Day 113 Jul 30, 2012

Bird on a statue:

This is a shot I took while at the Greenbelt park an a relatively rainy day - it's not the bird, nor the statue that is unique - but the combination of both. In a province, such birds may be seen on top of real carabaos - picking on the carabao's hide... cleaning it of any insect. But in the city, there are no carabaos around - being farm animals, they have no reason to be in the city.

I don't know if this bird has had the opportunity to perch on the real thing - not impossible if this little bird has been in some portions of Cavite or Laguna where there may be some farm animals around, but here it seems content to stop on the statue and look around. After all, aside from statues, there lurk some dangers for this one by way of lurking cats.

What made me like this picture even more was the fact that it had a macro effect with the garden in the background - the shade supplied by the overhanging clouds make the emphasis of the foreground objects sharper. One would think that I had somehow had a soft light focus on the statue's back and really put some light on the bird. I'm not that much of a forward thinker, specially when I'm in street (or in this case, park) photographer mode. Nope, the wonder of this shot is that I took advantage of natural lighting.

Day 112 Jul 29, 2012

Comics for the week:

My pull list for the week, as I was able to pass the comic store and get my reserved issues.

What did I enjoy form this particular batch? The Winter Soldier - and no surprise here as I always liked Bucky ever since he was brought back by Brubaker. I like it's continued espionage feel and will continue buying it so long as Brubaker keeps at it. Justice League Dark is another book I like reading - it isn't exactly a hero team book... more like a non-team of mystic-based characters of DC, but so far the writing is interesting, and it seems that this is where the next large cross-over may well start. Hit Girl continues to be a fun read - Millar really plays along well with characterization - and I like the comic culture references. Aquaman is a constantly fantastic read as the combination of Reis' art and Johns story continues to intrigue me.

The rest are okay - after all, if they weren't, I would not be buying them.

Day 111 Jul 28, 2012

Family:

Saturday lunchtime found Barbie and me in Manila Memorial, to meet her mom, bothers and sister as for a mini reunion at the place where Barbie's dad was buried.

It's a nice picture... and a reunion that was not almost done as Barbie woke up this morning with an allergy attack. Yup, we were in Cardinal Santos this morning, having her treated for her allergies. The doctor gave her medicine and prescribed rest.

We had informed Benedict that we would not be able to join them, but when I noticed that Barbie was recovered - albeit due to the meds given her, I asked her if she still wanted to go. I was willing to drive her there so she could experience this get together. Had she shown some signs of recurring allergy attacks, I would have insisted we go home.

So why did I agree - even ask her if she wanted to go? Her sister is here on vacation - they hardly see each other on a regular basis (not counting Skype of course), so I'm sure she wants to experience this as much as possible. I'm not one to deny her this... and looking at this picture, you can see how happy she is. I'd say I did right.

Day 110 Jul 27, 2012

Seattle's wall:

This is one wall of Seattle's Best in Greenbelt 3, as can be seen, it's got lots of pictures showing different sites, locations, people - all, of course, in an attempt to capture a feel of Seattle.

Whether it is able to do so, or not... the wall does come alive with the pictures presenting a collage of life in Seattle - in fact, I do hope they don't stop with all these, and try to add more pictures of Seattle. After all, even if it isn't the intent of this wall, it would be a nice consideration to really try to promote the city in this manner. That said, why not add some well known shows (either TV or movies) that have some connection to Seattle (Sleepless in Seattle comes to mind). I mean, why not go and really promote Seattle and not just stop with these pictures by adding more in the attempt to really get the feel for Seattle?

What makes it attractive to me? The brick look and the pictures are a nice, almost gallery like feel. Bricks make a room cool, and the pictures make it lively. If I had a den, I might just have this look - but not just ofr a collage of pictures... but for movie posters as well.

Day 109 Jul 26, 2012

Mary Grace:

Once again, I find myself in the Ortigas Rockwell area, waiting for Barbie as she attends a talk in the Medical City. Doing so, I decided to hang out and have my lunch at Mary Grace Cafe.

This is my second time in this particular Mary Grace, and one reason I like hanging out here is for the free WiFi that accompanies the great food and service they offer. Naturally, one of Mary Grace's known identity is all about their scattered notes, quotations, decors - all adding to the ambiance of being a home filled with warmth.

