Day 239 Dec.03, 2012

Robinson's Forum decors:

This is how the Christmas decors of the Robinson's Forum looks like - not too fancy, and the colors aren't really Christmas tradition (meaning Green and Red). It's not the most unique, nor inspiring decors either... but who am I to second guess anyone's decorating taste?

The fact is that this is what they wanted... and this is how the Forum looks like from the second floor up. To be fair, it looks more Christmassy at the ground floor where their fountain is located owing to the fact that said fountain's structure is surrounded by poinsettia flowers - all blooming with their red splendor.

I just wanted to take this quick shot while Mon and I were waiting for our lunch to be prepared - we decided to eat at Chicken Bacolod (as opposed to our usual free training supplied lunch - a topic I believe already covered in a previous post).

Though the picture shows it a bit, the other thing that is not totally appreciated here is the fact that that white circular wall that can be seen as part of the 2nd and 3rd floor structure actually has a lot of white LED lights. So in totality, the overall design isn't too bad at all.

Day 238 Dec.02, 2012

My annual trek to a shopping Mecca:

St. James Chirstmas Bazaar in Alabang has been an annual trek of mine - after all, it's wehre one can usually find at least one new item that may be useful or novel... hopefully both.

This year, however, was a bit disappointing - for one, Barbie wasn't able to go, and two... well, there did not seem to be too many new stuff this time out, and I was lucky to get three items... a cup cake holder that I'm sure Barbie will like, a sport shorts for Bryce (none could fit me, or else I would have wanted one myself) and what may be the coolest novelty item I found for myself... a shot glass shaped ice tray. I would have wanted to get something for Bernice too, but I honestly did not know what she might have wanted.  Oh well, hopefully, next year will bring a better selection.

Day 237 Dec.01, 2012

Merlot:

This is a local wine, and I have decided to try it out - by myself. I needed to assess the wine to see if other people (i.e. Barbie) would find it palatable to their tastes.

Personally I don't mind taking the more bitter or dry wines, though I will have to admit that taking the sweeter variants make drinking easier. It also does not automatically mean that the dry variants are stronger in alcoholic content.

I also know the idea that wine is the healthy form of alcohol so long as it is taken in moderation... to me that means two goblets at most a day - though I have to say that my goblet (as this picture can show) is rather large, and though I have not had the real reason to test it out, I found out that a bottle of wine is basically made of four goblets full, so technically, I can, by following my earlier statement, finish a bottle of wine in two days. But as my reasoning states, I actually got this particular bottle done in one night.

So how did I find this wine? I found it to be slightly sweet... but it has a kick. Chances are, I will definitely go back and purchase some more... and yes, I'm proud that it happens to be a local wine.

Day 236 Nov. 30, 2012

Anvaya Cove trip:

This is one of those rare occasions that we as a family, go out of town to try going some place aside from our usual Batangas trip. Nope... this time, we tried going to Subic, and from Subic, we ventured into Anvaya Cove, courtesy of John.

You see, John is a member of said cove and without a member, it would be near impossible to get in and enjoy the facilities. Today's trip though is more a discovery mode for us... there and back, and seeing as how great the place is, we may just plan a return trip... preferably, this time, to spend more time - at the very least, stay overnight, so I can take shots of the sunset.

Day 235 Nov. 29, 2012

Puto Bumbong:

Another sign of the season is the appearance of these delicacies - made of powdered root crop (I think), these are cooked via a steamer, then served with margarine and unrefined sugar (a.k.a. muscovado) plus some ground and dried coconut meat.

The puto bumbong is a snack that usually appears more frequently in the traditional Midnight novena masses that are uniquely celebrated here in the Philippines starting the 16th of December. However, this dish has become a regular menu item in several restaurants that specialize in Philippine cuisine. A serving usually consists of a pair of these, and being what they are, they can be a bit heavy.

Day 234 Nov. 28, 2012

Sign of the Season:

The pine cones are part of Accenture's decors which they bring out around this time of the year, to prove to their employees that the company also looks forward to celebrating Christmas.

I say the above statement, knowing full well that I've seen these same acorns last year (and most possibly the year before). Not that I've anything against recycling of decors, mind you... after all, I do it too. Man, I'm still on the fence as to whether these pine cones are the real deal or if they're synthetic. If they are the read deal, then I can only imagine to trees where these came from. I mean, during my childhood in one of those trips to Baguio, the largest pine cone I could pick up was just slightly larger than my palm (and I was a kid then).

Day 233 Nov. 27, 2012

New batch!ead them

Since I get my comics now in less frequent - but in larger batches, this means I get to read a lot of them when I do get my reserved copies. It also means I get to read them in at least a day... but most likely two (or even more).  I also try to limit my buy pile as I clearly notice how many I tend to get.

