Richard's Notebook

Roadtrip to Pagudpud (Day 1)

2009-01-18T02:22:00.017+08:00

Left Manila at 4am. Drove 100+ kilometers through NLEX to the edge of Pampanga. Low fuel warning light is on.

Mild panic for almost half an hour looking for a gas station, to a very beautiful sunrise on the highway. The feeling is confusing.

I will remember to fill up my tank at the start of any long trip. I just told myself it could have been a boring drive otherwise.

We reached Gerona (Tarlac) at around 8am. First stop: Isdaan. I've seen and read about this in blogs, but I wasn't expecting a restaurant this large. Behind the rocky parking lot there's a huge fishpond with so many small huts built on it. There are a lot of design elements around the place like stone fishes, tribesmen with allergy-lips statues, giant peeing monkeys, and giant buddhas with nice curly hair (he's a fish fanatic?). I also saw their famous Tacsiyapo wall and San Kilo Bridge.

Had breakfast, then left. Went past Tarlac, Pangasinan, and La Union. Somewhere in Sta. Maria (Ilocos Sur) we saw water just beside the highway - Suso Beach. I didn't see resorts around, just some people enjoying the beach. It looks clean and has fine light brown sand.

The fun part of the day was somewhere further in Sta. Maria. We searched for a place called Pinsal Falls. We were told to pass through some very narrow road about 7kms long, park at the end, and walk for about 20 minutes on a footpath. It was summertime when we visited so there isn't that much water. Locals say this is the footprint of some Ilocano giant called Angalo.

We reached Vigan late in the evening. Picked some hotel to sleep and we ended day 1.

Roadtrip to Pagudpud (Before the Trip)

2008-08-18T03:38:00.007+08:00

Long overdue notes from my March '08 roadtrip from Manila to Pagudpud...

The ~600km drive to Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte is a long but very rewarding trip. A lot has been written about it, but I still want to keep my own account of it here and share the nice stuff I saw along the way.

Ok... so to start off... It's easy to get there, but getting ready is the hardest part:

1) Itinerary - I had 4 days to spend on this trip. To maximize this I need to travel really early on day 1, and start to head back around noontime of day 4. By the end of day 1 I should be able to stop and get rest either in Vigan or Laoag, move around, then spend 2 days farther up north before driving back. It's a tight schedule, but good thing I have a day 5 buffer in case something goes wrong or we decide to skip work and enjoy some more.

2) Maps - EZ Maps from National Bookstore. They will cost about 100 pesos each and will last for a couple of trips before they disintegrate. For this trip I got 2 maps: the Luzon Map and the Sanfernando/La Union/Vigan/Laoag city map. They have distance markers that allow me to predict where I'll be at specific times.

3) Points of Interest and Where to Stay - Wow Philippines website, my EZ Maps and the famous Anton Diaz blog to see where I can go. Google Earth also gave me a lot of free information from plug-in applications like WikiMapia, Panoramio, and a few others. I had to find the sites by town to make sure my list is properly sequenced. At the end of this post is a rough OC plan I used to manage my trip using waypoints.ph data.

4) Food - as a general rule we always hit the road with an extra meal and water in case we get lost or hungry/thirsty on our way. Major cities are hours apart. I still remember in one of my past trips a long stretch of Jollibee signs which read "straight ahead" for a branch which was at least 30 kilometers away.

5) Transportation - Check: a) car fluids like coolant, brake fluid, transmission fluid, and engine oil (and even the wiper fluid), b) tires -- check the treads, inflation, nuts, and the spare tire c) electrical - all front/rear/interior lights and dashboard instruments, d) windshield cracks, e) brakes, f) aircon, g) wiper, h) battery, i) toolset. Expect a lot of trouble (and higher chances of meeting San Pedro) if any of these are not OK.

6) Fuel - the rule is to always keep the fuel tank at least half-full throughout the trip. Full tank offers the flexibility to take sudden side trips and will help you avoid using the gasoline in Pepsi-litro bottles (the ones used by motorcycles).

7) Driving hours - As much as possible I should be in major cities by sunset. It's hard to get help at night in the middle of rice fields and barely populated areas. Also, try to keep the car's exterior clean as the dust traps daytime heat and builds up moisture at night.

8) Camera - would be wise to bring the charger and borrow extra batteries and empty memory cards for those memorable photos from the trip. Polarizing filters too for those awesome scenery shots that will make you cry.

9) Clothes - 1 set per day, plus 2 extra sets for sweaty days, and 2 sets for water activities. 2 pairs of sandals for wet/muddy and dry locations, 1 cap, shades. Bring socks if you want to look funny.

10) Bags - 1 for valuables, and another for stuff I can leave in the car or hotel.

11) Entertainment - CD's or music players, PSP, etc. for the boring parts of the long trip and in case your companions turn lousy.

12) Cellphone - for emergencies, and for reporting needs.

13) Plastic bags - for dirty/wet clothes, and for camera/cellphone protection.

my rough plan

Baluti Island (Real, Quezon)

2008-03-23T13:29:00.011+08:00

[Mar 21 '08] This is the first time I'm buying my own fish, fresh from a public market in Ungos. There are no restaurants in Baluti Island so if we want lunch there, we have to do some cooking. I don't know how to pick good fish... seriously they all look the same to me! For a moment I thought things like "red tide", "is this fish rotten?", and "where is the nearest hospital?". It's so stressful, but I don't want to end up traveling 100+ kilometers just to eat canned Ma Ling or Corned Beef.

I ended up with -- yellowfin tuna. I asked the seller to prepare it so that all we have to do later is just put it on fire and eat it. She did some Mortal Kombat with the fish before handing it over to us... it was the bloodiest man-fish action I have ever seen live.

Rice is another whole new cooking problem so we didn't bother to try anymore. The fish is just too much for us. We got some soy sauce, tomatoes, calamansi ... At this point I don't know how we'll slice them without knives.

(OK, enough of the food, back to the trip..)

We took a short tricycle ride from the market to the port area. After that is a 10 minute boat ride to Aranda Beach Resort.

Upon reaching the island we rented a small hut where we could sit and have some shade. Locals here find it quite comfortable to talk to tourists, they even sat with us at the hut. From here we have a nice view of the magnificent Sierra Madre mountain range (the country's largest).

For the food... uhm, we found a sari-sari store there and they offered to cook the food for us. They don't grill fish but they fry it and we took the offer anyway to save us all the upcoming cooking trouble. Luckily we also found out that they had extra cooked rice at that time.

While waiting for our food we also had the opportunity to meet Dr. Aranda (the resort owner). He's been spending a lot of time developing the area, and it's so far so good. There are huts and places to sleep, the sand is mostly free from debris, they have a sari-sari store, water supply is ok. Job well done! Hope to see more major improvements in my next visit!

We had our lunch and went back to Merly's (restaurant which also happens to be my basecamp in northern Quezon) in Barangay Tignoan to prepare for our visit to the nearby falls.

[about 3 hours later we came back from Balagbag Falls]

Back at Merly's we had yet another delicious serving of her cuisine. Everytime she cooks, the food beats my expectations and I have ever since been excited about what she will prepare for the next meal. It's not like Gerry's or Dencios but compared to provincial food standards in Quezon this is already very good.

We took the seats at the rear end of Merly's and got a rare wonderful surprise.

I wonder if the patrons ever knew how nice this spot was. Table beside the river (which is by the way a flat piece of land during daytime) plus excellent food and a beautiful moonlit backdrop give us the perfect ending for our short roadtrip.

Last snap...

Balagbag Falls 2 (Real, Quezon)

2008-03-22T15:36:00.008+08:00

[Mar 21] I made a quick visit to my favorite falls to see what it looks like as the dry season starts. (my last visit to Balagbag Falls)

The lower basin still looks the same except for the cemented structure connecting it to the upper basin. It didn't look natural at all and I'm not sure why it's there.

Upper Basin

There's more water flowing this time because of the rains in the last few days. I got a good back massage by standing where the water falls and it's strong enough to be painful after some time.

I tried to climb it halfway up... not exactly safe but fun!

Beaches in Infanta, Quezon

2008-03-22T14:29:00.004+08:00

[Mar 20 '08] The first 3 hours to Infanta was a very pleasant ride. This is the second time I was able to precisely schedule my trip to experience a very nice sunrise drive along a stretch between the towns of Morong and Tanay (Antipolo route). If coming from Ortigas, the best time to leave is around 4:30 to 5:00am.

At the end of the highway from Famy to Infanta, we reached a junction and asked for directions on how to get to the beach resorts. The only way there was through a narrow rocky road in the middle of the rice fields - a little over half an hour of nothing but rice, rocks and rice and rocks and the fear of accidentally steering into the muddy field. At the end of it is some highway which had a one-way access back to Real (what the hell? it's a wide road, why not make it two-way?).

We asked the locals in the area for the best resorts and they pointed to Cote D' Azur. We had a look inside, and it was quite good for a provincial resort. The price was too high for us though (about 4000 pesos for a two-bed unit) so we had to find someplace else.

It was difficult to check resorts even if their entrances were lined up along the highway because I had to drive about 300m in and out of dirt roads for each. We found Blue Pavillion resort there and got a place with reasonable price.

It was about lunchtime already when we arrived and realized that they don't serve any food at the resort. Wow, the nearest restaurant was several kilometers away. A restaurant/bakeshop named Queen Cake seemed popular (and we didn't seem to have any choice) so we tried it... well, let's just say the food was edible.

Refrigerators are somewhat rare in this place, and most of them are in the town center. We had to buy ice to keep our beverages cold at the resort. While at the town center we took the chance to ask locals about tourist spots in the area and (sad to say) it was the beach and nothing else.

I almost forgot about the beach... hehe. Frankly speaking, it wasn't at par with what I expected. The water about 50m away from the coastline is a nice deep green and fades to deep blue. At the shore however is brown sand and a lot of other stuff like tree trunks, stones, and logs. At the very least I expected a well maintained beachfront.

I stayed here only until the evening since dinner (and breakfast) was a problem again.

I think the local tourism council will have to work much harder to generate visits here. With the completion of the Marikina-Infanta highway I'm hoping that they can get these beaches in top shape.

Winning Streak!!!

2007-11-28T22:45:00.000+08:00

I can't believe just how lucky I am... look at my inbox!

Thanks to the Internet, I'm such a winner!

Singapore Nightlife and Food (Oct 2007)

2007-11-04T01:04:00.000+08:00

Boring periods in between business meetings in Singapore brought me to lots of nice places to eat and party and eat...

[Dinner] Tonkichi Japanese Restaurant -- mostly Katsu on the menu. Tried Salmon Teriyaki Ju (on Rice) and it is delicious, though abit expensive for the quantity. There are also some curry and udon dishes which I haven't tried. Fried softshell crab is ok, becomes very delicious with vinegar sauce. The best part is the dessert -- Mochi Ice Cream! Menu: http://www.pokkafood.com.sg/tonkichi/ Location: 350 Orchard Road, Level 4 Isetan Scotts, Shaw House, Singapore.

[Dinner] No Signboard Seafood Restaurant -- Turns KFC into Finger-Licking Crap. After touching their crabs I wanted to eat everything by hand! Chili Crab, White (or is it Black?) Pepper Crab, Crispy Cereal Prawn, Sambal Kangkong, and a mountain of Buns and Fried Rice! Also mixes well with a cold glass of Tiger Beer! There are still a lot of special dishes that I want to try here. Website and Menu: http://nosignboardseafood.com/ Location: 414 Geylang Road, Singapore or in Vivo City (see other branches in website)

[Dinner] Bungalow Tapas Bar & Grill - Wagyu Beef, Salmon, Gambas, and more Wagyu Beef. The outdoor ambiance at night is ok especially during cold months. Food here is good for sharing, making it easy for people to talk (the team for this project I'm working on went for dinner as a group for the first time here and it was ok). Website: http://www.bungalowtapas.com Location: 101 Thomson Road, United Square, Singapore

[Lunch] Wee Nam Kee (Hainanese Chicken Rice) -- is the place in Singapore they say that has really good Hainanese Chicken Rice. Yes it tastes so good and it's very well complemented by chili sauce and the ginger sauce. The only thing I found strange is that some pieces had blood on them but they didn't seem to care. I only ate the well-cooked parts though. Location: 275 Thomson Road #01-05 Novena Ville, Singapore

[Dinner] Swensen's -- This is supposed to be an Ice Cream bar (ala Icebergs) but the food is thankfully good. Swensen's used to be my favorite, I am just not sure why but when I tasted it again it wasn't as magical. The Crayfish Pasta is still my favorite there, and the rest goes to the American stuff (burgers, fries, platters, etc). Website and Menu: http://www.swensens.com.sg Location: Plaza Singapura, 68 Orchard Road, Singapore

[Nightlife] Ministry of Sound (MOS), Singapore -- it was midweek when we got here. Not too many people at 9pm, but the crowd starts growing at midnight. They had several rooms with different themes... 70s, 80s, House, Hiphop/R&B and maybe some few others. There was one song when they let out all the foam and bubbles (just one shot?), it was fun! You'll just need to ask around to get here. Website: http://www.ministryofsound.com.sg/ Location: Block C, the Cannery, River Valley Road, Clarke Quay, Singapore.