I tried their Rosemary Chicken on Couscous - a health conscious meal (most of their meals can be considered health conscious, of course), and though I ate it a bit fast, it  - and I'm referring to the couscous, expanded upon my taking any liquid - whether it would be the peppermint ice tea or simply their water. Needless to say, I was stuffed.

Naturally, I started feeling sleepy, and decided to order some coffee... my mistake was not telling them to lessen the sweetness factor, which led me to drink more water. But even after the coffee, I started feeling sleepy, so I went out the establishment's interiors, to enjoy the breeze and take a few shots (like this one, in particular).

Day 108 Jul 25, 2012

Red Cross training (day 2):

Its the continuation to what I did last week, and my participants' numbers have grown. This was where I also clarified a few more ideas on Leadership, while starting to inject Management ideas. These series of discussions are to make the selected Red Cross Makati Leaders, and two of John's office staff become better managers... by turning them into (clones of) Shirley.

Last time, I only had four Red Cross participants - well now they've ballooned to ten, including Shirley, yowza! Which is why I had to make some time for some catch up.

Next week will be a bit more of the same - but with more focus on the management side. I'm a bit worried because the initial number of days I planned for were four days with four hours each meeting.

What is happening is that it's becoming three hours per session - so obviously, that will be a bit beyond five meetings... most likely six. So why am I worried? Taking our current pace, i'd say six may not be enough - specially when one considers the need to discuss understanding Financial statements and doing presentations. I really don't mind, though, after all, it's my way of helping the Red Cross.

Day 107 Jul 24, 2012

Bar for hire:

This kind of business has been going the rounds for maybe several years now. The concept being instead of worrying about what to drink, how to make it and all that jazz (specially if you don't have anyone - like me, who can double as the evening's bar tender), then you could hire a 'bar' for a certain fee.

What comes with this is a series of packages with pre-defined numbers of mixed drinks (like in this case, Margaritas, Blue Margaritas and Mojitos, the latter of which I tried) and the possible number of servings most probably calculated by the servers/bar tenders. What if offers would obviously be convenience (no need to worry about what to buy and who will mix). Like I said, it covers a fixed number of drinks and the three I mentioned need not be the only drinks they can offer.

Will I consider this kind of service for any future occasion? Sure, if the price is right, and I'd rather go for the relaxation or enjoyment of the occasion, rather than being stuck by the bar making conversation as I mix drinks. But mind you (unless the people drink fast and I need to constantly be mixing), I don't mind talking while mixing... in fact, I enjoy doing that too. That is why I studied how to make some drinks... in case I need to entertain guests.

Day 106 Jul 23, 2012

Guard Dog?

Apparently so. These medium sized guards are Beagles - known to have great noses... and inside a mall/resort, that is all they are needed for.

Apparently, the resort want's their K9s to be less obvious and one way of doing it is to make sure the dogs (at least, the one's inside the mall/resort) won't be a large breed. So Shepherds stay outside... Beagles hang inside.

It's not a bad idea... in fact, I'm glad to see these guys as part of the security force. It's the first time I've seen such a breed working to keep the place and it's client's secured. I applaud these kind of dogs, and I wish I could emulate their training. And if their kind of work allows them to take quick naps... well even better.

Day 105 Jul 22, 2012

Two week's worth:

If the comics look a lot, that's because it really is two weeks worth of collections that I have had the opportunity of picking up.

Yes, I can actually go without comics for a week... maybe even a month, and the prospect of mot being on the know for a week or more in the discussion boards don't really bother me - but that's fine. I can hold off reading these things for a while.

Still, it is great reading them, and even if I don't get to do just that the instant I get them (like this crazy weekend), when quiet time does come, I start reading them one by one. Pick of the batch? Saga, Batman, Avnegers vs. X-men, XO Manowar and Harbinger were great. Others weren't that bad either... just not stand outs.

Day 104 Jul 21, 2012

The King and I prop:

The elephant is an advertisement for the ongoing play 'The King and I', and it's placed in the atrium (at least I think it's an atrium) of Resorts World.

Of course, as you can see... it's cordoned off, after all, it's a display - not a ride. For some reason, Bernice did not want to have a picture with the elephant, so it was just Barbie and Bryce for this shot.