This particular batch offers the final issues of Bendis' run on Avengers (thank God), but likewise the start of his run in X-men. The periphery stories of the Batman titles' current arc 'Death of the Family' is also making me temporarily get titles I don't often buy. It also includes some Marvel Now! launches like Fantastic Four and Thor. I am interested to see how Robin reacts to Huntress - as this also represents the first meeting between an Earth 2 hero with the regular DC52 hero.

Day 232 Nov. 26, 2012

Busted pipe:

This is what happens when construction work meets with overlapping pipes... I would think that when this happened, someone went "Uh oh".

The result? Tons of water... forcibly exiting the pipe and creating an impromptu fountain cum car wash to the vehicles needing to pass through this busy section that is the Nichols interchange. I was on my way to fetch Barbie when I noticed the traffic... and to my luck, I happened to be in the lane that was closest to the fountain. Since traffic was crawling, I got to find time to grab my camera to take a shot of this SNAFU.

Wonder what the guard is supposed to do here? He just seems to be standing. Oh well... at least my car got washed a bit.

Day 231 Nov. 25, 2012

Poinsettia:

For some reason, it seems difficult to keep there flowers alive. Last year, we were not successful and I may attribute such a failure to the plants getting too much heat from the concrete  of our garage. Then there's the seeming sensitivity of the red leaves to water... it seems that for these to thrive, they have to be in a cold, yet sunny place.

So I'm testing out my theories when I can - giving instructions to ate regarding how to handle them. Hopefully, they will thrive this time, and we won't be too disappointed with unsuccessfully growing them and making them last the entire Christmas season.

Day 230 Nov. 24, 2012

S.A.G.A. pre-Christmas dinner:

Fred made a call out to everyone in the SAGA FB group some weeks ago, proposing dinner this particular evening. The reason being we'd all be getting too busy as the Christmas week approached. So why not an earlier date?

To further lessen the need to worry about stuff, it was agreed that we'd contribute Php500/head to Monchot and he'd handle cooking up our dinner. All we needed to bring was drinks. Well, apparently not too many came - but those that did made up for absent friends. Aside from me... those not caught in the picture were the Abola brothers since they came a little later. But basically this was us... catching up with each other's lives, as the evening was meant to be.

Day 229 Nov. 23, 2012

Gerry's birthday celebration:

Gerry invited Barbie and me to join him, John and others for his birthday celebration. Since he'd never tried Barbara's - complete with a cultural dance number, he decided to have his dinner celebration there.

Lucky for me, I had no training that day, nor did Barbie have work as well, so we just took our relaxed time and left our home around 6pm to reach Barbara's by 7. We arrived on time with Topher already there. John and the rest arrived close to 7:30 - almost missing the cultural show. Not in the picture, because she really arrived late, was Tin - but that's okay... we went to the Bay Leaf hotel's rooftop after Barbara's and Tin got to eat there, while we enjoyed the view, music and weather. Definitely a great evening. Thanks Gerry!

Day 228 Nov. 22, 2012

Completed tree:

When I left for Cebu, I had finished setting up the lights to the tree... this with the understanding the Barbie would continue where I left off, and do the decorating with our available decors (some which we've had for years), and I was unsure if she would get more decors - though I had thought it possible since one of her observations would be that the tree was tall and needed more decors.

To my surprise, she did not get any new decor... but recycled old ones (like the elves - which I retired from placing on the tree last year). Well it still looks a tad lacking, but when the lights are on... coupled with the decors, this tree is a great focal point in our living area.

Personally, I don;t mind. It means our tree is presentable enough as it is. The decors look lacking as we strive to place them on the tree (with good reason... it is an 8ft tree after all). But we can make work arounds that will make such lacking (if it really is lacking) not too obvious. Ah well... time to bring out the music, once again. Time to capture the spirit of Christmas. Ho ho ho ho ho!

Day 227 Nov. 21, 2012

Cebu lechon:

Apparently, it seems that the residences here in Cebu never grow tired of their native specialty, and I am not surprised, as many more lechon-related stuff seem to be cropping up in the city proper.

This one in particular, the Ayers brand, is offering spicy lechon in an open field in the middle of the E block 2 location.

Well Ariel and I tried this... but did not stay too long as we had our plane to catch in the Mactan airport. We also needed to leave right away because today is supposedly an island-wide fiesta in Mactan... so we can expect heavy traffic. I did not get Ayers - though I tasted it... all because I'm conditioned to get some Zubuchon frozen lechon before I board my flight.

