Photoblog - day 100, Jul 19, 2010

Starbucks with a balcony view:

This particular Starbucks is located at the 3rd level of the Powerbooks main office at the Bonifacio High Street, just across Serendra's Commercial and Residential locations... and as cool place to hang out in (specially for a shutter bug like me), there would be few places I'd like to be while waiting for Barbie after work.

Fully Booked is our perceived middle-ground - it allows her to get more cooperative cab drivers, since the Fort is not far from cabs plying the Paranaque area, specially since they fear getting stuck in EDSA traffic.

On my end, going to Fully Booked from Boni isn't too hard - and it beats waiting long while Barbie still tries to seek said agreeing cab. I also normally choose Fully Booked since it's a great place to eat up time - its just that scanning the latest books can be frustrating to my pocket.

On a cool day - or close to the evening, there is the Starbucks balcony - if you don't mind contending with a few smokers and their smokes, that is. But as I said, the waiting can be easy... with coffee on one hand and a book in another - or in this case, a camera.

On a side note... Wow!!! My hundredth photo post! How about that?

Photoblog - day 99; Jul 18, 2010

My new comics:

As I said before, I collect comics on a semi-regular time frame... and though they come out weekly, I find myself making the trip to comic shops on a 'twice a month' pace - not surprising, these things tend to accumulate... but at least I get copies when I arrive... guess that happens to be the fringe benefit of having your regular shops recognizing you as their loyal patron... or at least, a regular customer.

Anyway, this particular batch was slightly different... and the keen-eyed individual can easily see why. Aside from my regular pull list, I decided to - with the help of my favorite bookstore having their mid-year sale, get two compilations... the first is the Avengers-Defenders Clash (circa '70s) and the second is the Thrawn Trilogy of Timothy Zahn - a great set of Star Wars novels turned into comics. Those two will give me long hours of reading enjoyment... that is, soon as I go through my other comicbooks. I think I'll make a review of these graphic compilations, once I've read them... and oh yeah, Brandon - never let it be said that I don't listen to requests... your brothers wanted Star Wars... well, the Thrawn Saga is one of the best.

Photoblog - day 98, Jul 17, 2010

Spa time!

As the picture shows, Barbie and I went to Ahavia Spa this evening (our second trip to this spa) and we both got the anti-stress 90-minute massage. How was our massage? Well teh first time around, I asked for a hard massage and showed the bruises the next day. Still, despite its being rough, it was a great feeling to have those muscle pains and joints. That was then...

This evening, we tried something different... not because the first one was not good - rather, we wanted to try another option - get a feel of their different massages, and whereas the first time was more Shiatsu style, this would be more on the Swedish manner, which means that it was more kneading the muscles with oil. After this session, we both felt relaxed - again, any aches and pains we had accumulated were kneaded out, so we definitely felt relaxed. Ahavia Spa... definitely an advantage that it's location is just about a 10-minute drive from our place, a very affordable price for the services - and good service at that... yeah - this may turn out, to me at least, the beginning of a weekly habit.

As for the picture, i opted for a natural lighting shot - no flash, and in the process, get Barbie's silhouette into the picture.

Photoblog - day 97, Jul 16, 2010

Rebuilding or Relocating?

This picture is not taken in the wilds - thus a chance encounter with such a bird as this is both rare and surprising. My jaded side would have said that this bird would have been someone's meal long time ago... so seeing it at a day I did not plan to shoot any wildlife - and seeing it in a very familiar location (Johnson and Johnson gardens just between the office building and the parking lot - all located in Paranaque), hence knowing these types don't usually hang around urban areas, was a definite chance encounter... and one I was not about to let pass me by.

So here I was, about to read a book in the car, as I was waiting for Barbie to get out of her office, when I spotted the bird land in the garden's path - and I was parked right in front of said path. I blinked a few times, registering what I saw, then grabbed my camera from the car's backseat to try and take this rare opportunity.

I could not go too near the bird (and wished that I had a zoom lens for such occasions), so I had to contend with creeping up slowly and taking shots without scaring the bird (and without getting the premise guard's suspicion going too). Like I said, it isn't one I'm familiar with - and it certainly was not your typical maya maya - it was just too large for such a species (then again, I could be mistaken), so I can't figure out what to call it. IT was also hard to shoot the bird, as it was constantly moving around.

I can only surmise that this bird had somehow lived in an untouched part of this city - and that the recent typhoon's killer winds had displaced it of it's home, and now it was moving around - seeking a new home... or looking for materials to make such a new home. Why so small a picture of said bird? For one, I wanted to show the background a bit - present the fact that this was in the city... and two, let everyone else realize that this bird also had a natural camouflage with it's plume = it's located at the right portion of the picture... below the garden chairs (in case you missed it).

Photoblog - day 96, Jul 15, 2010

Ice cream heaven:

Yup we (Barbie, Bernice and I) were in Haagen Dazs enjoying an afternoon of coolness by way of sharing scoops of ice cream - and we had an ulterior motive with our going here... since this was one place that had no one hanging around it in an otherwise crowded mall filled with people who wanted to chill while waiting for the power to return to their homes - and yes, it likewise afforded us the opportunity to chrage our cell phones while taking our sweet time with the ice cream. The parlor was naturally cool - and that was enjoyable too.

From top to bottom, the flavors we tried out were Dulce de leche (roughly translated as sweet and milky), Macadamia Nuts and Dark Choco Valencia (orange bits and flavors - my choice), and we really took our time here - in fact, Barbie and Bernice likewise went shopping around as I stayed to enjoy a book I brought.

Photoblog - day 95, Jul 14, 2010

Lighted Pagoda:

What does one do when his world is literally filled with darkness? Seek sources of illumination, of course - in our case, a strong typhoon supposedly headed north of Manila still hit us hard enough to cause a metro-wide blackout. So we literally had now power for close to 24-hours (lights out happened at 1 A.M. - and only returned around 10:30 P.M., and in between, we were adjusting to a world without power (kids had no school because of this, and Barbie reconsidered going to work; since many places were still reeling from the storm's passing).

So again, what does one do? well, I definitely looked around the illuminated areas and spotted a glass pagoda that I got a few months back and saw how it was reflecting some ambient light from the candles - my mind played around with the light and reflections idea with said pagoda, and I grabbed my still-well charged DSLR. Was it kismet that I was reading some articles on lighting the past few days? Maybe... but here was a good opportunity presented to me in an otherwise dragging hour.

