LTO Car Registration Renewal

Emission Testing 500

Insurance at LTO 1550

LTO Personel filling out motor vehicle form 50

Cashier 1610

Total Spent 3710

Repeater Saves The Day

For some reason, our modem is defaulting to 5G. But this means it is unusable for PCs. Only my mobile can handle 5G. So it was a good thing we bought a repeater a couple of weeks ago. The repeater seems to be only able to handle 2.4G. So other devices AND the PC can use it.

I should have written about this days ago but it seems I only found time today. Maybe because of my failing HDD but that's another blog post.

Back to the modem, when the PC connects to it at 5G mode, speed tests are off the charts. I'm getting speeds in the 100+ Mbps range which is amazing, until I try to surf, and get nothing. I can probably go to Google or watch YouTube, but other sites seem to not exist. I also can't play some of my games while in 5G mode. Very strange.

But once I switch down to 2.4G, it seems like everything is back to normal. Will try to update this post if I understand it more.

Secondary HDD Failed Today

It looks like the secondary hard drive has finally failed today. The drives were again no longer visible in Explorer. This happened a couple of days ago, but I was able to get the drives back by reseating the data and power cables attached to it.

It's a good thing I was able to copy some of the important stuff before it finally went out. Purchased a new hard drive which is now twice the size for 2800. 

At first, the new drive was not visible in Explorer. This was puzzling since I saw it in BIOS. Checked Device Manager and it was there too. Had to run Disk Management and chose MBR to partition the new drive.

Backing up old stuff onto the new drive.

Demolition of Home

Yesterday, I was forced to leave the room I've been staying in. Construction debris from the floor above that room fell all over the bed and all the stuff in the room. Fortunately, I was able to remove the television and my phone beforehand.

I guess the demolition has been a long time coming. But since the new rooms of the house are unfinished - there aren't any partitions yet, and not electricity and bathroom - it has been difficult to transfer my things out. It would have been nice if the agreement was followed - before demolishing our old areas, the new areas have to be finished.

And even if you force us to transfer into the new areas - there are a lot of things that need to be done in those areas, which will just force our things out again. After the wall partitions and doors, the lighting and electrical sockets still have to be installed. And then the areas will need a ceiling. And then there's the painting of walls and ceiling.

Things would probably go faster if we pitched in. And in some areas, we have. But some things are best left to the professionals. The work would probably be hindered or slowed down if we ended up getting in their way.

This is the price for lack of foresight. Hopefully, it becomes a lesson ingrained in future decision making. 

No Electricity In Our House

The lights went out. Thinking it was a typical "brown out" or "black out", we waited for about five minutes, thinking that the power would be restored. It was about past four in the afternoon. As the minutes went by, I checked if the neighbors had their power restored. Apparently, they never lost it. The black out was isolated to our house alone.

I checked the main panel board and reset all the breakers. Still no power. We called the power company and asked if there were any issues, perhaps due to payment. We were in the clear. They issued a report reference number and advised us that a crew would check our meter within 2 to 5 hours, depending on the crew's availability. They also advised on hiring a private electrician since they could only deal with the side past the electric meter going to the electric lines and posts.

I tried to inquire with private electricians. The rates were between 1,200 and 1,500 pesos. And that was non-refundable. (They would still get paid by simply showing up, regardless of whether or not our electricity was restored)

Our family prayed for wisdom from God. The decision was to wait for the crew from the power company instead of hiring a private electrician. If the power company crew would advise for us to hire a private electrician (to check on problems at the load side), at least the supply side has been checked and ensured.

I had a voltmeter available so I decided to turn off the main circuit breaker and check the voltage at the supply side of the breaker. It was zero. Just to be on the "sure" side that no load was connected at all, I decided to remove the wires from the supply side of the circuit breaker and measure the voltage from the wires directly. We measured 86 volts. This was way lower than the expected 240 volts standard. It gave me more confidence that the problem was with the supply side and that it was the power company that could fix the issue.

About 6 hours later, the crew from the power company arrived. The rains and the number of customers they had to provide service to before us was the reason for their delay. But we were just thankful. I told them about the 86 volts we measured so they quickly got to work. They simply re-spliced the wires supplying power to our meter and afterwards, the lights in our house were visible once again. 