[Nightlife] Saint James Power Station -- Movida, Bellini Room, and Gallery Bar are just some of the few. SJPS is a 70,000 square feet collection of bars making it larger than MOS. This is the ultimate in Singapore nightlife (for now), with guests of all races, wide variety of party music, and an option to take part as spectator (2nd floor rooms). Website: http://www.stjamespowerstation.com Location: 3 Sentosa Gateway (near Vivo City), Singapore.

[Dinner] Kuishin-bo -- Authentic Japanese Buffet Restaurant. I like their giant crab legs (they have more meat than a whole alimasag) and beef teppanyaki which is always newly cooked (upon order). Every dish here is better than Saisaki in my opinion and they say a lot of people come to Suntec just for this. You even have to make advanced bookings to get inside on full days. Oh, and by the way, drinks are free flowing too. Website: http://kuishinbo.com.sg/ Location: 3 Temasek Boulevard, Suntec City Tower 1.

[Breakfast/Lunch] Carousel at Royal Plaza on Scotts -- the free breakfast that comes with my hotel stay. It's one of the few hotels I know that has a breakfast set that shows they understand what regulars want -- the usual basic stuff + a good variety of dishes to make every breakfast taste different. I think RP can beat the 5 star hotels when it comes to this area. Lunch is also great, I can't remember the dishes because they were just too many. Website: http://royalplaza.com.sg/carousel.php Location: Scotts Road, Singapore.

[Dinner] The Tapas Tree -- Tapas again, this time we had Paella Valenciana (chorizo, chicken, mussels, squid, shrimps, fish, vegetables, and eggs). We also got the usual chorizo and gambas. Their Caldereta de Vaca con Patatas is my absolute favorite here. They also have a trio playing nice songs in Spanish (sometimes sounds familiar like when you hear Tagalog versions of English songs that never got played on TV) Website: http://www.thetapastree.com Location: Clarke Quay, Block 3D, River Valley Road.

[Nightlife] C Clinic -- Somewhere in Clarke Quay... I found this unusual place where 1) people are seated on silver wheelchairs, 2) in between seats there are hospital dividers, and 3) some drinks are served like dextrose bottles. I got seated under operating room lights and get a sense of both cool and weird.

[Nightlife] Hed Kandi Bar -- Somewhere in Clarke Quay ... nice lights, posters, and TV flicks ... but where is the crowd?!?!

Jumbo is not yet on the list... hmm...

Post more when I'm back :)

Ilog Maria Honeybee Farms (Silang, Cavite)

2007-11-03T22:11:00.000+08:00

I've heard of this place before but never got here or barely knew what was in there except for honeybees until today. I drove home from Tagaytay via the Coastal Road route (Aguinaldo Highway) and saw this road sign marked Ilog Maria somewhere near Km47 (this is about 7km from the Tagaytay Rotonda)... I turned that way and went past a 700m dirt road, several cows, lots of grass, little houses, and surprisingly, not a single bee was in sight.

At the end of the road there is a store resembling a half-completed house where you can park in front, and then a fenced, 2 long lines of about 15 white boxes (beehives) each on one side of it. A sign on the store reads "No Blowing of Horns"... yes, the busy bees are serious about very silent and conducive working environments. The air is fresh outside, not even the cow gases made it here.

I got inside the store and saw all these ladies (about a dozen of them at that time) with nice wooden baskets, picking up stuff and sticking them at their noses then putting them back. The next lady would do exactly the same. I also did the same, getting that nose-to-nose effect (without having to use the basket of course). The soaps smell really good, even those with added scents like carrot, cinnamon, eucalyptus, ginger, lavander, milk, rosemary, and spearmint. They also got a selection of oils, gift packs, coffee, candles, shampoo, bath salts, toothpaste all made with honey!

On another side of the store there were kids playing near the beehive display (live bees!) I got close and took a shot, careful not to knock it off.

... and then at the back side (the structure that looks like a hat on the first picture) there's a small museum (Museo Sa Ilog) which I think is only set up whenever there are organized tours to this location. A quick look at the tour packages makes me want to come back and hear the buzz about the bees.

Now I have stuff to bring home aside from the usual Collette's :) Mum liked the soap, and I tried the honeybee throat spray -- it worked! My weeklong sore throat is gone!

For more information check out http://www.ilogmaria.com/. All product catalogues, maps, contact details, are also on the website.

Mobile Blog (test)

2007-10-15T13:04:00.000+08:00

this is my first mobile blog entry. done with the iphone over wi-fi network in royal plaza hotel in singapore. cool...

iPhone Update!

2007-10-07T21:50:00.000+08:00

I was about to get my iPhone during a trip to Singapore last week but the price was much higher (S$1000+) than the listed online price (US$399). Just yesterday I also dropped by at Greenhills and saw that it has also been selling there for over a week now. Prices started around 50k and it's now somewhere at 30k. I felt lucky after deciding not to get one for now after hearing news of a software update (firmware version 1.1.1) released by Apple a few days back that killed unlocked iPhones.

The added features in general don't make the iPhone significantly better (and majority of the users probably haven't expected any of these), but it seems hardware/software capabilities of the device have not been maxxed out yet. This could mean more updates to come bundled with tougher cracking and hacking protection. Here's a quick list:

iTunes Wi-Fi Music Store
Louder speakerphone and receiver volume
Home Button double-click shortcut to phone favorites or music controls
Space bar double-tap shortcut to intelligently insert period and space
Mail attachments are viewable in portrait and landscape
Stocks and cities in Stocks and Weather can be re-ordered
Apple Bluetooth Headset battery status in the Status Bar
Support for TV Out
Preference to turn off EDGE/GPRS when roaming internationally
New Passcode lock time intervals
Adjustable alert volume
A bunch of security fixes for Bluetooth, Email and Safari

... and the bad news -- For those who bought the unlocked iPhones, they are probably still in the 1.0.2 version -- and if they downloaded and install the latest update, they might no longer be useable (dead!). If they try to downgrade it back, the phone functionalities might no longer be available and it turns into an expensive iPod Touch.

The 1.0.2 version works fine with 3rd party software (which by the way is free or cheaper, and sometimes with better functionalities) while the 1.1.1 unlocking tools are 'in progress'. I am waiting to see this happen before I get one, so I can have a better estimate of how fast and reliable the "developer community" will be against Apple's standards. If the unlocking tool doesn't come out until the Asia release, I'll just buy straight from Apple stores.

My Photo Contest Entry (Transit Magazine)

2007-09-16T01:30:00.000+08:00

The picture from my Majayjay Falls entry appears in the update page of the "On the Go, Lokal" photo contest by Transit Magazine!!! It's one of the 200+ entries... well it really doesn't mean anything at the moment, but I'm very hopeful that one of my entries wins me a prize :)

The prizes:

1st Prize: Tickets for 2 to Palau + Red Fox Gadget
2nd Prize: Tickets for 2 to Batanes + Red Fox Gadget
3rd Prize: Tickets for 2 to Cebu + Red Fox Gadget
Consolation Prizes: Electronic Gadgets & Gift Pack from Red Fox + other GCs

I'm excited!!!

My Data Architecture and Multiply

2007-08-27T23:43:00.000+08:00

This is a not-so-rough sketch of how my data is organized:

(click image for larger version)

The reason that I started to use Multiply.com actively is because it's able to keep and organize all the information I intend to have online. It neatly imports my blog data from blogger.com, photos/videos from my PC, and my favorite funny videos from YouTube -- with no crippling storage limitations and I hope it stays like that.

Having seen Multiply's interconnectivity with Blogger and Youtube and other video sites, I'm hoping that they could extend it to allow importing contact lists from Friendster because right now the best they can do is give you an invitation badge for display on your site. Also, if they can add more information to the member profile page I believe they can easily win the Friendster crowd; it's mostly about profiles anyway and Multiply already does better when it comes to connections (relationships).

Next is Multiply's crappy calendar. They're tied nicely to the updates and can be arranged neatly through tags. I'm not sure how they can prevent the same public calendar event appearing several times on the My Multiply page (ie. if 3 people put X's birthday in their calendars it comes out thrice), but while there's no solution to it yet regardless of the platform, they could have taken advantage of links with existing performers in the field like Google for now. If they can do automatic calendar updates with Google Calendar it would be great.

Reviews, Links, Music, Groups are items I have rarely used and disabled in my page for now. For me, they're as good as they should be.

Email... I'll stick with what I have. IM's ... I don't think they will succeed if they build their own, but if they could just add some buttons at the profile page to launch a YM window that's as far as it goes.

Overall I'm still happy with the setup, they just have to fill the gaps (red dotted lines). Multiply is still the most complete social networking package for me.

My Digital Image Workflow

2007-08-26T02:19:00.000+08:00

I've come up with my own simple workflow to produce better quality images on my blog. I haven't ever taken any training on digital photography, so I'm still expecting the output of this process to be amateur grade images.

1.0 Pre-shot: Initializing Camera Settings
-----------------------------------------
1.1. Set shooting mode (Av is my favorite)
1.2. Set aperture (usually biggest, or sharpest f-stop)
1.3. Set flash mode (usually disabled to use natural lighting)
1.4. Set focus point (useful for stationary objects)
1.5. Set focus mode (usually AF)
1.6. Set WB mode (depending on lighting)
1.7. Set ISO (initial 400)

2.0 Pre-shot: Adjustments
------------------------
2.1. Evaluate shutter speed
2.2. Minimize ISO setting
2.3. Initial shot
2.4. Adjust Exposure Value (based on Histogram)

3.0 Final Camera Image
---------------------
3.1. Take Final Photo

4.0 PostProcessing
-----------------
4.1. Download Original Images
4.2. Adjust Levels/Curves
4.3. Adjust Saturation (usually +10 to 30 depending on emphasis)
4.4. Image Sharpen
4.5. Adjust Brightness/Contrast (for increased sharpness)
4.6. Crop Image
4.7. Save Image to PostProcessed folder (ready for printing)

Natalie Dee Art

2007-06-13T00:20:00.000+08:00

Cute website with a lot of funny and interesting pieces of artwork, by Natalie Dee. This link was shared to me by Lor. Here's one of them...

More at nataliedee.com

How to detect BS

2007-05-29T21:29:00.000+08:00

I came across a nice article written by Scott Berkun on the topic of detecting BS (bullshit).

He starts with a philosophy of lies... and points out three reasons why people do it:

1) to protect themselves
2) sometimes it works
3) people want to be seen as better than how they see themselves

and then he shares some BS detection tools to help sniff it out:

1) Question: How do you know what you know?
2) Question: What is the counter argument?
3) Time and pressure
4) Never agree to more than your trust allows

Typically if someone ignores these things there's a high chance that BS is present.

More on the detail subject at http://www.scottberkun.com/essays/53-how-to-detect-bullshit/

Taytay Falls (Majayjay, Laguna)

2007-05-28T20:10:00.000+08:00

I spent last Saturday on a daytrip to Majayjay, Laguna to have a look at the not-so-rarely visited Taytay Falls. The first big mistake we made was leaving past 7am that day because the traffic was already heavy from SLEX all the way to Calamba Exit. Both the Alaminos and Los Banos routes were moving very slowly so it didn't seem to make any difference from this point. We headed east through Los Banos, Bay, Calauan ... then got directions from locals to a secondary road that skips San Pablo and goes straight to Nagcarlan. From Nagcarlan we drove to Liliw (some confusing roads as we went through this town) and then Majayjay.

There were small road signs that pointed to the falls, and the roads were narrow for about 7kms until we reached the entrance where we were charged 10 pesos for bringing in our vehicle. A few more kilometers of very narrow two-way roads... and we were at the registration point. Each person had to pay 20 pesos (I think it's more if you stay overnight) and sign on some logbook.

We took our backpacks and walked for about 1km. The path was safe and easy, they had a narrow cemented walkway and handrails, and very little obstacles. It was weekend so there were A LOT of people in the area. Some of them even had tents and cookware.

There were some people above the falls area and a path going up from the left side where a small grotto stood, so we thought there would be less people and cleaner water in that area. There was a warning sign though that people shouldn't go up here, but I think they didn't mind the danger to get a good view from above. Along the steep path was a small gate which was sealed with chickenwire, and a very narrow space on one side where one person could barely pass through (really very dangerous because the rocks there are slippery and the chickenwire is the first thing you will hit if you slip).

The water was ice cold up there, actually, enough to make my hands numb... it took a short while to get used to the cold water. We were the only ones there for some time until a few more stopped by, but it wasn't enough to crowd the area.

We spent about an hour up there until the sky turned dark. I had my camera with me and could sense heavy rains so we started to pack up and leave before it gets damaged (I just paid off the first installment so it's going to be painful) and the situation becomes too dangerous to go back down.