What I was surprised with (as you can see in this picture) is the fact that Bryce even decided to do a show pose to present the elephant. Maybe he wants to do something theatrical? Who knows? I'll ask him some time... maybe it can be his next summer project.

Day 103 Jul 20, 2012

Marriott family time:

Since Barbie had a room in Marriott, Newport City, to herself for her last night of their company mid-year conference, she decided to make us come over to enjoy the room for a night.

At the same time, the kids could experience Resorts World - at least, get to see it and everything it offers (except for the Casino), and since this place had movie theaters open and showing movies for 24 hours, we decided to watch the new Batman - the Dark Knight Rises here as well.

Overall, it was a nice Friday evening... and technically, a Saturday morning. You see, we watched the movie at 12:40am - and ended close to 4am. I might add as well, that the movie was really great - despite the screening time, none of us dozed off.

This picture shows how the bathroom can be viewed (if desired) from the bedroom... and you could opt for the tub or the movable shower, or the even finer ceiling-positioned shower (my choice).

Day 102 Jul 19, 2012

Leader's Window:

Training seems to be few and far between these days. However, there are a few conducts that still continue to be scheduled. One such training given to me is the Leader's Window.

In this particular run, I was joined with Alain, and we handled a 1pm to 10pm schedule. It being a two-day training, we started this yesterday, and are scheduled to conclude this today. One this about this particular batch is the fact that they are rather quick in absorbing the lessons - and even requested the skipping of the coaching portion because they had already taken the course, and still remember the lessons imparted there. This means we're poised to finish around 2-hours earlier than scheduled.

My favorite activity has to be the part where each group (and there are normally four of them) needs to come up with a 3D model of a house. Since it also is the last activity, the workshop ends on a high note.

Day 101 Jul 18, 2012

Red Cross training:

Since I have a lot of free time these days, and since John wants to offer some form of training to his Red Cross staff, we came to an agreement that I would give his and the Red Cross staff a sweeping training to cover Leadership, Management, Communication, Marketing and a bit of Financial Analysis.

It's a daunting task to me, since I will need to develop a lot of the materials to fit their (Red Cross') needs. To me, it's a way of helping these people - and in a way, making them ably lead the chapter. If they find this really helpful, we might even elevate it to a wider scope.

Yes, since this is an organization that is helpful to many, and the fact that I am involved with them one way of another, I did not ask for too much in terms of consultant fee. Just enough for some gasoline and sundry costs... so yeah, it's my way of giving back to society, by helping one organization that is a pillar when it comes to helping with disasters... the Red Cross of Makati.

Day 100 Jul 17, 2012

Cook your own food:

The idea is to get your food raw, and proceed to your table - where there is a round barbecue pit. You then place your food in and patiently cook them before finally eating them.

If you find cooking a bit long, the place also serves cooked food, so all you need to is pick it from their respective trays - an example here would be their steamed fish or their deep fried shrimps.

Lastly, since this is a Japanese-inspired cuisine, they also actually serve ready to eat raw (sashimi) food. The place is Yakimix, and their claim to fame is a buffet style food service. In situations like this, I usually start with the sashimi - in this case, salmon... and a few sushi items, so I have some rice as well. I then try some of the cooked stuff (tempura being a highly in-demand dish), steamed veggies and when I'm done with all these, I go for dessert - cake slices (which are a bit bland) or fruits.

I don't do this as a regular thing, mind you... just on occasion. If I do eat here, I would prefer it to be a long lunch - and most likely, will stay full beyond dinner time.

On a side note, it's the blog's 100th entry. A nice milestone number, and sort of a reminder to me that I am nearing the 1/3rd mark for this blog. Wow... 

Day 099 Jul 16, 2012

Bygone phone:

For all intents and purposes, this is an antique. For starters, it's a rotary phone - the likes of which have disappeared in the 80s when the button type - of which I thought was high tech then, but equally phased out now with the advent of the iPhones and their like... using touch screen capabilities.

Nope, the rotary phone was long gone. Add to that the fact that this particular phone is also an early model of the rotary style, with its long neck rising up to the microphone that people need to talk into and the small speaker-like receiver to be placed by the ear for listening.

