Photoblog - Day 261 Dec 26, 2010

Sunday Rest Day:

For the most part of the day we stayed home - aside from the need to get away from all the hectic Christmas-related reunions, my body was in complaining mode from all the food and drinks I took in; so it went to automatic cleaning mode...don't ask. For those of you who seem to get it, yeah... not an attractive topic for a blog, huh?

You can probably guess that going out would therefore be the last thing on my mind... but it being a Sunday and all, we had to go to mass - and since we did not have anyone to cook at home as Ate VIcky was likewise on vacation, we decided to eat at Pho Hoa of the Shangi La Plaza.

I took the safe road... had a sea food bowl with Barbie - avoiding anything with oil. So yeah, this could be considered the highlight of my day. As for the picture, just a shot of Barbie and Bernice while waiting for their order to arrive.

Photoblog - Day 260 Dec 25, 2010

Chocolate and Cheese:

The two things that seem to go so well with wine - and since Barbie and I were planning to have some wine, well... we decided to have both (in this case, some feta cheese and cherry cordial flavored kisses)

Though the 25th may be a day of traditional celebration with relatives, I was just too tired from all the Christmas prep, visits and traffic. So I just wanted to stay home and have some peace in our home as the entire world was wishing peace on earth. I felt I owed it to myself to just rest after all these hectic days.

Did I feel isolated and detached? Nope... thanks to aps like Facebook, I was greeting people where I could.

Photoblog - Day 259 Dec 24, 2010

Reunions... reunions...

Yeah, it's that time of the year when we get to see relatives we've hardly seen the past months - and I marvel at the fact that without Facebook, I might have missed them out in a crowd... amazing huh?

But reunions like this allow is to touch base - some, I'm sad to say, even just superficially. After all, if you hardly know anything about yourselves other than the fact that you have similar ancestors, what would you talk about? Well, apparently... our ancestors of course. I mean... what else?

I got to know more about a great-grand mother whom I've never heard of... and just realized that her story is being turned into a movie... just so her life and it's hardships can be told (and hopefully, some lessons learned?).

I also learned a story of my dad during his teen years... so yeah, I was laughing out loud at that.

The food was indisputably great... and I really have to watch my weight during these times. So yeah... I felt that if anything else, some more bridges were built between me and my cousins, uncles and aunts. We're not as close as I would like... but at least we have these occasions - and ones not sorrowful in nature (like funerals).

This picture shows my dad (center) and uncles sharing a light moment. So yeah... here's looking forward to the next one - the eve before the New Year.

Photoblog - Day 258 Dec 23, 2010

Last PM School 2010:

I must say that I normally do not look forward to handling PM school - it usually is too stuffed with topics, and should the participants be less inspired to talk, I (and my partner) would be exhausted for talking the entire day. Last time I handled this, I think I had to do a few days alone... so, to be honest, I was not really looking forward to this.

Lucky for me, Gina would be sharing the facilitating load with me... and we would have a class filled with very active listeners and more than a handful of people willing to share their Accenture experience... and we had people from different groups that somehow complemented each other when it came to asking questions raised to the group.

Bottom line? I really loved this session. Even if Gina and I were tired, due to our respective hectic weekends - and hectic Monday (Christmas party, remember?) even if we were going a bit over the official class time, we were both okay with it... heck we even had to intervene a few times to get the conversations to move along - lest we end up really having overtime on the last day.

But the experience shared - both from in and outside Accenture viewpoints; the tossing around of ideas; the invaluable insights into how certain parts of the company worked - this was all very interesting... and needed by these new (and not so new) PMs.

When 5PM finally came, I was almost sad to see it end... and surprise surprise... neither Gina, nor I was drained by this particular run. We enjoyed it... and more importantly, our participants enjoyed it. Great way to end my year of teaching/facilitating.

If only all PM classes were like this. Thanks a lot folks!

Photoblog - Day 257 Dec 22, 2010

Celebrating friendship:

This was supposed to be a night for the winners of our singing contest, while also being a night to celebrate one last time with some friends - at least, last time for the year, since they would have no more trainings for the rest of December.

That said, of the group that won, only Francis, Jinky and I were able to be there - accompanied with Lovern and Gina... the other two - Jingo and Brian, were occupied elsewhere... but I thought that was okay, since we also used up some of the cash, as part of our post party celebration. My thoughts here being that if it was near impossible to pull together all five, we could do two separate celebrations - so long as majority of the winners were able to enjoy it. It just so happened that both Gina and I were present in the two celebrations.

as I said though, it was also a night to share a drink with some of them - whom I would not be seeing until January... Jinky, Francis and Lovern fell into this category.

Of course, the evening was also loud... since we just happen to be in one small corner - right beside the karaoke speaker. Suffice to say, once we were done with the bucket of beer we ordered, we called it a night.

Photoblog - Day 256 Dec 21, 2010

December Comics:

I did take advantage of my being in Makati yesterday, to pass a comic shop I rarely frequent (simply because it is out of my usual route), because I needed to get a comic I asked them to get for me... and they called me a few days earlier to inform me that they did have the comic re-ordered. So I did need to go there... and my having to go to the Christmas party was the best coincidence to do just that.

Naturally, I took it upon myself to maximize my visit... deciding to get a few more issues from them - ones I hardly find in my regular comic shops.

That was last night. Reading these comics, however, were more scheduled for today (no time to do it last night, after all), since I was still in the middle of conducting a Project Management training with Gina. So I thought to myself... okay, while Gina is lecturing, I would have time to read these comics.

Most of them were catch-up reading with The Green Hornet, and I did get a comic I already had - simply because the cover was by Alex Ross... a tribute to Vampirella issue #1 back when it was first published by Warren magazine. Though it just showed the back of vampi - with Drakulon (the supposed planet she came from) as her background. I can't remember who painted the cover back then though.

These won't be the last comics I'll be getting this year... at least, I'd like to think so.

Photoblog - Day 255 Dec 20, 2010

Christmas Party:

The occasion is the Phoenix One Christmas party... the location is the rooftop of Asian Mansions in Makati... a private enough place for such a party with about 50 people (approximately speaking); and quite naturally, a place in general that I would want to avoid, since Makati is one of a handful of places in the middle of Christmas shopping madness, and therefore, horrendous traffic jams.

But... it is a Christmas party after all, and it has been a while since I've been part of one - the last one I remember being in was the Orange and Bronze party last year... I think, and I was just a spectator there - an invited guest. Not so here, as the picture shows.

Highlight of the night? Welcome to the Sing-along relay contest where a group of 5 people will be given a random song to sing, and they will have to try their best to interpret it. The thing is, it's virtually anything goes, and you had better hope that you get the luck of the draw with a song you know.