Day 226 Nov. 20, 2012

Summit get's ready for Christmas:

This is the Summit Circle's Christmas tree. It's tall... approximately 12 feet (I think) and it's placed at the Summit Circle's outside waiting area. Basing from this picture; the glass wall you see on the left side leads to the lobby, while the right side leads to parking and pick up/'drop off points by cars or cabs.

This is night time, and it's right about the time I'm about to have dinner... but before I go (and before I forget), I wanted to take a picture of this tree and of the other Summit Circle decorations. After all, any place usually looks better with Christmas decors - and the Summit Circle is not exception. Great timing for my Cebu conduct.

As for this pic, I used a timer and the scarf I always have in my camera bag for such occasion. Focused on the tree, pressed the button to start the 10 second timer.

Day 225 Nov. 19, 2012

Ariel in action:

Yup, this is our Cebu conduct, and Ariel has opted to take the earlier part (that way he can rest later - a necessity since he apparently has been travelling by air in a roundabout manner from Davao to Manila to Cebu).

The topic is a more advanced Testing workshop, and though we've not partnered with each other for this course, we're in this mode where we're relatively sure of the other person's capabilities to not be worried at all. Nope, I can relax with Ariel handling his part of the course, while I do the same. This is day 1 of 3 for the workshop... and basically, this same workshop is relatively light - not too crammed with too many details. For that, I am definitely grateful.

Day 224 Nov. 18, 2012

Lift off:

Once again, it's off to Cebu. Since my class starts on a Monday, I needed to get out of Manila early - which means a Sunday flight. So that is what happened. I experimented by bringing the black car with me and leaving it in the airport parking. Apparently, this one (parking terminal 2) allows such practice, with just a Php50 overnight parking fee.

I arrived at the airport terminal (after a short walk from the parking area) a few minutes after 10am; which was basically my check in time. Spent the rest of the next two hours in the NAIA terminal checking my FB and other internet stuff, while having my light lunch. Finally got into my plane - and as you can see, opted for a window seat so I could take shots of my trip. My ETA in Cebu is about 1:30, so I plan to have a late lunch when I finish checking in and unpacking.

Day 223 Nov. 17, 2012

Tree up!

Before I fly off to Cebu, I had to make sure I got enough time to finally set up the Christmas tree (a bit late this year, since I normally use the All Saint's and All Soul's holidays as the time to set up our tree).

If you're familiar with Barbie and my tree building technique, then you'd know that I assemble the tree - place the lights and then pass the task to Barbie. so she can pick up the responsibility - this time, focusing on the decors. But naturally, before that happens, the tree should have it's lights.

I also needed to get this done today. If not, this would have to wait for me to get back from Cebu. So yeah, now is a better time, so Barbie can already start placing decors (most likely tomorrow).

Now that my part's done, and the tree looks great, I find myself watching the lights blink, and as corny as it sounds, I also decided to play a few Christmas carols and imbibe the feel of the impending Christmas celebrations. Yup... definitely beginning to feel and hear the spirit of the yuletide.

Day 222 Nov. 16, 2012

Dinner with Tito Joe:

Barbie and I had agreed to have dinner with Tito Joseph, at least once before he leaves for the U.S.

Remember that a few days ago (the 4th) we had Mama's 75th birthday, and Tito Joe - with the help if the Internet and Facebook, did receive our announcement about it, and he did pop into the Philippines just for the occasion. Talk about long distance travel just to attend ma's birthday.

We ended up in a Japanese restaurant (and a pricey one at that), and found the time to talk, listen and share relatively good (enough) food.

Day 221 Nov. 15, 2012

Rare empty Makati parking lot:

This is a very rare view. Usually, when I get to Makati, this place - which is the underground parking of Greenbelt, is normally full of cars - in fact, should one get here beyond 10am, you'd be lucky to find parking - and may have to drive around, hoping to find that one free slot that everyone else has yet to discover.

This morning, though, is still relatively early, so people are mostly in transit to get to Makati - so yeah, this is me at 8:45am, in the middle of the week... with the intent to get to PhoenixOne so I can get my check. Unfortunately - and not through my fault, I receive a call from Malou informing me I have a training to attend to. I did not get the email or confirmation (and neither did my partner, it seems). So it's a rush to get to Cybergate... lucky for me I wasn't wearing any shorts - though I am wearing jeans. Still, I paused a bit - long enough to take this shot.

Day 220 Nov. 14, 2012

Spinach dip:

If one had to take his vegetables, this is one sure fire way to take it in an enjoyable manner. This appetizer from Cibo is something I always make sure I have when I find myself in such a dining place - normally with the family, of course, though there may be very rare occasions when I go at it alone.

