Photoblog - Day 212, Nov 07, 2010

Roaming around Rockwell:

Today was a different day for us. With Barbie in Guam, I wanted to have a not so mundane Sunday - I mean, I could have stayed home and watched some DVDs or something similar, but I wanted to go out. More importantly, I wanted to spend some time out while this Sunday was not yet half through.

Of course we had to do some things - like Bryce and I getting a haircut. Plus, I also had to consider groceries replenishment; and naturally, going to mass. Aside from that - anything was possible - almost spontaneous in fact.

So what else did we do?

Well for starters; we had lunch at Rockwell's basement - ending up at Kentucky Fried Chicken; then we tried to peep into a bazaar called 'Pinoy Pride', but with entrance at Php100 each (and there were 3 of us), we thought it not a good idea to fork out the money with no guarantee we'd like to buy more stuff inside. Too bad for them.

We did not leave empty handed though, as both Bryce and Bernice got purple bonnets, while I managed to take a picture of the mall's tall outdoor Christmas tree - which is shown here with the kids. To emphasize the tree's height, take note o fthe people sitting at a bench by the tree's base - and take note, the tree also has a star (not in picture) so it's over-all height is higher than the picture could emphasize.

After this we bought tickets for Megamind, and attended mass (then the movie) and culminated our Rockwell experience by doing the groceries.

Yup, I'd say this day was far from boring.

Photoblog - Day 211, Nov 06, 2010

November's Bacardi Night:

Since I missed the last time this happened, I was determined to make sure I attended this particular Bacardi Night; after all, it has been months since I've seen or talked to some of these friends of mine.

As tradition goes, we'd normally try to have a get together to catch up with what's been happening with each other, maybe relive some fond memories, talk about absent colleagues (don't worry people - we were relatively gentle), and share some food and drinks - in this case, the usual Bacardi Mojitos mixture that Jingo and I have somehow concoct as our group's own version - one we call the Manila Mojitos.

As Bacardi nights would go - this one was a successful one. No one was too bored or too late - and everyone was able to follow the evening's conversations - and boy, did we talk about a lot of things.

What's new about this particular night? A lot actually - from Gina's Chocolate Fondue, to Melody's Rum Cake. It was equally a gastronomic delight - but hey, this only happens at least once a quarter (at most, once a month... though rarely has this happened).

We even ended a bit early - if you can call 1:00am, early, but I'd still say that everyone was satisfied with the evening. We even started talking about our next Christmas edition Bacardi Night, as we realized that the exchange gift we did was almost a year ago. How about that?

Here's to more Bacardi Nights with friends.

Photoblog - Day 210, Nov 05, 2010

Mirrored Tiles:

This is a post in Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf at the Rockwell Mall. I had the occasion to be here and when I saw the near mirror-like tiles, I thought how mirror-ball like it was, and how it would definitely shine light back... even if it were in a myriad pieces (like the mirror ball). So I experimented with it by taking a shot.

The result was rather ordinary - nothing spectacular, since the light reflections was not showing in the picture. So this time, I tried a different track... I used my camera's flash this time and this is what came up.

I'd say this was a much better (livelier) picture representing how the flash's light reflected through the many shiny surfaces, thus making the surface rather dark - but lo and behold, the light did not reflect against the tiles' bonding (which is a non-reflective surface). This resulted in the tiles looking rather visible by their outline, even if they themselves did not shine - which was because I took the picture at an angle to prevent exactly that. End result... a more unique picture.

Guess I can chalk this up to a picture of patterns - in this instance, square patterns.

Photoblog - Day 209, Nov 04, 2010

Confirmation:

Today, Bernice got her confirmation. This was a long anticipated day - not because it was a very special time for Bernice (it was, of course), but that it was one activity long prepared for by her school - from a confirmation seminar to prepare the parent(s) by educating them about the sacrament, and hopefully giving them the right foundation for a catholic life (in case they missed the meaning of the ceremony).

I could give more details about the confirmation, but I guess the main difference between this one and the one with Bryce was that I had my trusty DSLR this time. So I decided to act the photographer and take Bernice's picture as she went through the ceremony. I also made it a point to take a few picture od her with her 'ninang' Bernadette.

This particular picture captures both - the important aspect of Confirmation, and having Bernadette in the picture as well - not to mention the Cardinal too. I als made it a point to have this type of picture taken because I already have a mirror-image of this pose... with Bryce and his 'ninong' Dict. Naturally, I plan to put these two pictures side-by-side.

Photoblog - Day 208, Nov 03, 2010

Piano player:

I always wanted to get a picture of a piano - possibly with a player. WHy you may ask? I just liked the symmetry and lines (specially inside the piano) that one can play around with as far a taking pictures are concerned.

That said, when Barbie and I went to Rockwell's mall, I knew there was a piano there, and it was being played regularly - so I considered the possibility and hoped I could get a decent shot in.