The rain started pouring when we got down so we had to rush back to the jump-off point for cover. Fortunately, we had our stuff waterproofed so only the bags got wet. I still had to run because I was afraid some moisture might get into the electronics I carried with me.

More bad luck on our way back -- we got semi-flat tires! We had to drive another 7km back to town before we totally run out of air on the tires (we didn't check the spare so it wasn't an option during the heavy rains). At the vulcanizing shop we just found out that there were no holes, so we knew it just wasn't inflated properly from our last gas stop.

After that, we decided to head to Tagaytay for dinner. It was past 6 when we stopped at a gas station (in Sto Tomas, Batangas) and found out that if we headed east from here, it would be unsafe because the route was mountainous and sparsely populated. A passerby also suggested that we take Sta. Rosa to get there. The traffic was still bad by the time we crossed SLEX so we decided to go back to Manila.

Just less than a kilometer from the exit to the expressway we saw Leslie's (where we were supposed to eat in Tagaytay). They say this restaurant was popular for their Bulalo. Well, it wasn't bad, the soup was fine, but I think they have to find a way to make the beef less chewy. That was it... we paid and headed home through heavy traffic again.

Next time we'll plan to do travels way before sunrise. I think I got so used to easy driving on holidays.

Happy Mothers' Day!

2007-05-13T22:53:00.000+08:00

Happy Mothers' Day :)

[Exclusive!] Cutest Dog On Earth Smiles

2007-05-12T20:25:00.000+08:00

I think we own one of the most fake-looking dogs on this planet. It looks more like a toy than a dog. You can actually program some stuffed toy to imitate its actions since most are really no-brainers -- barking, panting, running, eating, sitting, jumping and producing all sorts of nasty excretions -- and still end up with the same stupid dog we named Bruce. ... until one day... he did something unusual in front of the camera...

We tried to take a few pictures of Bruce. He was snobbish at first, just looking everywhere as if no one was around. We kept moving to the spot where Bruce was looking until he noticed we were trying really hard to get his attention...

The camera sends him a strange signal and Bruce starts to stick out his tongue, really weird (if a dog isn't sweating, panting, or yawning this shouldn't normally happen)...

we removed his harness ... then he smiles like he could appear in "How Much Is That Doggie In the Window" if it had an MTV in 1952 -- what the hell?? He does it again and again so I caught one.

After that I tied him up, "Bruce, what you did today was wrong, it was wimpy and sucky. This doesn't really match your macho image and the Arnold Schwarzenegger power-moves you showed last week when you bit my brother's hand." I posted this entry to humiliate him.

Barbie Almalbis Photo Ops in Edsa

2007-05-03T21:20:00.000+08:00

I've been trying take a good shot of Barbie - in that very nice Bayo poster - along Edsa - every morning - for 3 days already - using my phone camera...

... until I found out that this picture was just a click away, crystal clear and in full-color in Bayo's website. Now I don't know what to do with it so I paste it here. OK, end of story.

Well... nothing, just one of my little nothings (wrong grammar?) to get some fun out of my boring daily drive to office.

Here's another useless one... a really creative way of disposing your gum and its wrapper... I couldn't keep my eyes off it while it was in front of me.

This is the most meaningless post I have done in my entire blogging experience. Sheeesh.

Tahong (Mussel) Chips

2007-05-02T00:53:00.000+08:00

I am not sure if this one is new, but I was too curious to try this product after I saw the small banner on a Collette's store somewhere in Tagaytay -- Tahong Chips. They looked like nachos, but they were brownish and had dark spots (probably the crushed tahong). It also came with a small pouch of vinegar so I was already thinking chicharon and salt & vinegar flavored Tostitos (or is it Doritos?) I have never seen anything like it, but tried it anyway -- 20 pesos to kill my curiosity.

On the first few bites they were OK and tasted like dried seaweed or Nori, the one used for wrapping sushi. The vinegar somewhat helped to add to the taste, (it wasn't really bad) but after a few pieces I couldn't finish it anymore. I think the mussel flavor is too strong because just a few minutes later I could feel the ocean fresh aftertaste and was burping musselbreath already. I got the same result when I brought it home for the others to try... it was tough to finish this bag of chips.

Another site says this product is gaining popularity, but personally I found it weird for my taste.

Fun Ranch, Tiendesitas

2007-04-30T12:08:00.000+08:00

Just took an evening side trip to Tiendesitas and saw this nice huge playground for kids. I wish I could be 5 again ...

It was already past 11 and the kids were out. No nightlife for them...

OK. I'm glad I'm not five anymore.

Balagbag Falls (Real, Quezon)

2007-04-08T15:22:00.000+08:00

I haven't run out of nice places to try out -- last time I went to Famy/Siniloan (Buruwisan Falls) we were supposed to go this next spot which was about 45kms away, but my friend's car had to be back home the same day so it didn't push through. This is a long story so if you want to go to the nice pictures just scroll down.

I got another few days off from work and decided to drive there and stay overnight fearing I might not have enough energy to drive home 100+ kilometers the same day. Instead of the Antipolo route going to Famy, we took the south expressway route and then the southern edge of Laguna lake passing through Los Banos, Sta. Cruz, and Pagsanjan. It's not as scenic but it got us to Famy within reasonable time.

It was almost 6pm when we reached Famy so we had to decide on whether or not to cross the mountains to reach Quezon at night. We called up a resort owner to check if the road conditions are good and safe. They said it was fine so we took it on.

The drive from Famy to Real was a 40+ kilometer stretch, a very long, dark and almost 40% zigzagged path with plenty of almost hairpin turns and hundreds of road warning signs (like "falling rocks ahead"...OK!). I felt comfortable only at times when we would see locals walking or some houses with lights on along the way. We reached the eastern edge of Luzon about 1.5 hours later -- Real, Quezon.

We took Ocean Blue resort which was a bit pricey (2K at the time of our visit) maybe because it was holy week, though it offered a swimming pool and airconditioned room, and some discount. I'm not sure if there are resorts that offer similar stuff in the area, but since we weren't familiar, I just had to pick this. The info came from another blog that I went through so I assumed it was safe enough to stay here.

We didn't have TV in the room so aside from the pool, we went out and crossed the street to buy snacks in the sari-sari store just in front of the resort. The store owners were so nice to entertain us and give advice on what to do while we were there (Aida and her husband who fondly calls himself as the guy with just one leg) and also told us of a nearby restaurant owned by her sister (Merly's).

We tried Merly's for dinner. It was a videoke restaurant, and we sampled out anything that we could -- blue marlin, clam soup, bbq chicken and a lot of rice... all nice stuff to feed hungry stomachs. Roger (Merly's husband) sat with us and we talked about a lot of stuff while waiting and eating (from cameras, boats, nice travel spots, to business, etc... boy I was surprised by the richness of this man's experience). Later we were also joined by her daughter and her friend, and we continued on talking about so many things until late in the evening. They also invited us to join them next morning in Baluti Island (another white sand beach in the Real area accessible by boat). Just an added note... They have rooms for rent at a very good price (just drop me a note if you want contact details).

After dinner, we went back to Ocean Blue and got our much needed rest.

My sleep was cut short by a nightmare (I won't talk about this anymore). I got up at 5:30, maybe waited until 7:30 to feel really awake. I spent a few minutes outside to have a look at the beach at sunrise (left). The waves were quite strong (first photo at the top of this blog) but some were still brave enough to swim in the area.

We went around to search for restaurants within a few kilometers radius, but ended up again at Merly's. We got ham, hotdogs, cream soup with macaroni, bread and coffee... wonderful breakfast :) Sad to say we couldn't join the Baluti Island that morning because we had to leave early in the afternoon.

We got back and left our car at Ocean Blue, then got a tricycle which charged us with tourist rates... 150 pesos because of the very rough roads leading to the falls that they have to go through. Still, not bad if you start to think of the cost of vulcanizing for your car's tires. There's another 10 pesos entrance fee for the caretakers of the area. Also, at that entrance area, there's just another road beside it that leads to another waterfalls (Lunok Falls, harder to access because it requires a 1km trek).

Just 5 minutes of walking and we got to the front of the lower basin of the beautiful Balagbag falls.

There were just too many people in the lower area so we decided to climb to the higher basin. Up there it was more quiet and beautiful. I saw some people climbing this section halfway up.

Blablablablabla... and then back to Manila.

Egg Cooking in Ultra-hot Springs (Manito, Albay)

2007-04-08T14:17:00.000+08:00

[Bicol Trip Day 4-5]

We finished our whaleshark adventure early in Donsol so we thought of utilizing the remaining hours of the day to take a look at one final spot on the northeastern side of Albay -- Manito. The tourist spot market there is Balubagon Boiling Caves. It's supposed to be an area where you can see geysers shooting up steam from the ground. This is the last leg of our Bicol trip.

We started driving around 4:30pm and it was not so sunny anymore.

For me, this was the most scenic among the routes that we took in the Bicol area. It was the rockiest route for our whole Bicol trip, because plenty of landslides have destroyed some sections of the secondary roads there. About 10kms away from the central area of Manito, there's an excellent view of the mountainside, Poliqui Bay and Mayon Volcano. As we got closer to Manito, the road conditions were still getting worse (we tried to ask a government vehicle there what was going on and they said there was some project ongoing to fix the roads there), we also met a local couple riding a motorcycle on their way home. He told us that it wasn't a good time to go there because it was getting dark already. He was nice enough to guide us back down from the mountains, and offered to take us around the Balubagon area the next morning. This guy also mentioned that the water's heat there is enough to cook eggs, so we passed by some grocery to buy fresh eggs for testing.

We went back to Legaspi to find a place to sleep for the night (Reynaldo's, Washington Drive, Legaspi City). We went up again the next morning through the very rough roads and found our local guide waiting along the road (brothers Teddy/Jimmy Avion, I got their contact details).

After about 7-10 kilometers of driving we pulled in another young boy in the area to guide us to the geysers. It was another short drive, bypassing the Manito seaport (you can go to Romblon from here) and ending in a small spring where a few people washed their clothes and took the kids for a bath (that water was cold). Maybe they brought us to another spot. We didn't see any caves, just a spring, and a lake formation beside it.

On this small lake we could see steam rising from the water. I was expecting something different like steam erupting from the ground, but there was none, except for a few small holes in the ground with either steam rising gently (you can also hear the bubbly sound of water deep from these holes) or water boiling at the surface... anyway, the water was still too hot it burns the skin.

The water formation as we walked further down was wonderful, surrounded by plenty of greens in spite of the extreme heat we felt from both the ground and the sun. There wasn't much to do here so we started our mad-scientist experiment. We brought out a couple of eggs and dipped them into the bubbling waters (they didn't look clean so we wrapped the eggs in cloth and tied them with dry branches). In less than 10 minutes, we got our hard-boiled eggs!

We brought in some more food for our breakfast... ate these geyser-cooked eggs, and nothing more. I know this whole idea of bringing up eggs all the way up to this nasty mountain to cook them is crazy, but we had fun anyway :)

Whalesharks: World's Largest Fish (Donsol, Sorsogon)

2007-04-08T12:42:00.000+08:00

[Bicol Trip - Day 3 (and a half of Day 4), Part 3 of 3]

We arrived in the resort areas of Donsol at around 8 in the evening. The one the locals recommended was Woodland resort, but at that time an ambassador was there so it was closed out for security. The place we chose instead was Casa Bianca, one of the few that had cement buildings, good airconditioning and a balcony about the size of a badminton court.

We couldn't get a look at the beach again since it was late, so we just spent the evening arranging our trip to the middle of the sea. DOT had taken some control over the area so we found the prices to be consistent across offers. Luckily we were there way before holy week so we didn't run into a shortage of boats to rent. The local government only allows a limited number of tourist trips per season and there are local coastguards monitoring them, such that the ecosystem impact in that fish area becomes negligible.

Next morning we got up early and got into our boat. The seas were calm, and just about 15 minutes from the shore we could already their so-called Butanding (whaleshark), world's largest fish. I had difficulty taking photos from above the water because the sun's reflection was already too bright. We had to shut off our engines whenever we came close so that we wouldn't disturb or scare away the whalesharks. From above the water, they were superHUGE -- almost the size of our boat, maybe at least 5 meters long and over a meter wide. We saw a few more... and then blablabla it started to feel like watching aquarium channel.

The next part was even better. We rented some flippers, life vests, and snorkel gear earlier. This time we were going to jump into the water to swim with it and have a really close look. Sorry, no great fish photos from here. I couldn't take anything from google images because most are rare shots and copyrighted content (just look there yourself).

We found whaleshark model #1 ... it was moving slowly towards us from one side of the boat... by this time we were already seated at the edge with all the swimming gear on, ready and just waiting for the boatman's signal for us to jump.

"Jump!" he yelled, and we got into the water then followed our guide (the current was quite strong) to get closer to the fish. He pointed down at some point, and we started to look face down. I was immediately shocked with what I saw -- the front of the fish with its huge mouth going in my direction. Jaws!!! I recalled, then I totally forgot about my snorkel device and I scrambled up for air! I dipped my head down a second time, now I could see the body of this fish... big black skin with a grid of white dots. Looks good for a blanket design, but this species of fish is endangered, so no hunting of these, hehe. A few seconds later its tail seemed to be approaching my way again, so I tried to stay aside just at the right distance to touch the tail, but my goggle vision didn't seem right (it was farther than I thought) so I missed it.