They serve this hot with melted mozzarella cheese, and with crunchy thin slices of bread on the side. I never get to finish it before the bread, since I savor the taste and try to spread it without adding too much. Besides, with the pasta dish I normally order as my main course, I use the rest of the dip to spread on my bread stick as well - to counter the taste of the pasta dish.

If you have not tried this appetizer, and you happen to be in Metro Manila, then I suggest that on your next lunch or dinner out, you try going to Cibo and try out this wonderful creamy - and definitely healthy dip.

Day 219 Nov. 13, 2012

(not so) Annual Physical:

I last had my supposed annual physical around two years ago... when I was being prepped for the U2K2 project. Back then, I was stressed by all the things I had to do - and the time I had to spend to juggle them - thus literally having some high blood due to the incompetent scheduling of my check-up, blood works and the likes, I had high sugar too.

This time, it was a relaxed procedure, I wasn't stressed at all... well, with exception to having driven and walked far to get here - but this was a far better way of getting my physical check-up. I needed to postpone my cardio, but other than that, I liked how this came about. I;ll most likely have my next physical done here again.

Day 218 Nov. 12, 2012

Prepping:

I usually do this when I'm conducting something new - or, once in a while, doing a sort of review of which key points to emphasize on... just scanning the materials, specially with a course I have not handled in a long time.

In which case, while my partner is lecturing, I do my quick review - and how long this takes will depend on how much I have to cover for the day, and how much of this I seem to have forgotten. In this particular case, I only had to re-cover a few ideas. Aside from that... well, I was due to have one shot of me for the month, so this might as well be it. I took advantage of a quiet room, so there would be not much distraction, and had the insight to upload the materials into my iPad, so I could study/review without lugging my heavier laptop around - besides, Accenture won't allow me to bring the latter - but does not have issue with me having to bring the former.

Day 217 Nov. 11, 2012

More acquisitions:

Yes, I could have just as easily bought these yesterday together with the other two books I got - but I did not. Is it because I have this psychological spending barrier... the need to stretch my budget? Maybe... Is it because I thought that getting them would be a bit too heavy to lug around? That too, can be an answer... I mean these hard bounds can be rather heavy.

But no... the real reason is that these two came from another Book Sale branch - you see, Greenhills has two of them in separate buildings... not complaining, mind you, it's just that when I saw the 50th edition, and in relatively great condition Lord of the Rings, I had to have it. This despite my having have read the book thrice... in the past three decades. This edition is well created... a welcome quality tome into my collection. As for the Balder... well, I did loosely follow Simonson's Thor - and this can help me when my geek collector's historical appetite, since I had not read Balder's mini series when it first came out. So there you go...

Day 216 Nov. 10, 2012

New additions:

Once in a while, when I look at the display window of Book Sale - a 2nd hand bookstore, I catch a glimpse of books that I would possibly think twice about purchasing, specially with their original price tag. But with Book Sale, I see copies... not exactly in pristine condition... perhaps slightly used, or probably just considered as overrun orders, mostly being sold at half their original price... well, let's just say, I don't have to think twice about getting them.

These two, in particular... specially the Gnomes book, are nice acquisitions. One tickles my fancy... the other is eye candy, plus... ahem, reference material in considering how to take better pictures. No... it's true - even if it does not specify any technical aspects, I still study the pictures to see if I can get ideas, to consider how I can recreate such a shot. It makes me think, and in that thinking, learn.

Day 215 Nov. 09, 2012

Bacolod Chicken:

Lunchtime with whoever happens to be in the Cyber location (CG1, CG2 and Cybergate - CG3 is a little too far off) can sometimes be a way to let off some steam, to meet colleagues whom we haven't met in a while, to really take a break from the doldrums of doing the same thing - again and again... it can be any or even all of the above.

At times, it can also be a bit costly - considering that I do have free lunch as part of my teaching load... though at times, the lunch can likewise be monotonous, so this too, acts like a break from real bad food deliveries - at least, if it turns out bad, it would be my fault, instead of it being due to a bad choice of our concession arrangers. Be that as it may, today's lunch was with Mon and Fiel while we waited for Gina (my Retail training partner)... and as you can see, the Chicken Inasal was our choice for lunch today.

Day 214 Nov. 08, 2012

Retail... again:

Much as I hate to say it, I'm beginning to think that I'm being placed in this training because I'm one of two people who can understand - and therefore, teach it. But really... is this the case?

I wouldn't complain at all, but it seems that I'm falling into a rut. It's either this or Estimating or Packaged Analysis or Design. Meanwhile, others are probably getting the same course again and again, it can get boring with them as well. So why don't we rotate? That is a very good question... one I might broach to Malou real soon - and for that matter, why can't we sit in other conducts, to learn about them? I mean... granted, I did not sit in on some Train the Trainers sessions, but if our competition can sit in and get accredited, why can't we do the same?