I wanted to capture the pagoda, glowing with light... to do that, I placed a small candle behind it and tried capturing the picture. It was a bit hard to do so, and maybe in hindsight, I better appreciate the help a tall tripod or a mono-pod would do to help me capture the picture better... maybe with a large enough space to manipulate and more with, experiment even... with aperture, light source locations and the works.

The pagoda is a symbol of intelligence and wisdom - and there is a belief that should you have one in your house - preferably the study area, if will help you with your concentration. Well this particular dark morning, it certaily helped me focus on it as a photo subject worthy of my daily blog.

Photoblog - day 94, Jul 13, 2010

Nougats:

These little pieces came from a relatively medium-sized plastic bag - one of two, that Barbie brought home from her Singapore trip. Used to be that she'd always come home from wherever she went having chocolates with her... but Singapore really doesn't have unique chocolates to begin with - at least, not unique in the sense that they aren't accessible here in Manila too. So one day, she just asked a lady manning the souvenir items what was their usual best-seller when it came to visitors buying stuff before traveling back to their point of origin... and the lady pointed her to these little items. Taking her word for it, Barbie got a few bags - and the rest is nougat-loving history.

By nougat-loving, of course, I mean me in particular... I mean, let's face it, my exposure to the stuff was limited to those tiny things in Toblerones (told you we normally had chocolates as 'pasalubong' (small treats or souvenirs given by a person coming from a trip to their loved-ones and friends), and so I just enjoyed them when they accumulated from m allowing the chocolate portion to first melt in my mouth - leaving the nougat portions to be chewed.

Well these GB (I know not what GB stands for) Nougats are now a new fave of mine, and I kid not when I say I can finish these things (both packages) in one sitting if I wanted to - luckily for me, I have some EQ... he he he. They are, after all, flavored nougats - so each tiny bar (for lack of a better description) offers a different chewy experience. My favorites among the bunch? The Green Tea and the mint flavored ones... oh yeah, they also come in two types - the chewy ones and the hard candy types. I'm impartial to both (meaning I enjoy them regardless of chewiness).

Alas, good things don't last - or in this case, eventually get consumed... so here's to my next batch... hopefully in the very near future. I wonder if they're available here somewhere - and if not, why the not? Then again, I guess if they were easily available here, would they still be as enticing to me?

Photoblog - day 93, Jul 12, 2010

Monday Rush:

The image invokes movement... of rushing - and since I took this Monday morning, then it was just natural to refer to it as a Monday rush.

This is a picture I have always wanted to take... ever since I've seen a couple of similar themed pictures, I marveled at how I could come up with a similar frozen moment in time.

You see, the intent was to capture a moving target, and show that it was indeed moving by way of making the background look like it's being rushed. Now the rush look part is easy... a low ISO setting should do the trick - after all, with said low ISO setting, anyone moving becomes a blur, that said, I used my lowest ISO setting (100)... the challenge then, was to focus on one subject - and make the rest of the picture become a blur.

This would mean that my picture capture had to be fast, despite the ISO setting - and really just try to capture one subject - meaning I move my camera to match my subject's movement. The lighting should be abundant, so my camera focus would capture images really fast - naturally, morning had to be the logical time frame (though having said that, I'm now thinking how such a capture could be possible at night) - oh yeah, I used my UV filter for this shot - so as not to make the picture too bright.

The results speak for themselves... this is what I tried - and it's still a work in progress. Now to see how I can improve on this come my next attempt to capture such a shot. After all, should I find myself pacing the Tour of the Philippines racers, I would like to be ready.

Photoblog - day 92, Jul 11, 2010

Nature's beauty:

Once in a while, as I pass Greenhills' small garden, I can't help but marvel at some of the flowers I see... I mean, I bring my camera just to capture such beautiful natural wonders - after all, these things remind me of how great an architect God is in helping develop all these - though, some can be fleeting.

Take this orchid for example; in a few days flowers like these may wither... their beauty relegated to memory. But if captured in a picture, the beauty - though artificial, is preserved. My only regret in capturing it? This was done at a spur of the moment - my making the shot without taking the time to adjust all the necessary items. Apparently, I got the focus right on the petals - but for some strange reason, the middle was not focused on too much. What gives? I thought I had adjusted my focus depth?

The things is... moments like these are rare indeed - and I may, or may not get a second chance in taking the same kind of shot. Oh well... lesson learned. Quick takes may come out good - others... acceptable. I guess, this one falls in the latter category - but it's not a winner... at least, by your typical Nat Geo standards.

Photoblog - day 91, Jul 10, 2010

The IMAX experience:

Our very first experience in a 3D theater was in Hong Kong Disneyland where we saw the wonders and magic of Disney come alive. Since then, that became the standard for me when comparing other 3D movies I've watched... though I will be the first to admit that maybe the barometer is slightly skewed to Disney films... specially since live action films may have a more difficult time showing the 3D experience all the way (Clash of the Titans comes to mind).

Now as for IMAX - well, it promises a bigger (on that it delivers) and better (not when compared to Disney's theater though) 3D experience - but for it's price; which is more than double your typical movie ticket cost... and likewise costlier than your 3D movie experience costs too (when comparing it to the 3D ticket price in Greenhills or Shangri La), it comes across as well... just bigger - not necessarily better.

In this picture, we were all pumped to watch Toy Story 3 - a Disney film, and though the movie was touching, funny and definitely filled with some 3D effects - it was not spectacularly 3D-laden (by this of course, I mean it seemed that I would enjoy it even if I did not watch it in 3D) - which, sort of, made the whole IMAX experience kinda moot. I also have this slight aversion to staying too close to the screen - which would be the mid-row section of the movie - I mean, this is supposed to be the best locations for the ultimate IMAX experience - and it would have been, had Toy Story 3D been more dynamically 3D.

Ah well... despite everything I've said, I will not take away the fact that this movie was still fun, entertaining and, at least for me, a worthy sequel and ending to the Toys' adventures with Andy. I wept right close to the ending portion, seeing at how perfect the situation got resolved. Yeah... if there is never going to be a Toy Story 4, I wouldn't mind it at all. I mean, for me... this is the perfect end. Of course, if Pixar will prove me wrong, then I'll happily admit to being wrong, but for now, I'll willingly take a boxed set of all three movies DVDs and proudly display them apart form my collection - an honor I normally bestow only to my Lord of the Rings trilogy.

