flickring hope

yesterday was the much awaited flickr philippines one day photoshoot at the QC Memorial Circle. it was a contest but more on the fun side and at the same time an EB and the opportunity to meet the faces behind the flickr forum was as exciting as crossing the Elliptical road.

at first, being a point and shoot user, i was intimidated with all the awesome dslr's around me, can my four year old digicam compete with them? but a couple of minutes after the orientation and with the assurance that the playing field is leveled, i have forgotten about the competition, this shoot is for fun nga pala, and with all the laughters, who'll think it's a contest?

it was a four-hour shoot with the title of this post as its theme. quite a theme, right? you can see the theme in two ways, either as positive or negative, like a half-empty, half-full scenario, like meron pang konting pag-asa o pawala na'ng pag-asa. i am overly excited that i can't think of any concept, quite ironic that the area is so big and so full of happenings and then here i am pounding what's left of my brain to have that creative juice flowing. it took me two hours plus some shots that are not really related to the theme and walking the entire circle (twice or thrice ha) before i can can come up with my little entry. kelangan ko lang palang maalikabukan hehehe. but seriously, i think for the first two hours i put so much pressure on myself to come up with a shot, a good shot. but it's not coming. so i relax a bit and loosen that stiffness for thinking that it's not good enough, or that scenery is so common, or it has been done already, etc...

i am not expecting anything from my first photoshoot/contest or that my shot will turn the world upside down so the last two hours were spent just enjoying what i am doing and look what just happened, i am taking more pictures, more ideas, better angles and oh my, i am satisfied with them (but still, not related to the theme hehehe).

the flickr philippines group is a bunch of nice guys who are sharing the same passion for photography, the get-to-know-you after the contest was spent almost all the time laughing. these guys are serious about this stuff, although i am not yet the good photographer that they are, at least i can try to mold myself like one, sabi nga nila, practice lang yan. what's so amazing about them is that they are more than willing to share what they know and will offer you a technique or two about photography. nice di ba? nalimutan ko na nga ang friendster dahil sa flickr eh hehe.

and with the dslr-point and shoot discrepancies as to the overwhelming technical and technological superiority of dslr agains the p&s , well, it's not really a big deal to them, madalas nga nilang sabihin "wala yan sa pana, nasa indian yan".

true, but i still want a dslr. hehehe (and did i mention that the grand prize is a Nikon d40x?)

NOTE: my entry is not among those posted above.

just my imagination

(WARNING: if you can be offended easily, don't read this)

am i seeing things?

no, not another orbs sighting. but these clouds, one morning on my way to work, formed into something and i can't help but have this nasty/bad/naughty/malicious grin on my face upon seeing them. i used my cellphone camera to capture "the moment"

am i bad? i don't know. maybe my imagination just gone too far? pwede, but what was it that i saw/imagined? let's just say, i have a pornographic eye/memory. hehehe

i don't wish to offend anyone here, there are things more offensive than the above. just blame my eyes and the green mind that comes with it if you like.

do you see what i see? *wink wink*

Groge! (beer, thai food, movies and basketball)

and that's my weekend, a merry mixture of almost everything.

friday: the end-of-term party for the school.

we trooped to Pier One in Pasong Tamo extension (there is one in Fort Bonifacio, why we're in this branch is beyond me, so don't ask hehe). as usual, beer was served before anything else (the barrel of draft beer reminds me of my drinking sessions with friends a couple of years back wherein we can go one-barrel-per-person-drink-till-you-drop spree, but now, i can no longer do that, mahina na ko sa inom). it was a fun night of booze (more beer!) and games (give it to the Japanese teachers for the clever games of guess-if-it-is-ten-seconds-already or move peanuts from one plate to another using a CHOPSTICK or draw Frankenstein in five seconds or arm wrestling) and foods.

the food combination i thought was weird, imagine eating fried garlic rice with sisig, blue marlin and sinigang na hipon WITH PIZZA on the side, or drinking beer alongside buko juice??? hahaha, or while we are eating our dessert (leche flan that i think needs more milk and less of the syrup), we were served with steamed kangkong??? how's that for an experience? we just laugh at it, maybe the person in-charge with the party wanted to try everything on the menu or maybe, just maybe, do not know what food goes with.

groge with too much booze, i arrived at the house 12 midnight and ten minutes later, off to dreamland.

saturday: hataw na!

i woke up at 8 am (for a hectic saturday, this is late), prepared and eat a hotsilog breakfast and remember the leche flan with kangkong combo hehehe. at 8:30 am, neighbors can hear me shouting, er, singing with Sandwich 4-track Mind cd while doing the laundry.

one hour later, i went to my little garden and the growing grass stared at me, i stared back, nakipagtitigan sila, tingininginiiiiiiing, i surrendered and went inside the house and forget about them (i'll cut the grass next week, promise). i took a shower instead, got dressed and by 10:15 as i was about to lock the door, lyn texted "paalis ka na ba? :)"

more than an hour later, as the contestant in Game KNB just won P100,000 and was given the chance to defend his title and another shot at P1M on monday (today), i arrived at lyn's apartment with them busy either with tv, harry potter or the laundry. we didn't stay long as she'll be going to the province and i'll accompany her to the terminal. we went out for lunch and since both of us are craving for something thai (di kami obvious na mahilig sa thai food no? hehe), our hungry stomach lead us back to Som's Diner.