Lucky for us (us being Brian, Francis, Jinky and myself), we have Jingo on our team - but this being a relay, Jingo could only carry oh... 20% of the songs (roughly speaking). First round pick was a familiar enough tune - made famous by Billy Joel... then later, by Westlife (I think) - 'Uptown Girl'; and we squeezed in the top 3 with a 93 despite thinking we were goners.

Well next round was apparently more difficult - 'Staying Alive' by the Bee Gees... I mean, c'mon... really? Bee Gees? If if was 'Charade' - a song pre-falcetto Bee Gees days, I would have a fighting chance. As it was, I had to bring it several rungs lower just to turn in my tune, and the rest gladly followed. But we did not bother thinking we'd win - and I guess that helped. No pressure.

Our score? 99 - from there on, it was just a matter of time. The team that followed us must have been slightly intimidated... and Jingo even commented on the same thing to me. Anything less than 100 would not be good enough for them - and at the best, they could tie with another 99... and they would have, since their song was (at least to my mind) easier for a majority ladies team (Gloria Gaynor's I will Survive).

Photoblog - Day 254 Dec 19, 2010

Believe:

My kids are at this age where they don't believe in Santa Claus anymore... just paying lip service to the idea (and the person playing the role in this picture). Too bad... I feel that one of the things that keeps the magic of Christmas alive was their belief - and our helping instill said belief, in Santa.

Guess it was bound to happen, huh? And with loss of belief comes a certain added cynicism - though I don't think my kids are too cynical. I can't remember when I realized that there was no Santa... but this did not make me stop hoping or believing in the concept. I guess that sort of explains why I enjoy watching films of Santa, deep inside, I hope and pray that I do see Santa - and not just believe in a marketing idea. It's my inner child refusing to be totally swept away.

Photoblog - Day 253 Dec 18, 2010

Cheese plate:

This evening, Barbie and I hosted our second wine and cheese night for Fred and Carlos. If things go according to conversations from this night's gathering, we might just make this a semi-regular thing. This night, Fred brought his girl friend Clorian, hopefully in succeeding such nights, we'll have Gerry joining us as well (assuming he gets to pull himself from whatever keeps him very busy these days).

The cheese cutter was something I got from the St. James bazaar - something I specifically looked for, as I was getting frustrated with having to scrape the cheese from any knife. Aside from this, one could possibly glimpse some red and white colored plates and matching cloth napkins - all for better presentation... and items that we (that is, Barbie and I) bought from the Crossings Depaartment Store in Shangri La Plaza.

The table looked great, and we had a great time. Though this time, we consumed less wine as Carlos and I were more focussed on savoring a 15-year old Scotch (brouhgt by Carlos). We also had three cakes (two courtesy of Fred). Yup... looking forward to the next one - most probably by next year.

Photoblog - Day 251 Dec 16, 2010

New Star(bucks)!

This new building happens to be a two story Starbucks coffee place located in the Fort. Barbie had visited it and she wanted us to experience this as well. Naturally, I was curious about the new place, and lugged my camera to take a few pcitures.

The place was almost full - despite it's size, and seemingly out of the way location from the High Street and other more densely populated locales within Bonifacio. Still, we did find some seats (barely), and enjoyed our coffee.

Will I ever come back here to relax and enjoy the experience? Maybe... after all, I have no real reason to go back - considering that there are other, more convenient Starbucks locations - with the one if Fully Booked specifically coming ot mind. Technically, this is the building's rear... though it looks a bit more interesting that it's front.

Photoblog - Day 252 Dec 17, 2010

Blue:

As I said im a previous post (two days back), I was planning on taking a shot of me in the blue light. Where exactly did this blue light come from? Simple... I found a room filled with PCs and their monitors on standby Windows screen mode. This was where I took the picture of the clock as prep for my picture. Consdier this my official photo for the month.

It was a bit of a challenge too, considering I had no tripod with me during this shot, and I still had to consider how the camera somehow tried overcompensating to adjust it's shot looking too blue. How did I do this? Putting my ISO setting to 100, to capture light as quick as possible, not use a flash, and make sure my white balance was placed in a bright light mode, so the camera would compensate by making the shot slightly darker. But it didn't end there either... I had to add to the contrast of the pciture - remove the visible monitors and just leave the ligth relfection to do it's magic to me adn my features.

The results hoepfully speak for themselves.

Photoblog - Day 250 Dec 15, 2010

Tempus Fugit:

Time flies... so the saying goes - but at times, time seems to stand still as well... so which is it? The Greeks give us a clue - two actually. That is right, the Greek have two meanings to time that captures this duality. Chronos and Kairos.

Chronos, or linear time, is time that does not wait... the one that flies. It's what people are rushing to catch when they chase deadlines. Kairos, on the other hand, is quality time... the kind we'd like to stretch - to stand still, to freeze and rememebr forever with pcitures or videos.

But enough of this... let's talkabotu the picture. I took this clock in a room lit in blue - funny how just that fact makes an otherwise mundane picture seem to be seen in a differnt light (and yes, I intended the pun - sue me if you find it corny). I wnated to capture the clock in the blue hue... and yes, this was in preperation of another shot I was hoping to take... this time, with me in the frame. Unfortunately, my camera took this time to run out of juice. Ah well... will do this at another date... and post the results here too.

Photoblog - Day 249 Dec 14, 2010

New Laptop:

Okay... maybeit's nto so new, but it's a laptop and it's mine. Consider this a Christmas gift I'm giving myself - and Lord knows I needed one after my old reliable became less reliable. So now I'm going to be luggin around this Toshiba Satellite whenever I need to access my files.

I'd go through the specs - but I think it would not be so interesting to some folks, so suffice to say this laptop is larger, more powerful and heavier than my old one. It's an improvement in almost all aspects - and I'm lucky it fits into my laptop backpack.

I'll admit to still adjusting to the use of this laptop, and I still have to consolidate my files - but with my TB portable HD, that shouldn't be much of a problem.

Photoblog - Day 248 Dec 13, 2010

New Batch:

Yeah, yeah... regular followers of this blog (there must be at least one of you, right?) will probably think 'ho hum, another entry about his comics' - and in that regard, you may be right; but consider the fact that this is a photoblog of how I spent my tear - and if it isn't obvious yet, let me point out that I collect and buy comics almost on a weekly basis. So don't be surprised with these entries (and this certainly won't be the last for the year... or this project).

That said, let me say something about this new batch...

Vampirella! A new number one issue at that. I've been a fan of the character since... well since her Vampirella black and white magazine days. Let's face it, her early adventures were rather okay... but the art, and how her character was written - hoo boy, was she a fantasy piece for every '70s comic geek. I've heard the B&W stories will be reprinted by Dynamite... that's cool too. I wouldn't mind recollecting Vampi.