I thank the Lord Jesus for His mercy and grace. When we only had ambient light from the neighbors, candles, and the night lights helped us see in the evening, everything seemed like despairing darkness. When the lights were restored at around 12 midnight, everything appeared so clear, despite the darkness of night.

Jesus is our light. This experience is a reminder to be patient and to hope in Him until He either brings us home of takes us to His kingdom.

Forced To Change Living Patterns

When a new house is being constructed next door, you are really forced to change some of your habits.

For example, construction work typically begins at around 8:00 a.m. in the morning. And I don't know why, but workers seem to enjoy doing the loudest work during this time of day like jack hammering, or banging concrete with mallets. I'm a late sleeper so I also used to wake up late in the morning. But now, I have an automatic construction alarm clock. My body has been forced to adjust to waking up earlier.

The noises are a source of irritation for me. So I have been forced to purchase noise cancelling earphones. If I need more sleep, I'll have to pop these earphones in and listen to some YouTube channel for minimizing the noise, like "brown noise with rain" or "seashore noise for sleeping". Sometimes they can be effective and I'm able to get back to sleep. But other times, there are some sharp or loud noises that can still get through, so I'm forced to stay awake. I'll then probably play something louder like Manila Jazz Bar Classics just to divert my attention.

If the noises are an irritation for me, I can just imaging the poor workers' ears who are at ground zero of the source of noise. (Although it feels that the noise is only about 1 or 2 meters away from me). Though they are probably used to it all year round since it is part of their work, they are the ones suffering long-term hearing loss and not the owner. They are sacrificing their future health to survive today.

I've also gone back to blogging. Writing about what I'm experiencing can serve as therapy of sorts so that my full attention is not on the noise, but on composition.

I've also adjusted my bathroom habits, if you know what I mean. It's embarrassing to be doing number 2 when construction workers are on the other side of the wall. So I'm training my body to do the deed after construction hours so that most of the workers have gone home. The same goes for taking a bath. There are still a few workers who remain onsite, and that can be another source of anxiety for some. But I understand that they need to remain onsite to protect the construction materials and tools that remain onsite.

But to the owner, this is probably of no concern. To him, what is important is that his house is built. The experience of his neighbors are not his, so why should it matter to him. Things are only important to us when we are the ones affected by the events happening around us.

We are only at around the 2nd month of construction and projects like this might take a year or more. But in the same way that God was merciful and gracious to me yesterday, all I can do is hope that He will bestow the same to me during the duration of this project. 

God is Good Despite Car Trouble

Last night, our family car broke down. It wouldn't start. The cab driver, based on his experience, said it could be one of three things, either the battery, alternator, or some loose connection. But for a car novice like me, even something as simple as changing the car battery was a big source of anxiety.

As I prepared earlier this morning to go out and find some kind of solution, I sought for God's guidance and asked my family to pray for me. And in every step to finding a solution, I just felt God's mercy and kindness upon me.

He provided a way for me to get to the car shop despite my fears. Once at the car shop, the manager said they were out of stock for parts but still helped in giving me information to replace the battery by getting one from a cheaper source. The absence of the part from their shop was a way to help me work within the budget given me. 

The car had trouble in a safe parking spot. The Lord allowed the incident to happen somewhere where we knew their were security guards taking shifts looking after the cars. The car trouble could have happened in some dark alley way where we could not guarantee the safety of the vehicle if left alone. But even the place where the accident happened is God's provision. The parking space even gave us a slight discount. (Perhaps because I already paid an initial parking fee)

The Lord provided another cab driver who was encouraging and patiently waited for our battery technician who was out on call. And the cab driver said it was better that I handled the problem than giving my dad's blood pressure a reason to rise. God allowed the problem to happen under my watch instead of when my dad was in the province, which could have been a more difficult issue. The cab driver even offered to his vehicle for us to jumpstart the family car. The lighting conditions at the parking area were not ideal. So we decided to drive the car back to the battery center where the technician had better lighting and more tools to diagnose the cause of the problem.

And God provided my with a technician who was knowledgeable enough to remove the old battery even though he was not familiar with the family car's model. Even the information about the tools he needed to use was provided by the car shop.

God's provision was with me at every step of the way. And instead of the entire budget being blown away, 10% was left for me to return to the family after all the expenses were paid for.