I mean, if it weren't for the differing participants and the (sometimes) newness of their queries - I'd really fall asleep doing this. I definitely need new challenges.

Day 213 Nov. 07, 2012

New Comics:

It's been a while since I've posted comics here - and it's not because I've stopped collecting them, mind you (though I contemplate on such an act at certain times), but more because I find myself usually waiting up to three weeks before I pass for them. You see, it's becoming hard to pass for my stash because the Christmas rush is starting to be felt.

It's not just the traffic either... as I find it harder to find a parking spot - so far, I've been relatively lucky regarding this. Besides, the comic shop understands my situation, so they allow my collecting such - and reserving them is very convenient, since they give me a list of what will arrive nearly a week early. I then use this to build my pull list (or reservations), so I don't lose out on a missed issue. What am aI looking forward to in this batch? Aquaman, the Shadow, and the Avengers vs. X-men related issues. I'm also catching up to some Winter Soldier issues - something I decided to de-prioritize when I had less funds for this hobby,

Day 212 Nov. 06, 2012

Discovering Cafe Ti-amo!

I've been passing this place on a lot of occasions - normally, when I find myself parking in the Greenbelt 5 underground parking. So I basically see it, and always wonder how is the place?

A colleague, Ariel, even mentioned that he liked the coffee here - and not just because it comes out cheaper than your usual Starbucks, either.

Well today, I became bold enough to try Cafe Ti-amo... after all, I found myself with some time to spare, and since I was here, I decided to try their coffee mint (iced) - a Christmas special, it seems... and a cake which they recommended to go with my drink. As you can see, their plating is likewise great looking. In fact, I would go so far and say that this cake with it's plating is just begging for a picture to be taken. Yes... that is a stylized Christmas tree. Cute too.

Day 211 Nov. 05, 2012

Remembering Dad:

It's been a year since dad left us, and today, we celebrated by first hearing mass in San Antonio Village in Makati - then proceeded to Manila Memorial Park to visit dad's burial site.

So basically, this is us (minus me) in the picture - I was lucky enough not to have any scheduled training this day, so I could accompany Barbie, while everyone else rode the van. It was nice to see Berns and May here - as they are normally based in Cebu, then there's Dict and Tonette, mom - of course, and Ben. Aside from me, the only others not in this picture are Jude and his yaya. All in all, it was a bright enough day - a good thing, as the past few days had rain.

We had our picnic, prayed the rosary then left at around sunset to have a snack in a nearby Starbucks.

Day 210 Nov. 04, 2012

Mom's 75th!

This was something we were hoping to come up with - what with our meager budget, but basically, I went and invited anyone within reach  - both relatives and friends, to let them know that we were celebrating Mama's 75th birthday.

I make the announcement 2 months before the date (which was decided to be today), so that people could really set the date aside... and I'm glad that a good number of her close friends did decide to come. In this picture itself, we have Tito Nick, Tito Tim, Tito Greg, Tita Helen, Tito Frankie and Tita Lou all around mama. These represented one barkada of mom - quite active with meeting and sharing their lives during the late 70s up to the early 80s. Some of these friends have not seen each other for nearly a decade (I think), so it really is great to have them sharing this  day with her.

That way, I'd like to think that what we lacked in budget, we made up for with the quality of the company. Mom loved this day - she was happy, and has asked me for copies of the pictures I took. So yeah... planned birthday was a success. Hope we have something like this soon... after all, in pictures like this, I (as well as they, I'm sure) are reminded of the happiness they shared, and of absent friends.

Day 209 Nov. 03, 2012

Starbucks Holiday drinks are here!

Yeah, they made a big splash of it's return, and people came out in droves - more than I hoped would show up, really, so I can't say we enjoyed the experience... but at least we were able to get a few pictures.

For starters, with this here Santa mascot of theirs... to show that yes, we were there. They also has a concert, but really... with so many people cramped in one place... even if this is an open air thing, the place was just too hot and humid to want to stay and enjoy the show and sample some treats - though I did get some brewed coffee - but I did not really get to enjoy it, simply because it was the last drink I needed. After all... sweaty plus hot drink? I think not.

Still... it was a nice try to get into the celebration. Maybe next time, they'll choose a larger, and more importantly a much cooler place.

Day 208 Nov. 02, 2012

The Cake Club:

Barbie wanted to find this place for so long; after all... we  looked for it (although sparingly) whenever we went to the Fort, and it wasn't really much help for us when we searched for maps or addresses that were found online. Some had street names... but no real clear direction.

