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?