I'd hazard a guess that this particular model came from the 1950s, maybe older. So why did I take this picture? I;m a bit of an anachronist. I like time displaced stuff, just like this, for display purposes... and if they still work... wow, that would be something (which is why I also like the TV show restorers - I love seeing them restore antique stuff).

This phone is part of history... you'll probably see it in some old black and white (or sepia) photo - or maybe, if you happen to go into curio shops, you might chance upon a similar (maybe even better shaped) model , and if you're like me... you'll someday have the chance to display such a piece, for others to look at and marvel. After all, rotary type phones have not been around for decades - today's teens have never seen it used, and people like me just think about the times when private lines were a status symbol... where phones were not something anyone had and applications for such sometimes took years, and party-lines were tolerated.

Sounds like a nightmare in this day and age, where having two cellular phones is seemingly normal? You bet. Thank God for progress.

Day 098 Jul 15, 2012

Keith baptized:

This is it... one of the reasons I have a camera - to capture such meaningful milestones for the family. In this case, the actual baptism of Keith and as you can see, I was really able to capture the holy water as it is being  poured from his forehead, and dripping down the catch basin/sink.

This is in Mary the Queen, and Keith is the fifth kid we had baptized here - Bryce and Bernice had their turn over a decade ago and around last year, Jude had his turn. I was able to capture the latter two - and how I wish I had such an action shot for my kids as well.

Of course, that wouldn't be me - after all, I would be the one holding the kids being baptized... so unless someone else can consider what needs to be captured, I doubt their shots will be as dramatic as this. I say this with all modesty aside, of course - but it IS a great action shot - having captured the baptism as it happened.

You could say that this is the reason I received the gift of an external flash (one I still need to get used to using) by Bernadette and Bea, so yeah... a picture like this is possible because of great lighting - though not just form the camera, great picture composition (I did no adjustments here) and an important milestone in life.

Welcome to the Christian world Keith Andre. I hope I was able to make your parents happy with this picture. On hindsight though, I realized that Bernadette was not in the shot - but that was also because of her positioning - the priest's assistant was blocking her from where I was. Had I been elsewhere, I would not have captured this shot.

Day 097 Jul 14, 2012

Cousins reunion:

This is a rare occasion - the Syyap- Buenaobra-Suzon kids... cousins all under one roof for the first time after years of living in different places - plus the fact that they're also now updated with the younger and newer additions being carried by the eldsests in the group, namely Keith (being held by Bryce), Bianca (being held by Brandon), and Jude (being held by Bernice).

But yeah... this is the next generation and I just wonder when such a picture like this can be taken again - oh I'm sure it is possible while they're all here in Manila. The question is when. I just hope to get a better opportunity - but barring that, at least I got this picture... and surprisingly, specially with the toddlers, they're all behaved.

Day 096 Jul 13, 2012

Reading in down time:

Yeah yeah... nothing new about that practice - and you could say I'm making good use of my time - in this case, while waiting in the other room where I can hear Gina talking about Retail (in case I already need to step in).

So what's got my attention? Remember the ebook I posted a few days ago? Yup... I'm still in the process of reading Bloodline and I'm already 2/3 of the way done. Oh yeah - and as you can no doubt notice, the iPad is in portrait mode... which is perfect for for reading books. When I get tired reading this (which I doubt), I can always check in on Mon; who's a few rooms away, so I can hang in his class while he conducts Presentation Dynamics.

Day 095 Jul 12, 2012

iPad's new cover!

The first cover we got was handy, and it had a useful feature of helping the iPad close (or sleep) when the cover was closed on top of the monitor. Unfortunately, the cover's hinges - which were magnetically attached, were not that sturdy, so after a mere couple of months, the cover was close to breaking up, so it was definitely time to change said cover.

Barbie came up with the idea that the next cover we got should allow us to read the iPad in it's vertical position, while in hands-free mode (the old one only allowed for a horizontal hands-free reading)... and that exactly is what we got. One of the capabilities of this new cover, aside from being a great protective casing - complete with a garter to keep the cover closed (a technique that is similar to some notebooks).