Aside from that, there's the Chaos War... hmmm... I'm still on the fence on this, but getting it anyway. The Green Hornet is another Dynamite product... and I'm starting to respect this publisher a whole lot more. After all, this incarnation of Green Hornet is being penned by Kevin Smith. The runaway surprise that I enjoyed, though is the Chaos War's Dead Avengers - and though I don't know where this is going yet, it seems well crafted, and I do miss a few of the characters here.

Lastly... Children's Crusade. A good story and a nice twist - great characterization and art... but where is this going, I wonder? Regardless, I'm just glad that Wanda - the real Wanda it seems, is back.

Photoblog - Day 247 Dec 12, 2010

Meet Bruce:

No, he isn't our dog. Bruce is based in my in-laws place in Cavite, and we just happened to pay them a visit today. Bruce was bought by my brothers and sisters-in-law in Tiendesitas sometime November this year. He's just a puppy (pedigreed), though I doubt he'll grow dramatically larger than his current frame. After all, Bruce's breed (a Pug if I'm not mistaken) does not lend itself to growing much larger than his current size.

Bruce's breed's claim to fame came form the movie 'Men in Black', wherein one alien disguises himself as the dog of a newspaper owner - and I remember this becasue I remember a lot of trivial items related to movies... specially comic adaptations (as Men in Black was).

Back to Bruce... he greeted us enthusiastically and as some other pcitures would attest, he is likewise ready to play at a moment's notice. Wonder if his demeanor - and outlook towards strangers will change as he gets older? In this picture, we see Barbie controling Bruce's movements, so he could have his picture taken.

As for the picture itself, since I wanted to use all natural light, I declined using a flash to allow the dominance of orange to come through.

Photoblog - Day 246 Dec 11, 2010

Christmas Bacardi Get Together:

Yes, it's that most wonderful time of the week - a weekend with a Bacardi Night, and not just any Bacardi night; mind you... but one that's got the larger group together for our 2nd Annual Christmas gathering / white elephant - exchange gift game. It's also a great time for us to play catch up with old friends whom we've not seen in a while - or whom we've had little time to sit down and talk shop with - due to the hectic demands of work.

As you can see by the picture, we were able to have a sizable group - counting just four absentees from this gathering. Oh well, next time we'll hopefully have a more complete attendance... and talking about next bacardi nights, before this night ended, we more or less, pegged the schedules and locations for the next two Bacardi Nights for 2011.

For thsi pic, I set the camera on timer mode, and lucky for us all, Nai had a tripod handy. So cheers folks... and see you all again after all these holiday traffic.

Photoblog - Day 243 Dec 08, 2010

Partaaaay!

Okay, it's not as wild as the title connotes, and the picture isn't indicative of how wild I might have been that entire evening. I wasn't drunk... far from it... I was just pulled into joining the Limbo Rock game/activity by the Red Cross Makati volunteers - the people who were the primary reason for this party. Come to think of it, this party was already their second - you might say, an extension to their afternoon party... though I missed that one, since I had training.

Yup... Red Cross Makati. I'm starting to slowly integrate myself into the organization as a volunteer, mentor cum 'partner'. I've actually been asked by John Tiong - the Makati group's current chair; and long time college buddy of mine, to join them... for, oh... about a year now. I did not commit then because I was unsure of how regular work would be coming, and I did not want to give a half-meant commitment. Now... I can better work with them... though integrating myself slowly into the group.

Meanwhile, from what I hear, this kind of thing happens monthly... how about that?

Was I worried as I was doing the limbo rock? Not really... after all, I was surrounded by people who were experts in First Aid... with a group that had the most complete equipment, and best trained pool of volunteers. Nope... no worries at all.

Photoblog - Day 245 Dec 10, 2010

My Test Design Class:

This particular training started last Wednesday, and ended today - in the course of the conduct these seven individuals became quite inquisitive and communicative - not just with the lessons taught, but with each other's lives. Because of this, what was possibly one boring technical class turned into a lively -and at times, even riotous (though not too riotous, of course) 3-day session.

I was not the only facilitator here - as I was sharing the lecture load with Tess... and we were both amused with how the trainees conversations went - consider a typical workshop assignment or video-based discussion: whereas others would concentrate on their respective monitors, doing the tasks by themselves, these people would keep talking to each other... then later, across the room - to the others in another table regarding non-training related stuff... all while trying to do the lessons' activities.

Rather than stop this freewheeling discussions, I allowed it to keep going; all the while observing the group of individuals getting seemingly closer with each other. By day 3 some of them were joking around as if they knew each other for quite some time now. Imagine that. Tess and I even jokingly referred to some discussions in the same vein as a 'my grandpa is better than your grandpa' discussion amongst kids in a playground - these are all adults talking; mind you.

I have to admit that this has got to be one of the better group dynamics I've seen happen. Mind you, they were not probably the best combination of smarts - but they were most likely an ideal combination for forming a team... had circumstances put them into one project, that is.

Interesting experience. Too bad it ended. Their banters made everyone's training less regimented... less dragging, less boring. No one fell asleep - in fact, no one seemed to need coffee. They were all sustained by each one learning more about their new friends - and the training's lessons along the way.

This was one time I did not feel too drained from facilitating. I was too busy enjoying... listening to the side-conversations as well.

Photoblog - Day 244 Dec 09, 2010

My New Trades!

When comics are printed on a monthly basis, they usually have story arcs that span a few issues... maybe four; at times, six. I mean, it's easy to say these are stories subdivided into smaller parts and one gets to read them in roughly 20+ pages of stories - released monthly (or in some cases, weekly).

As a comic collector, I've been used to this buy, read and 'wait another month for the continuation' routine, and because I was a collector - past trades were not that interesting to me, since they represented stories of issues I already had (or, in cases where I missed getting an issue... mostly had). The price was therefore not that attractive to me... and let's face it, some stories were not worth the binding they were placed on - even if the bindings were better than your average stapled comic book.

So why am I seemingly slowly getting to be a trade paperback convert? Simple... there have been back issues that I missed out on - in some instances, whole stories... specially from DC's titles belonging to the pre-Crisis era. I know, some of you may be wondering exactly what I'm alluding to... suffice it to say, that was one big event in DC and it was a perfect steeping stone for me to slowly integrate myself to said universe.

One such title was the Legion of Superheroes... and one such story arch was the Darkness Saga. So you can imagine how glad I was to get this yesterday evening. I also heard a lot about Fables, and am likewise trying the title out. Advantages of trades therefore are two-fold in this instance... it gave me a second chance to get into opportunities (story arcs) missed, and the second? I need not wait a long time, nor need I worry about a broken arc with a missing issue.

Photoblog - Day 242 Dec 07, 2010

Quiet Reading Corner:

When I can find time for reading... and I do find time in between lectures, I catch up on a variety of subject matters - for example, Time has an article regarding Wikileaks, that I was just curious about , so I got the issue - and should I grow tired of reading Time's articles, I switch to a book - in this case, I am now reading Seth Godin's Tribes. My first Godin book, actually. I was curious about him before - and I do subscribe to his articles in the website... but it is just now that I considered getting a Godin book.