Life's problems help us grow in faith. There were many times I've had some kind of computer hardware problem in the past, and throughout the years, God has helped provide the solutions to fix those problems. Car trouble is something I have little experience with (and frankly, I don't really want to increase my experience of it either), but if I just view these things as tools that God has given that fail from time to time, if he provides the funds to fix these things, then again, the experience is probably meant for our growth.

Thank You Lord for helping me get through this day. In Jesus name, Amen.

The Dangers of ChatGPT

People pray to God for guidance. He may answer "Yes", "No", or "Wait". He may use His Word, the Bible, to help us find the answer. He may use fellow believers to speak the answer to us through their words or their written works. Or He may impress the answer to us as we spend time with Him in prayer.

Now, here's a human made tool, ChatGPT, that gives a response to direct questions. The way I understand it, it's response is probably based on how that question has been answered by history. For example, if I ask it which hockey player has scored the most in history, it can give a definite answer based on historical records. But I can also ask it to give an opinion on which is better, Coke or Pepsi, and it can churn out a response that similar to that of a business student. But its responses are morally bound by those in charge of it. 

So far, I think it has been used by students to come up with answers to homework. It can generate an essay based on a few parameters such as the subject matter the essay is about. It is good at generating programming code and IT personnel have probably used it in work related problems. It can probably write an e-book if you give it parameters about the main character and what the story is about.

How long before it reaches the level of the "Beast" in the Bible, where it can decide on which person lives and which person dies. Where it decides on who can buy and sell goods and services, and who cannot.

But I see a danger where Christians become dependent on it and asks it for advice on various areas in life. Instead of going to God first in prayer, a person could just go and ask ChatGPT since it will give a direct response immediately. We live in an age of impatience. We want an answer right away. This tool is dangerous in that it can, like many things, push God out of our lives, specifically in the area of making decisions. The mobile phone has taken away our time spent with God. A tool like ChatGPT can take away our trust in God's guidance.

How Noise From Construction Sites Affect Neighbors

Imagine yourself placed inside a huge water drum (with no water of course). Even if the top of the drum is sealed, (and you need air, so the drum is assumed to have air passages), the presence of air passages will not isolate you from the noise outside. So if a group of people start hammering, drilling, sawing, grinding, banging and jackhammering outside the drum, you will still feel overwhelmed from all the noise.

The owners of the construction project are probably off-site so they don't see the noise generated by their construction projects as a problem. 

The workers on the construction site see their noise as a necessity to do their work. And they are used to the loudness of their construction noise since it is part of their work.

But the residents beside the construction site are put in a problematic situation. How do they deal with the noise they are not used to. It's not everyday that a new house is constructed beside yours. (unless you're in a relatively under developed area). But if you've been living in a subdivision where most of the lots already have houses built upon them, having a new house constructed next to yours is really an eye opener on why people hate construction projects that are not their own :D

And if you have family members that are overly sensitive to loud noises, this is an additional burden you have to deal with despite having to endure the construction noises yourself. The family member could be a baby that is easily awakened by the hammering and suddenly starts to cry. Or the member could be your grandma, who may have a weak heart, and is easily started by loud crashing noises. She shouldn't be forced to endure this type of noise at her late stage in life. 

If you can't handle the noise, then move out (you say). But that is easier said than done. I don't have a spare house to move into while the construction project is ongoing. Or simply move out during the time of construction, presumably from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Perhaps this is the most practical solution for people overwhelmed by the intense amount of noise. But again, this is an added cost to the neighbor who never asked for the construction project to begin with. Would the owners of the construction project be willing to give me an all-expenses paid vacation in the Bahamas while their home is unfinished?

But you also have to remember the time when your own house was being constructed. You may not have been present when that was being done. And your neighbors at that time had to deal with all the construction noise your project generated. But twenty plus years later, you have a house you are living in because a group of workers decided to build your house for you.

I guess all I can do for now is endure. Put on some earphones and try to listen to relaxing music (at full blast volume). As for my family members, they will have to find a way to cope with the extra noise.

Life is give and take. Sometimes you give, sometimes you receive. But construction projects are really a gift neighbors are reluctant to receive and would like to avoid as much as possible :D