Though I would have wanted a different color, brown was the 'most acceptable' one for me. So there I have it. New cover, and the iPad looks spiffy. I took this picture while having breakfast in Starbucks, CG2, prior to my Retailing class which starts today and ends tomorrow (Friday).

Day 094 Jul 11, 2012

Preparing for Keith's baptism:

The event is scheduled for Sunday, and the family is still in Dubai, scheduled to arrive here on Friday, but Barbie and Ben are busy back here, making the necessary preparations. This picture shows the fruit of their efforts - the bag/container we sourced in Greenhills last Sunday, same with the Rosary bracelets... while the pictured label was printed by Barbie.

Not in the picture is a tarp banner congratulating Keith and it does look great... this one done by Ben with the help of a printer - nice one too, and I'm half thinking of using the same people should I need a similar tarp made.

So yeah... the weekend will promise to be a relatively hectic one when Bernadette, Jogie and family (3 kids) arrive. Ben will fetch them using the van, and they'll then proceed to Cavite where mommy is going to be waiting for them.

Actually, they've been preceded by Bart's family - but they went to Tet's family in Dagat Dagatan, and have been staying there since Monday afternoon. They'll show up in time for the baptism, Meanwhile, we'll definitely prepare for the surge of visitors in the coming days.

Day 093 Jul 10, 2012

Cut the Rope baby:

If you're an iPad owner, then you should be familiar with a particular game called 'Cut the Rope' - the gist is that you've got some 'food' and  I'm using this in a loose context - and the food is connected to a rope. The rope is then cut and with the combination of gravity, physics, angling (geometry), and some force (air pump? - if that is what we call it), one has to manipulate the food towards an alien looking baby - a bit hard to describe, so we just took a picture of a squeeze toy we (Bryce and I) bought.

I don't even know if this baby has a name, and I'm not too geeky to find out... I'm just glad we saw this and got two different poses. I also liked playing with the game, though I'm still not convinced enough to buy the additional game levels.

So, why did we get this squeeze toy? What can I say, the baby is expressive and cute - it won't help get the game up to a higher level, but it does represent some form of pop culture - and a very affordable one at that, so yeah... got this and it's on display (with a lot of other pop culture stuff) in our family room.

Day 092 Jul 09, 2012

My new eBook:

Bloodline is the 8th in a series of books focusing on the enigmatic Sigma Force, as conceptualized and written by James Rollins. Just like his previous novels, this Sigma Force  adventure is fast paced, and I could hardly put the iPad down whenever I could find time to read it. 

Yes, this ebook has been with me for a few days now. Why so? Simple... I wanted to read it, but the book was not yet physically available here in our local bookstores. So... impatient me (and budget conscious me) decided to buy the ebook version - after all, I did not want to wait about two weeks before enjoying the book.

This also represents my first real purchase of any ebooks - the others I chose were interesting, but I preferred discounted (if not totally free) copies - using Amazon as my channel for such purchases. This also means I had to use my card - and I was struggling a bit to convince myself to use said card. Though this wasn't really my first e-purchase... a month or two ago, I bought some comics for 99 cents each... a no-brainer, and some for $1.99 - still a bargain of sorts, because the items on purchase were great artistic stories of the Avengers.

Anyway... regardless of purchasing style, end result is I have the book (though in Kindle iCloud reader - not the Kindle reader, per se), and will continue enjoying this - the further adventures of Commander Pierce and company.

Day 091 Jul 08, 2012

Surprise visit:

When was the last time I saw this kid - and yes, I said kid, because last time I saw Jason, he was a thin teen something... possibly the same age of Bryce now - back then.

Once he moved to the U.S. it was no contact whatsoever. Back then I remember his not really wanting to go leave life as he knows it here - but I'm sure a lot of people said he should give it a try, as life can be a whole lot better there.

Now? Well, since this is unannounced, we did not really get to talk to Jason quite long - and besides, he was more friends with Ben and Bea - their ages not being too far from each other. In fact, had it not been for Keting, we wouldn't even have known of his coming here.

Apparently, he went here with the family of his girl - not just for vacation, but to meet Jason's family - looks like Jason and his lady are serious about their relationship. This sure seems like a preliminary step before tying the knot. Yeah... well good luck to you Jason, too abd we could not talk longer, but who knows... maybe next time?