I know he's got a lot of ideas - often times, radical paradigm shift ideas... but hey, it helps put the status quo in a different light. This one is more leadership oriented... or at least, it tries to be. It's also easy reading, but I have to say, I guess I've grown accustomed to Seth's style on the web... short write-ups, and I'm still on the bench wondering if I prefer his style here (longer but more complete with explanation), or simply short and profound (due to a seeming lack of explanation).

Ah well... guess it's time I renewed some of my passions for leadership, and likewise renew my tribal influences. They haven't disappeared - though I'd say they have somehow hibernated.

Oh yeah... and reading goes so well with either some coffee or tea; both of which I can get in Starbucks.

Photoblog - Day 241 Dec 06, 2010

Comics - Week 1, December:

Yeah, I know it's been a while since I featured some comics in my blog... it's not that I wasn't getting any, it was more likely that I was featuring other things - after all, my life isn't just all about comics. I was simply making sure that there was no monotony regarding the topics of coverage that I was placing in this 365 project.

Having said that, I show a collection of comics that I got just this weekend, and will start reading them soon as I find the time - which would normally mean before sleeping - or if I can, I'd bring them with me to work and do tackle an issue or two (or three) in my free time.

Of this batch, I continue enjoying Fantastic Four, and am likewise curious as to where the new direction of Batman is going.

Photoblog - Day 240 Dec 05, 2010

A Night of Symphony!

One of the nice things about shopping at malls this time of year happens to be the special, and free shows that these establishments have set up for their shopping public. It can be a great opportunity to see how certain institutions stand the test of time; and in this case, we have the Manila Symphony Orchestra jamming Christmas tunes to the shopping crowd.

I happen to be one of such crowd - and as Barbie and Bernice were looking for gifts to give Bernice's faculty and Barbie's officemates, I listened to the Manila Symphony do some classic tunes from the Nut Cracker Suite. Later they even started playing more traditional and romantic Christmas tunes.

Some friends even asked me in Facebook where and when the Manila Symphony would play next... back then I had no answer - but now I do. They'll be playing on the 18th, at the Fort's Bonifacio High Street.

Photoblog - Day 239 Dec 04, 2010

Polo Club Tree:

As part of my effort to take pictures with a Christmas theme, I try looking for scenes or decors that look inspiring, wonderful or just down right fantastic - though this tree may not fit all those adjectives, I definitely found it awesome to look at (so it was at least inspiring), hence my taking it.

The place - for those of you who may be wondering, is the lobby of the Manila Polo Club. I attended a meeting there with a group that will hopefully spark some inspiration and lead to opportunities to 'give back to the community', while making sure that should certain 'worse case scenarios' happen (and I'm knocking on wood that they don't), we'll be ready to help and serve.

I believe I've hinted more than enough - but I'll keep it limited there for a while... and when it's the 'right time' to announce this endeavor, I shall. Meanwhile, let's just keep enjoying the Christmas holiday's approach and it's myriad decors.

National Geographic Magazine Your Shot

Pictures I hope to add to... sometime soon:

I've always marveled at how those NatGeo pictures were taken. To be sure, these were expert photographers with cameras and equipment that would dwarf my Canon by comparison - and to be sure, these people have been at this creative process much longer than I.

Needless to say, I have secretly harbored a dream to submit a photo to National Geographic and hopefully see it chosen by them. Well guess they heard me - and a multitude of like-minded photo enthusiasts, because with this link that dream is one step closer to reality.

So if you are like me... well, here's your chance. I've registered. It's now a matter of choosing what picture I hope Nat Geo will like. Good luck to me (and you, should you decide to join as well).

National Geographic Magazine Your Shot: "Add National Geographic Your Shot site content onto your Web space."

Photoblog - Day 238 Dec 03, 2010

Batch 78 X-mas Reunion:

Yup, that's me with some of my batch-mates from High School (La Salle Greenhills, Batch '78), as we got together in Kuya's restaurant in The Fort. We normally hold these gatherings every first Thursday of December, and this is the 3rd (or 4th) Christmas reunion I've attended with them.

I arrived a bit late, though... so I may not have seen my other batch-mates that may have come earlier - but left before I arrived... and assuming I was last to arrive ( I dropped by around 10:30pm, having come from a Toastmasters Meeting), that would mean this particular reunion night had 30 attendees (yes, I was number 30).

Considering that a lot of our numbers were busy - and others may have found the traffic a downer when considering whether they would attend or not, 30 isn't a bad number - still, the more the merrier comes to mind... oh well, the night was not a downer. Henry showed us pictures of old La Salle and even some of St. John the Baptist's stuff from a museum. Plus, I did get to see one 'friend' that I have not seen in a while - Jomini Venago... a guy who shared the same passion for comics as I.

So considering that I probably stayed for about an hour and a half, it wasn't a bad night - in fact I was glad we ended early... that is, if you can consider near midnight as early. Yes, this picture was taken before we called it a night, so it was technically a Friday already.

Photoblog - Day 237 Dec 02, 2010

Toastmasters:

I have not been actively pursuing my Toastmasters connections and trainings for about... oh, three or four years now. I just find myself too tired, coming from work - and if the idea is to practice public speaking or feedback-giving in the club meetings, well... I do that almost every week in my work anyway. So you could say there seems to be some redundancies between my work and the Toastmasters.

This does not mean that I will not attend meetings when invited by other clubs - specially from colleagues whom I've rubbed elbows with when I was still active... and one such colleague is Jeck Maog - who, out of the blue, invited me to be their General Evaluator for this evening's meeting. I warned Jeck that it has been a while since I attended such meetings, but to her... once a TM, always a TM - plus she favored me with the reminder that I was an evaluator champion back then, so... well, how does one turn an invite down after hearing that?

The evening was nostalgic for me... reprising a role I've done many occasions - though not recently. I marveled at the Mangers for Christ TMC's new blood (mostly La Salle graduates - so maybe I shouldn't be too surprised, he he he), and how well they delivered their speech projects - and I was glad to give feedback to a lot of my colleagues in my capacity as G.E.

I sincerely hope I helped with my insights, and though I don't relish the idea of being invited by others soon enough (like I said, I can get tired after work), I can't deny the fact that TM meetings are fun and energizing... plus if you get to help others improve... well, isn't that good karma for you?

Photoblog - Day 236 Dec 01, 2010

Countdown to Christmas:

It's December! Finally! And what does this mean? Among other things, to many of us Filipinos, it means that Christmas is just 24 days away. To others, it means a reality check to see if they are ready for the yuletide celebration... in whatever manner they see fit to celebrate it. It could be a reminder to double-check their Christmas gift-giving list... to see if everyone's accounted for; and see if they already have do their Christmas shopping.