Ahem... this picture was taken by Barbie, using Bernice's new and definitely more compact camera - you see, I was not sure they would allow me to bring my Canon inside the theater, so I left it at home. But hey... this Photoblog isn't just about about my camera - even if I try to make it a point to do so, but also more about how I spent my year 'in photos', so this just had to be my photo of the day.

Photoblog - day 90, Jul 9, 2010

Altar of Eden:

This the book I'm currently reading. This I borrowed from Fiel, and is the newest book by author James Rollins. It's relatively fast-paced, belonging to the adventure category. Hence the type of book I would like to read - though I do read a lot of different books, these types are less of a struggle to read.

I had this book with me when I went for the car maintenance as well as my annual physical, so it helped me patiently wait through long lines of people (and cars) being processed before it got to be my turn. I normally carry a book around wherever I go - just in case there are such lull times.

This was taken in a training room - the computer and candies are mine, of course... and the book I got to read while in-between conducts.

Photoblog - day 89, Jul 8, 2010

Lightroom by Photoshop:

This is the new photo-editing tool that I'm getting used to, and will hopefully use in enhancing the pictures I take. I mean, most photographers use a lot of gadgets and tools to capture and create that perfect picture - well, at the suggestion of Jojo Buenaventura - an old classmate of mine who's into professional photography, Lightroom is a tool he uses to do photo-enhancing and cleaning.

Naturally, I opted to check it out via a cd-based tutorial, side-by-side with me tweaking the software. As of now, I'm still trying things out - but at least I get to view my raw files... something I have no way of doing with your typical Microsoft photo editor... and since I've started capturing images in aw format, I needed to find a more versatile application to help me with my pictures. Hence my giving Lightroom a try.

Oh yeah... that cat is Neco, of course.

My next progression in this hobby? Choose those really great pictures and print them out, get them framed and displayed around my place.

Photoblog - day 88, Jul 7, 2010

My New Stash...

As you probably noticed with my previous posts, whether directly or indirectly being part of the topic - I do read and collect comic books... or as the more sophisticated crowd would insist... graphic novels. This is a hobby I've had introduced to me by my grandmother way back in my early childhood days. I remember her bringing stashes of these home from work - maybe she bought it from a newsstand nearby, and would allow me to read them. Of course, I would more often gravitate to the drawings... but early on, I did recognize Batman and Robin... thanks to Adam West and Burt Ward - but the others were a bit strange - but interesting, none the less.

I would read them after my grandmother and step-grandfather would finish with them - and at times, would wonder how stories went since the continuity of one issue to the next was rather suspect back then. I was not sure what happened - but at least I got to read and appreciate them.

Flash-forward nearly five decades later and here I am now... continuing the legacy she subconsciously awakened in me. I get my comics at least once a month from my regular retail shop, timing it with when I grab my paycheck - or at times, when I find myself close to a comic shop and I can't help but peek in to see what has arrived.

This batch I did get from my regular... as I have an understanding with them regarding what titles I want to buy - thus they do me the favor of setting aside copies of said titles for me when they arrive... awaiting my picking them up. Why do I like this hobby? Aside from the fact that I grew up with these characters, I like reading and imagining... I like the concept of good triumphant over evil, and all the other corny aspects. Most of all, I guess, I like the connection it gives me to a more innocent me all those decades past. Oh... and this particular batch was a sort of reward I gave myself for being able to have the car go through it's usual 5K maintenance check-up as I likewise had my annual physical check-up.

Photoblog - day 87, Jul 6, 2010

Bubbles New Bed:

Okay... as of this writing, and contrary to the picture's presentation,Bubbles has still got to find ways and means to enjoy sleeping on her 'bed' before - but that's okay. She'll (hopefully) familiarize herself with the pink 'place mat - looking like a bed'.

I just hope she gets to use it sooner - rather than later.

Meanwhile, I've noticed that Neco is trying to squeeze her way into using said bed - and it's funny that Bubbles in seemingly giving in - letting Neco have her way with the bed. Strange pets I've got here.

Photoblog - day 86, Jul 5, 2010

Contrasts:

This is a picture of the Legend Hotel's side edifice glwing in the light it has in place - and amidst it's glowing backdrop... observable far beyond, standing silently... yet seemingly majestic in the night, happens to be the Mandaluyong/Pasig/Ortigas buildings.

I took this picture with a low ISO setting and allowed for a longer exposure (hence the brightness of the hotel) to maximize the low lights of the buildings in the background - but at the same time, to allow myself the experiment of capturing (if at all possible) vehicles on the move with a blurry effect.

Still... I called it contrasts because of the obvious discrepancy with lighting as presented by the Legend hotel - and the rest of the Ortigas skyline. You might also say that this was my first successful night shot, with a clear indicator of how I was able to use the long exposure to have a clearer picture.

Photoblog - day 85, Jul 4, 2010

Jude Brent:

Meet the newest member of the Buenaobra clan - his name is Jude Brent, and he'll soon have his baptism, if all goes well. It's still too early to say what kind of child he will grow up to be - but if his support system (i.e. the Buenaobra clan) can be of some measure, I;m sure he'll turn out quite right.

This picture shows Barbie trying to get Jude Brent to smile and apparently - as shown by this picture, she's successful in letting him smile for the camera - how'd she do it? Well... let's just say that mom knows best - mom, of course, being Bea - Barnie's youngest sister, and second youngest in the family.

Any special reason for this picture... well, simply put - anything I take after the Rotary induction happens to be in the Raw file format, which takes up more memory - but can lead to better editable pictures. Of course, posting these pictures just became an additional step - but if quality is to be had, well... I obviously won't mind said added step. Oh yeah... the purpose of our visit to Cavite was to visit Barbie's dad - post-operation. Seeing him a lot thinner was a sobering thought - so a situation (and picture) like this is a welcome balance to the possible gloominess we could have easily encountered.

Photoblog - day 83, Jul 2, 2010

Testing the Waters:

No, the testing said waters does not refer to Roselle Nava, the singer, whom I've captured in this photo... rather it refers to me trying out the role of Professional Photographer. In this case - ans the reason why I chose this picture, it was an induction ceremony and I joined a classmate of mine - Jojo Buenaventura, and his team, in covering the ceremony.