Day 090 Jul 07, 2012

Banapple:

This is the second time we (as a family) went to this place. Bernice, for some reason, wanted to eat dinner here, and Barbie did too. I initially did not want to go here due tot he heavy traffic surrounding Greenhills (though we were in  Greenhills already), until I realized that due to our choice of parking space, the exit went beyond the traffic - so it wasn't too bad an idea to go to Banapple after all.

Next concern would be parking - but I tried the building's basement parking and we found enough parking, so next concern would be availability of table. It was full, but we did not wait too long to get a table - so yes... we got to order food. The plan was eat dinner then have dessert after - but we all got full with our specific food, no one wanted to order dessert anymore.

Meanwhile, I took out my camera to take a few shots of the book shelves made of glass - not practical for my needs, but still nice to see - specially with items like the apple, where you can see it even if it's above you... in fact, you can see the under side. So... was there any occasion for this little dinner? Not that we needed one, but yes... it's been 25 years exactly when Barbie answered me and became my girlfriend. Amazing, how time flies.

Day 089 Jul 06, 2012

Bryce's 3rd Archery lessons:

I've naturally had two previous entries about how Bryce took archery lessons, and after a hiatus of two weeks, we went back to Gandiva to continue Bryce's lessons.

I noticed some stark improvements to how he was able to shoot and get his shots to the target - in fact, he was consistent until Tim (the owner) arrived - I guess Bryce got a bit conscious, because his shots started scattering a bit - but he recovered later, and hit a few bulls' eyes too.

Tim, true to his word the last time we met, had me try shooting a few arrows too - and I have to say I didn't do too bad. you see, I was quite observant and attentive of their lessons with Bryce, so I also took those into consideration. That said, I got my shots arranged in groupings (a fact one of the coaches mentioned as well - and something I likewise knew in the past when I used to practice with a blowgun in high school). I got one bull's eye dead center, based on adjustments to what I noticed.

After two rounds, I passed on the bow to Barbie (with some convincing from Tim's part to let her try it out). I understand Tim's reasons for letting us try it... and I'm inclined to consider joining Tim's club - but maybe I'll let Bryce do it first. He, after all, needs this for self confidence, discipline and exercise.

Day 088 Jul 05, 2012

Sexiest Women for 2012:

Every year, FHM Philippines asks it's readers (and anyone else with Internet connection, for that matter) to vote for who they feel is worthy of the recognition 'Sexiest' for the year. Of course, to make the pot sweeter, they ask for people to vote for who they deem as the 100 sexiest - then, based on who get's the most votes, the Top 100 get's decided.

Of course, all these details are boring -and really a bit questionable (as I'm sure most votes for a popularity contest are subject to such questions). All I want is to see the supposed results of this. It is therefore the reason why I did something a bit rare these days - purchase a copy of FHM (yes, you read right - I rarely buy this magazine these days; at least, as compared to previous years).

Why do I do this? Simple, aside from the obvious possible eye candies I may see, it is to let me know who the voters deem as sexy. It's not the most perfect format... but until I see a better voting process and result, it will have to do. I have to admit that with little exposure to the night life, and to shows that represent such social circles (a choice to stay more responsible to family life), I grew out of touch with who's who in society's scale of desirable ladies. So you can say, this is actually an exercise in catching up - knowledge-base wise only of course. After all, even I can't say when such knowledge can be useful... and I have to admit, this particular manner of learning is enjoyable. 

I would be surprised with some entries... outright question other's inclusion, but hey... I can't question the voters' tastes... I mean, for them to even be part of the 100 means many voted for these ladies - it's either that, or question the voting process (and we then go back to the start of this article)... or not think too seriously about it all and just enjoy the magazine.

Day 087 Jul 04, 2012

Comics of the week:

Wednesdays are now regularly my new comic book day, specially since I now buy from a shop that more consistently lets me know what comics will be arriving soon, allow me to reserve titles, give me a 10% discount on their selling price and offer free plastics and backing boards. Faster, more dependable, and showing more care for the product. Oh yeah... and some independent titles arrive more dependently too. That's the simple truth.


I get the same discounts and reservations (though at times, it will depend on what they remember I collect, as opposed to what I choose to reserve), and I can't really blame the people on the stalls - they try to give me the service needed... but there are times they are not consistent, or when they are replaced - there goes the service I expected.