we agreed that, except for tom yum soup, we'll try something else (so wala munang chicken pandan at pad thai). and these are what we had for lunch:

chicken ginger (this is good, not really spicy, and i thought they should lessen the sabaw)

a chopsuey look-a-like that goes by the name phad pad raw meat (but no meat, and swear, chopsuey sya pero sabi ng server di daw hehehe, at medyo mapait)

the ever delicious and fave, tom yum soup.

we just settled for garlic rice and 12 oz coke each, and the damage? P487.00 with take out that is good for another meal. sulit ito!

(Som's Authentic Thai Cuisine is along Reposo St, near St. Andrew's church in Kalayaan Ave, Makati).

at exactly 1:30 pm, we flagged down a taxi and off we go to the bus terminal, and we're thankful di kami na-traffic going to Avenida. at wala ring masyadong tao sa terminal kaya madaling nakasakay si lyn. i stayed with lyn until the bus driver shouted that they're leaving (bumaba na raw kasi ako ng bus hehe). i went down the bus and rush to the lrt for the part two of my hataw sabado.

hataw na part two

in 20 minutes, i am already inside the CCP compound, and it was crowded with Cinemalaya loyalists, andaming tao! i went directly to the Box office to get a ticket for three movies which will be shown at least 30 minutes after the other.

me: miss, isang Pisay, yung 3 pm
tiketera: sir, sold out na po!
me: ha?! uh, Kadin na lang, yung 6:15
tiketera: sir, sold out na rin po!
me: ay patay, ano ba yan!
tiketera: sir, baka gusto nyo me available pa pong screening ng Pisay mamyang 6:15
me: sige, yun na lang, saka yung 9 pm screening ng Tukso.
tiketera: okey sir. (then she smiles)

as i secured my tickets and walked around the CCP lobby wondering what to do with the next four hours, someone tap my shoulder, it's manny! he's with the line producer of Kadin and he asked me what i'll be watching and i told him what had just happened. the very generous guy that he is, he offered me the use of his festival pass (unlimited access to ALL the films, both short and full length), and exchange my 6:15 ticket for another movie he'll watch for 3 pm so that i can also catch the 3 pm Pisay and maxie, the line producer, gave me a complimentary ticket for 6:15 Kadin! coolness!!

and my luck continues, as i was able to sell my ticket to a student in no time! yahoo! and i got manny's ticket and the festival pass and before i can say swerte mo zherwin, the usher is leading me to a seat inside the cinema for pisay! ayos mga erp! the movie is good, makes you miss high school, and it was an intelligent one, kasing talino ng mga estudyante ng phil science high school.

after two hours (lyn's home already), manny and i meet again and i returned to him the pass, chat a little and we parted again for another set of screenings, i'll go for Kadin while him for short films. Kadin was shot in BAtanes, and the cinematography was amazing! ang ganda-ganda ng framings ng mga shot, mas lalo kong gustong-gustong pumunta ng batanes, and all the actors are natives of Batanes, galing! i congratulated maxie for good choice of actors and i also met the director. ang galing nila.

the third movie was Tukso, a mystery-who-dunnit-kind of movie, i go for this instead of Tribu (the winner for best film) and Endo (best editing) because of Irma Adlawan (the Queen of indies), though i thought it would be better had they made its pacing faster, the movie is also okey, but i enjoyed more pisay and kadin.

maybe i'll do a separate review the above films, or maybe not, hehehe, but for now, i think it's enough to say that my movie marathon was a good experience, addict pa rin pala ako hehe.

groge with visuals still etched in my mind, i arrived at past midnight again, and ten minutes later, off to dreamland.

sunday: fiba asia

i woke up at 9 am, got a pandesal for breakfast, look at my little garden again, astig na'ng mga damong to ah but then again, i turned around and forget about them, again (next week na nga di ba? hehe). i catched the replay of RP vs Iran game, and i was saddened that even with the heroics of kirby raymundo and jimmy alapag, we lost, because of our players' dismal shooting (click here for more details) and the unnecessary technical foul on coach chot reyes when Iran was just ahead by 1. arrrggh!

nanlalambot because of the sad news (we need at least two wins to get into the quarterfinals, and our next opponent is china, the defending champion, and jordan, so parang medyo goodbye Olympic dreams), i prepared my lunch and set my alarm clock at 5 pm, the sked of RP vs China game.

the rest of the afternoon, tulog si zherwin.