Being a tyro, naturally covered the less critical aspects of the ceremonies and the evening - so focused on the role of capturing events and people as said events were happening... how I felt like Peter Parker in that regard (and if you don't know Peter Parker, then you have not been in touch with pop culture).

I'm not exactly new to Induction ceremonies myself - having been in many; both by way of the Jaycees and Toastmasters. But what I can say is that this was the first time I covered one as photographer. Naturally, I knew what to take, by way of covering an event - and I worked seamlessly with the team (by way of being aware of who was where - and not needing to duplicate any effort), so I guess that showed my natural propensity to work with teams.

But how does covering events feel? It was great... tiring - my back and arms slightly ache, but that was fine as I was going around pleasing the shutter bug inside me. It felt a bit long and drawn out at times, as I was literally feeling the weight of the equipment - but to capture moments worth reminiscing was really nice to do... and I learned - or relearned a few things too... so the over-all experience was great. Now I've set my eyes on a few add-ons or upgrades with what I have to better cover like events... and I even have at least two new coaches in bettering my skills. What else can anyone ask for?

Will I do this full time? Not yet... but I'm one step closer to fulfilling one dream.

Photoblog - day 84, Jul 3, 2010

My picture July 2010:

Project 365 asks us to place an image of ourselves at least once a month - so we would have images of ourselves in the photoblog and in so doing, allow us to remember how we looked like (garish haircut or fashion senses aside)- if not what we were doing, for that month. Once the project is completed, there would be at least 12 pictures of ourselves within the 300+ pictures of said project.

So this is me with an unintentional intense look - circa July 2010, as the title suggests. I'm wearing my black barong - the one with the Philippines map proudly displayed on one side (there are actually several of said maps distributed - but only on, the left side of my barong), and in the background, you can see my laptop plus a few old CRT monitors being used in trainings. BTW - those CRTs are on their way out, as said monitors are finally being replaced by flat-screen LCDs. This place happens to be one of five (or six) training rooms in the Cyber3's 14th floor.

Photoblog - day 82, Jul 1, 2010

Lights and shadows:

One of the more recent magazines I decided to purchase is that of a photography related issue - and the main topic for most articles in said magazine was how photographers use lighting to bring out different effects with their pictures. That may be a natural growth direction for me... meaning making use of lighting to a wider degree - and what better time to start than now.

A colleague once said that I somehow had an eye to make the mundane seem interesting - now, not to make that statement a mantra or anything, but here is a rather mundane part of the office I go to - a makeshift reading/eating/meeting area - and it really has just shades of black, white and grays to make matters more... well, mundane - but suddenly contrast that will a very simple fire extinguisher, and we have a reminder that this is not a black and white picture. Add to the fact that the window where the sunlight filters into casts a shadow on most of the items here, and I'm left with a play with shades and shadows.

Yeah... it's pretty obvious I came in real early to work too - but that was just a side-benefit of having Barbie in a different country, thus not having to bring her to work - but at the same time... my being a creature of habit, and still waking up real early and getting ready for work at such an early hour - even if I did not have to. Ah well... at least I get good parking.

Photoblog - day 81, Jun 30, 2010

Light breaking free:

I got this picture as I was about to exit the Greenhills Shopping Center's car park - coming from having a haircut and a little grocery stop-over. You see, this 30th represented the formal turn-over of one president to another, thus the day was declared a non-work holiday to allow majority of the Filipinos who wished to watch said turn-over the time and chance to do so. Obviously, I used the day to play catch-up to things I needed to do - and did nto have enough of a weekend to do it.

The sun is a subject I would like to capture in at least two other occasions. You see, like a lot of photographers who would like to capture nature's beauty, I hope to some day capture the perfect sunrise... and an equally perfect sunset.

Anyway... this was a straight-forward shot and it came close to one of my 'must have a shot of' subjects - but the sun as it is partially hidden behind (thus being filtered by) clouds may not be the most dramatic panormic shots - but it will do for now. By the way... I also got for myself a UV CFL Infrared filter in Greehnills this day - slowly preparing for such a time when I can focus my attention on said sunrise and sunset picture capture.

Photoblog - day 80, Jun 29, 2010

Our TAs:

TA of course meaning Training Assistants - the people who are responsible for setting up the training facilities- or at least making sure that the facilities, including equipment and materials, are ready before our training starts. At times, I see how tough it can be for them to set ensure this - specially since they do not have control in all the necessary areas - for example, with regard to room reservations, set-up and equipment, they will need to coordinate with other teams, and sometimes this is where the service level agreements fall... not always will these SNAFUs be their fault... but more often, they will receive flak form us and others. That is the problem with being a point person... when problems arise, they get pointed to.

Despite that, they have survived these challenges with their dignity and humor intact. They remain the real heroes behind a training going smoothly and without any hitch and though we thank them for this, I sometimes feel that they don't get enough recognition for their efforts. Well, here's to you... guys and gals (including those not in the picture)! Keep up the good work (and work on those hitches too - he he he). Our work would definitely be a whole lot harder if you aren't around, so pat yourselves on the back, and Cheers!

Photoblog - day 79, Jun 28 2010

Afternoon Rain:

This photo was taken from inside our training room - right at the 14th floor in the Boni area - the building in the picture is the Globe Building... well, not exactly sure of the name - but it's known to house the offices of Globe Telecoms, while the buildings shrouded by the rain happen to be those towards Crossing and beyond that - those hardly visible at all, represent the Ortigas area.

This rain happened approximately from 4:30 to 6:30pm - so you can imagine the worries of people in the offices, wondering how long the rain would take - and how it would definitely affect their usual trip home. I mean, it looked strong form where we were situated... so our worry was how much more heavy rush hour traffic would be.

On the up side, it made Gina's and my participants - we were teaching day 1 of Packaged Detailed Design, ambivalent about going home early... I mean, with this rain - getting out of the building was far from their minds.

Lucky for me, I brought a car - so the only worry I had was for heavy traffic and flash floods - but since I left around 6:45, the former was relatively light for my route (guess a lot of people still got stuck down south) and the latter - if it were an issue earlier, just left heavy traffic... already dispersing, as the only clue to said flash flood. So yeah, I'm glad I was spared from any hassle - and based on Bryce's story, they also got spared from any heavy traffic. Additional silver lining? Rains always flush out the pollution in the air - and the heat was definitely dispersed too, thus Metro Manila` enjoyed a cooler evening.

