spot to watch and for me to shoot some photos. The track was surrounded with net barriers and marshals are all over the place because riders often crash on this event and people can get hurt if they are too close. There are handful of professional photographers and videographers too inside the track. Oh how I envy them!

Out of luck though, I was able to sneaked in over the barrier… well, I should say under the barrier. I found a small gap because there was spot on the slope where the ground was caved in and I pulled the net barrier to get through At first I was almost crouching up and down the slope on the side of the net because I didn’t want the marshals to notice me and kick me out, LOL. Then a marshal saw me and I could tell on his face, he was checking my media pass. Of course I wasn’t wearing one but I was wearing my ThinkTank Pro belt with two oversize lens bag which made me look like a Pro! Yep, you heard it, I looked like a professional photographer with no media pass, hahaha. Oh yes, every person with a DSLR and video camera inside the track were wearing a huge media pass slung around their neck. Some of them were looking at me too and probably cursing how I managed to get inside unauthorized. Oh you have no idea how lucky and happy I was to get in. Do you know that you can’t just easily get a media pass for this event. Check this link out – http://www.seaotterclassic.com/index.cfm/media_credentials.htm. It’s been my dream to be able to shoot racing event as close as I had today. There’s no way on earth I could have done the same thing on a car or motorcycle race event. The barrier would always have a gate and a guard on watch. I’m so happy I had experienced it.

I believed I captured some pretty good action photos of the professional racers and of course as always, photos will be available on my photography site. And for my ending quote… “If there’s a will, there’s a way.”

Leaking Hatch Liftgate Support On My Odyssey

Henry Lubong — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 18:10:35 +0000

I like my 2008 Odyssey but c’mon Honda, what kind of piece of crap did you put in my van? It barely has 20K miles on it and now the rear trunk won’t stay up anymore because the lift support aka hatch strut is leaking. So your pos vehicle is 50% usable right now. The reason why people buy a van is to haul things in the trunk like grocery stuff, strollers and other junk. So why in the world would you use such cheap part in the location of the vehicle that is mostly used. I’m so pissed because the trunk almost hit my head when I opened it. Fortunately my kids were not around when it happened.

I called the dealership to see if I can get a replacement and as expected, the response was it needed to be diagnosed and may not be covered under warranty. First of all, dude! I don’t think you need a master mechanic to figure out what’s wrong with the strut. And secondly, it better be covered with warranty!

UPDATE (1/11/11): Both hatch struts were replaced under warranty!

My New Year’s Goals For 2011

Henry Lubong — Fri, 31 Dec 2010 23:49:07 +0000

For 2011, I’m going to start setting goals instead of resolutions. The only resolution I’m going to set is that I will try my best to hit my goals below.

So without further ado, here they are:

lose another 20lbs and keep my weight in the 140′s
start a home business
get serious in sports photography
launch another service oriented website
build my photography blog/website
take my wife and kids to Hawaii
run the 5K marathon
compete in mountain bike racing
take a course on AutoCAD
take classes on welding
drive the RX-7 to NASA’s HPDE program (at least once this year)

Seems like a lot but it’s doable!!!

From 184 To 160

Henry Lubong — Fri, 31 Dec 2010 04:29:59 +0000

Yes, I love to drive on the road but those numbers are not U.S highways. And no, they are not my driving speed. It’s not my cholesterol level either. Believe it or not, those numbers are my weight this year. When 2010 started, I nearly touch the territory of being extremely fat, grossly overweight or in short word “obese.” I started at 184 lbs according to my bathroom scale. Now that’s considered overweight for my height which is 5’6″ (167.64 cm). With the same bathroom scale, I now weigh 160 lbs (okay 160.4 to be exact). That’s a staggering 24 lbs difference in only 7 months. Yep, I basically sat my ass for 5 months before I decided to finally do something about my weight. I started mountain biking on May and I did it almost every Saturday. On weekdays, I also try to run an average of 3 miles two to three times a week. My eating habit didn’t really change that much (maybe a little). Perhaps, I would have lost more if I stop eating like a pig on most days

Honestly, this is one thing I can brag about. It’s a huge accomplishment for me. When I started my fitness training, I set a goal of 170 lbs and to my amaze, it didn’t take that long to reach it. Although 160 lbs does not bring me out of the overweight category. I need to be between 135 and 155. That’s my new goal for next year. I hope I don’t slow down and get lazy again.