and the game came. all the time, kinakabahan ako, lalo na nung lumamang ng 13 points ang china, to ease the pounding on my chest, nanuod muna ako ng the Buzz at Showbiz Central hehehe, at naku, si angel locsin pa rin pala ang pinag-uusapan (grabe, she earned P62 million from GMA 7 tapos iniwan pa rin nya? me tsismis kasi triple daw offer ng ABSCBN? hehe)

balik sa game, nakahabol tayo! jimmy alapag is working like a horse, he is penetrating the paint even if 6'8 ang nakaabang sa kanya. antindi ng puso ng batang ito! the last two minutes of the game was like the longest two minutes, gusto ko nang matapos kasi lamang na tayo!!! at any moment pwedeng bumalik ang china! diyos ko, diyos ko!

and for the first time in 22 years, RP won over China, 79-74! yipppeee! (trivia: the last time RP won over China was in 1985 on our way to win the ABC Tournament title, hmm, maybe the same thing will happen this year? i am hoping).

later tonight, it's RP vs. Jordan, kaya dapat by 7 pm nasa bahay nako.

GO PHILIPPINES!

and i hope di tayo ma-groge tonight!

GO PINOYS!

how was your weekend?

UPDATE: RP lost to Jordan, 76-84. it was sad but the players tried their best, kahit injured na sila, they still played with their hearts. ganyan talaga ang basketball, bilog ang bola but despite the loss, and another olympic dream shattered, i believe we are in the right direction, konti pa, babalik tayo. we have the best point guards in asia but we need big men, asi is already 34, menk is on his 30's, too. and to be more familiar with Fiba rules, maybe the PBA Board can change some rules to adopt some from FIBA? like goaltending o di kaya yung shades ng paint, andaming pwedeng i-adopt and im sure alam yun ng board.

expect a lot of fingerpointing from all over, pero sana maisip din ng mga maninisi: ano ba nagawa nila sa philippine basketball?

eto not fingerpointing ha, pero konting tanong lang: why does coach chot choose renren ritualo over last year's MVP James Yap?

Budget 101

the other day, while i was browsing the Business/Money section of the Inquirer, an article about budgeting caught my eye.

a reader posted a question about the topic, and it says:

"I know that a budget is important to better handle your money. However, no matter how much I work on my budget, I always end up going over it. Is it because my salary is too small? I don’t know what to do. How can I have a budget that works with my small salary?"

tut-tut. sounds familiar no? like the reader is asking in behalf of all of us.

the article listed tips on how to work on your budget (you can read them here), and i agree with them that visualizing and listing down all (and i mean ALL) your expenses can really help you work it out with the little money you're getting every payday. the above article also reminds me of a decision i made a few years back.

you see, four years ago, during my pre-amortization days, i already have a budget, i.e. budget for gimiks, budget for movies, budget for things that are not really important (like cd's, magazines and some more magazines *wink wink*). when the realization came that life is not all about gimiks (that's slang for going out/barhopping) and i need to have a concrete foundation for the future, that's the time i gave budgeting a serious thought, and this time, priorities should be read as priorities (okey, so separate the "needs" from "wants").

when i listed down my daily and other petty expenses, nanlaki mata ko that i am spending so much on movies (like almost P500 a week), transportation (taxi araw-araw?) and eating out. if i want to pursue my plan of getting a house of my own, unabated spending like these should be controlled, if not eliminated.

at first, it was hard. and i mean really hard. it's like having a withdrawal syndrome, or like having yummy food on your plate but you're not allowed to touch it, much more eat it. i am depriving myself of an almost daily dose of watching movie/s, the comfort of taxi ride, i thought i was being hard on myself. but, as our parents would always tell us, roads to your dreams are never easy, kasama ang sakripisyo dyan.

and sacrifice i did.

i learned how to control my movie watching habit, taxi is now only an option when i am in a hurry. eating out? still do that, but you can eat out without spending so much, i am spending for the food not for the ambiance, and besides, andaming pwedeng idiscover na murang kainan. in other words, i learned how to be practical with life.

the complete turnaround was a good decision, i was able to go with my plan and slowly i am reaping the fruits of my little sacrifice. if i didn't do this, i don't know if i can buy some things for the house, or for myself or if i can have savings at all (well, i still don't have, but at least i am seeing where my supposedly savings are going).

the road is not really that well-paved, there are some bumps here and there, i took those bumps as a sign to slow down and eventually they will pass and off you go running again.

the payday is nearing again, do i hear complains that you won't have enough to save? baka naman you are really spending so much on something not needed. cmon, sit and list down your expenses and compared them with the amount you are getting, and oh, that starbucks coffee is really expensive, try something else. :)

i am not an expert on this, i just write based on experience (and pains).

how about you?

My 100th (plus five), second of two parts

technically, this is my 101st post, but since this is the part two of my 100th, it is still somehow the 100th, or something. basta. :)

this is regarding the plus five, and this post has been waiting for more than a month already and i thought it's better to post it as my 100th (as a milestone) or the 101st to usher the next 100. whatever the reason (or the excuse? hehehe), this is it.

it was june 4, lady cess posted her answers on the hot seat questions and even with the warning that she'll be asking tough questions and those who will join the tag will regret doing so, i asked to be interviewed (at yari ako dito hehe).

so here they are:

1. Do you now have a real dog? If you don't have one yet, what's preventing you from getting one?

I still don't have, but in Quezon, we already have. Right now, i cannot get a dog of my own because since I am (still) living alone, no one will be left to take care of him/her if am at work.