Photoblog - day 78, Jun 27 2010

Whammo!

This was where Bernice and I had lunch, right after we had gotten her a floral dress in Mega-mall. The strategy was simple - arrive early and get things done before the mall started packing 'em in. Well, we did just that and considered getting an early lunch before we did the less challenging errands - like get stuff in the bookstore.

Going back to Wham - I have not had a burger in a long time... so long, I can't remember when I had one. Guess it's because I try to avoid burgers in favor of (ahem) healthier stuff. But, since Bernice wanted one... well, we chose the closest burger joint to where we were... so yeah - it's a little bit of serendipity that made us order and eat at Wham.

It's not that Wham isn't good - it really is... but it's so heavy. Maybe 20 years earlier, I would really get to eat these with gusto. Now though, I try to limit my fast food intake - and tasty as it is, the Wham burger is a classic example of a fast food product.

However, good tasting burgers are not the only identity of Wham - as you can guess by the paper on the tray, they project a comic-book image... in fact another store even has posters of well known comic characters done by well known artists. They even had a few framed comics (collectors item types) that people in the know can ogle at in between bites and chews.

That said, I shall try to visit this place some time next month - or the next two months... again, nothing against Wham burgers... it's more a diet thing.

Photoblog - day 77, Jun 26 2010

The Toblerone:

This cocktail is called the Toblerone - one of the suggested drinks that come with the Frangelico liqueur. It's made of 2 parts Frangelico, 2 parts cream, 1 part Kahlua and 1 part Bailey's - add all these with ice and shake (or use an ostirizer) and place in a martini glass. Garnish with a piece of chocolate - preferably Toblerone of course, and you're set to enjoy this cool drink.

So yeah... you can guess what I did this Saturday night. Although I had no company to enjoy this drink last night, it was a good experiment - after all - before I recommend it to others, I need to try it out first. So, how was it? It wasn't sweet - if you're wondering about how it tastes... well it's a bit like a Hazelnut milkshake with hardly any alcohol taste.

The thing is... I can't just do singles - so I ended up enjoying three cocktail glasses of Toblerone - then went straight to bed... but I don't think it was the alcohol. ;-) At least now I can offer something new and different to my guests... and it will definitely be an added treat should they be chocolate lovers.

Photoblog - day 76, Jun 25 2010

Turbo lift (I wish...)

This is the access elevator of Cyber2 - it connects the parking floors to the ground floor - and in all my days of needing to park in Cyber for my training conducts all these years. I probably passed through these doors a thousand times.

Now, when I'm alone in said elevator - which happens every now and then, I enact a guilty pleasure and blurt out "Engineering..." with a commanding voice, whenever the lift is on its way down; and "Bridge..." when it's on its way up (normally, meaning when I am on my way to my car. Yes, I admit it - I imagine this small elevator to be the same one that characters in Star Trek take - of course, it doesn't acknowledge my instructions with Majel Rodenberry's voice (like in the TV episodes, and movies) - but I can imagine... right?

Yeah... Starfleet must be one of the most sought after organization that many folks - myself included, would like to join.

Photoblog - day 75, Jun 24, 2010

Taguig Rising:

From afar, one can see the many high-rise buildings sprouting over The Fort in Tagiug - if one did not know better, it could easily be mistaken from afar as Makati's skyline - but no... this is hardly Makati.

I took this picture while in Cyber3 of Robinson's in Pioneer. On the foreground is the Pasig River and right after is a portion of Makati - but beyond it... the Fort. I can't exactly say how long The Fort has been around... though I vaguely remember flying a kite with Bryce back then. Of course, that was during the time there were hardly any high-rise buildings around.

Now it houses a lot of said buildings... offices abound, it's got the Serendra and Bonifacio High Street, plus the new St. Luke's Hospital and McKinley Hill with all the new technology-related offices. Soon will rise the Science Center. Yup... Taguig's future definitely is looking bright.

Photoblog - day 74, Jun 23, 2010

My new comics:

Technically, I was supposed to get these comics in about a week's time - usually synchronizing such a purchase with my going to Makati at the month-end to get my paycheck from Phoenix-One.

Today, however, I was invited by John to his birthday celebration in a restaurant that was just across from my usual comic place. So naturally, soon as we were done with lunch - Eboy and I left John to take care of the bill (it was his treat, after all).

I, then, decided to drop by the comic store and pick up my stack - which was relatively lesser than I considered. Nevertheless, it was a relatively light set - though to be fair, I also get a few issues this past weekend... ones that would have been added to this stack, had I not has them already. That said... any particular issue (or issues) I find interesting? Well, for starters, we have the Captain America issue where Zemo returns... then there's Iron Man... and this particular issue welcomes back a familiar character... Mrs. Abrogast, who used to be Tony Stark's executive assistant.

As comics are wont to entertain, this batch was a mix of great story telling, great art and characterization - okay... maybe not everything was excellent - but they're mostly above average - then again, there are some lemons... and we still need to turn them into lemonade.

Photoblog - day 73, Jun 22, 2010

My Cardinals - at lest, some of them...

Since I'm on a roll with taking pictures of my fishes - I decided to try my camera (now that I know a little more about it's functions) on capturing my Cardinal Tetras - now, unlike my first subjects, the Discus and the Clowns, these guys can be quick to swim around, so it was a greater challenge to capture them in pictures. How much of a challenge? A test of patience once again actually... sitting beside the aquarium - camera pointed and waiting until the fishes come across my lens's shot angle (I needed to refocus a lot of times).

I remember trying to catch them with my old Ixus V - and ending up with a couple of red and blue blurs (guess I know how Jimmy Olsen feels) where there should be fishes. This was where I resigned to the limitations of said Ixus. But now... I'm sporting a DSLR - and this baby is a whole lot more flexible than the Ixus... though it can't capture videos as the Ixus can, so that's the trade-off.

So... what did I do differently to capture a much clearer - and closer picture of these guys? I set my camera to auto-focus, set the ISO speed to max... and made the AI work for me in capturing the picture - yeah, I know... I sorta cheated, but who can argue with results here?

Photoblog - day 72, Jun 21, 2010

My Clowns... all of them.

Last time I presented a picture of my clown... it was just singular, due to the fact that they can be very shy. Well, today was hardly any different - but you might say that there's strength in numbers... as they tend to be more gregarious with each other, and in a playful mode - that is, until they noticed someone (me) watching them.