So what’s the secret? There’s no secret, you just have to make a commitment and put a lot of hard work. The most important thing is your doing this for yourself to stay healthy and fit.

What Have I Resolved For 2010?

Henry Lubong — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 22:59:12 +0000

Two days from now all the things in 2010 will come to pass. You can’t go back to finish up those ones that were missed. They will have to be done in 2011. Last year, I set my 2010 New Year’s Resolution, so let’s see how I fare:

The top on the list is losing weight. I am very proud to say that I’ve already crossed this out long before I wrote this
Next one is riding my bicycle more often. Guess what? Not only I just rode my bike, but I rode it hard on the trail almost every week
work on my web projects – FAILED
complete the NASA HPDE program and get a competition license – FAILED. But at least I completed all the licenses in Gran Turismo 5, does that count
no more triple digit speed on the freeway? PASSED! Only because I got laid off from work and I don’t drive on the freeway as much as before, LOL

Wow, that was a short list. I just wished I had spent more time on my web projects though. I’ll try again next year.

Looking Back At 2010

Henry Lubong — Wed, 29 Dec 2010 06:51:14 +0000

The year 2010 is not an easy year for me. As the saying goes, it’s a bumpy ride. Just like you, I have my own loads of problems, trials and sometimes unbearable failures also come along the way. But such is life and all we can do is to learn to live it and try to make each day count. Amidst all the negative events in my life, I still feel blessed with so many wonderful things that had happened to me. With that said, forget about the life’s drama and focus on the future. But to get to the future, it is essential to look at the past.

A summary of what has transpired in my life in 2010:

- Jan 31: Carmela turned two
- April 13: Sold my Kawasaki 636, made some decent money from the sale
- May 8: First mountain bike ride on the trail
- June 1: Purchased my Santa Cruz Superlight mountain bike
- July 20: I was laid off from work
- August 7: Wohooo, my birthday and I turned 35
- September 22: Raphael’s first birthday
- October 2: My uncle, who’m I haven’t seen in 16 years visited us here in Cali with his family
- October 16: 5th year wedding anniversary. A romantic drive with my wife in my Z3 and a lovely dinner at La Foret
- December 21: Finally bought myself a Nikon 80-200mm Pro lens
- December 24: Built a racing SIM rig for GT5 made out of PVC pipes

Other random things:
- spent more time with the kids
- got my self a Droid phone, a nice mountain bike, a Garmin sports watch, a few Oakley sunglasses, a Nikon pro lens. Damn I bought some nice things for myself this year
- old work gave me a Macbook Pro as a parting gift (yeah, whatever)
- road trip to SoCal with the family to visit Disneyland and Universal
- an almost weekly mountain bike riding
- nails on my tires on 3 cars in 5 different instances
- decided to be a stay home dad for a few months so my wife can get her dream job
- i got screwed by a start-up company that I worked for – “WHERE’S MY MONEY?!”

So there it is. I’m now ready to look forward to 2011. For Chinese, it’s the year of the Rabbit, the year I was born.

I’ve Been Feeling Weak Lately

Henry Lubong — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 06:47:14 +0000

I’m not sure what is going on with me but I feel like de-energized. It’s hard to function when I’m like this. I’m not sick or anything given that I exercise regularly. In fact, I just ran this evening but only lasted 15 minutes on the treadmill. I can feel that something is not right. Time for a doctor? Maybe, we’ll see…

Pagsubok na naman… kaya ko ‘to!

Henry Lubong — Thu, 21 Oct 2010 22:45:20 +0000

Isip mo’y litong lito
Sa mga panahong nais mong maaliw
Bakit ba bumabalakid
Ang iyong mundong ginagalawan
Ang buhay ay sadyang ganyan
Sulirani’y di mapigilan
Itanim mo lang sa ‘yong pusong
Kaya mo yan….