Well we finally found it when we tried going to - and staying for a while at Bonifacio High Street (It was at the new part... the one near the open amphitheater and dancing water fountains. So having found it, we naturally entered and tried their cakes. Needless to say, they're all single serve sized and are actually made by the same people who handle the desserts of Diamond Hotel (which we didn't know about - and which kind of gives you an idea of the price range for the cakes). Yes, it was a bit pricey, but at least... now we know.

As you can see... the cakes are artfully done as well. Others should try it at least once... and by the way, they do have WiFi in the store, so it's a good place to hang around in for cake and coffee.

Day 207 Nov. 01, 2012

Remembering relatives who've gone:

All Saint's and All Souls' Day are respectively represented by the first two days of November, and we honor them by either visiting their graves - or by lighting a candle at home - seeing as a visit may not be practical these days due to the weather and the number of people visiting the cemeteries.

As you can see, I've opted for the latter option - getting a good enough candle and simply lighting it at home, then letting it shine. In this case, I collectively gave a simple prayer for my grandparents... Lola Nena, Lola Ruby and Lolo Angel. The practicality also kicks in when you consider the fact that these three are located in separate cemeteries.

Day 206 Oct. 31, 2012

Bubbles recovering:

Looking much better than a week or two ago, Bubbles suffered from skin rashes, due most likely to eating food that did not agree with her. This despite my making sure they (Bubbles and Buffy) eat just dog food - and a few pieces of meat form our plates.

My problem is, I can't watch them all the time, and it looks like a well meaning neighbor possibly gave Bubbles something to eat - and being the congenial dog that she is, she accepted it... hence the rashes. This forced us to have her shaved (also due to the fact that she was shedding heavily) - a necessary thing so we could treat her skin properly. It will grow back of course, in fact, this picture already shows mostly white fur beginning to grow, as opposed to all pink (or red) skins. Hopefully, this will be a lesson to her.

Day 205 Oct. 30, 2012

Training time with Mon:

Leader's Window has been around for years - so both Mon and I have conducted this as partners and separately. We've got this conduct plotted like the back of our hands. That is to say, this is one training that we can apply total control over, as we know it front to back - top to bottom, and any which way you look.

That said, we can conduct it (and have done so) in any needed way - we can lengthen discussions or streamline talking points... but whatever it is we so, it all boils down to giving the training as anticipated. Oh well... like I said, cake walk. Tiring in terms of talking... but we're used to this. It's more talking on automatic, with us just going through the motions.

Day 204 Oct. 29, 2012

Treats!

It's Jude's time to enjoy his first ever Halloween trick or treat experience - courtesy of Barbie's Johnson and Johnson. The company holds it's annual trick or treat program for their employees. We've experienced this for several years, and in the past year, we've had our kids outgrow it... but with Sophia last year, and Jude this year, this seems to have been renewed.

So... all these treats you see in the picture... these are all Jude's collection from the different departmental giveaways (complete with shows and skits). The kids were also given food and treated to a magic show - most of which just went over Jude's head. Maybe in the succeeding years he'll better appreciate the entire thing.

Day 203 Oct. 28, 2012

Tortoise:

This little critter can be found in a cage outside a pet grooming shop in Tiendesitas - that is, unless it was already bought by someone. Not that I forsee anyone getting said tortoise as it's already rather big (and most possibly expensive).

So what am I doing here? Having Bubbles' fur shaved off, is what. After all, she's been shedding a lot - and Barbie's just too fed up with all the flying loose fur at home. But there is also another reason. Bubbles has some kind of skin allergy and I can imagine how itchy that can be for her - hence her constant scratching and in the process, wounding herself - I was sort of looking for the 'cone of shame' for her, but as luck would have it, I could find none in the different stores (believe it or not). Anyway, while she was getting her fur razor shaved and cut (we just left the fur on her head and portions of her neck, plus a puff of fur at her tail's end), I was taking shots of different animals.  This happens to be a favorite of mine... a macro shot of the tortoise's head.

Day 202 Oct. 27, 2012

John's Birthday:

This evening, my family and I were guests of John in his birthday celebration held at his place - and catered by the Manila Polo Club (which sort of sets the idea of how good the food was).

John invited his closest friends - and that came out to around 20 people (at least - maybe even 30), and he was the genial host, transferring from table to table - making sure we were all having a good time. I apparently became the official photographer of the evening - though there were others with cameras as well, so I need not have worried too much about not being able to capture everything, Still, it was nice practice - too bad one of my lenses does not focus automatically, and I was still getting a hang of my external flash.

Here's a shot of John with his close lady friends. One of my better shots that evening.