For others (and I fall under this category), the need to plan in advance for the Noche Buena meal, by getting the necessary ingredients lest we run out of it - due to an increase in demand for such items (e.g. the cream and condensed milk to be used for fruit salads).

For some, it's to find the 'Christmas songs' library from their iPod or hard drives - and start playing them without any guilt trip of looking silly for playing the songs too early. Naturally, there is also setting up of the homes, offices and malls with decors - to join the celebration of Christmas.

This picture is such a situation - decors hanging on the ceiling of the training room - not too many to distract... just enough to remind everyone (as if we need reminding) of the season. I took two pictures of this trio of over-sized pine cones, just to see which picture would come out better. The one without the use of flash looked more natural - but the one where the camera flash was used presents a more lively and colorful picture. can you guess which picture I decided to use in this photoblog?

Photoblog - Day 235 Nov 30, 2010

Morning Rush Observer:

This is what I ended up doing... since I did not have any trainings to conduct today, I was able to bring Barbie to her annual medical check-up appointment - then looked for a place to hang around in the Ortigas area. I remembered the Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf in the vicinity, so ended up parking nearby... grabbing my camera and backpack (with a few reading materials), ordered breakfast and enjoyed the morning in a relaxed manner.

One of the things I readily observed was how people were in a rush... moving here and there - going past the coffee shop, on their way to (or... in the case of some call center employees - coming from ) work. I even had a team of call center agents and presumably their team lead (or manager) meet, just one table away. I did not eavesdrop in their meeting - focusing instead, on reading my new issue of Time magazine. But, boy... did it feel good to be apart form this rush crowd situation... even if it was just for a day.

Did they wondered who I was and why I was not part of their situation? I mean, I was just in t-shirt, shorts and rubber-shoes, so I was obviously not in work attire... but did they indeed even notice? Maybe... then again, maybe they were too caught up in their everyday work concerns.

If such were the case, I couldn't blame them... I would, after all, find myself joining them in this morning rush come tomorrow. But until then... I found it quite relaxing to just observe things... to be a silent witness, without having to be
a participant of the rush hour - even for just a day.

Photoblog - Day 234 Nov 29, 2010

Jump!

here's a fun picture showing Bernice raising some snacks for Bubbles and Buffy, to get them to stand on their hind legs - while I capture the moment with the camera. Buffy deciding that same moment to jump was just a coincidence - and I'm glad I got it.

Just to backtrack a bit... I've been trying to catch Buffy in action - specifically, in mid-leap from the floor to the sofa, but she was just too fast to get properly. I tried at least twice, to no avail. So this one is a welcome 'accident' of pressing the button the same time as her leap.

Indeed, when I took the picture - having the presence of mind to put in in the camera's highest ISO speed setting, I looked at the picture at once, knowing the rarity of what I just got... and lucky me, it was not too blurry either.

So there we go... Buffy in mid-leap. Not the leap I planned dot get, but this will do... until I try to get her other leap in the future. Making the picture better is of course the fact that Bubbles is likewise doing a half-hearted leap (she need not leap that far) to likewise get her snack.

Photoblog - Day 233 Nov 28, 2010

St James Bazaar!

This is just one of several Christmas decors-related booths that I spotted in St. James Bazaar, ans as I took this, I thought it would make a great picture to sum up what I did today.

Dubbed as the largest Christmas Bazaar in the South - it's held in Alabang, and from what I gather, it could easily beat a lot of bazaars in the North as well; this Bazaar help in the Cuenca Gym of Ayala Alabang, is a must visit bazaar around this time of the year. In fact, this is my... oh, fourth year, I believe- visiting this.

What do I like about it? It's a virtual one-stop-shop, and not all booths are from traditional sellers (ones you see in all bazaars), some can really be stores for great discounts or novelty items.

truth to tell, even I find myself spending a trifle too much (than planned) on many items - some... useful, some... useful... sometimes, and others... well, they're nice to look at, but darn if I'll get to use them (though I did get to use one with Barbie late at night - it'll be our secret though). I was accompanied by both Barbie and Bernice - and while they concentrated on clothing and bags for giveaways, I looked around for anything that would fancy my curiosity... and I must say I was tempted to return the next day. Got a few fancy dice, some poker-chips designed rubber coasters, a fancy umbrella with a ninja's katana hilt as it's handle design ( this was specifically for Bryce, and he loved it), just to name a few.

Too bad, I did not get to see too many friends, as I would usually do (they went yesterday, while others would go tomorrow) - though I did get to see Fred, and Froggy was around somewhere, though I did not see him. Still, I got to spend a bit - and I shall take pictures of some of these buys in another day.

Photoblog - Day 232 Nov 27, 2010

Harry Potter 7:

This was a week delayed... then again, last Saturday, we'd have been lucky to score tickets at all. As expected, this movie has a lot of followings (my family included) and I must say that the mood here is dark and gripping. Contrasting it to the very first movie which was more about the discovery and wonders about Magic, now it was more siege mentality for Harry and his friends.

Did the movie feel less spectacular for it being split into two parts? I guess not - of course, I will need to see the other half some time middle of next year before I can give any real opinion on the matter - but sitting in the audience, being one of the few people without any clue as to what the Deathly Hollows are about (I did not read any Harry Potter book), I'd say I was entertained, and do look forward to the concluding second part.

Photoblog - Day 231 Nov 26, 2010

Better Meetings:

This is a picture of my class - the one I conducted with Joie Manatad for the past two days. It was a challenge due to the fact that the class was originally designed for a maximum of 12 participants... and we had 22. Go figure...

Anyway, despite that challenge, we were able to find some work-around to our dilema - and would have found better 'work-arounds' if we had some information about room availabilities.

That said, I believe we were able to get the messages across to our participants, lessons were learned and practical techniques tried out. Hopefully, they are now better armed with facilitating skills - and that's all we can hope for.

That said, I had a major head-ache in the afternoon - and was just lucky that Joiei was a seasoned Toastmaster evaluator, so I asked her to carry the feedback portion.

This picture shows the class conducting a 'meeting' as Joie and I (both behind the camera) observe them.

Photoblog - Day 230 Nov 25, 2010

Blue Room:

This is just one of the many rooms in Ahavia Spa, in San Juan. Unfortunately, I was unable to take a very clear picture of the room, as it's darkness; with exception to the blue lighting, would insist on a tripod... or me having really steady hands. Well the former, I did not bring... and the latter, not after a massage.

And yes, I had a massage on the eve of Wednesday... just in time, it would seem, to get over my previous technical training (of which day 3 I was basically alone again), so I was really tired and needed this massage. Well it seems like Barbie likewise needed said massage, and asked if I wanted to go to Ahavia - and who am I to say no?