I believe owning a dog is not as simple as getting one, it also entails responsibility. One should not only be a pet owner, but more importantly, a responsible pet owner (those two are worlds apart, and i want to be the latter). I think my situation right now is not very ideal, it would be very unfair for the dog.

2. You said you can write a love letter in a flash. Write a short love letter for your special girl. Content should be about your appreciation for a sweet gesture she has done for you just recently.

Now, this is tough. Love letter (and in a flash pa ha) is something i haven't done for the last 15 years! do i still have my mojo when it comes to love letter as i claimed to have back in high school? do i still know the works or mine were just plain corny? (corny, corny!) i don't know, but let me try. (okey, inhale...exhale...inhale...)

hi honey,

six years ago, you told me you don't want to enter into a relationship because you don't want a complicated life, but now, you told me you regret saying those because, as complicated as it may, the six years that we had was worth all the complications.

i may not be the most ideal boyfriend, but you always makes me feel like i am one. i may have a lot of imperfections but you've always been forgiving for those. kapag nagsusungit ako, you told me not to, kasi sabi mo lalong pumapangit ako (hehehe). i like it when you make face, kapag nagpapa-cute ka o di kaya pag namimilog yung mga mata mo.

you've always been so supportive and appreciative, and one time, sa wakas, you've praised my cooking! i know you're not really a fan of my cooking, but when you say "it's good", that was something. and when i said "pwede nang mag-asawa?" you just smiled. :)

the six years that we had was such an amazing six years of knowing and loving each other, and i'll never get tired of discovering more and falling in love more as days go by. and when that time comes that i'll hold your hand forever, i'll be the happiest, and you know that.

i love you.

okey, can i exhale now? whew!

3. Name one thing that you did for your girl that is so unlike you but you did it anyway mainly because you are impulsive.

Ok, mababaw lang ito, but it's so not me.

A couple of weeks ago, i went with lyn in Watson's for her kikay stuffs. after she did her thing (and me carrying the stuffs) and while passing the perfume section on our way out, I spotted the Paris Hilton travelling bag that she has been eyeing since she saw it first (and almost bought it) in Cinderella a couple more weeks back but i prevented her from getting it as i thought it was not practical, but this time, in a 360 degree-like turn of event, I even talked to the salesperson and inquire about it! Just like in Cinderella, the bag comes free if you bought two 100 ml Paris Hilton perfume or any other perfume from the same company. She was really giggling with excitement and really into buying it but she was also thinking what she'll do with two perfumes (make that two expensive perfumes!!). So i butt in the sales talk and dared the salesperson that if he can show us a perfume for men that can be combined with the Paris Hilton perfume, we'll get it. At the back of my mind, kalmado ako "huh, tingnan natin!". and as always, i was wrong!

at heto, the salesperson came back with TWO bottles of Perry Ellis (black and blue) and ONE bottle of Paris hilton for men. patay! lyn was grinning and she said "oh, pili ka na hehe". sus!

the hugo boss fanatic in me was trapped with either a perry ellis or a paris hilton as the only way out. i didn't like the paris hilton as it was so...paris hilton! i just settle in with the perry ellis blue as it's what i like best among the three (but hugo boss motion is still the bomb).

we split the bill but i ended up paying more as my perfume was more expensive than hers (even with the 40% discount!) and she get the free bag! i kid her that i'll borrow the bag on our next trek (and drag it along the rocky/muddy trails hehehe), sabi nya "subukan mo!" hehehe, oh well, like i wanted to be caught with a paris hilton bag! utang na loob! :D

another impulsive/budget-breaking expense, but at least, she's happy. :)

4. Among the far-flung places you just visited, which one do you like the least? Why?

Baguio. Don't get me wrong, the city of pines is such a cool place, but the traffic and pollution make you feel that you're still in Manila. It was no longer the same baguio that i saw the first time 19 years ago, when the fog is really a fog and not smog, when pine trees still smell like pine trees, when mines view park is still breathtaking (now, andami nang bahay) or when ukay-ukay is not yet the major attraction. Baguio is a classic example of too much urbanization/commercialization over preserving the heritage (oh, manila is on top of the list don't worry) and in the process, losing its once enchanting charm. i last heard that people of baguio are now starting to fight further concretization (my own word) of the summer capital of the philippines.

sana di sya maging extension ng manila and i also hope Sagada won't suffer the same fate.

5. An easy one. Describe the Zherwin we can expect to see 5 years from now.

In five years (uhm, maybe earlier than five years? hehe), a family man.

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and it's done!

i know, i posted this late and most of you already had a share or two of being interviewed, but if you still want some not really brain-twisting questions, i can give you some, but follow the rules:

Interview rules:
1. Leave me a comment saying "Interview me".
2. I will respond by emailing you five questions. I get to pick the questions.
3. You will update your blog with the answers to the questions.
4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post.
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.