That is exactly what happened here in this photo - I saw them in a playful mode - slowly approached them... and immediately saw them hiding - so I hd to sit beside the aquarium, camera ready and keeping very still until I could get this shot (I actually shot several for good measure).

Oh well... at least they aren't a problem to take. The little ones seem to be more courageous - hence their staying outside the drift wood... oh yeah - just to give a perspective here, those little ones are about n inch and a half long... so you can try to imagine the larger ones' sizes.

Photoblog - day 71, Jun 20, 2010

My new pets...

What we have here are a pair of Discus fishes (was not sure of Discuses - probably not a valid word, though it seemed to have passed spelling check), and yes... I finally decided to buy them after having stopped myself from getting these fish types for a very long time.

These fishes have a reputation of being really sensitive with their environment, so I was thinking that they would be more trouble than they're worth looking at... not to mention they do cost more than your average fishes that I would get.

Still, when I saw these, I thought to myself - now's a time as good as any... so I bought these two. Now if they prove stable, I might get another pair - after all, they do look good.

Photoblog - day 70, Jun 19, 2010

Boni Bacardi Night - June 2010

As I've shown and mentioned many times in FB, a few colleagues and I, plus Barbie and Cecille spend a night at our home - conjure up some drinks and snacks... and enjoy each others company.

These Boni Bacardi nights may have been an offshoot of the larger Bacardi Nights - but since this is done at home, well... it's somehow more laid back and enjoyable - and we try scheduling it at least once a month.

This particular Boni Bacardi was organized to somehow celebrate Barbie's birthday and likewise be a send off to her for her U.S. business trip (don't sweat it - she'll just be gone for two weeks). By the way, did I mention why we call it Bacardi Nights? Simple - more often than not, we use Bacardi Rum as our main mixer - and though in the past we'd make Mojitos, this particular evening we did some Chi Chis - courtesy of Jingo.

As usual, we had a great time - so here's looking forward to the July Boni Bacardi night.

Photoblog - day 69, Jun 18, 2010

Dream Hunters:

This is Sandman: Dream Hunters... a comic book/graphic novel by Neil Gaiman revolving around Japanese culture and how Morpheus a.k.a. Dream of the Endless ventures to such a land.

What's so different about this Graphic Novel is how I came about it - you see, it was a prize at a raffle conducted in honor of Gaiman's visit to the Philippines some time... oh... last summer (or was it earlier). Anyway, i got to join this raffle by buying a Gaiman novel - Coraline, I believe (I was actually choosing between Coraline or Dream Hunters - but chose the former, as it was cheaper - and hoped to pique Bernice's curiosity to read it)... I then filled up the raffle stub in the Fully Booked, Greenbelt branch.

Time pased, I soon forgot this raffle - I was obviously not putting any high hopes in winning... Gaiman came and went, and I hardly had time to even plan to go to the events he was a part of... near impossible since it was a week day.

Still, I was apparently chosen and they called me, since for some reason, they could not contact me by email - and I even had some difficulty claiming this prize seeing as I lost the claim stub (I swear I saw it a week before they called), so I had to wait another two months before claiming it with a letter explaining I lost the stub. All's well that ends well - and I would like to naturally thank Fully Booked for the prize.

Photoblog - day 68, Jun 17, 2010

Back to School...

This week also saw the start of school year 2010-2011, and naturally, Bryce and Bernice had to join the millions of students who saw themselves returning to their alma maters. It also meant the resumption of having to sleep - and wake up real early for the two... since they would have to be ready for the school bus.

What's different about this particular year? For one, it's Bernice's freshman year in High School... while it's Bryce's Senior year (also in high school). My how time seems to fly, huh?

Photoblog - day 67, Jun 16, 2010

Creative side to Leadership:

This shows the final 'fun' output of my most recent Leadership Workshop - and the keen eyed, and knowledgeable person would easily discern from the symbols in these 'magazine covers' that we discussed topics from John Beck's 'The Leader's Window' - as suggested (or represented) by the group interpretations of 'lessons learned' from our workshop.

These magazines are actually on top of a drawing of the L4 quadrants that I asked my participants to write their names on upon considering which leadership quadrant they saw themselves working or using as in 'default mode'.

This workshop lasted two days and I was glad to know that even though I had not been given this particular training for nearly six months (at least, it feels that way to me), I still had the lessons, messages and stock knowledge of the topics internalized (look ma... no notes at all - he he he) My participants had fun - I had fun... oh yeah, and we welcomed back AM and PM snacks too.

Photoblog - day 66, Jun 15, 2010

Guitar Hero Wanna-be:

This is Liza, a friend of my sister Bing - and she normally visits us when she acts as courier for my mom in Batangas - in this case, it was about a bank card she had to give me and then get back. My kids naturally have taken to calling her Tita Liza.

That aside, this particular say, Bryce lets her try out a few... okay, one song in Guitar Hero... how do I describe the results? I guess I can sum it all up to what I said that night as I observed her play. She was thinking too much, and was lucky to successfully follow a stanza. I would even venture to say that she takes after Guitar Hero like a fish out of water -I'm not mean, mind you... it was that bad.

Still, trooper as she is (notice the smile on her face?)... she continued on until she showed obvious signs of marked improvements (almost finishing a stanza), and maybe - just maybe, if she keeps it up - she'll finally get a song done before the year ends. Needless to say, we all had a few grimacing moments - but lots of laughs (including her) at her seeming misfortunes of playing - or should I say, agonizing through Guitar Hero. Hmmm... can't wait to see how Bing will fare with this as well - that is, when she comes down.

In the mean time, hang in there 'Tita Liza", it doesn't matter how many times you fumble or fall - what matters is you continue trying it out, until you get it right through your perseverance... and self-depreciating humor will definitely help too.

Photoblog - day 65 Jun 14, 2010

Summer leaves:

This was just one of several pictures I took when I was visiting and admiring the La Salle Damarinas (I can't seem to get the 'n-ye' symbol on my laptop keyboard - I wonder why) campus.

Looks like taking macro shots is almost second nature to my camera - the focus on the foreground leaves were great and the background - as obviously seen, is happily blurry. I also tweaked the picture a bit in Photoshop, enhancing the colors and darkening the hues to make the foreground stand out.