We got back up after that, and searched around again for another one. This time I was disappointed because my flipper and goggles got out of place when I jumped into the water. I went for the flipper and lost the goggles. Just borrowed another one instead.

We dipped with a third one, and then just went around the area to look for more and take photos from above the water. We got some, but underwater shots would really have been the best ones. Too bad we didn't have any waterproof cases with us.

We had the engine turned off somewhere in the middle of the sea to have some snacks, then looked for about 5 to 10 more of these fishes, and went back to our island.

It was a great and unique experience! We have already driven 900+ kilometers south from Manila to get here, and the encounter with these large fishes was definitely worth it.

For more information and photos about whaleshark and its species conservation please visit www.ecocean.org and www.whaleshark.org

Cute Bread (Donsol, Sorsogon)

2007-04-08T11:29:00.000+08:00

[Bicol Trip - Day 3, Part 2 of 3]

After Busay falls, we headed straight to Donsol in Sorsogon where we could get to see their 'largest fish in the world' called Butanding (whaleshark).

We made a quick stop somewhere (less than 5km away from the resorts I think) to ask for directions and saw this little panaderia with bread in interesting shapes...

Crayfish and Alligator

Squid

Turtles

Pigs

Crabs

Food Processor

Busay Falls (Malilipot, Albay)

2007-04-06T00:02:00.000+08:00

[Bicol Trip - Day 3, Part 1 of 3]

After Sogod, we drove back up north to Malilipot, Albay to find the famous Busay falls. We almost missed the marker from the national highway that was supposed to be the start of the Busay falls trail.

From the marker, we went through a narrow rocky road that goes through a small town there with plenty of straw (or was it abaca?) hanging on the fences. There's just one left turn that we made and after that road it's all grass, soil and trees. By the way, this is not the "Getting There" section. Buy a map, go to Malilipot, ask the locals and you'll get there the same way as we did.

We just followed the brownish trails, crossing some bridges until we ran out of road. In some areas we had to set the stones to make the path passable. We were able to cross the first few bridges on the way because they weren't heavily damaged yet, but this last one made us give up our ride.

We were lucky to find out that this broken bridge was just near the entrance to the falls. We left the vehicle before the bridge and walked on. It took us less than 3 minutes to pay the entrance fee (to their caretakers), walk some rocky path and get into the falls. We were finally there.

It's good that we went to Busay before holy week. There are just a few people in the area so we were able to get really close to the falls and enjoy the water there. It's slightly difficult to swim in the area where the water falls (somewhat drowning), we could only stand at the rocky area beside it or swim around it.

Compared to the other 'swimmable' falls that I've tried so far, this one is stronger. The water is very clear in shallow areas, but Lanzones Falls is much clearer because of its less soily (more rocky) area. Busay is more accessible though, making it prone to tourist trash -- keep this waterfalls clean. Leave no trace. Oh, and just an added bonus, I heard this is the first of about 7 waterfalls in the area. Too bad we weren't prepared for it.

Last few snaps...

My shoti making a fake float (hehe)

See ya later, Busay.

Sogod Beach (Bacacay, Albay)

2007-04-04T14:36:00.000+08:00

[Bicol Trip - Day 2 (and a little of Day 3), Part 3 of 3]

After leaving Mayon, we did our usual late night drive this time to Bacacay. The Albay tourism website says there's plenty of black sand beaches (from erosion of volcanic rocks) here. We didn't have any idea it was black, only the word "beach" got our attention. Again it was already very dark so we won't see it until the morning.

We got lost in the area for about 10-15 minutes, passing through more drunk locals (one of them was peeing while giving us directions) and uninhabited sections of the road. When we reached the central area of Bacacay, we inquired at a hotel named Casa Eugenia and had dinner there. The rates were quite high for our pockets so we decided to drive closer to the coastline.

We got lost again for another 10-15 minutes looking for Sogod. Some bridges were under construction in the area so we must have missed a turn somewhere. We were lucky there was a tour guide trailing behind us in one of the local rent-a-vans. He figured we were lost in the area. We stopped in the middle of the road and he offered help (being paranoid, I thought this guy was a kidnapper). He guided us through some small roads until we reached fenced property, and the only thing that comforted me was that there were ladies inside the van who looked like tourists (sorry for the trouble). The guide woke up the owner and got us a place to stay for the night. It had two airconditioned rooms supposedly, but the second room's aircon is just an exhaust fan from the first airconditioned room (it felt strange... being cooled from an exhaust).

ZZZZZzzzzzz.....

The place turned out to be a nice one (Viento de Mar) when daylight came. Green fields, small huts, hammocks, and some houses which appeared like they came from fairy tale books. There's also a good view of Mayon from here (so this place must be popular right?). It's wonderful waking up to see all these nice things around :)

We didn't go to the beach area anymore because this place was so relaxing we stayed here until lunchtime. When we left this area we had a peek at the waters from our vehicle... super blue and wonderful as usual. If anyone gets to see the sand there, let me know... I want to see how black the sand is there, and if it stains clothes like charcoal.

Mayon Volcano and Resthouse (Tabaco, Albay)

2007-04-04T09:48:00.000+08:00

[Bicol Trip - Day 2, Part 2 of 3]

It was already past 6pm when we decided not to stay for the night in Sagnay. The resort (Nato) where we parked our car at had no lights except for those inside their cottages. There was barely anything to do there after coming back from Atulayan Island so the boring hours had to be used in some other way. We started another long drive -- to Mayon Volcano.

In less than 2 hours we were already at the base of Mayon (about 8pm). I have never seen this volcano up close, and all we could see at this time was a dim silhouette of it cast by moonlight. Mayon was exaggeratingly huge and eerie from where we stood. The slopes looked steep and everywhere it was grass and a narrow road again, just like what we experienced in our trip to the haunted resthouse in Consocep in Tigaon.

According to online texts, it's a 9km ride up the mountain, there are no signs on some junctions (at least 3 of them) so it's better to ask people way before you get there. The resthouse is about 2700ft above sea level and we were expecting plenty of tourists who probably came there before sunset (we didn't see cars on the road at this time), but it was ghost town again. I'm not sure if it's because of the eruption + typhoon again, but the place seems to be in good order. The establishment was there, but all the lights and doors were closed (they don't have a lights off rule at 10pm right?). I wanted to take a picture of this place but it was very dark and isolated (at this point I remembered all the seemingly abandoned houses along the way) -- I didn't want to end up in the next day's headlines, so we went back down and headed for our next stop: Sogod Beach (Bacacay, Albay). Oh, we also happened to pass by Dhio Endeka on the way down. It's supposed to be a popular springwater resort, but when we went there it also looked abandoned at this time. Tsk tsk tsk...

(fast forward... on the last day of our Bicol trip)

We had a better view of Mayon Volcano on our way home from different angles, from the northeastern to southeastern side (Tiwi, Malinao, Tabaco, Malilipot, Bacacay, Legaspi, Daraga, Manito)... The most scenic view for me is from Manito, where you can see the mountainside, Poliqui Bay and coastline, and the volcano itself (left). The common view is along Legaspi (below), while the more popular one that you see in postcards is in Cagsawa (we didn't go through this area anymore).

Somewhere in Bigaa (Legaspi City) we also found huge volcanic rocks and very black roadsides, I think this is one of the areas most heavily damaged by Mayon eruption + Typhoon Reming. I was amazed to see how far the rocks got here all the way from Mayon. Here I witnessed the very very very immense amount of power and damage natural events like this can do.

Last snap... Mayon before sunset :) Beautiful volcano.

Atulayan Island (Sagnay, Camarines Sur)

2007-04-03T17:55:00.000+08:00

[Bicol Trip - Day 2, Part 1 of 3]

After our stay in Pier One 39 we headed off the next morning to Joroan (Tiwi, Albay) to find some natural springs. We used the coastal road (this is in the eastern edge that runs through the contours of Atulayan Bay) and after about half an hour of driving we reached a high point and could already see Atulayan Island. It didn't look interesting until we zoomed in using our cameras -- white sands!!!

We stopped and decided to drive back to Sagnay that same morning to check out nearby resorts where we could park our vehicle and find some boat to rent to have a look at this island. We found Nato resort (less than a kilometer from Pier One 39) and got a much cheaper price for the boat (P700). They also had rooms there but we didn't rent them thinking that we'll probably hop on to our next destination when we come back later that afternoon.

The trip on water was about half an hour by motorized boat. It was too late when we saw that it had no roof, but we were lucky the sun's heat wasn't that bad at that time. The beautiful long stretch of mountains on one side (where we were driving earlier that morning and saw the island) took our attention for most of the ride and the clear waters seemed very inviting. There were no establishments in the area but they have set up some huts (good for about 8 people) where we could find shade and a large table to hold enough dishes for our monster appetites.

We bought our food from a fisherman right in the middle of the sea, a fish called Matambakol (?). We got three of these big fishes, they were about the size of a 6-foot guy's arm and we had each them cooked by the locals in different ways -- grilled, fried and sinigang. This is super fresh fish -- cooked just about 30 minutes from the time they were caught. The downside: we were eating all fish and rice and nothing else... too much fish!!! The effect was more powerful than mouthwash, we had fish breath until the next morning

After our fish meal we tried the water. The sands were fine, but there were plenty of crushed corals around the area so it wasn't easy to go around barefooted. I tried to gargle with the seawater to wash off the fish smell, but I forgot it wasn't my usual springwater anymore (been drinking too much mountain water lately) so I vigorously expelled all the water back to where it belonged.

We stayed about 2 hours more in the area to rest and talk about what to do next. There was nothing else here except for the beach, our fish, a pig, a rooster, and a family of locals so it wasn't long before we wanted to leave. Our boatman patiently waited by the shore until he heard our golden words "balik na tayo" (let's go back). It was almost sunset so the scenery on our ride back looked more dramatic.

We had more drama on our way back... we asked our boatman earlier to bring us to the middle of the sea to buy our fresh fish lunch. About 200 meters from the our destination we ran out of fuel and we didn't know what exactly would happen next. Our boatman started paddling but it seemed like we weren't moving, so we tried to help him out. We thought paddling with our hands would work but the force was only enough to move a kayak. We brought some kickboards with us and used it instead (I just don't know if it helped in any way). We were supposed to call the boat owner (the boatman's father) to get his folks to pull us back to shore but couldn't find his number. The sun was out in a few minutes, and we were still on the water.

The boatman didn't stop paddling until a few minutes later we realized we were getting closer to the shore. By that time I was already faking my paddling of the kickboard but I kept it going (hehehe). We finally reached land, went back to the resort, changed our clothes and prepared for our initially planned destination for this leg: Tiwi, Albay.

Byebye Atulayan :) Nice Island.

WELL... we reached the Joroan area in Tiwi, had a look at their so-called hot springs, but didn't like the resort we saw after looking around (again, we would be the only people staying if ever). The mountain springs in the area are also dried up already. No beautiful water, so we set off for another spot -- Mayon Volcano (Tabaco, Albay).

Pier One 39 (Sagnay, Camarines Sur)

2007-04-02T19:29:00.000+08:00

[Bicol Trip - Day 1 (and a little of Day 2), Part 4 of 4]

From Sabang we headed further south to Sagnay, Camarines Sur (actually the arc to the municipal entrance says "Sagňay"). My brother's friend suggested that we stay in a place called Pier One 39 there in the town of Santo Niňo. It was past midnight but we were lucky that there were still plenty of people around to ask so we got there easily.

The price was quite high (2,000 pesos/night for a cottage for 2) for a provincial area, it's really too much compared to what you can get from a Boracay resort for the same amount, on the other hand they had it developed to have a swimming pool, cottages, small huts near the water, volleyball and billiards. We were already too tired to search for another place and it was way past midnight so we had to take this one.

I still had plenty of things to complain about... 1) Karaoke is a major issue in resorts, they should turn it off by 10 so other guests can sleep. 2) Complimentary toiletries should be served right when the room is ready, they didn't do it until we asked for it. 3) There were 2 cockroaches in the bathroom. 4) There was no water from the faucet and shower at times. I would say they should have charged half the price, thanks to their trusty aircons.

The next morning, we took a short dip at the beach (Nato Beach). The waves were moderate, and we were able to keep balance to some extent on shallow waters. It was quite peaceful because there were only few guests at that time, and the colored flags around the area were somewhat soothing to the eyes. Later we tried their pool which was supposedly chlorine free (the water came from the mountains). It was half full at that time so we were swimming in 3ft of water in a 6ft pool.

At the front entrance of the resort there's a nice view of the mighty Mt. Isarog (I think this is visible for most parts of the Camarines Sur area) from the fields. Last night we just went up 1,800 feet of of this mountain to Consocep and standing from this place shows just how much we drove up that mountain. I also tried to cross the fields to the other side to buy prepaid credits for my phone.