Chorus:
Pagkabigo’t alinlangang
Gumugulo sa isipan
Mga pagsubok lamang ‘yan
Huwag mong itigil ang laban
Huwag mong isuko… at ‘yong labanan

Huwag mong isiping ikaw lamang
Ang may madilim na kapalaran
Ika’y hindi tatalikuran
Ng ating Ama na Siyang lumikha
Hindi lang ikaw ang nagdurusa
At hindi lang ikaw ang lumuluha
Pasakit mo’y may katapusan

Kaya mo yan…

Instrumental:
Hindi lang ikaw ang nagdurusa
At hindi lang ikaw ang lumuluha
Pasakit mo’y may katapusan
Kaya mo ‘yan…

Pagkabigo’t alinlangang
Gumugulo sa isipan
Mga pagsubok lamang ‘yan
Huwag mong itigil ang laban
Huwag mong isuko… at ‘yong labanan
Huwag mong isuko… at ‘yong labanan
Pagkabigo’t alinlangang
Gumugulo sa isipan
Mga pagsubok lamang ‘yan
Huwag mong isuko ang laban

Reported 214-956-0872 To FCC For Spamming

Henry Lubong — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 21:30:35 +0000

These scumbags have been spamming my cell phone for a month now. They would call at least a few times a day and every time I pick up, no one would answer. I think it’s an automated spammer. I finally googled the number up and it appears that a lot of people are also getting spammed by this number. Apparently, this number from Texas is owned by San Jose Mercury News – thanks to my local newspaper, grrrrr! I already blocked the number and reported them to FCC.

If you are also a victim of this spam, I urge to send your complaint to FCC by going to this website – http://esupport.fcc.gov/complaints.htm. I would also call the spammer’s office numbers below.

Here’s more information about the company that is spamming us:

Circulation III Promotions
2636 Walnut Hill Lane Suite #257
Dallas, TX, 75229
Telephone numbers: 800-650-7183 or 214-352-1123

MTB Riders Singing Happy Birthday To Me On The Trail

Henry Lubong — Sun, 08 Aug 2010 02:54:51 +0000

Thank you guys for the nice birthday song! You almost made me cry, LOL.

The Hardest Part Of The Morning

Henry Lubong — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 15:54:18 +0000

You might say getting up out of bed, but that’s way too easy. I get up a few number of times in the morning to bottle feed my baby. You know as a parent, you are bound to take care of your kids. You and your spouse should also share the load of the household chores, whoever has the time to do it. They can be hard sometimes but seriously, you get used to them and they become a part of your routine.

There’s one thing that I will never get used to. That is when I’m about to leave for work and my daughter cries and tells me not to go. There’s no way you can possibly give a good explanation to a two year old. All you can do is leave a crying child to her mom or not go to work. The worse part is by the time I pulled out of the driveway, she’s already ran by the front window to catch the last glimpse of me. I could only hope that she’ll wave goodbye to make me feel at ease at least. For those times she doesn’t and just stand by the window crying, it cuts me deep and breaks my daddy heart!

I Faltered In My Journey

Henry Lubong — Sun, 25 Apr 2010 19:44:19 +0000

The other day, I decided to hike an unfamiliar mountain just to see what’s out there. I sort of know where to go and how to get there but the truth is, I don’t really know my destination. There was no trail to follow and even if there was, I would always bring my trusted “G”PS anyway to guide me along the way. The path that I took was very technical and full of obstacles. I stumbled many times but I’m not the kind of person who gives up easily. Every time I would fall, I would stand back up and learn from it. There were other paths that seem to provide the best way to get through but when I look at my GPS, it tells me not to take it. Then I studied the mountain and that path being offered to me is definitely a sure way to get myself in to trouble.

At one point, I thought I had reached my destination. The place where I was standing at was very nice. There’s a huge fruit tree full of leaves that has branches stretching out to provide some cover from the heat of the sun. So I settled down, relaxed and congratulated myself for what I’ve accomplished. Then my GPS beeped and notified me that this is not it. I got sad because I was already tired and weary and the fact that I already liked the place, I would very much like to stay. I suddenly lost confidence on my GPS because it brought me here for nothing.

I rested for a while and looked back at the trail I trekked through. I realized, that without my GPS, I would not have reached this point and would probably get lost trying to get to the peak. Then I paused for a while and asked if there was really a peak for this journey. Maybe I went on this hike just for an experience or to be tested and to learn. What if I wasn’t even supposed to hike this mountain in the first place? At the moment, I don’t have the answer in my hand but I would definitely need my GPS again to get back to my journey and put all my trust in it so I could safely find my final destination. Wherever it is, going up or returning back to where I’ve been, this time, I will stay focus in my path, I will not falter and I will endure everything.