I mean, we were so much in need of this massage that we forgot all about a TV series we normally watched with the kids - namely Glee. Oh well... as I said, I really needed the massage. If anything, this would really get me ready for the next two days of class - a less technical, but still tiring two day Achieving Meeting Results workshop. One thing different about this training though, is the fact that it will be conducted with Joie Manatad - a past Toastmaster colleague, but now with NGL Consulting... a competitor of Phoenix One.

Me? I couldn't care less... Joie and I have been friends longer that our consultancy work in our respective companies now - so I'm expected to hand-hold Joie through the whole shebang... so be it.

Oh yeah... the massage I got was the Stress Buster - timely, I'd say... and definitely helped. As for the Blue Room - I will... come next time, bring my tripod and get a bloody clearer picture of this room. I mean, this is twice I've tried taking the picture... and in this instance I even used a chair's backrest as resting point for the camera. No luck yet - at least, one that matches my total satisfaction.

Definitely an "I shall return" moment. He he.

Photoblog - Day 229 Nov 24, 2010

Gourmet Coffee...

Kona Gourmet Coffee - one of the nicer tasting coffee that Barbie and I enjoy. We discovered this two years ago, and now... whenever Barbie (or someone we know) gets to go to Guam, she makes it a point to get us a few bags so we could enjoy brewing them at home.

As you can see, they come in a variety of tastes - and though others will like the taste of Kona by itself (so do I), I don't mind having these flavored versions either. They're perfect for sliding into a Saturday morning... or on occasion when we're both not in a hurry to wake up and rush to work. Yup... I even, at times, take a cup in the evening... specially when Ben offers to make some, since he too enjoys the taste.

Photoblog - Day 228 Nov 23, 2010

Life is like...

Yes, I remember Forest Gump the movie... and though I did find it a bit dragging, that quote may be one of the more memorable ones to come by any movie - at least, whenever I see a box of Chocolates. And what better box to see than that of See's?

I had to take this picture because I knew that there may not be another time for me to do so... after all, Barbie and I were about to partake of life... and lucky for us, the kids did not like chocolates with much nuts (though not all of them had nuts), nor did they not want the surprises each chocolate would offer; since there were no labels telling us which was what - but I guess that was half the fun of the experience... discovering.

No... we did not finish it all in one (or two, or three) sittings. After getting one each, I closed the box telling Barbie we should extend it as long as we could - you should have seen the look on her face. Of course, knowing her... I expect a few commando raids to the box when I'm not looking.

If anyone out there is contemplating what to give me for Christmas... look no further and take a hint form this particular photo. Better yet, let me spell it out... I would want more See's chocolates... preferably, one that comes with a safe? After all, I need to make sure no mysterious creatures get to them.

Photoblog - Day 228 Nov 23, 2010

Love ko 'to:

Say what you will about the rumors of MacDonald's burgers and their preservatives, this has nothing to do with that anyway. fact of the matter is, no matter how unhealthy some of their fares might be, there are still a few items in their menu that are meant to be enjoyed by one's 'inner child' - and if you don't believe me, just look at Barbie's delightful smile as she proudly shows off her Twister Fries and Ice Cream cone!!!

Yup... it seems like our foray into the Piazza (second time in a row) was bound to get to a Twister Fry or a Sundae. She asked me if I wanted to partake of her twin pleasures and I declined... after all, these were her's to enjoy... not to mention that earlier in the day - lunchtime to be exact, I went out of the office to head for MacDonald's to get... you guessed it! Twister Fries and a Hot Fudge Sundae.

Healthy? Maybe not... but they allow the inner children in us to enjoy, once in a while - so I'd say go on and enjoy them (with moderation of course), because in this instance they do become food for the soul.

Photoblog - Day 227 Nov 22, 2010

Figaro on a Rainy Monday Eve:

This is one picture that I just took out of the blue - I sort of liked how the rain always tends to emphasize color while making things look cleaner and brighter (as vividly depicted by the Figaro outdoor umbrellas). On the other hand, the Piazza's surroundings always look better in the evening - with the lights added, the surroundings come alive. You'll never see this kind of liveliness and color in the daylight.

Likewise the buildings in the background - simply showing reflections... with nary a hint of activity inside them... almost giving off a cold sophisticated feeling with their reflective windows - but come evening, we get a glimpse of activity in them.

Put them all together... plus the almost surreal skyline with an evening shot, and you get this very picturesque moment. A scene I would not mind looking at - either live or by this captured picture, for long moments. I mean, I know what I was taking as a collusion of the weather, time of day and surroundings... but wow... even I was surprised with what I got.

How did I get here? Simple, I was waiting for Barbie - we were both getting off from work and since we decided to do the groceries, she opted to meet me at the Piazza. Traffic was heavy then, so I waited at Figaro's - so you could say it was simply chance... or fate.

Photoblog - Day 226 Nov 21, 2010

Greenhills decors:

This is a picture of Bryce while we were having our dinner at Pho Hoa restaurant on the side of Virra Mall, Greenhills - the one facing the garden. having gone to mass at the Greenhills chapel (just a stone's throw away from Pho Hoa), we decided not to go far in search of a place and opted for Pho Hoa.

But the reason I wanted this picture taken was to also show the decors in Greenhills. As you can see, they are simply representations of gift-wrapped boxes; complete with ribbons, with lights inside them to serve as lamps/decors. On a practical sense, I can't fault them for it... the 'gifts' serve the dual purpose well. However, and this is just a personal opinion, I guess I find the gifts (and their wrappers) as too generic to represent or signify Christmas.

Now maybe it's also the fact that there's a large Muslim population here, hence the downplay of Christmas and a shift to Happy Holidays? Maybe so... but even the gifts are still too generic for this. I mean, we give gifts to our loved ones whenever there is a special occasion - be it on birthdays, baptisms, graduations or even just a plain private term of endearment between lovers on their anniversaries. So the symbolism of gift-giving is ; at least to me, too generic to represent the Holidays of December.

Oh wait... are they planning to use these gift decors all year round? Now that would be brilliantly frugal. But c'mon... shouldn't Christmas and the rest of the holidays being celebrated be more than that?

To their credit, this is not the main decor of the Greenhills Shopping Center - after all, they do have their life-sized mural up front... a practice they seemed to have inherited and continued to do these past years - one that hies back to the old C.O.D. Cubao days. So I guess, I should ease off a little, huh?

Photoblog - Day 225 Nov 20, 2010

By my library:

This is how I imagine myself when reading a book beside my library - the surroundings are quiet (or some relatively soft background music playing is a possibility - so long as the playlist does not distract me form my reading). The weather is just fine... I mean, this was in the middle of the afternoon - but with the thick drapes and an industrial fan keeping ventilation active, it hardly felt hot at all. While my pets are likewise relaxing - either upstairs with the rest of the family - or with me (as seen here). definitely an idyllic scene for reading. Such was this particular afternoon... I should make sure I have more of these kinds of afternoons.