Before leaving we checked if we could get a boat to reach Atulayan Island. It was priced above 2,000 so we didn't go for it (come on, is this how much a boat ride costs?). Oh well, we left somewhat disappointed, maybe we were the wrong type of guests for this resort. For the owners... there's plenty of potential for this site, I just hope that you spend more time working on expectations of more seasonsed travelers.

Next Stop: Joroan (Tiwi, Albay)

Sabang Beach (San Jose, Camarines Sur)

2007-04-02T18:36:00.000+08:00

[Bicol Trip - Day 1, Part 3 of 4]

After our scary drive to Consocep, we descended and headed east towards the coastal areas of San Jose, Camarines Sur. By this time it was already past 11pm and we were still driving along highways. There were still people on the road, we asked some locals for directions, some of them were drunk so we had to sprint off by the time we realized it to stay away from trouble (they smelled like Green Cross alcohol!).

An hour later, we finally found the beach areas of Sabang. We couldn't find any huge sign pointing to any resort so we asked some guy who was walking in the area. It was already walking distance from the shore so we knew we were in the right place, but looking around it seems like a sleeping town.

We followed the stranger as he walked while we followed him in our vehicle. He led us to some resort establishment which was under construction. The ground floor was half done but there were some rooms which were already furnished. We walked into the building and all the locals (I think some of them were construction workers) followed us in. I started to feel nervous because the area was very dimly lit and we left our only means of transport outside.

They woke up the manager (at that time I was thinking gang leader) and he turned on the lights adding some comfort to the ambiance. He showed us some small rooms but I told my uncle if we were the only ones sleeping there, it might not be a wise idea. Behind this building was the beach... we took a quick look and I couldn't tell if it was ok since everything was dark outside. After some small talk, we got a good price, but we left the place. By this time we were already very sleepy but there's no way we'll be staying here.

Too bad I wasn't able to take photos here because I kept watching the people around me. I don't even remember the resort's name. My brother called his friend to ask for other options, and we got Sagnay, Camarines Sur.

Consocep Resthouse (Tigaon, Camarines Sur)

2007-04-02T17:13:00.000+08:00

[Bicol Trip - Day 1, Part 2 of 4]

WOW Philippines says this Consocep Resthouse in Mt. Isarog is at an elevation of 1,800 feet above sea level, around midway up that mountain. I don't know what's there and if it is the same thing as their mountain resort (where I later saw nice photos of Tumaguiti and Bulalacao Falls).

We drove to Tigaon, Camarines Sur and it's about 12 kilometers of roads going up from the point where you see the sign that leads to the resthouse. We were expecting tourist class level developments in the area but coming in at around 9pm it seems we ended up with long, dark and grassy roads. There were sections of road where we could not easily distinguish the road from the grass, making the vehicle trek a bit dangerous. Add to that, the only moving lights in the mountain were ours, making us an easy target for goons in the area.

We ran out of road and right in front of us was a trip of goats, maybe 10 to 15 of them. Beyond them was soil. We drove into it and found some road again until we saw this house about a kilometer more of driving. It had no lights on so we pointed our headlights at it. The windows were open so we can see what was there... It appeared like an abandoned house with all the furniture just scattered inside. The cold wind up there gave an awful haunting chill... anything could go wrong up here, I thought. I'm not sure if this was also damaged by the typhoons, but I'm sure I didn't want to stay up in a house up the mountain with no electricity at all.

We drove back less than a hundred meters and saw a couple who introduced themselves as caretakers of the resthouse (What the hell were they doing in this very very dark place?). They still offered the scary house for rest, but no thanks, this isn't my idea of adventure.

Lola Nida's and Lolo Ompo's (Calauag, Quezon)

2007-04-02T14:18:00.000+08:00

[Bicol Trip - Day 1, Part 1 of 4]

This is our first stop on our way to Bicol. Somewhere near the milestone KM224 C3 at the national highway (Maharlika) we saw a restaurant called Lola Nida's. The location is very strategic because it's positioned at a spot where morning travelers from Manila would probably feel hungry for lunch (about 3-4 hours of leisurely driving along the highway).

The sign outside says they sell and serve shrimp and crabs, but at the time we came there, they only had shrimps and a couple of local dishes. Their Sinigang na Hipon was good... fresh shrimps and the greenest vegetables I've probably eaten, while the soup is a little mild for sour tongues. We also had calamares and chicken adobo with their brown rice (pulang bigas?)... not bad, and the price was very cheap.

Ambiance is very much provincial, nipa hut, bamboo, and open air dining. They also have TV where you can watch and get in touch with the local noontime shows... anyway, if you're looking for Jollibee, go to the next major city (if you can't take it -- just go back home!).

I tried to look for Lola Nida. There was a not-so-old lady there at the counter but she claimed to be the daughter. I shouldn't have asked her if she was Lola Nida (she looked shocked). She was nice to talk us into interesting spots in the Bicol region, using a big luzon road map mounted somewhere in her restaurant.

After lunch, we headed further south and saw another restaurant along the highway just a few kilometers away -- Lolo Ompo's (we tried this on our way back). They say the owner is Lola Nida's husband! Next question -- two restaurants... are they in good terms? hehehe

Buruwisan/Lanzones Falls (Siniloan, Laguna)

2007-03-22T12:34:00.000+08:00

At first I thought this wouldn't be a successful attempt. My colds had just started and I knew ahead of time that this would worsen in the coming hours. Our planning was very rough... we just had transportation, backpacks with clothes, maps (again I have a really bad sense of direction so excuse me) and some money for food/gas. The only thing I bought before the trip was a pair of hiking sandals from Toby's.

March 21 - 4:00am. Getting there took us about 3 hours of relaxed driving. Instead of the usual south expressway, we took the more scenic route via Antipolo. We went through a couple of towns following the main highway from Antipolo that goes through Morong and Tanay (as you go through this area, you'll notice the roadside turns greener and greener), then splits somewhere after Pilila. The next leg was through mountains, taking us over half an hour of zigzag roads (at the right is an image of what half of the zigzag path looks like). We finally reached Famy area (actually we still had to turn left at that junction to the road that leads to Infanta, Quezon) at around 7:30am, fresh and ready for breakfast. The jump-off point to the falls is easy to find because there's a huge billboard with the mayor's picture. There's also a small restaurant at the left side of the road before the entrance where we took our breakfast of tapsilog and kaldereta. There were people waiting in the area, I think most of them were tricycle drivers and residents who work as part-time guides to the falls. We asked one of them to guide us and help us get a safe parking spot near this restaurant.

After breakfast, we were ready to go. I was so excited that I forgot about my colds! I just checked my stuff... extra clothes, camera, water, and pringles. Oh boy, I was ready. We walked 5 minutes down from the billboard to the registration area (yes, they keep a record here but I am not sure if they can tell who's actually in the mountains -- there is no Time Out column).

At last, it was heavy vegetation and a rugged footpath in front of us. There's nothing really beautiful about it, but it felt great to be there because it was officially the start of our 2-hour hike to Buruwisan Falls. It's a 3km path rising up about 300 meters then down about 30 meters at the last leg. There are 3 stops before reaching the only store, and after that, it's a short trek to the falls.

The climb was ok at first since the path wasn't steep and the rocks were dry. There were minor obstacles (but on each of them I started thinking how difficult it might be when we come back) and we started walking on paths beside very steep areas. Tip: Ask the guide to make a 'walking stick' for you so that you can use it as a third leg in difficult situations.

15 minutes into the footpath and Peter (my fellow beginner mountaineer) asked to stop for a bit and rest. His heart was rusty already I thought, because he hasn't exercised regularly for over a year already (maybe longer). His stamina was ok, but I think his heart was trying to catch up with the sudden increase in blood pumping requirements of this hike. We went on this way about 4 more times, stopping once in a while, until we reached the first stop. There was nothing in the area except for a few small huts where we could sit and take a rest. There's a good view from here to show you how much you climbed and a couple of happy green mountains on the other side.

We continued to the second stop at moderate pace because it was a bit muddier. There's more horse dung in this area, and they are super black in here (vs. in the first leg it was brownish after it rolled down the soily slopes). Stay away from these and be very careful, else if you step on or fall on these, you'll have to carry them all the way back. It might not be a good idea to wash them off in the falls where everyone enjoys the water. We stopped at certain points to take nice pictures of the scenery and our big faces beside it.

At the third stop it was the same stuff, but this (almost) last leg was easier because it was downhill. It rained on some sections so I thought it was going to be a dangerous, but my very reliable sandals kept my foot planted well on the mud. We didn't get any knee-high mud as others wrote earlier, maybe because in January it was still rainy. We reached the small store/stop there but it was apparently closed, but the owner was actually just doing something nearby (carrying sheets of metal to fix his roof, I think) and still selling his stuff with the store closed. In this area we could already hear the water from the falls. It sounded rather gentle so we sensed that the water would be just right.

The final final leg was very rocky. Some rocks were also slippery (I almost got sprained twice). We had to cross through ankle-deep water several times, making it harder to move through the rocks. Slowly but surely, we reached our main destination. It was beautiful, water falling from about 100 feet up, into a basin shaded by trees from the walls.

I stepped close to the water from the rocks to touch the water. The temperature was just right. When I got changed and got into the water, it was way different. The water was so cold! Probably the coldest water I have tried yet. To give a brief idea of how cold it really was... put as many ice cubes as you can in a glass of water, fill it up with tap water, wait until all the ice has melted and give 10 minutes... by this time, the cold doesnt sting or numb the skin anymore... that's what the water there is like. The college kids who sat near our area even placed a bottle of coke on the water to cool their drink.

At first I hesitated about swimming close to the falls because the water's force might push me down and drown me. The basin was also deep at the center so I wouldnt want to get stuck there. A few minutes later, the college people went there and it didn't seem difficult, so I also tried it. From the rocks, the water appeared to be a light shower, but when you swim where the water falls, it's really heavy and continuous. There was slight difficulty in breathing because water is everywhere and some of it will tried to jump up my nose (hehe). Peter brought the camera to the area behind the falls so we snapped a few nice pictures under it. I'm glad our wet hands and all the mist flying around didn't damage the camera.

After an hour of swimming and rest, we were brought to a second destination. This time it's about 15 minutes of walking on large rocks again. This area is less accessible, and it's more slippery than the first... but the reward is, as usual, a wow! Lanzones Falls! There was more water rushing through the rocks and the basin was just a small (about 20 square meters) and shallow pool. We could feel the strength of the falls because of the winds that it generated. It was about the strength of industrial fans from 5 meters away. We jumped into the water and it was even colder than the first one. After about half an hour of dips and pictures, we took out a can of Pringles for lunch (oh my... hehe ... we had a heavy breakfast so it was just fine).

Half an hour later, we were on our way back. It was more difficult because our sandals were already wet and we were tired. It took us almost 3 hours to go back down. I could feel the pain in my knees and feet, I was running out of energy (I just slept for an hour the day before) and my colds were trying to get back. I would ask to stop from time to time and I wasn't laughing anymore. We bought some coconuts on our descent from a farmer there thinking that it would refresh us and ease up the pain in the joints. It didn't help. Even worse, it rained hard and I thought it was game over for me on the last stretch. Anyway, we just waited for the rain to stop and kept on until we reached the registration point. It was a long way back, I wish we had camped up there and stayed overnight to gather up more energy. We had an early dinner at the same restaurant and drove off with full stomachs. I was knocked out most of the time, sleeping all the way to Manila. Went straight to bed when I reached home. I was super exhausted. ZZZZzzzzz.....

It was fun! I don't need to convince anyone! It's worth a try... but please keep this place clean (don't leave any trash there) :) The next place I want to go is farther to the east... Real or Infanta in Quezon. I heard they have a couple of nice beaches there :)

Tambo Kulit (Indang, Cavite)

2007-03-18T00:01:00.000+08:00

I'm terrible when it comes to directions, but today, I was brave enough to try out a slightly complicated route using online instructions and maps. For a starter, I chose a 60km trip, just enough for a 1-day adventure. Destination: Tambo Kulit (hehe). I was also joined by another brave soul in this adventure.

There's a good number of natural spring resorts lined up in this area... and I like them better than beaches because in these freshwater areas: 1) you can swim with your eyes open, 2) the water is very clean (no chlorine, no salt), 3) no jellyfish and nasty sea monsters, 4) no sunburn (plenty of shade from surrounding trees/rocks), 5) no tsunami, etc....

To get there, we had to exit South Expressway at Carmona (Exit 33, this was the easiest), then head southwest (not sure if it's exit 33A or 33B but after the tollgate, it's the road going right) to GMA and take a secondary road that goes to Silang and crosses Aguinaldo Highway. As expected, we missed this road from GMA, drove straight all the way and met Aguinaldo somewhere in Dasmarinas (hehehehe) adding about 7 kilometers to our trip. From this junction we drove south all the way to Silang. The next major junction (right) was close to the small entryway to Barangay Luksuhin and we overshot again by 100m. So much error!