Photoblog - day 64, Jun 13, 2010

New Chapel:

This is the new Two Hearts Chapel found in the De La Salle Medical Center - I saw it as I was walking the grounds admiring the campus/hospital.

What struck me was the design - very elegant... yet simple; nothing too ostentatious or overboard - it really had a comfortable feel... even during 12 noon - while the outside temperature was very hot. What also caught my attention was how the crucifix was positioned against glass - some of them colored... and beyond the glass was a garden, further adding to the ambiance of the chapel. I can imagine a few patients wanting to stay in the chapel - both for it's serenity, and it's peaceful nature... not to mention it's seeming harmonizing with nature.

I guess, I was lucky to chance upon the chapel while it was almost empty - I mean, save for a trio of worshipers praying their novena, the chapel was deserted (though regular Sunday mass is scheduled in the morning and in the evening). I said short prayer for my Father-in-law, who was the reason for my being in Dasmarinas, Cavite that morning - then just had to take pictures of the chapel.

Photoblog - day 63, Jun 12 2010

Check-up and Flu shots:

In Cardinal Santos Medical Center, Greenhills, Dr. Joseph Regalado holds office for his patients... usually catering to children; he is a Pediatrician after all - and has been doing this for at least 15 years, his being the family pediatrician since... well, since Bryce was born. IT was here where we found ourselves a little after lunchtime.

Doctor Tito Joe as he would like to be called by his wards - has a very family-oriented, child-friendly manner and this is what makes him very popular to the parents... if not the children. This is also why we visit him at least once year, to have the kids vaccinations updated - plus the usual pep talk and vitamins changes all those years.

Today was more of the same - the first for this year... and aside from this, we also decided to have him administer our flu shots. So now we're better protected from the Flu - including the dreaded, though seemingly harmless (at least in the Philippines) AH1N1 strain. But even if it seemed to be harmless - it's still better to be safe than sorry.

But as I was saying, Dr. Regalado has that magic touch and personal touch that can't help but put the children at ease - and he does have ready pearls of wisdom for both children and parents alike. He embodies one of those client-value type personalities... one that makes you not mind paying a little extra, nor having to endure long wait list lines (at times lasting as long as two hours).

Photoblog - day 62, Jun 11 2010

Grilla's mascot:

Near our place of work... at least, one of them - we; that is, my colleagues in training and I, have a place we tend to frequent on Friday nights... the place is called Grilla - a play with the words grill and gorilla, of course.

Well. it so happens that Grilla has a mascot - a stuffed Gorilla costume, hanging above the place's basement, just like a gorilla probably would. It's eye level to people sitting at the ground area - where we happened to be at, this particular day.

Sometimes we stay long... and discuss the days that passed - sometimes, like tonight, we just stay long enough to await the number coding scheme's lifting at 7pm... and wouldn't you know it... at least three of us have the same number coding scheme situation every Friday - now if that isn't a formula for a regular drinking night every Friday, I wouldn't know what is.

Photoblog - day 61, Jun 10 2010

Experimenting with ISO settings:

One of the great mysteries of photography is what we refer to as ISO settings - and it was just recently that I got a feel for how to use this still mysterious capability to add different effects to my pictures.

This shows different people in a mall - some standing still, thus looking clearer in the picture - as against those walking by... thus having a blurred look. Some time soon, I shall try to have a picture with more ISO experiments - I hope to be able to capture moving items with more clarity... and at times, show blurred items specially in an evening shot.

Photoblog - day 60, Jun 9 2010

Rings

Yeah, yeah... they're not real rings - but then again, if they were the real things - I'd be in deep trouble just having them around (except for the Green one that is... and maybe the Blue one too).

Yup! These are the Lantern rings - in fact, the white one is the latest in the sudden rainbow of colors representing the different Corps of space armies in the DC Universe.

To add some dramatic background to the set of geek collectibles (yes... I'm a geek, so sue me) I placed the coffee table book "Rough Justice - the DC comics sketches of Alex Ross" and yes, that looks like an angry Superman charging forward, as painted by said Alex Ross, who to me is the best artist for comic books these days.

Photoblog - day 59, Jun 8 2010

My new BlackBerry:

This is my new phone - a BlackBerry Curve; and with it I join the 'always' online world - well, not really always, since I don't find the need to be online 24/7 - I'll be more in 'every other day' online mode with this.

How'd I get this? Simple... my old reliable phone was not so reliable anymore - it being almost 4 years old and all - but still useful, so long as you didn't mind the battery conking out every now and then. Long story short, Barbie did mind... and so got me the phone. I had the option to choose between this baby or a Nokia N92 - and since I've had Nokias all my cell phone life, I opted for something different. Besides, it was an advanced anniversary gift from her... me? I got her a wireless mouse (exactly like mine) - good for presentations, and a very portable hard drive to back up her office files.

How is the BlackBerry so far? well... I'm still adjusting to the qwerty pad - then again, I'd be adjusting to the same with the Nokia, and I may have sacrificed some mega-pixels in the process by way of the Nokia's camera; then again, I've a DSLR camera, so I don't really care about another one. The BlackBerry seemingly allows more flexibility online - for example, I can get my email, Facebook, Twitter and other sites... and since Barbie and Dict (my brother-in-law) already have BlackBerrys, we could do BlackBerry chats - so there you have it.

Photoblog - day 58, Jun 7 2010

True Believer or Fashion Statement?

Let's face it... any chance I get to wear my favorite heroes, you bet I will! In this case though, the team in the t-shirt are the New Avengers... an offshoot of the Avengers team as scripted by a writer who seems to have great ideas - but relatively poor follow through.

But this isn't about the story - the t-shirt just proudly sports the heroes I like... and the art here is great - in fact, it's definitely great enough to wear... and that is what I'm doing.

So am I a true believer of the team? Sure I am... and is this a fashion statement? I don't really care for fashion statements - if I like it, and if it's comfortable, I'd wear it... simple as that. Besides... with the way it's designed, the art simply hides my love handles (he he he), and what's not to love about that? Personally, I would have wanted the design a little higher, though. It would have possible - just possibly - afforded more art.

Oh yeah... this is my official picture for June.

Photoblog - day 57, Jun 6 2010

Look!... It glows!

Meet my new toy. I really needed to replace the keyboard of my computer located downstairs... for one, it was mysteriously not allowing the input of the numbers atop the letters - in other words... had it not been for the keypad, such numbers would be incapably entered - bad news to me, since my email address had a combination of letters and numbers... not to mention my password being in the same situation too.