I used my Gorilla tripod and the camera's timer to take this picture. Yeah... and the good thing was, this was my first take - no need for succeeding takes. Definitely in the zone when it comes to imagining the scene- then taking pictures... and seeing them come out exactly as planned. I'd like to think it was all skill - but honestly? Yeah... some luck was involved here. Although, I might hastily add - I'm needing less luck these days too.

Photoblog - Day 224 Nov 19, 2010

Waiting Companions:

This evening, I ended my class around 10pm - but that wasn't the end of the night. Apparently, Bryce had a party to attend and asked me if I could fetch him around 10pm - well naturally I said yes... after all, the timing was just right. From work, I'd just go straight to Greenhills to fetch Bryce, right?

Apparently, I arrived in good time, and Bryce wasn't ready to leave his friends yet - so I hied myself over to Krispy Kreme (it was the closest to the parking I'd chosen), to while my time away. Naturally I ordered coffee, and a doughnut - nothing fancy, just a glazed piece. As my order was given me, I naturally decided to capture the moment with my camera.

SO how was the food and coffee? The coffee was strong - it somehow felt like it was the dreg of the large kettle - or that was just my imagination, but it was definitely thick and strong (it kept me up and alert until 3am - time I used sharing some drinks with Ben later, at home) and definitely complimented the doughnut. I thought I would need the waker-upper and the sugar rush, if I were to stay alert while driving... boy, did this one-two punch do the trick.

Maybe they're better off as a breakfast dynamic duo - but hey... guess I got what I was asking for, right?

Photoblog - Day 223 Nov 18, 2010

Time magazine:

Today I find myself co-facilitating two trainings... Achieving Meeting Results (with Brian) in the morning, and Leader's Window (with Mon) from afternoon until 10pm - yup... a 12-hour work day. Obviously a scheduling / resource constraint problem. But need I add, a nice problem for me to have - since it means more money coming in for Christmas time.

That said, since both these gentlemen are hardly tyros in training, I do find free time and must therefore find ways and means to keep myself busy - in this case, the latest special issue of Time - with focus on the World's best inventions of 2010... and what great inventions they are... a jet pack - finally! - which I first saw in an old James Bond film... maybe they can remake that one too - but this time, using the legit thing. a car/plane! (I shudder to think of flying jeepneys and the undisciplined driver/pilot - all thinking they're Hans Solo), salvaged car parts to make much needed incubators... amazing.

It's really inspiring to read that there are such great ideas out there. Almost inspiring enough to wonder how I too can contribute to the betterment of humanity.

As for the USB stick... I brought it along because I plan to print out rather large pictures of the family that I took with the DSLR - have them framed and displayed at home. When that project is done, I'll surely show it in this photoblog.

Photoblog - Day 222 Nov 17, 2010

New Holmes Adventure!

I am a fan of adventure stories - be they set in the future, current or past... in this particular case, the Victorian times, and when we talk that genre, I automatically relate it to characters like Sherlock Holmes. I've obviously read many Holmes stories, and am delighted when I discover new ones because it means that someone took pains to tell a tale of the World's Greatest Detective... which is not an easy feat.

Add to that the fact that this story is told in a very visual medium (in graphic novel format) and you have an even greater challenge. It is understandable that this tale would meet many skeptics - myself included (that is, had I even known of the effort early enough), at the tale's start.

But... like any fan, I sincerely wanted the creative folks to succeed and add new tales of Holmes. With what I've read - and considering their challenges, I'd say this was a great story.

I rarely buy comics outside of Marvel and DC, and I normally get the separate issues - as against the pricier collected trades. Well this one is not just a trade, but a hardbound one, and I readily bought the graphic novel. Guess that shows how I liked Holmes (giving the creative team the benefit of doubt and my hard earned cash), and I'm glad I did not feel disappointed - nor ripped-off.

More so, this act of buying trades, seems to have started endearing me to the idea of waiting until certain trades are out, instead of getting the individual issues. It certainly led to a more enjoyable read... though I wouldn't mind being placed in suspense for a month by way of a good cliff-hanger either.

Still... this collected trade has not placed the title and creative team into my radar. I hopefully await a sequel - and naturally, a new Holmes adventure in the (equally hopefully) near future... and yes, I wouldn't mind it in hardbound trade format either.

Oh yeah... beside the trade (soft cover out to preserve it, while I read the graphic novel) is my new Starbucks mug from Vegas (filled with mint tea). No - I did not go to Vegas recently (I wish...). It was a gift.

I was simply enjoying the read, while sipping tea - awaiting my time to lecture in an Application Testing School. Great way to pass the time, right?

Photoblog - Day 221 Nov 16, 2010

Early Dinner:

This Tuesday happens to be a holiday for the Philippines, respecting and commemorating the Muslim event 'Eid al-Ftir'; a 3-day celebration in some parts of the world, but for us, I guess, one day will do. The point is, this would have been just a simple non-event day for me, had it not been for Bernice and Barbie wanting to do something... anything, so long as it takes them out of the house. Result? A trip to the Shang with the two of them - with Bryce opting to just stay home and play online games.

Once we arrived, one of the first things we did was to have a late merienda/early dinner (having had a light late lunch sometime around 2pm, I guess stomachs started growling) and we chose to go eat at Sango... a Japanese (or is it Korean) fusion place that serves American style burgers (and they're great too!). Even for non-beef eaters, there are options in their menu (and for some reason, we all did not eat their beef burgers that day - so Barbie and Bernice had the Chicken variety while I had the Fish fillet version.

This shot is both a reminder for that lazy afternoon and a picture that I intend to place in the Sango Facebook page (as one of their promo suggests), who knows? I might just get a free meal out of it, next time I pay them a visit.

Photoblog - Day 220 Nov 15, 2010

My Cocktail Glass Rimmers:

I know, spell check isn't accepting 'rimmer' as a word - but what do you call something that can help place the necessary salt particles on a glass's rim? Well, Rimmer works for me - until I can think of something more acceptable.

If you look closely at the picture, it's not just about the rimmer either - I also have a Bacardi ready mixed drink bottle - just add lime and crushed (actually muddled) mint leaves, some ice and viola! Mojitos the way Bacardi meant it to be. Add to the the Mojitos powdered sugar and lime on the glass's rim and I can imagine many enjoyable drinks during the Christmas season.

The other rimmer is the Margarita salt, and I intend to use it some time soon too. In fact, maybe in the next drinking session here... when next I will be making Mojitos and Margaritas.

The acorns are just for a more Christmas-like show; not to be considered as added ingredients to the drinks.

That said, I like how this picture came out - it almost looks like a commercially shot picture for the products' endorsement. and who knows, since I'll be blogging this - wouldn't that be a sort of endorsement or advertisement?