We made a U-turn back to that spot and drove about 10km deep into the area through small towns. There were plenty of narrow roads this time and some of them were quite scary. We went through uninhabited areas, there were 1km stretches of no people, no signs, and no settlements, nothing to guide us at all. We also went through cliff edges, some parts were like Baguio without the fog. There were also bridges made of thin and rusty steel frames (2 tons limit according to the warning but one tricye driver told us it can support trucks) and they only placed 4 long planks of wood on top (nothing holds them in place!) so that the wheels can just roll over them.

We arrived at the church in Indang (St. Gregory the Great) and from there we asked directions to Tambo Kulit from a tricycle driver. After the church, turn right, then left all the way to the end, then turn right, then left to Alfonso, then left, left, right, left and so on (we used the force in this area), that's another 8 or so junctions. By now you should have noticed that this is not a travel guide, but simply an account of my travel.

We asked the locals for the most popular resort and they pointed to Rio Villa Nuevo. We went in and paid 100 bucks entrance. Inside, they have about 7 pools with different depths (I think their deepest was 5.5ft) all filled with constantly overflowing mountain fresh water. There were covered huts, an annoying karaoke machine, a sari-sari store, caged monkeys (?), etc... anyway I was really just there for a swim. The tiles on the pool floors was also a good idea. I am not very comfortable with stepping on natural water trails which woulde be mostly stones, soil and all sorts of natural sharp objects... and in this place I didn't need to wear sandals to protect my feet.

After an hour or so of swimming, we had to leave because it was already getting dark. We tried to go back through the same route and had only little trouble on our way to the church in Indang. We reached another intersection where we couldn't tell which was the right way back. I think we were still on the right track (we saw the scary bridges again about half a kilometer away) but someone on the road told us that the way to Manila was on another road (going through Trece Martires). We took his advice and this route was less scary, but it was longer and there were plenty of areas with heavy traffic. I asked earlier for a brochure from Rio which had a road map so we had more or less an idea of where we were. No more interesting stuff in this dark long stretch... Reached Manila after over 2 hours on the road through the Saturday evening traffic.

I think it's time to go a notch up. My next target: Mt. Romelo (Siniloan, Laguna). Online articles say that after the long drive, and a 3km muddy trek (some knee high areas) rising 250 meters to the campsite, there's a rewarding handful of beautiful waterfalls waiting. Hmm...

Wawa Dam, Montalban, Rizal (Preview)

2007-03-17T00:46:00.000+08:00

Looks like a great place huh? I'll get my butt here in the coming days... There's also a spot at the top of the dam where you could jump from about 5 meters up.

Note: Thanks to Mike Lee for allowing me to use this image from his old Xanga Site. His new site is here. He also has lots of interesting things to share about his travels in his blogs.

I Have Two Eggs in Tomas Morato Ext.

2007-03-15T14:17:00.000+08:00

I had lunch with Nikki today at a place named "I Have Two Eggs". Very funny name for a tapsilog restaurant, but the food really carries it -- every dish is cooked with two eggs! We tried Tuna Tomato Omelette, Popeye's Delight (spinach) Omelette, and their T-Bone steak. Dishes were mostly mix and fry, presentation is better than fastfood and close enough to what I would consider casual dining. I'm not sure how far these eggs will go but maybe after coming back several times, people will start to think that the dishes are all too simple and can be done at home with significantly lower costs. I didn't pay that much attention to the food (it's not bad at all, actually I finished everything), the ambiance was also unimposing (glass, white walls, and huge framed photos of their dishes), but somehow I was able to focus my attention on Nikki, after all I was there to sit, talk and spend lunchtime with her (Yey!). Overall it was great :)

I wonder if critics ever talk about non-restaurant items like people they ate with, because in this case the place and food crept into the background, and my curiosity floated over to what was more important. I could have done this intentionally but here it was almost automatic -- it sounds weird but I think it's a special characteristic.

Moving on to other stuff -- How do you balance your restaurant experience based on food/resto quality and friend quality? Here it is finally... Chard's nasty guide hehehe. We assume food/resto price to be fairly proportional to quality in this model. The big black dotted line is an assumed personal expectation. Use at your own risk and dont take it seriously! Red dot is where I and Nikki stood today (almost got late because of talking hehe)

Aussie Talk

2007-03-14T22:46:00.000+08:00

A short course on Aussie slang... my curiosity started when I read some article on CNN on the subject. I tried to catch some funny words from their 'dictionary' ...

amber fluid: beer
away with the pixies: in another world, daydreaming
barbie: barbecue
bastard: a term of endearment
bluey: red-haired person
full on: intense
garbo: person who collects the garbage
mozzies: mosquitoes
ning-nong: idiot
no flies on: smart or intelligent
ooroo: goodbye
sheila: woman
willy-willies: little sand tornadoes
zonked: tired

At first I thought I had no flies on... but after reading through the bastard dictionary my brain cells went like willy-willies, it zonked me out full on... now I feel like a ning-nong.

Ooroo!!!

How to make WinXP look like Vista

2007-03-14T17:05:00.000+08:00

Here's a short list of tasks to make your Windows XP look like Windows Vista. This information is for educational purposes only, I won't be responsible for any copyright or intellectual property issues you get into, so do this at your own risk.

1) Patch your uxtheme.dll file (this is the one that prevents Windows from using customized non MS-certified visual styles). You can use google to search for a downloadable copy of the software that modifies it -- UXTheme Multi-Patcher. Get installation instructions online (try Softpedia).

2) Download a Windows Vista wallpaper and set it as your desktop wallpaper. You can find some of them in Google Images.

3) Download the Aero Cursor Pack and apply it as your mouse pointer scheme.

4) Download and install VistaXP (Longhorn 4074) Visual Style from StudioTwentyEight

5) Download and install Windows Vista Icon Pack (try Softpedia). You'll have to assign the icons one by one if you don't have Axialis, but as an alternative, you can also try IconTweaker.

6) If you want the Aero glass effects (transparent window borders), you'll have to spend a bit to get Stardock Windowblinds

Woorijib in Kalayaan Ave. (QC)

2007-03-14T15:37:00.000+08:00

I had lunch with Alex and Anna in this Korean resto. The place was much like the ones I visited in Korea where the house and restaurant seem interchangeable in and between meals. My initial guess was that they wanted to be economical about the home heating systems, but here in Manila maybe it's just to maximize the use of this space (so maybe it was just an impression that they also use it as thier home because I saw kids and restaurant manager walking around like they were really at home). The restaurant was part of a low-rise building which I think was occupied mostly by Koreans because they would come down the stairs and into the restaurant every once in a while. On TV was KBS 2 (one of their major local networks), adding to the at-home feeling.

We ordered quite a lot for 3 people:

Samgyeopsal - unseasoned pork bacon cut from the belly (liempo) cooked over a metal plate heated by charcoal/gas. It is usually served with garlic (or potatoes/onions), and the pork cooks in its own oil. Vegetables are also served (serves like a wrap as in a burrito).

Haemul Pajeon (not sure if i got this right) -- seafood pancake made mostly of eggs/flour, green onions, and lots of moist stuff inside that I don't know.

Sogogi Jeongol (not sure if i got this too) -- beef and vegetable stew

Side dishes -- kimchi, eggplant, bean sprouts

Gochujang -- better than ketchup or soy sauce... it looks like super thick spaghetti sauce and tastes a bit spicy (salty and sweet too)

The taste is authentic, even the food presentation is. I will come back to this restaurant on my next payroll run :) Kamsa hamnida! (Thank you)

300 Spartans Illustrated by Frank Miller

2007-03-14T08:03:00.000+08:00

Based on the epic graphic novel by Frank Miller, 300 is a ferocious retelling of the ancient Battle of Thermopylae in which King Leonidas (Gerard Butler) and 300 Spartans fought to the death against Xerxes and his massive Persian army. Facing insurmountable odds, their valor and sacrifice inspire all of Greece to unite.

This is the most badass kickass movie of the year. The story is very simple, but the presentation is superb -- 300 He-Man action figures, high octane music, power moves, big armies with big bosses, spartan ladies, and a little comedy... combined together they deliver record levels of testosterone for a 2-hour movie. The movie is just so good that I have heard a good number of my friends watching it twice (includes myself).

King Leonidas also delivers some power quotes:
1) (to the Persian messenger) Madness... ? This... is Sparta!!!
2) (to Spartan soldiers) Ready your breakfast and eat hearty, for tonight we dine in hell!
3) (to Arcadian King) You see, old friend? I brought more soldiers than you did.
4) (to Spartan soldiers) No retreat, no surrender, that is Spartan law. And by Spartan law we will stand and fight and die
5) (to Spartan soldiers) Prepare for glory!
6) (to Queen Gorgo) It will take more than a drunken adolescent girl's words to rob me of my desire for you.

And a power scene... (Spartans meet Arcadian soldiers)

The 300 Spartans come across an army of Arcadians on their way to the hot gates.

“Noisy Arcadians greet us with noisy complaints,” thought King Leonidas.

Arcadian troops muttered things like “can’t be more than a few hundred of them” and “we were told Sparta was on the warpath. Is this some sort of a joke?”.

The Arcadian King said to King Leonidas, “We expected Sparta’s commitment to at least match our own!”.

“Doesn’t It?”, King Leonidas responded and points to an Arcadian, asking, “You there, What is your profession?”, to which the Arcadian responds “I am a potter, sir.”. Pointing to another he asks the same question again, and gets the response “I am a sculptor, sir”. And as he points to more, he gets responses of “A Blacksmith” and “A Baker” and so on.

Finally he turns to his troops and says “Spartans, what is your profession?”

All the troops hold up their spears proudly in the air and yell something that sounds like "AOOO!! AOOO!"

He turns back to the Arcadian general and says “You see, old friend? I brought more soldiers than you did.”

Comic to movie comparison
And finally... see how well they did in bringing the comic to the screen... impressive!

Messenger Arrives in Sparta

To the cliffs!

Xerxes

Chinese New Year at Jumbo (Kingdom) Floating Restaurant

2007-03-14T07:09:00.000+08:00

I had the chance to try Stanley Ho's floating restaurant in Manila Bay. Nothing really exceptional with the food but the price (between 500 to 4000 per head). Even the 'floating' part didn't change much of the experience because it was connected to land by bridge... in Aberdeen Harbor, Hong Kong you had to ride a boat to go to this restaurant so you really get to feel the waves even just for a short time. This one felt more like a building with water around it than a building floating freely on water.

This floating restaurant was brought here in 2000, all the way from HK using tugboats. The interiors carry a Chinese imperial theme while outside it's a light show with thousands of bulbs and huge neon signs. There's a good level of attention placed on details, making it a nice place to take photos...

Young and Old

Bunch of Youngsters

Escorting UP Portia Sorority's Lady President

2007-03-13T21:34:00.000+08:00

It has been a long time since I accompanied someone in a formal event like the annual UP Portia Sorority Ball. I went there with their outgoing Lady President Anna (who's also my college barkada/classmate) and the ball was held in C3 Events and Resto (Missouri Street, Greenhills). The place was nice, plenty of white walls, glass and wood accents, a minimalist setup to help direct attention to the hosts, people and (of course) food of the event.

I was supposed to look funny because that morning I saw my coat sewn with new screaming gold buttons (I am not a hotel attendant!). I had them changed to plain black. I also came to Anna's house about an hour early, thinking that I will spend time in traffic and getting lost... hehehe she wasn't even home yet by the time I arrived.

At C3 I was focused on the food but couldn't remember what I ate (it was all good except for the soup which tasted like seaweed). After that, we listened to talks from one of their former Lady Presidents (LP), and then Anna's endless thank-you's as outgoing LP, and some words from the incoming LP. There were also oathtakings and recitation of their sorority code. I wanted to get a second serving of dinner through these but it seems nobody else was doing it. FINE!

There was a portion where the whole sorority sang Anna's favorite song Seasons of Love as a parting gift. A video was shown on screen with some funny and embarrassing pictures and short video clips of her. It was a great video, but the whole performance had to repeat twice because the computer kept hanging at a particular point (Anna was sleeping in the picture and they cracked a joke that the fetal position was her favorite sleeping position)... so they just sang a capella and then replayed the video separately at the end so that they get to see the rest of the funny stuff. Future Portia LP's should be very cautious about cameras, take my advice!

Oh and by the way, their Bb. Pilipinas Universe member was also there (Licaros). Brains, beauty and a towering reputation -- she was all in one, Portian to the next level. I had a photo with her (still looking for the camera owner).

We spent the last hour of the day to meet our college friends at a nearby UCC coffee shop. We looked normal by that time already.

DETOX BREAK!

2007-03-13T09:33:00.000+08:00

My long vacation leave starts officially on March 7th and ends on the 30th.

The best part of it: I got no solid plans!!! This long break is for me to get physical and mental rest.

I was diagnosed with "Chronic Fatigue Syndrome" a few months back and I am not sure if this is just the doctor exaggerating my condition, but I'm positive that this will be the best period to flush out all the bad stuff that accumulated from prolonged periods of stress in the past year. Every doctor told me the same thing and I got the message -- get rest!