:D

My 100th (plus five), first of two parts

This is my 100th post. yihaa!

it was October 17, 2006 (almost nine months ago) when i had my first post, and it was October 19 when i got the first comment on my third post. the first few weeks i was just blog-testing, and i really do not have a grip on what i am doing, i only wanted to return to writing and i felt i needed some practice for me to get back in shape (as if, hehe) and then, you can see me posting about the Philippine Idol and Amazing Race 10 (and even britney spears hehe) and by that time i am not sure where my blogging is going or if my purpose of going back to writing is being achieved by those not really impressive posts. oh well...

but it's a different thing when the New Year comes, enter the 2nd World Pyro Olympics.

my interest in blogging reached a new high when the realization came that i can learn a lot from fellow bloggers, especially about photography, and that i can post all the photographs i've taken without anyone complaining (so far, wala pa namang nagrereklamo hehehe). my first take on fireworks i thought was good, and then i saw some bloggers' shots, ewww, i was ashamed of even posting mine! hehehe. i searched the net on how to improve my works, and it gave me a LOT of how/what-to-do's. wow. and compared with the previously-unoriented shots, the results of my next two days of shooting were more than satisfactory. see them here and here.

february was the turning point. ahem. i posted about the pba, some pictures, the World Light Expo, more pictures and it was also the time that i started ranting and ranting and began liking what i am doing (hmm, reklamador?). and more importantly, i visited more blogs regularly and actually leave a comment on their posts. it was sngl's that i regularly visit (somehow i can relate to his rantings hehe) and then there was verns who's very articulate and very funny at the same time, then there were abaniko (ang galing na photographer nito), the pride of catanduanes belle, leah (straight from canada), the super duper busy but macau-bound hazel, the sapatero by day and ninja by night mon at nataranta na ako sa biglang pagpick-up ng traffic! i really like what i am seeing, i like the interactions, the comments were all inspiring! and before i knew it, nadagdagan na ng nadagdagan ang blogfriends ko. :)

i didn't realize that it's going to be this fun, i continue posting more rantings, more pictures, more travels, more pictures and get this, meeting some blogfriends is even more exciting. and oh, more blogfriends on my blogroll: the superwriter toe, the law school-bound rhodora, super mom sexy mom, the scientist from japan (hai) kathy, fellow lea salonga fan gina, jhoanne (who's on hiatus), stay at home mom (at me utang pa kong post sa kanya hehe) lady cess, fellow flickrista koolitz, book lover lazarus, the new kuwait resident fingertalks, the manilenya in canada melai, the transformer fanatic and photographer watson, the pride of davao tina, kababayan and movie reviewer manny, a toronto resident ey, backpacker and fellow caviteño owen, photographers/travellers ferdz and lino, great teacher bugsybee, UP jogger atticus, cebu bai intsik, photojournalist sidney and some celebrities/probloggers/great writers/awesome photographers from anton to yuga, from jim paredes to noemi, from bo sanchez to howie severino and jove francisco, from lori to elber to markku, from former officemate ate dins and even to pinoy rickey. :)

whew! andami nun!

not so long ago, i thought my blogging would be over, good thing, i was wrong. and look, i am now on my 100th!

to be continued...

minsan, pumasok ako sa isang kwartong puno ng tao...
ayun...
kinabukasan, nauso ang fans club!

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minsan, may nanaginip tungkol sa akin...
yun na...
nauso ang dream boy!

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minsan, naging baby ka,
ayun...
nauso ang tiyanak! (peace po hehe)

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dad: anak, ibili mo nga ako ng softdrinks
anak: coke o pepsi?
dad: coke
anak: diet o regular?
dad: regular
anak: bote o in can?
dad: bote
anak: 8 oz o litro?
dad: anak ng... tubig na lang nga!
anak: natural o mineral?
dad: mineral
anak: malamig o hindi?
dad: hampasin kaya kita ng walis?!?
anak: tambo o tingting?
dad: animal ka!!!!
anak: baka o baboy??
dad: layas!!!
anak: ngayon ba o bukas?
dad: ngayon na!!
anak: hatid mo ko o hindi?
dad: papatayin kita!!!
anak: sasaksakin mo o babarilin?
dad: babarilin
anak: sa ulo o sa tiyan?
dad: PESTE!!!

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anak: ipis o daga??
dad: (nagtatakbo palabas ng bahay) AHHHHHHH

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Scary!

this is not about my blog-life's near death experience, not even about jinggoy estrada's presidential ambition or your phone turning into a decepticon robot.

this is about images in some pictures that were not meant to be there but they're there. i am talking about ORBS.