Day 201 Oct. 26, 2012

Chilled red wine:

It's a Friday night; we're home, with nothing much to do - soooo... it's wine time again. After all, aside from unwinding after a long week, drinking red wine is one of the healthier things one can do (as opposed to other types of alcohol).

Now to make sure it's a more enjoyable experience, I made sure our wine was chilled - and as this picture clearly shows, that bottle of wine (when I took this picture) was very much chilled - not to mention, really great tasting.

We also enjoyed some green grapes and aged cheddar cheese as side dishes to go with our wine - and no, we did not finish the bottle (as least, not immediately) as I tried to make sure this bottle stretched for at least two days... not that I couldn't finish it all in one sitting, mind you - but I just wanted to drink in moderation.

Having said that, I have to say that moderation can be a really relative term - and moderation for me would be very different from the amount of wine that moderation would mean to Barbie, or ot anyone else. So let me just say that two half filled goblets of wine (and they are rather large goblets at that) are what to me construes the term moderate.

Day 200 Oct. 25, 2012

200... a landmark

This marks a milestone in my PhotoBlog - and despite the fact that this is year 3, somehow, someway... it seems more challenging to keep this up regularly. I have to admit to having to update this blog on a batch method - this means updating it once a week, and trying to catch up to the present (and as of this time, I'm still playing catch up).

Still, just taking it one day at a time is how I get by... it can look daunting at times - and yes, there are days I still wonder 'what for?', but I continue on - and hey... look at this! Post number 200 already. This means I've just got 160+ days to go and I'll get to end year 3. That said, I'm placing a picture that somehow represents me and my blog. Something that symbolizes what I've been doing at times. And yes, it might as well be my personal picture for this month (not to mention proof of how I'm doing with my B&W shots).

Day 199 Oct. 24, 2012

Supervisor 101:

This is a new training released to replace the really poor excuse of a refurbished training that used to be Leadership Skills for New Supervisors - and I know because I used to conduct the workshop until it was chop chopped into something unrecognizable.

So, once the impetus to finally replace LSNS came through, I had to volunteer to be part of it's supposed launch - and lucky for me that Jingo was able to volunteer too. After all, with handling a new training, I wouldn't ask for anyone better as a partner. The funny part was that we weren't given full access to the training materials - all of it, so even we were surprised by the videos. That ans some inside info that other teams tried to conduct this as well, and fell very short of time. We then made sure that this was not to be a problem (specially with me handling the rear half of the training days).

Needless to say, we came out with flying colors - as expected, I might add with some semblance of pride and confidence in our facilitation skills.

Day 198 Oct. 23, 2012

Spinach and cheese spread:

Whenever my family and I find ourselves at Cibo, we have to make sure that part of our order is this little appetizer. It's basically made of spinach and cheese - and tastes as good as it is healthy. It's basically a patte, and it gets to be spread on those crispy thin slices of bread (as seen in the background).

We don't get to finish the spinach dip before the bread bits get finished - but that's just fine. I get to use up all the remaining spinach on my bread stick... or the bread stick of anyone who doesn't want to eat their piece. It's just okay for me to have this with any bread - partnered with any pasta. If I can discover how this is done, I may try making it every weekend.

But for now, I'm enjoying this rare treat - not in a weekend, and not with the family. It's one of those rare occasions with me and Cibo. I find myself in the Shangrila with lunchtime to spare and a sudden craving for... you guessed it, spinach patte (or spread, or whatever it really is called - yeah, I know... I like the food but dont' really remember their name, but c'mon - that's what menus are for). Once I've satisfied my craving, I'll be going back to work in CG2.

Day 197 Oct. 22, 2012

Testing class:

Apparently, we're still being asked to handle some Testing training. In this case, the Application Testing School - and I'm partnering with Lovern for this.

The class was a bit different because we got to use a large room, and with a lot of participants. This is the front view of the training, as I commandeered a side table for my stuff.

Personally, I find large training classes like this as almost too unwieldy, but since I don't have control over the numbers, I just deliver and forget about some problems.

Day 196 Oct. 21, 2012

Take it easy Sunday:

After all those activities from Cebu to yesterday at Naira's place, I find it a welcome relief to finally just kick back and relax at home. In fact, the only thing scheduled to pull me out is hearing mass.

Apparently, the rest of my family feels the same, as we all enjoy a relatively quiet Sunday. This means waking up late, and just lying around - possibly going online and just trolling the internet sites. Just to show how we all felt, let me show you exhibit A - Buffy, as she just lies on my shirt (did I mention it's hot?). She was obviously getting the vibe from us, and feeling sleepy herself.

Day 195 Oct. 20, 2012

Bacardi Night at Naira's:

Mike, Mon and Sheila... what would make them go under one roof? Simple, a long overdue Bacardi night - plenary version (meaning this is for the larger group, as opposed to the smaller subsets that may happen often).