This will also be a good chance for me to explore new hobbies. I'm sure there are better things to do than spend my weekends and weeknights on food and movies. I am looking right now into topics under photography, music, travel, sports -- I hope to become famous someday :)

Vacation means I'll also have more time to do my blogging. I get glued to the monitor and get some eyestrain when I write, but it's really fun being able to document my experiences and share them here in my personal blog. When I finish my 500th entry I will be printing this Blog into a Blook (a real book containing my blogs!).

Back to rest :)

Secret Waters in San Pablo, Laguna

2007-03-13T00:59:00.000+08:00

I spent the last weekend of February '07 in a private resort near San Pablo (Barangay Pulot) to celebrate Auntie Tessie's birthday with the whole family. It was a 2 hour ride (I am not a fast driver by the way) and we reached the place slightly past noontime so we got really hungry from the road trip. By the time we got there, a great selection was already waiting for us -- Crispy Pata, Sinigang na Baboy, Max's Chicken, etc.

After that great meal I slept for about an hour, and then instead of going into the resort pool, we went out and drove for about a kilometer deep into the place to try out their not-so-hidden springs. The water can already be seen by the roadside, and we could see a crowd of about 50 people there. We walked upstream through the crowded areas until we found a more private spot (maybe it was too much trouble just to get there for a simple bath). The cold crystal-clear water was absolutely refreshing!

On the way back, we tried a second spot. It was private property, but thanks to the kind caretakers, our trespassing was not logged. There was a manmade structure on the stream which works like a mini-waterfall with an on/off switch. They just plug the drainpipes and we get our waterfalls... amazing! If you want to have an idea of the water flow feels like there, imagine the weight of 2.5 gallons (about half the standard tank size for water dispensers) of water per second falling directly on your head.

When we got back to the resort, we tried the pool for a bit, and then started to prepare for our long drive home. We took off around 6pm, stopped over at Rose, Sister of Grace for dinner (imitation of the one in Sta. Rosa?), and reached home around 10pm. Zzz....

Strange Pen Incident

2007-02-25T03:30:00.000+08:00

Last Christmas I received a gift -- a silver pen that had a laser pointer and flashlight.
I brought this during my trip to Korea. On my way back (transit from Hong Kong to Manila) I can clearly remember it, I had with me only one handcarry baggage and placed my jacket inside it before the flight. I placed this bag in the overhead storage.

During the flight, I was holding only 3 things: my mobile phone, passport and this pen. I was sure the pen was there because I used it to fill up my disembarkation card. After writing, I clipped the pen on the seat pocket in front of me. I fell asleep for a bit after that, and during the plane's descent I found out that the pen wasn't on the seat pocket anymore. It wasn't on my seat, and definitely not clipped on my pants or shirt. I gave up looking for it after almost 10 minutes of awkwardly looking under nearby seats and aisles. When the plane landed I hesitated at first but brought it to the attention of the crew so that they would do a quick sweep of the area to see if anything was found. I looked around again after the plane was emptied, but found nothing. Since the plane had to leave soon, the crew asked me to fill up a form so that if they find it, then can call back and send it to me. When I reached home I checked all my stuff one last time and after that I was sure I didn't accidentally placed it in my bag.

I thought that day was the end of my pen... two days later, I told my mom that I lost it. Suddenly she mentioned that she saw it somewhere and let my brother borrow it for school that day. I saw the pen that same evening, and nobody received any deliveries for this pen. I couldn't explain how it got back -- this was really weird.

A couple of days later I went to Toyota to have my car fixed. While waiting, I went to the showroom to check out the latest variants. I don't know what exactly happened or why, but after checking one of the Vios units, something told me that I might have dropped a pen in the Vios. I went back to that car in the showroom and opened the door... and right below the driver's seat (somewhere under the spot where you have the lever to recline the seat) I found the pen. So much luck for almost losing the pen twice!

... Later, when I reached home, I found out that I already had 2 of these pens! The one I found in Toyota was actually another pen (it actually looked slightly different because a sticker on the side was peeled off).

I wish this can also happen to my wallet (when full) or cellphone.

Northern Luzon Tour

2007-02-05T15:17:00.000+08:00

I am thinking of a good 1-week itinerary for the whole stretch from Manila to Pagudpud.

Here's the route based on waypoints.ph data.

Waypoint Location [Province] waypointname waypointdistance cumulativedistance

Balintawak Cloverleaf [Metro Manila] clover - 0 0
Mabalacat Exit [Pampanga] clover-nexmab 79.3 79
Mabalacat [Pampanga] nexmab-mblct 1.5 80
Bamban Bridge [Pampanga] mblct-bmbnbr 4.3 85
Capas [Tarlac] bmbnbr-capas 9.4 94
Luisita [Tarlac] capas-lusita 11.3 105
Tarlac junction to Camiling [Tarlac] lusita-jtrc01 5.4 111
Gerona Bypass Road [Tarlac] jtrc01-geronb 14.6 125
Paniqui junction [Tarlac] geronb-jpniqi 8.2 133
Moncada [Tarlac] jpniqi-moncd 7.7 141
Carmen [Pangasinan] moncd-carmen 17.6 159
Villasis [Pangasinan] carmen-vilsis 2.0 161
Urdaneta Crossing [Pangasinan] vilsis-jpng01 8.5 169
Binalonan junction [Pangasinan] jpng01-jpng02 8.1 177
Pozorubio junction [Pangasinan] jpng02-jpng03 10.1 187
Sison Junction [Pangasinan] jpng03-jpng04 7.8 195
Junction to Kenon Road [La Union] jpng04-jkenon 5.8 201
Rosario bypass to Pugo [La Union] jkenon-jlun02 0.7 202
Rosario [La Union] jlun02-rsarlu 1.3 203
Damortis Junction [La Union] rsarlu-dmorts 9.7 213
Agoo Church [La Union] dmorts-agooc 10.4 223
Bauang-Naguilian Junction [La Union] agooc-jlun05 23.5 247
Poro Point Landmark [La Union] jlun05-poropm 7.8 254
San Fernando [La Union] poropm-snfdol 2.2 257
Candon Church [Ilocos Sur] snfdol-candnc 78.2 335
Sta Maria Beach [Ilocos Sur] candnc-stamrb 19.9 355
Narvacan Coral View [Ilocos Sur] stamrb-nrvcnc 15.9 371
Vigan Arc [Ilocos Sur] nrvcnc-vigana 24.2 395
Magsingal Belfry [Ilocos Sur] vigana-mblfry 13.1 408
Cabugao Church [Ilocos Sur] mblfry-cabugc 13.8 422
Batac Church [Ilocos Norte] cabugc-batacc 37.5 459
Paoay Church [Ilocos Norte] batacc-paoayc 4.8 464
Laoag Church [Ilocos Norte] paoayc-laoagc 19.5 483
Bangui [Ilocos Norte] laoagc-bangui 65.4 549
Pagudpud HiWay Junction [Ilocos Norte] bangui-jiln01 6.7 556
Pagudpud [Ilocos Norte] jiln01-pagdpd 5.4 561

Dreaming 20 Years Back

2007-02-05T08:27:00.000+08:00

I had a dream the other night which brought me many years back to the past.

... It started with an attempt to jump off some alien vehicle.

The squid-looking aliens were interested in a time machine developed by some scientist whose name or face I could not remember and I was taken along with him. The alien ship flew fast and high. It looked like a huge golden shoebox with an open top so it was really easy to escape, but at such high altitudes, it seemed falling off this shoebox meant certain death. We had to try anyway because there wasn't really anything more to lose. I took a deep breath, closed my eyes, and jumped off...

Everything was dark until I hit the ground, and as expected (hehe) I was alive. When I opened my eyes I immediately knew where I was. It was around 6pm, quiet and dim. I was outside my home, and it looked the way it was about 20 years ago. The ambiance was ghostly and nostalgic. As I got up and looked around, there felt like a powerful spirit embracing my presence, welcoming me back home. As I was about to touch the door, it opened. My mom opened the door and there was a young girl who walked out from it. She was around 16 and had short 70's looking hair. From the scenario I was guessing that I must have fallen into an alternate past and I was looking at what could have been my older sister. She did not talk to me, but mom called me and asked me to come in (I think she was the one who told me that the person who walked out was my sister).

(the scene went blank for a couple of seconds and then I was somewhere outside the house again, near our parking space)

Suddenly, from darkness, it turned to daytime. I saw two cars, both of which my father owned previously, a '74 Colt Galant and an '87 Lancer. I have never seen these things looking brand new in my lifetime, and I think it was only in this dream that they appeared this way.

I looked back at the house and could very well tell how much it has changed. The house radiates of youth and freshness, while the neighborhood was seemingly bustling... I can see and hear illusions of children playing and adults having a fine afternoon chat on the driveway. At the present times it doesn't happen as often anymore. Kids stay at home, while adults are busy working all day. We also used to go in and out of the neighboring houses freely, but now they are locked to keep away the thieves.

In that dream I also saw a friend who recently lost his mom and two brothers. I think he was also sent there to get another chance with his loved ones. We were once best friends in elementary, and I understood just how much he cared for these people. I even remember one time he was doing this strange countdown and cried when it reached 0:00:00, and I realized later that a close relative had just left the country.

So back at the dream scene... he set aside a couple of minutes before going to meet his family, we played and ran around the cars as kids and laughed -- it seemed like nonsense but the childhood laughter I experienced was so real, it was an easy and focused burst of joy. Unfortunately, as an adult, I think it's not exactly the same experience because you'll need to manage the feelings. People will think you're crazy if you laugh too much over nothing, or you can end up suicidal if you don't hold yourself up against your negative feelings.

I did something nasty in my dream. I told people about their futures. I think I dropped the biggest spoilers of their lives there...

... I woke up to the sound of the alarm.

[Korea] Annyeonghaseyo, Hanguk!

2007-02-05T01:00:00.000+08:00

Preflight

Getting my first Korean Visa took a little over a week. I had to get my invitation letter, certificate of employment, guarantee letter, bank statement, social security system data, passport photos and a few more small things just to complete the requirements for application. I didn't get any bookings until I actually got the visa on a Friday afternoon (I wanted to fly on a Sunday morning), but by that time, the travel agency told me that all weekend flights were already full. I waited up a bit and our agent called back and she found one available CX seat which was flying out in about 12 hours (6:30am to be exact). I had no other choice if I am not to miss my Monday meeting so I took it. That means I'll have the chance to move around on Sunday, but I also had to hurry and pack my stuff.

In-Transit

(Saturday morning, MNL to HKG)
I slept all the way until I reached HK, and exchanged my pesos to USD (I think I shouldn't have done this) thinking that the airport in Incheon would not accept pesos or Traveller's Cheques like in Guangzhou. I took a quick visit to the electronics shop there, not much has changed except for the centerpiece which was now the dSLR cameras on display. I saw a price tag beside the Nikon D40 -- about 1700 HK$ and I thought I hit the jackpot... but alas, it was for the lens only!

(Saturday afternoon, HKG to ICN)
I took out the winter jacket from my bag before boarding the plane. I had to be ready because as a first timer in a country with negative temperatures, I didn't know when the cold temperature would start to kick in -- maybe while landing, or walking through the duct to the gate, or maybe inside the airport. I was seated beside a 64 year old American who just worked on Sudoku puzzles during the flight... we talked a bit about snow and our work, and that was it.

In Korea

(Saturday afternoon, Incheon to Seoul)
I got instructions from officemates on how to reach Renaissance hotel and they gave me a cheap alternative. I heard that the hotel car transfer would cost about 200$ (that's about half the cost of flying to China). The KAL Limousine (airport bus) that goes to the same location is way cheaper (about 13$) and the ride was ok. The waiting area is just outside the airport entrance, and it was really cold (3 degrees celsius according to the flight captain).

Rennaissance Seoul Hotel

At the hotel entrance I was greeted by a lady in traditional Korean dress (chima jeogori). The attire is worn as two silk pieces -- a skirt (chima) and shirt (jeogori). Unlike Kimono's which are belted at the waist, they are tied somewhere at the chest with a long wide ribbon. You won't see people wearing this in the streets anymore. These days, they are worn usually only for their ceremonial purpose. If you want to know why, think of a situation like wearing our local Barong for a gimmick in Greenbelt. You'll need a casket or sword to make your get-up more convincing.

(Sunday afternoon)
Gyeongbokgung (Geongbok Palace)

If you've watched Jumong, Jewel In The Palace or Princess Hours, chances are, some of the scenes were shot in Geongbok Palace.

We went to Gyeongbokgung by train. It took about 20 minutes to get there and the ride wasn't bad at all. In this train there were people selling gloves and some beggars moving around. The seats were heated from below and I think it also helped keep the train car warm for all passengers.

From the station, the first thing you'll notice in the pathway is this structure. The sign says "This gate was made of monolith in imitation of Pullomun in Ch'angdŏkkung. It has a legend that once one passes through the gate, he would not be old forever." That means, on my next birthday, my age will stay the same.