"Orbs are believed (by many) to be ghosts in the form of balls of light. They are life forms that travel in groups and are believed to be the human soul or life force of those that once inhabited a physical body here on earth. Psychics claim to talk to them on a regular basis, and ghost hunters encounter them quite frequently. It is said that they are those spirits that have willingly stayed behind because they feel bound to their previous life or previous location for whatever reason. Because of this obsession they tend to become similar to a psychotic human beings. It should be said that the majority of us when we die proceed gladly and willingly to the next level of existence after saying our quiet good-byes, which means we're off to the spirit world. Then again, as stated, a select few elect to stay behind because of a refusal to move on. Apparently the longer they stay behind, the harder it is to find their way to the next level, which again, is the spirit world."

click here for the rest of the article.

due to the advancement of digital photography, more and more of these things are being recorded. i am seeing them in some of my shots but i don't really mind them as i thought they were just reflection of raindrops or maybe a dust or just some developing errors, i don't even have the slightest idea that these things have a name! it was only recently that i learned they're orbs, and it takes a midnight text message from a friend who's freaking out because of the images she had seen in some of our pictures in Anawangin.

anyhow, below are some of the pictures where orbs or whatever they are were clearly seen and/or captured.

this was the first picture where i've seen the unexplainable white cloud-like image (right side), but clearly it's not a cloud, not even a bird (taken in anilao)

full moon in boracay? no, and can you see the smilie-like face? the orb has a face.
here, they looked like the planet saturn (center, upper part), and if your going to edit the picture, put a little light on the background, more orbs will appear. scary!
the white dots-like images on the upper part were all orbs. are they spirit of the dead or just pigment of my camera's imagination?
it's only at the entrance of the sumaguing cave, but the brownish yellow smilie on the upper right side is offering it's welcome smile and presence. i have a lot inside the cave but this one is the clearest.

and this is the shot that makes my friend freaked out (no, not the shirtless men hahaha). i didn't take this shot (as i was out swimming against giant waves), it was raining so maybe the white dots/circles are just mere reflection of the raindrops from the camera's flash, but look at that shiny little bottle-shaped thing at the back of the last person to the right (and near the branch of the tree), what is it?

i cropped the picture and fill in a little light, and this is how it looked like. boooo.

i leave it all up to you whether you'll believe the pictures or not.

got a similar experience with some of your pictures? or maybe scarier?

WHEW!

and i thought my blogging days (in the office, at least) is over.

the other day, our new IT consultants changed our IP address and installed some web filtering software in our server. it's the most ideal set-up to protect us from unwanted stuffs that are lingering in the cyberworld.

and then it happened.

i cannot log-in on this blog.

i cannot accessed my yahoo account. i cannot view my flickr account. i cannot open my multiply account. waaaaaa! and friendster is the only thing okey??? what the...?

and my eight-month old blogging life flashed before my eyes, patay!

i need to have a plan b. think, think, think. okey, i'll buy a laptop and ask smart bro for an internet connection in the house. sandali lang yun. what? a laptop is more than 1000? wala bang tingi? hahaha, desperation, desperation, desperation.

of course i know how much a decent laptop costs (decent is subjective), and i know it will cost me an arm and a leg, i should know, i've been drooling like crazy whenever i see one (discreetly syempre, but it's different when it comes to dslr kulang na lang yakapin ko yung camera hehe) and i wanted to have one but practicality is what hinders me from getting one (and i have other plan/priority for the little money that i am getting *wink, future, wink*).

yesterday, i talked to our japanese contractor, and he told me it's only for a few days that we will be experiencing some glitches, one week maximum as they are still doing some off-site adjustments.

nakahinga ng maluwag ang lolo hehehe.

and today, everything's back to normal, at least on this blog. obviously, naka-log in nako. the web filter is now working and sad to say, it's goodbye to my flickr and multiply accounts. i still cannot view some blogs, like toe's (under the news advocacy sabi ng filter, di ko alam ano ibig sabihin) or sngl's (forum/message boards daw). i guess, from now on, it's going to be tough accessing anything wordpress related or some stuffs. sigh.

you can't have it all sabi nga, but at least, i still get to blog on my free time in the office (defensive no hehe) and can post something relevant like this or as thought provoking such as this.

happy weekend everyone, kanpai!!!

the Optimus Prime that i know

PS: it's a TRANSFORMERS' weekend!

tubero

one of the perks of living alone is you get to do anything you please *wink, wink*, i mean, you can arrange your furnitures the way you want it, you can watch any tv show or any film that you fancy, you can turn your refrigerator as your storage room (hehehe), and so on... the downside of it is, well, you also got to do everything by yourself, and it is not limited to just cleaning the house, cooking, washing the clothes and the dishes, ironing, you also got to fix or at least, learn how to fix little stuffs that your dad use to do.

enter a leaking faucet, then a detached/broken hose of the toilet flush...

who you gonna call? a plumber? super mario brothers? dial 911? or make a long distance call to quezon and ask my dad to come over and fix it?

nah. i have to learn the ropes. fixing these things is not rocket science, it only requires common sense and your body's ability to bend to the extremes hehe. and taking notes of the measurements, too. hehe

for a few days, the toilet flush is not working so the buhos, old-school style is the way of life. i bought a hose (i forgot how it's being called, faucet hose? hehe) 1/4" to faucet opening and 1/2" to angle valve.

easy does it? WRONG!!!!