Now, what did I look forward to? Aquaman is a consistent quality title. I Vampire is likewise great, Justice League Dark has kept me interested - in fact, I've picked this up regularly, more so than Justice League and Justice League International. Then of course, there's the continuing story of Avengers vs. the X-men... which is a hit or miss thing - a bit frustrating, but then there are some surprising gems here too. I'd say it's to be expected with not just the main story, but with the  peripheral books too. But what I was interested to read is Nite Owl. After all, I would like to see how this character started... critics be damned. I'm more a Watchmen fan than an Alam Moore purist. So I will definitely read this and the other interesting titles (Ozymandias and Dr. Manhattan, to mentions a few).

Day 086 Jul 03, 2012

Refreshing mix:

If you happen to be one of my friends in Facebook (or even if you're not), you might have noticed a post regarding flavored water - which is mostly composed of fruits and for the most part, a herb... well, I commented back then that I would try this out, and guess what? One particular time - while in the grocery, I decided to get the ingredients to do just that.

In this particular case, it's a combination of watermelon and rosemary. How was it? Surprisingly good. After all, this was a trial drink for me. I know how watermelon tastes - and I've had watermelon shakes in the past... but placing rosemary? And not just the dried variant either... nope, the fresh one.

Well, let me say that I've likewise enjoyed rosemary as tea. A few sprigs in a hot pot of water and later you get a relaxing tea. So imagine this relaxing effect with the freshness of watermelon. Then consider that these tastes are further diluted - almost just a hint of both with your cold glass of water, and you get the idea of how this drink tastes. It was a nice, refreshing (and yes, relaxing as well) drink. I will definitely keep trying this out whenever I can find the necessary ingredients.

Best thing too... I taught ate how to do this, so now, aside from the usual lunch or dinner preparation, she makes this - and the other concoctions as well... pictures of which, I shall definitely post as well, in some future entry.

Day 085 Jul 02, 2012

Light and background balance:

I always like the challenge of taking pictures of lights. On one side, if I take in too much light, I won't see anything but brightness. Go the opposite and I see the bulb - but everything else is blacked out.

So it really is a a challenge to find what can be considered as the right balance... seeing the light, and seeing the background.

It helps if the light is not that bright - like this particular yellow light placed in a lamp post styled container. That said, when I saw this, I opted to get my camera and take a few shots with differing set-ups. I then chose what seemed to be the better balance - then further did some adjustments with the brightness and contrast before considering it as acceptable.

Day 084 Jul 01, 2012

Coffee:

It's no secret that whenever I find myself at Figaro's, I order their Barako Blend coffee - after all, I do like Barako coffee... a type of coffee grown locally back in Batangas.

Aside from being patriotic about it, I really feel that the Barako coffee is a great tasting blend. It's therefore ironic that Figaro seems to be the only well known coffee franchise offering this kind of coffee in their menu. In fact, they have two variants - the Barako blend, which is basically Barako with a mix of other coffee, and the Barako Gold, whihc they used to sell as well... but now, they only sell it as ground coffee (which I buy once in a while too).

I really wish they other coffee places would likewise carry Barako coffee - then again, there is nothing like taking Barako coffee at Cuenca, Batangas. In fact, I still have some at home. Ironically, when I got the Barako, that became the time Barbie switched to decaf. Oh well...

Day 083 Jun 30, 2012

Barbie and I:

This picture was taken at Reagan and Milet's reception... which was the wedding I needed to get the hat for. Barbie stood in as one of several God mothers to the couple - Milet being her assistant a few years back, asked her to do such an honor.

Well, the wedding happened to run real smoothly - in fact, I can honestly say that the couple (and their friends) really had a good time... complete with Soul Train type entrances.

The wedding was at Santuario de San Jose,  and the reception happened in San Juan. The food was all right - not too much of a pallete salivating kind - but good enough. We were both at the presidential table, and were served our food.

I also made it apoint to just take water - no more iced tea for me, seeing as how many sugar it contains. I did not, however, say no to the red wine, and the waiter seemed to like the fact that I almost drank the entire bottle - but I had to stop, as I would still be driving home. Oh well... next time.