Just a couple more minutes of walking and we finally reach the palace walls. From here you can see that the structure is really huge, even the camera angle isn't enough to capture the whole thing. I don't know why they used pink for the walls (does the emperor also have a pink wardrobe?) On another corner of this structure there is a small tent where you can try wearing the palace guard uniforms and take a couple of pictures. We went there during their lunchtime and closing time so we didn't get that chance.

The artwork on the palace is impressive, each pattern is made with very small details and lined up in a very precise manner. The image here shows a view under the roof.

In another area, we saw some objects of folk beliefs... stone and wood piles. People prayed to these for prosperity and abundance of crops. These were erected on roadsides or the village entrance to protect villagers and ward off evil spirits and disease. I think they are cool and very friendly to people.

Hyangwonjeong Pavillion -- some structure connected to a palace by a wooden bridge. The view from the other side is great, and if you notice, the water is very calm, making it appear like one huge mirror. The water here is slightly frozen at the surface, and some birds can actually walk on the very thin sheet of ice.

I found this kid in the palace grounds, runing around stone figures of the Chinese Zodiac. This little thing makes strange noises, and can communicate with just about anything from stones to air. He is not of any historical value yet, but with enough exposure and influence from me, maybe he will be immortalized someday in the form of a stone figure too. Sometime after I took this photo, the mom approached me and babbled some Korean words. I smiled but didn't understand what she said, so I stepped away from the kid and murmured a bit of Filipino to get even.

(Tuesday Morning) Snow!!!

I was asleep during the only snowfall of my short stay in Seoul. By the time I woke up it was all ice on the floor.

My Arabian Family

2007-01-25T23:54:00.000+08:00

Meet my Arabian family.

Playstation 3

2007-01-25T23:19:00.000+08:00

I had the chance to get close to a PS3 unit (somewhere in Megamall's Cyberzone). The console looks ok, but the black glossy finish makes dust and oil very visible on the surface so you have to keep it really clean. It has wireless control pads which can be recharged via cables to the console and the buttons are pretty much the same except for L2/R2 which are slightly slanted now. The graphics are really crisp, but I think some game makers have not done a good job of utilizing the powerful PS3's processor. The 3D objects are more defined because of the higher resolution, but the textures in the racing game I played are still awfully unrealistic that you can achieve the same level of entertainment when played in the good old PS2. I'll have to wait until either this, Nintendo's Wii, or Xbox 360 reaches mainstream.

I want a dSLR Camera...

2007-01-25T22:40:00.000+08:00

I was tempted to buy a Canon EOS 400D last Saturday when I saw the billboard at Megamall. I'm glad I didn't bring enough money or a credit card to buy it.

I might not be an aspiring photographer, but the first time I visited Flickr I couldn't stop looking at all those nice photos and wondering how exactly they were done. I want to keep a record of the nice things I see or experience, and I want these images to be very well composed so I can look back or show these while I tell stories behind them. My dad has a point-and-shoot camera so I tried to experiment with the manual settings but it was not flexible enough to give me the images I wanted.

49,000 pesos for this camera? This has got to be a serious hobby... for now I'll have to stick with my 0.3 megapixel Nokia 6600.

Suzhou Dimsum, Lucky Food!

2007-01-09T19:42:00.000+08:00

Mom was out during lunchtime so I had to find my own food. I did a short drive to Suzhou Dimsum Restaurant to get my usual order. I ordered their Eggplant with Pork, which is by the way the only eggplant dish that I crave for because of the meaty spicy flavor from the sauce that seeps into the vegetable. I also had my usual 4-piece juicy Xiaolongpao (think of pork dumplings with soup inside), and until today I find its taste unbeaten by any "meat-wrapped-in-starch" food.

For those who want to try it out, they have a nice selection of stir-fry noodles, and some more traditional Chinese meat/fish dishes above the value meal price range. They also have this thing called Shallot Pie which other people have been saying is ok - the taste is interesting, but it felt like eating one whole pizza crust. You can find Suzhou Dimsum in Promenade Greenhills, just at the ground floor beside Gonuts Donuts.

Anyway, after my meal, mom called. She reminded me that the car I used to get to the restaurant was on coding! I was lucky though that I reached home without getting caught.

How to Wake Up Early

2007-01-03T20:46:00.000+08:00

I'm a busy person who loses morning time because I don't wake up early. There are a lot of things I'm missing by not starting my day at 5 or 6am -- no traffic, sunrise, lower temperatures, day planning, breakfast, newspapers, and even blogging. I want to become a morning person so I looked up some ideas to change my life's time zone. It takes habit to build a natural rhythm so I need to pick the right pattern for sleep:

1) Sleep early, wake up early -- I can choose to sleep by 10pm everyday to give me 8 hours of sleep and get up at 6am. This does the job but I'm not an NS-5, and a lot of little events can break this pattern.

2) Follow natural sleep pattern -- If I choose to sleep only when I'm tired and feeling sleepy, I'll probably continue to sleep late and wake up late. I have plenty of reserve energy towards the end of the day because I eat heavy meals, so I don't think this works too.

3) Natural pattern + alarm clock in the morning -- ok, but I'm not sure if I'll wake up at the sound of the alarm. I tend to snooze a couple of times until I get annoyed. Sometimes my tolerance goes too far and I spend over an hour snoozing. It also means that I'll have to start sleep at reasonable times, but getting up on time isn't assured.

4) Natural pattern + alarm clock away from bed -- ok, I'll be forced to get up, but what if someone else turns it off?!?!

5) Natural pattern + alarm clock away from bed + message -- Let's say I put a message near the clock to wake me up in case my brother turns off the alarm. If the other person is sleepy, he might ignore the message and get back to sleep. On the other hand I can just tell the folks at home to wake me up when they hear it, the rest is a matter of trust.

6) 6am splash of water alarm -- definitely not good and can cause bacteria growth on the bed. Can also ruin my PC because it's just beside the bed.

7) Imagine/visualize waking up at 6 before sleep -- I heard this technique works for some people. They tell themselves to wake up at a certain time before they sleep and it just happens.

8) Find a 5am TV show or watch DVDs at this time + alarm -- if you set up a reward for getting up early like this, maybe it will work. I still have a couple of series stored at home so maybe this is enough motivation. This way it would cost me up to 60 pesos a day to wake up.

9) Schedule exercise in the morning -- I don't do this. I'm not Manny Pacquiao, and I'm not an old man looking for tai-chi.

After going through the list, what I'm looking for is: a way to sleep anytime I want, get up at the same early time everyday, and have a good reason to get up. It's going to be a combination of #5 and #8 with a little tweak. I'll set up the alarm at 5am, put the clock at least a meter away from my bed, I'll 'align' with the folks at home to wake me up (mom/dad wake up at this time anyway), and I'll plan ahead at night to do something nice at 5am.

I'll write more about it when I become a successful morning person.

Fresh Blog Design

2007-01-01T17:52:00.000+08:00

Welcome 2007! After hours of hard work and studying a little of CSS, I finally got to build my own template under the new Blogger scheme. I'm still looking for tweaks to make this page more useful for me (access to Blogger was extremely slow the past few days because of the Taiwan earthquake). After some time I'm expecting my calendar and to-do lists to flow here. I already spent too much time on this, and just wanted to note when I last changed my Blog template.

Karting Fun at SpeedZone

2006-12-27T01:50:00.000+08:00

I went out with my HS friends to have some karting fun at SpeedZone. It was only my second time to try it out and I didn't know the basics of racing so on the track my driving looked funny. It was much faster than the first one I tried in Subic and I was nervous for the first few laps while trying to check the kart's limits, but later on I was able to pick up and improve in the succeeding laps. The steering was heavy (my arms are hurting as I type this blog), it took plenty of effort, but when the kart turned it was very rewarding, especially on very sharp turns! Laps went smoothly, I got a chance to overtake some of them, with just a few bumps with other players. Price: 600 pesos for 12 minutes. It was fun, but I don't think I can take this like a weekly hobby.

The Dark Side

2006-12-25T05:38:00.000+08:00

When I was still in elementary someone told me that during an airplane flight he saw a part of the earth where day and night were both visible. I didn't have the chance to validate this until I got work that required me to board long-haul destinations like LA. On my return flight to Manila, I tried to stay awake the whole time waiting to see this natural wonder. I got impatient so I asked the lady seated beside me if it was true... and, well... hehehe I wasted my neurons.

Best Relaxation Spot on Earth

2006-12-25T04:49:00.000+08:00

About 4 hours by plane from Singapore is one of the best kept secrets of the Indian Ocean -- the Maldives. This is the flattest country in the world with a peak of only about 8 feet above sea level, making its waterfront a blanket of rich shades of blue, turquoise, and green, and with clear waters it provides excellent visibility (as far as 50 meters underwater).

If you are reading this and you are very rich, please buy me tickets to this destination (MNL-SIN-MLE) and include prepayment to the resort. I want to spend my vacation here...

Blog Tracking (RSS, How to...)

2006-12-10T16:25:00.000+08:00

Here's a nice tool that helps you keep track of all Blogs you watch regularly. It downloads all blog subscription updates and puts them in one neat screen. If you've seen RSS or the icon shown in this post on other websites, you can use these links to subscribe and receive updates without having to browse your favorites one by one.

I'm recommending a tool named SharpReader. You can download it for free at http://www.sharpreader.net/index.html

when you have successfully installed this, you may add my blog to your subscriptions by using any of these two feed addresses:

For RSS feed (preferred) -- http://feeds.feedburner.com/Chard

For Atom feed (alternate option) -- http://super-shenanigan.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

Phoneless

2006-12-10T15:12:00.000+08:00

I left my phone in Peter's car last Friday. I'm disconnected from the rest of the world for almost 2 days now, and I already forgot almost all of my friends' landline numbers (thanks to phone memory, I have no backup in my head).

For those who plan to buy O2 XDA's -- I'm not sure if they already removed this free inbox auto-clean-up feature (hehe) in the newer models, but the one I'm using loses all the messages stored when the backup batteries run out of power.

Today also marks the first day I worked online wirelessly at home.... sheesh... now I need a longer power cable.

Stanford Surprise

2006-12-08T03:33:00.000+08:00

Mitch arrived yesterday from US. I didn't know he was coming, but it was fortunate that he tried to call on a day when I took a leave. He spoke English when he called so my tone at first was very unwelcoming (I thought it was an urgent call from office that it had to be through our landline number at home). It was a major catch-up session so we talked over coffee (to also hold the jet lag impact a bit until late evening).

Much has changed.

RSS Feed Test

2006-11-30T21:40:00.000+08:00

This is an RSS Feed Test. To see if Friendster profile gets updated with Blog data...

Bruce

2006-11-25T21:58:00.000+08:00

This is Bruce (Vinzons of Pearl in his certificate)... he was around 2 months old when I bought him for my mom. His job is 1) to entertain my mother, and 2) to help mom stay physically active even while at home.

Bruce is a brave assassin, but his efforts only go as far as Scrappy Doo, barking at the largest trucks, and always ready to pack a power punch. We may be the same man in many ways, but sad thing is, we don't look good when together. Six-foot guy walking this footlong ain't that manly so I rarely take him out.

Soon he will meet with Tina's chocolate toy poodle (Ginger?) and Alvin's white (April). In the meantime, it's etiquette bootcamp for our little Rambo.

Masterpiece

2006-11-25T21:11:00.000+08:00

In one of my YM chats, I tried to create an artwork using the Doodle IMVironment. It had 16 crayons, 3 levels of thickness per color, and no soft edges. I just used a PC mouse to draw this thing and with some perseverance, I covered the whole canvas with my so-called work of art.

Today I look back at a fruit of my genius...

...the elements I put together didn't make sense at all. Boy, tree, rock, dark sky, bright sand (How do you survive there?). What the hell was I thinking?

Star TV's funniest

2006-11-25T19:54:00.000+08:00

If you enjoy watching Hong Kong action comedies on Star Chinese Movies channel, these faces should be familiar to you. (Richard Ng Yiu-Hon, Eric Tsang Chi-Wai, Charlie Chin Chiang-Lin, Sammo Hung Kam-Bo and Stanley Fung Shui-Fan). I want to thank them for entertaining me on those weekends when I'm stuck at home, and for helping me learn a bit more of Mandarin.

Their movies were dubbed from Cantonese (?) to Mandarin, and then subtitled in English. Chinese subtitles are acceptable for differences in diction and accents, but this one is blown way out of order --> Subtitled Arab

Welcome!

2006-11-25T03:59:00.000+08:00

I did some blogging about 2 years ago, but left it hanging back there in Blurty, and now I decided to move to a new home -- Blogger.com! It's neatly tied with Picasa software from Google, so I can upload and post new items as soon as I pick the right picture.

I've had lots of great experiences which I wish I had shared in writing, but I was too busy back then. Now I'm trying to reclaim the time I lost to start documenting again about whats new and ongoing with Chard's busy life. For the items past, maybe I'll touch them as I recall related events.