the 1/2" to angle valve is small! i thought the size is standard, syempre mali ako. geez, i have to rush to the nearest hardware store to buy a new one, a bigger one, nasayang tuloy yung P79 ko sa Ace hardware. anyway, nandyan na yan so might as well live with it. pwede naman syang reserba hehehe.

i have learned that when comes to anything construction-related, measurement is very, very important. na-perfect ko nga yung measurement ng tiles ng bahay tapos itong sa simpleng hose, eng-eng ako? hehehe. oh well, small details really matter.

anyway, after a 10 minute bike run to the hardware, and after a few twist at konting silip, the toilet flush is again running. yihaa, and i sweat a lot for this little work. mahirap kaya yung halos nakadapa malapit sa likuran ng toilet bowl, good thing mine is clean (pano kaya kung tubero ka tapos dugyot yung cr na aayusin mo? ay, wag nang isipin).

and the other leaking faucet in the sink is just a walk in the park. with a generous serving of vulcaseal pa yan ha. chicken!

one step to being a DIY-man. :)

enter super mario brothers' theme song hehe.

How much of the Phils have you visited?

i saw this in one of the threads in flickr, being a C traveler, i still have a lot of places to see in our country, and that includes a tour of Quezon and see Polillo island (i was born, raised and educated in quezon and it's a shame i haven't set foot on or haven't explored the other side of my beloved province), a batanes trip and palawan exploration next year, more visayas and mindanao destinations and more mountains and beach to photograph, and more philippine sunsets to capture!!!

well, if my wallet will allow me, why not? but if a generous soul will be kind enough to shoulder the expenses in exchange for some pictures and blog entries (nag-solicit??? hehehe), who am i to say no to it? hehe. seriously, there are sooo much to see and that thought excites me no end (i am not sure about my wallet though c",)

what about you? how much of the philippines have you visited?

below is my traveller's map and my grade (does C means i am a failure???):

My Lakbayan grade is C!

How much of the Philippines have you visited? Find out atLakbayan!

Created by Eugene Villar.

minsan

minsan, tumayo lang ako sa tabi ng aming pintuan

ayun, nauso ang boy next door.

minsan, naglakbay ako sa isang bayan,

ayun, nauso ang crush ng bayan.

==============================

ang nagagawa nga naman ng trabaho hehehe.

happy weekend everyone (sana makapag-post nako ng matino next week).

samu't saring usapan.

usapan ng dalawang aso:

Aso 1: pare, ang laway daw natin ay may rabies, at ang rabies daw ay nakakamamatay?
Aso 2: o tapos, ano'ng problema?
Aso 1: nalunok ko yung laway ko pare, kinakabahan ako!!!

------------------------------------

usapan ng dalawang pusa:

Pusa 1: pare, umalis ka nga sa tabi ko at nahihirapan akong huminga!
Pusa 2: o eh anong koneksyon?
Pusa 1: HELLO?!? me hika kaya ako! allergic ako sa fur! meowww...

-----------------------------------

usapan sa isang jeepney:

Pasahero: manong, me bayad ba kapag bata?
Driver: wala.
Pasahero: kapag kandong?
Driver: wala rin.
Pasahero: o anak, upo ka, kakandong ako sa yo.

-----------------------------------

tanong: bakit hinihila ang tali?
sagot: kasi mahirap itong itulak!

:)

something's missing

my blogroll.

for the last two weeks, i think, my blogroll is missing (or is it just messing?). for reasons beyond me, i cannot view it. what's wrong kaya? my internet connection is okey (well, sometimes it's slower than the "usual slow"), i can still access this blog and view it and can also post some bits, but the blogroll and those under it are, well, nawawala!!!

i can see all posts, the clock, the flicker photos, my profile and that's it.

if you visit this blog, can you see my blogroll on the lower right side as well as the shared items and the nba widget? even babel?

if you also see some unwanted, r-rated ads (verns saw one), please inform me as i didn't allow it.

thanks.

Black and white

i am posting these pictures to put some activity on this blog, i am not suffering from a writer's block or a blogger's block, i am just pretty much preoccupied with a lot of things (a.k.a work, work, work).

pero isingit ko na rin to (hehehe, at di rin nakapagpigil).

yesterday, i talked to a certain employee of a certain embassy (not japan), she was just inquiring about payments but she's so full of herself, and even on the phone, she is throwing her weights around. being the coolheaded that i am, i explained to her that this is like this and this is like that, and if you want this you have to do that, etc, etc.

but a loud person usually never listens.

in short, she doesn't want to abide with the company rule, our rule, and she wants it her way. why is it so? because according to her, she is from this certain embassy.

and i told her, "and so?"

and then, yadda, yadda, yadda...

i cut her off by saying "you are just an employee of the embassy, you are not the embassy! so stop throwing your weights around and for a minute, be respectful to whom you are talking to!"

and then, a moment of silence...

hahaha, tagumpay! and i am amused at myself that i say those mouthful, maybe because the last thing that i want is to be belittled by a fellow filipino that because they are in a way connected to this or that, they can think they are way above the ordinary mortals. sorry, wrong person to talk to. mabait ako kung mabait ka, pasensyoso ako pero wag kang abusado, at mas bastos ako kung bastos ka.

she deserves it anyway (and now, i am rude hehe), and name-dropping doesn't work for me, we have our rules, follow our rules. simple as that.

and did i say i have tons of work? hahaha.

a chair will do. :)

Anawangin 360

taken on top of a "mountain" separating two coves in anawangin. can you hear the whistling sound of the wind? and waves? wow? wow!