Who else showed up? Marie, myself, Brian and Marimel of course (since Mike's in the picture), while JJ followed. So technically, for a plenary, there wasn't that many people, due to conflicts in schedules or - in Fiel's case, distance (being on a trip to Rome). I made two different Bacardi Mojitos drinks - though I did not spike them too much, as I was still recovering from my Cebu trip (plus I was driving, too). We're hoping to do a repeat of this by X-mas... hope we're not too busy.

Day 194 Oct. 19, 2012

All Smiles:

That we are, as we're in the plane that will bring us back to Manila. The PAL Airbus 300 left Cebu at a little over 9PM, and our expected arrival would be an hour later.

Upon arrival in NAIA, we will be going our separate ways - either being fetched (like Gina), taking the car they parked in the airport (like Francis) and taking the cab (like Marie and me). It will be great to finally be home and rest in my own bed with my family close by. Cebu can be tiring - and after all those evenings of dining and drinking out, plus the work - I really am looking forward to some rest.

Day 193 Oct. 18, 2012

Casa Verde:

Spanish for the Green House, this place is in the Ayala Center and boasts of American style cuisine - or what may be considered as popular culture type food. Even the restaurant's walls are adorned with pop culture items - like this poster of Spider-man, or the figure of Superman who'se head can be seen.

There are also old (almost antique) stuff that tries to somehow capture the pop culture history of America e.g. the movie poster of Gone with the Wind, or B&W sports pictures of Basketball, Baseball and Football (Soccer) greats. The Jack-o-lantern stuffed toys are there because Halloween  is fast approaching. So that proves that not all the decors stay there, and may change depending on the season the restaurant/bar wants to highlight.

The food was great, servings large, but like National Sports Grill in Manila, can be a bit pricey. Oh well, at least, we experienced it.

Day 192 Oct. 17, 2012

Night two in Cebu, and while Marie and I were conducting our training, she was already asking our participants where we could chillax with good food, wine and music.

Maya - which is a bit of a halfway point between the Pioneer building and the IT park, was one suggestion. It basically serves Mexican dishes, so it's similar to Chilli's in Manila.

No band this evening though - just piped in music - which was just fine. It was just Marie, Gina and I though. Francis had to meet a relative, so he begged off. Personally, I was still tired from last night, and likewise wanted to beg off... but the chance to explore some place new had won over. Will I be returning to Maya some other time? Maybe... but I might opt for convenience and comfort, so unless someone is bringing me there, I'd rather just stay near the hotel when looking for dinner.

Day 191 Oct. 16, 2012

Unwinding:

Who says you have to spend a lot to unwind? Rather than go to a hotel or eating spot, we decided (as early as when we were still in Manila, actually) that it would be a lot cheaper - and possibly more enjoyable, if we just bought wine in the grocery and drink them in the hotel room.

All we needed was a cork screw (in case the wine was corked), and whatever snacks we could muster - in this case, some crackers and cheese... all courtesy of Marie, by the way. So Francis, Gina and I just had to show up in Marie's room to enjoy each other's company. Yeah... we rarely find time to do this in Manila (as we'd be going to our respective homes after working).

Besides, according to Marie, she needed to unwind the most - after all, she was technically working while even resting in the training room, when it was my turn to facilitate the lectures and activities. Me? I'm just glad we did not have to spend too much, after all... I needed to control my Cebu expenses to be able to get some lechon on the way home.

Day 190 Oct. 15, 2012

Elevator lobby decor:

Once again, it's the Summit Circle for us - and this particular ornamental flower caught my eye, so naturally, I took some pictures. I tried taking it with the use of a flash, then without. Naturally, the shot without the flash - using any available ambient light in the room, brought out the colors of the decor in a more dramatic manner.

As the background was made of un-smoothened marble, the lights and shadows also allowed for a more dramatic play. I just did not want the wooden frame's intrusion into the picture, but I did not want to touch anything... though in retrospect, it might have been easy to just move the decor and move it back after the shot. I guess, I did not want to impose in any way... evne if such imposition is not  bothersome to anyone.

This picture just wanted to have the decor as highlight, and it's colors when taken in a non-flash manner, makes the decor seem lively - almost like it's in flames. The decor, as you can see, is that of a flower, and it can be a definite reminder of my stay here in Summit Circle. One other thing that I might as well say - I've been placed in a 'smoking' floor - and though I'm not a smoker (and can smell the residue smoke in this corridor's walls), it's not a total bother for me - after all, it's just the smell.. and not really the smoke. Nothing that Lysol won't fix.