Photoblog - Day 219 Nov 14, 2010

Ben's Birthday Celebration!

Ben's birthday happened on the 9th, but we decided to celebrate in the weekend instead - this way, we wouldn't worry about work the next day. We were just a small group - most notably the Boni Bacardi regulars (meaning Jingo, Brian, Barbie, Ben and me) and we really did this in a spontaneous manner. No Mojitos this night... but that did not mean we came in dry.

We started with a new drink... the Tanduay Ice (seen in this picture) - a drink that is citrus-tasting with three alcoholic beverages (not mentioned) which made up for a cool drink with little alcohol content. We then transitioned to wine - three bottles; and complemented these with cheese. Once the bottles of wine were consumed, Jingo - using the Bar Tender's Bible (Mr. Boston's Official Bartender's Party Guide), did research on what we could come up with and discovered the ironically named Gentle Ben. Needless to say it was hardly Gentle... but it somehow fit that the drink would carry our celebrator's name.

Needless to say, any responsible drinking will be realized if one wakes up the next morning without any hangover - and kudos to our making sure we monitored our alcohol level intake (always going higher - never lower), I, at least, did not have any hangover.

Though technically this started Saturday evening, it very well extened to Sunday morning - and let's face it... it was memorable. More memorable than my mundane Sunday; which was okay too, as it befitted the concept of a 'rest day'

Photoblog - Day 218 Nov 13, 2010

Our Christmas Tree!

Today, I decided to check our Christmas lights - a move I planned dot do since last weekend, but with other things happening it got pushed back. Lucky me, there was nothing in the plate for today - so I could concentrate on the lights and the tree. When Barbie came down and saw me doing the lights and tree, she started playing Christmas songs on the PC connecting it to the entertainment system speakers, thus adding volume - to get me in the spirit of things... inspire me to continue working on what I was doing. Well it worked!

Normally, the tree would take a few days to finish, but today I worked on it continuously for almost five hours (only breaking for lunch) and when I was done, Barbie - as has been our practice, steps in to place the decors. Thus has been our collaborative effort every year - and we did not see any reason to change the practice.

I believe the result speaks for itself (hint: I can be more breathtaking if seen live). So yeah... I'm proud of our tree.

Photoblog - Day 217 Nov 12, 2010

Creative side to Leadership Trainings:

This is an activity I ask my participants to do at the end of their training (and if I had control over the course modules, I'd insist on this being a standard), namely asking them to pretend they're editors of a paper - they can choose their paper to be a 'broadsheet' i.e. a serious paper, or a tabloid - meaning sensationally gossip worthy; or they can decide to make a magazine... but the idea of the exercise, regardless of paper type, is to let them express their creative sides by coming up with the page layout of their front covers (or headlines) representing the lessons learned in the workshop/training.

This 'paper' in particular was a favorite of mine (and others who've seen it) from the last batch. It's filled with lessons discussed plus some digs at popular personalities (at least, from the organization's perspective) while putting a very 'pinoy' spin to the tabloid; keeping true to what tabloids do - namely sensationalize. So if there are digs at some personalities or blind items... well, what do you expect with tabloids?

But it's not just the content that is cleverly striking (and fictitious, I might add), as you can no doubt see... even the layout looks almost printing press worthy, not to mention, aligned with the L4 layout (but to see it, you must realize which quadrant represents what style).

Definitely an inspiring work of creativity. One I felt strong enough to take a picture of and preserve in this photoblog. Heck I wanted to bring home the paper, which was just discarded after the training.

Photoblog - Day 216 Nov 11, 2010

Leadership Game:

This picture shows my participants concentrating on one the Leader's Window's game where they need to internalize the ability to identify which leadership style fits what case best.

I never grow tired of facilitating Leader's Window. It's got a lot of 'Aha' moments and I appreciate seeing these moments happen from my perspective because it means I was able to impart the essential ideas of the training to them (my participants, that is).

Photoblog - Day 215, Nov 10, 2010

Plants vs. Zombies anyone?

have you played the game? It can be a bit addicting... meaning it can be a great and enjoyable time-stealer. The game is compact and simple... the idea ridiculous - but it still is seemingly played by a lot of people (at least a whole lot more than many will admit to) - and anyone who's played the game can definitely identify the creatures I have beside me.

As for these creatures... the picture sort of shows them in the vein as muppets - at least, that's how this picture comes across to me when I had finished fixing and uploading it in Facebook. Where exactly did these plants come from? You'd be surprised - they're formed from paper (or cardboard) and were (seemingly) expertly crafted by team members of an I.T. project - then again, who'd be in a better position to know these critters, right?

Apparently, these were remnants of a Halloween display in the project's cubicles, and after said Halloween celebration, it looked like the members (who made all these) had separation anxiety with their creations. I liked them so much that I decided borrow just three of them and have my picture taken with them. Too bad, some of the others were already broken or disassembled - would have been nice ot have a picture of the entire lineup (with a few zombies tossed in).

Oh well... at least, I got to these three for my photo ops. I used a timer for this... after all, it might look awkward to ask someone to take the shot for me - with me, specially since this was a work environment, so anything unofficial, I just do myself whenever possible.

Photoblog - Day 214, Nov 09, 2010

Comics for the Week:

In contrast to the last time I bought comics (where I ended up getting almost a month's worth of issues in one visit - and a costly visit it became at that), this week's pull was relatively light with just five(5) issues. Of these issues, I take special interest in... well, the Captain America limited series because it is written by Roger Stern, and this is the first time he's writing Bucky as Cap. Another issue catching my fancy is the last issue of the Thanos Imperative... and boy, what an ending it had. The rest... well. let's just say they're nice to have.

As for the lesser numbers, I wouldn't worry too much - guess it simply means that shipping has fouled up (putting it in diplomatic terms) and could not untangle it's situations.

Photoblog - Day 213, Nov 08, 2010

Life-like Tips:

I'm currently reading (or more like perusing) a new digital photo reference book that I happen to find in Fully Booked yesterday. Well, technically this will be my fifth digicam book, but I thought it worth getting since the author is Life Magazine's photographer himself - Joe McNally.

It may have been a bit pricey (a little over the thousand mark) but I believe that the lessons he shares within the pages will be worth the purchase as his tips and anecdotal sharing will greatly help me improve my digital photography skills. The book is naturally filled with wonderful pictures, and I may even be tempted to say that even without the narratives, the pictures themselves would be worth the cover price. You see, by observing how the photo was composed, I still learn a thing or two about how to strive for taking great pictures.

The book isn't too heavy, as it isn't hardbound - which in itself is both a pro and con - pro because it won't be a burden to bring around... con because it means it's not too sturdy, and will need some guarded care to ensure it's long (not just library shelf) life, after all... I intend to refer to this a lot.