Anawangin 360

taken on top of a "mountain" separating the two coves in anawangin. it was around 4 in the afternoon but a bit dark as the rain has just passed. can you hear the whistling sound of the wind? and waves? wow? wow!

Sarap! subtitle: Tuhog (Jatujak at Kopi Roti)

magmula nang mabasa ko sa blog ni anton ang tungkol sa Jatujak at sa marami ring positibong feedback tungkol dito, ako itong medyo fanatic sa thai food ay di mapakali hangga't di ko natitikman ito. OA, pero ang mapuntahan ang Jatujak ang naging goal ko sa buhay sa ilang linggo ding nakaraan. hehehe.

at heto, nung sabado, pinasyalan ulit namin ni lyn ang Mall of Asia. Una, upang mag-apply ng postpaid cellphone line sa smart wireless center (wala kasi sa glorietta at parang nalalayuan kami sa megamall hehehe) at pangalawa, ang subukan ang jatujak.

sandali lang naman yung processing ng application ko, since nakahanda na lahat ng requirements at parati naman akong nakangiti, wala pang sampung minuto tapos na kami, sabi nung girl, tatawagan na lang daw ako tungkol sa status nito. ah okey. ganun naman pala, sana lang ma-approve hehehe.

paglabas namin ng swc, ang harapin na ang aking goal sa buhay ang pinag-aksayahan namin ng panahon, hinanap na namin ang jatujak. sa may entertainment plaza daw yun. sige, lakad, lakad, naman! nasa kabilang wing pala kami! lakad pa hanggang narating namin ang open air plaza.

saan dito?? hala, excited na ang lolo nyo, parang isang batang sabik na sabik sa jollibee. AYUN!!!! nasa left side pala sya kapag nakaharap sa plaza/dagat, buti na lang nasa second floor na kami. yes!

sinilip muna namin ang menu (baka kasi mahal eh kuripot ako hehe), hmm, ayos naman, comparable sa Som's (sorry ha, di ko nagawan ng entry to) ang presyo at parang walang tao sa loob (maaga pa kasi, 5:30 pa lang). me lumapit sa aming mama na mas maputi sa akin at sabi "ser, mam, welcome to jatujak". uy, naka-tsinelas lang ang mga waiter hahaha.

antagal ko tong hinintay, tara!!

Jatujak (cha-tu-chak) refers to the world's biggest weekend market in Thailand
habang hinihintay ang food (anong gagawin mo kapag me kalbo sa likuran mo? reflection ko po yun)tom yum soup all shrimps, medium (P172) at apat na pirasong hipon, good for 4, not your usual kind of tom yum soup, parang tom yum na sinigang but still good.

bagoong rice (P110) good for 2-3 persons, with pork bits
veggies springroll (nalimutan ko ang presyo), 5 pieces, big as in biiiig serving (medyo mamantika lang)
chicken pandan, 5 pieces, and double the size of your regular chicken pandan, yummy!

burp!

medyo nagsisi kami kung bakit andami naming inorder, hindi namin naubos (at least me take out), dalawa lang kami pero yung isinerve sa amin ay good for four-five persons, nasanay kasi kami na hindi ganito kalaki ang serving. pero masarap sya, sa uulitin? pwede!

me iced tea pa pala (P40 for glass, P55 for bottomless). take note, malaki yung glass ha. taaalll glass of iced tea yan, tapos ako nagbottom less pa hahaha.

damage: P754.00 (kasama na ang P33.00 na Service charge, at P87.00 na VAT)

matapos naming kumain, umikot muna kami, ayun, naka-iskor pa ko ng U2, ang paborito kong brand ng tshirt, naka-50% off!

habang umiikot kami, naisip ko ang Kopi Roti. isa pa tong matagal nang pinagbalakan ng grupo pero di matuloy-tuloy (ang tawag namin kopihan), at since di namin alam kung saan ito, patuloy kaming nag-ikot (pag-iikot at paghahanap can be used interchangeably hehe).

at presto, sabi sa kodigo ni manong guard, nandun sya kabilang wing, sa tapat ng teriyaki boy. at eto ang kopi roti:

kopi is a traditionally brewed coffee with condensed milk as the sweetener, meron silang anim na coffee combo meal pero yung set ng Kopi at kopi bun, at kopi at Kaya toast ang aming kinuha, na parehong P75.00!! not bad ha, kesa naman mag-starbucks kami na P110.00 kape pa lang yun na na nilagyan ng pampataas ng cholesterol!

maliit lang yung space nila, pero nice yung interior

yun nga lang electric fan-powered ang aircon! kanpai!
ansarap kumain at magkape!

san kaya ang sunod?