Then there's the non-responsiveness of the '@' key as well - and to make matters worse - some letters were also unresponsive... like the letter 'o' for example. Obviously, the keyboard needed replacing.

I also remember mentioning in one of my Facebook status updates about the plan to purchase a keyboard with back-lighting capabilities... hence making dark room typing difficulties a thing of the past. So... once I saw such a keyboard in CDR King - and with a very affrodable price, I did not think thrice and got the keyboard at the next opportune moment.

How does it look? Well, judge for yourself... with the monitor having it's own light source, the keyboard was a very much needed input device in need of light - I'll have to say that night usage of the keyboard is a thing to look forward to. It used to be, I'd have a lamp shade to shed some light on the keyboard... a need doubly necessary when keyboards were dark colored - hence hard to see when in dim places, or at night.

Well... I just had to take a picture of it, since it was very cool looking. Oh yeah... and Bryce loves it too. In fact, as I type this, he's currently using the glow-in-the-dark keyboard.

Photoblog - day 54, Jun 3 2010

Testing School:

One for the trainings I tend to conduct is centered around Application Testing, which focuses on learning the concepts and best practices applicable to the concept of software testing.

Targeting the relatively new employees of this particular company, it helps reinforce the practice of having several layers to the testing practice. In this particular conduct, I had the chance to work with Tess Glipa - an old colleague in my Fujitsu days - and someone very knowledgeable with quality and testing concepts (she also took this picture). The school covers two days - very short when compared to the concepts being covered - but for the most part, our participants show a learning capability to match the expectations of the very compressed outline in so short a time.

Photoblog - day 56, Jun 5 2010

Wireless...

Yup! This is a wireless mouse - and even if the technology is not that new, it still can help us in impressive ways. This little critter allows me to move around an room with it in tow - and it allows me to manipulate any active document as I move around the room.

Partnered with another tool - your everyday laser pointer, it makes for a formidable and impressive-looking presentation combo.

The best part of this tool? It's price... with the likes of CDR King stores, prices for such gadgets as this are very affordable (assuming Php500.00 is an affordable price to you, that is). I got to use this twice already, and it can be handy - kudos to Brian (my colleague) for letting me know about this bargain. I also got another such mouse for Barbie - as I'm sure she'll find this little gadget useful with her work-related presentations.

Photoblog - day 55, Jun 4 2010

Starbucks Morning:

Believe it or not, this was around 6:30am at the Starbucks, Cybergate 2 branch - as I had to arrive early for my 8am training because of a little rule about the vehicle number coding scheme... and yes, my vehicle does have the affected plate number that says I have to be out of the roads before 7am - or risk being pulled over by traffic cops.

Having arrived real early then, I decided to grab some coffee - and breakfast... and it's really a convenience that this particular Starbucks is just one floor below my training room. So... camera and book in tow, I hied into this branch to order my usual tall latte... only this time, I decided to have a grilled three cheese and ham sandwich with it.

Aside from the very friendly baristas, the environment was cozy and jazz music was playing in the place's piped-in music system. I then proceeded to borrow the papers, read up on yesterday's new and enjoy my meal. If only my mornings would always start this way... I left feelign full, relaxed and energized - ready for the day's challenges.

Photoblog - day 53, Jun 2 2010

DVD Family Bonding:

In an otherwise uneventful day (even if it was Barbie's birthday), we found time to watch a movie we've never seen before... and call it mushy, but then again, I guess a movie with the title Valentine's Day would certain be filled with topics on love.

The plots were simple - several people with different lives... all searching to make their valentine's day experience something memorable and meaningful... that's it. What's different is that the movie likewise shows people in today's modern age. For example? Anne Hathaway's character moonlighting in Phone Sex is just one small tidbit that comes to mind... there are others still - but I won't spoil it for anyone who hasn't seen it yet.

I'll just say that we were all surprised to see some teens in the movie - which pretty much guaranteed Bernice's interest in watching the film... and this is one of those, cute movie revolving around the lives of many people... and it is a large ensemble of casting known (and some not too well known) characters... I 'm sure you see some familiar faces in the picture, right?

Cute movie, great family bonding moment - even if all we did was stay in the couch and watch - with minimal conversation... the mere fact that we enjoyed something together was what counted. If you're going to watch it with a critical eye... I suggest watching something else - this is a feel good shallow movie; and on certain days, I don't mind 'feel good' and 'shallow'.

As for credits... well, here's the link to the Wikipedia entry:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valentine%27s_Day_%28film%29

Photoblog - day 52, Jun 1 2010

Tree Leaves and Overcast Sky:

Nothing overly dramatic about this picture - as the title says, it's just a typical mundane set of leaves with the cloudy sky as backdrop. So why'd I take it? What was the purpose of this picture?

I wanted to get a near silhouette of the leaves against a not so bright sky - after all, I did not want to totally overpower the leaves with too bright a background. I was also hoping that the overcast colors would show - not that there were too many colors to begin with... and since this was a near instantaneous shot - with hardly any preparation... one night even say a picture taken - on the go... then I'm surprised to see how nice it looked. How nice to see how the mundane can look good.

God sure is a great designer... even of the small, mundane things, isn't he?

Photoblog - day 51, May 31 2010

My latest readings:

Though it may sound inappropriate, I actually did bring this pile - and more actually, to my training, and started reading them one at a time while I was not lecturing. An explanation is obviously in order... simple, really.

Today's training was not solely handled by me - not by a long shot. I was facilitating Application Component Detailed Design, and when I do, it's normally with a partner - in this case, Fiel Javier. So... when it's Fiel's turn to talk (we take turns with the alternating modules), I pull out an issue and start reading. Eventually, as the day ended, I was able to catch up on my reading.

I guess this is also an indicator of how busy my weekend was - as I usually reserve reading my comics at home. Unfortunately (though with no real regrets), I found myself neck deep in many activities (as the two previous entries would allude to), hence not having been able to read my new comics .

If things happen as expected, I'll be talking again tomorrow morning - and Fiel will handle the afternoon... which will free me to have more reading time. I still have a handful of issues that I've not read yet, so I guess I'll squeeze those in too. Or... it's back to reading the novel I'm currently in the middle of... oh, and that Time magazine - after all, I've not yet read all the articles.