Day 082 Jun 29, 2012

New Hat:

I rarely hear a hat when I go out... though maybe I should do it more often - specially when the weather is really hot and sunny.

Still, this particular hat was something I saw in Greenhills, as I was looking around for something I could wear in tomorrow's wedding - one that specifically mentioned the need for a hat or headgear from their guests.

In retrospect, I got this hat as it was a conservative look - one that would fit with the barong tagalog I was planing to wear... which wasn't exactly a very formal one either, but it fit the theme of green or gold. Besides, I got this at a relative bargain, so why not? Now, if I was not too concerned about not looking to visible, I would have work the leather cowboy hat I have in my room.

Day 081 Jun 28, 2012

Memories:

Nothing preserves memories like pictures (or videos), and when Barbie looked for a particular old picture of Bernice in our storage bin of all pictures, I just had to choose a lot more of these pictures - some already in some stage of fading, and try to rescue the memories by scanning them - and fixing them, using my limited photo editing skills.

I then placed them in a Facebook album for selected family and friends to enjoy. This collage is just a representation of what I scanned, and preserved digitally (specially when you consider the possibility of how some of these pictures were folded, and others showing wear and tear). In doing this, I hope to preserve these memories... not just ofr myself, but for my kids (and possibly theirs as well). It's not the best way of preserving things... but it's better than losing the memories altogether.

I may do more if this in a few days... so long as there are pictures worth preserving - and sharing.

Day 080 Jun 27, 2012

Leader's Window - Day 2

Training done and objective accomplished, as the picture shows. All the workshop's participants are now equipped to lead better and follow the model as introduced by the training.

I ended a bit early as these participants hardly had any questions (mostly just clarifications, really) and I noticed how they would confer with each other to consider how the lessons imparted could be put to good use when they get back to their respective work areas. Good luck to them on that too.

Surprisingly, and thankfully, these people were not your horror story personalities that some of my colleagues equate with BPO people. Though it may be a tad unfair, I cannot say that the BPO generalization is not happening. But I cannot totally agree. After all, I've handled BPO trainings - not just now, but even last year. So far, I've nto encountered such nightmare participants.

Day 079 Jun 26, 2012

Salads:

Rather it's singular form, the salad. One such dish worth eating can be found at the Pancake house - I know, you're thinking that what's a salad doing in the Pancake house, and why wouldn't someone order pancakes there?

Well we do... sometimes, but not to worry - in this particular instance, I didn't order the salad... Barbie did. My order was some form of thinly sliced beef with some veggies, and yes... I still partook of a waffle for desert. So you see? No waste of a visit to this place... besides, I did take some of this salad too, as I knew Barbie would not have finished it by herself.   

Day 078 Jun 25, 2012

Leaders' Window Day 1

Today happened to be the start of a two day training workshop on leadership which I was tasked to conduct from 1pm to 10pm. This happens to be Leader's Window, and I'm sure I've had several entries in my  years of photo-blogging.

Still, each class - and the participants in them, offer unique experiences... even if the lessons shared and talking points are the same. 

Even the output to their exercises - though the same, can come up with uniquely different outputs, so it's not as if this becomes an exercise in boredom for me. Nope, if there is a training I always love to do, it will be about Leadership.

Day 077 Jun 24, 2012

Restaurant Seeking:

This Sunday, we went doing just that. The reason, to look for the place where Jojie and Bernadette can have their celebration after Keith's baptism.

This is expected to happen in the middle of July (two days after they plane in form Dubai) and naturally, they don't have the time to do all the legwork for this. So, it falls on Ben (and us) to try looking for such a place.

One place in particular; upon Jojie's request, was a particular Chinese restaurant. Now it so happens that this self-same restaurant just opened a new branch in a newly built location. All looks fine, though the price is a bit high (by my standards - specially for a baptism... an event which the child will not grow to appreciate as to which place the celebration happens). In case Jojie likewise feels the price too steep, I whipped out the camera to just take a shot with the kids and with Barbie and Ben, standing beside the aquariums showing the fishes and lobsters just waiting to be chosen (and cooked).

See? The trip wasn't a total waste.  On the side, Barbie is proudly wearing a La Salle shirt that Bryce gifted her.