Well this one was taken (obviously) from above - the floor above the piano to be exact, and what was a simple shot (just set, point, shoot and hope there was no need for 'second-try's) and I just considered myself lucky to have the shot. I was even not too happy with the angle so I decided to take another shot - this time form the piano's side (an equally good picture too), so what made me decide to go with this shot for my photoblog?

Simple... yet I guess, minimalist in such a way that it's not so obvious - but it can be a focal counterpoint to the seeming stillness fo the picture. I refer to the right hand being a bit blurry (signifying movement) which is equally matched by a cropped figures walking past the piano player. Guess this is a sample of a picture looking better the second time around, huh?

Photoblog - Day 207, Nov 02, 2010

Soul of Coffee:

This picture was taken by Barbie and the backdrop is actually the Bo's Coffee wall in Greenhills. It's entire caption reads "Espresso, the soul of coffee" When Barbie took the picture, however, the top portion was cropped. Still, the effect gave a more surreal look.

I mean, what is the soul of coffee? Not meaning to go all Zen here, but it's the aroma of the coffee that gives it it's soul... after all, when I was a non-coffee drinker (almost a decade in the past), I was drawn to the coffee's smell - it was just fantastic to smell some coffee brewing in the background, and in more than one time, I wondered if I was missing out on something special.

Well, nowadays I'm a regular enough drinker to know the difference between brewed and instant sans taste; and I regularly purchase not just the Barista created cup, but the grounded coffee as well (for home brewing purposes). Though I may not consider myself a coffee expert yet, I have acquired the taste for it. hence my going to places like Starbucks, Seattle's Best, Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf and the likes.

Of course, there will be times I don't feel like taking coffee - in which case I revert to taking tea.

It just hit me... it is All Soul's Day! How about that for coincidence?

Photoblog - Day 206, Nov 01, 2010

Piazza Lunch:

Today was probably the only time everyone was free - it being a holiday and all, so we scheduled to have our get together lunch with the Dubai folks, before their scheduled leave/vacation ends. Most of them are returning to the Middle East next Saturday, and as for the rest of us... work will once again intrude into our get-togethers. I also imagine them being likewise busy having to consider last minute shopping for things they may be needing to bring back there.

Honestly, it was good of the to visit - and with their nearly a month's stay, we've been able to have out-of-town trips, drinking sessions and gastronomic delights. Though once they return, I imagine it shall be back to a saner diet for me as well... at least, until Christmas.

So yeah... today's lunch was great and everyone had a wonderful time. This is them as they arrived at the Piazza. Barbie and the kids were already at Dencio's (2nd floor) ordering ahead of their arrival. Meanwhile, I was playing around with my mono-pod (and later in the restaurant, my tripod). That was what they probably saw me doing, as they arrived.

Why the mono-pod? I was experimenting with panoramic takes via photo stitching. Apparently, my first try was a mixed success... why so? I got to stitch two pictures - but the people in the middle; where the stitch happened, were out of synch. Well... at least I learned something. Will try again some time soon.

Photoblog - Day 205, Oct 31, 2010

Amici dinner:

Sunday was a quiet time for us - after all, we were still resting from the previous evening's drinking session, and though the kids were spared the alcohol, they had to play baby sitters to three of their younger cousins, so I can imagine that the evening wasn't as restful for them either.

We woke up early, and had it not been for the obligation (or practice) to attend Mass on Sundays, we'd probably just stay home. Then again, if we did that, we wouldn't have enjoyed our dinner at Amici.

Nothing spectacular, we just had two servings of seafood pasta and two pizzas - one four cheese, and the other a new offering... garlic and spinach (a vegan's delight too - if they wanted to skip the four cheese).

This picture shows Barbie and Bernice waiting for our orders to come. Apparently, there were a few changes to the restaurant - and only time will tell if those changes work. Still, maybe due ot the staff getting used to said changes, service was a bit rough on the edges (they for got to serve us our iced tea until we reminded them).

Oh well... it was a healthy and filling dinner to cap a restful day.

Photoblog - Day 204, Oct 30, 2010

Bacardi Night for the Buenaobras:

Yes it's definitely a Bacardi Night that Barbie and I planned for her brothers and sisters. Considering that most of them just came back for a one month vacation before returning to Dubai, and likewise considering that the next time they will be together would probably be after two years; and lastly... considering that it;w the star of a long weekend (though it should have been longer) - well, let's just say that a drinking session was long overdue at home with the Buenaobra siblings.

As usual, I got to let them taste Mojitos, Margaritas and BJs - and they all loved it enough to get a bit tipsy... but worry not, we made sure they were okay enough to travel home early morning. Thanks to some Starbucks coffee that I bought and Barbie brewed.

Photoblog - Day 203, Oct 29, 2010

Batty:

These little bats are real cute halloween decors, and I saw them in (of all places) a bank where I went to cash a check - enroute to depositing some money into my bank account. I guess I did not expect such a conservative business to get into the spirit of things and really pepper the office with these type of decors.

Still, it was a pleasant surprise, and when I saw these batty bats - well, I just had to ask permission ot take their pictures. Halloween being a few days away... I guess it's good to get into the spirit of the day - and the practice.

So happy halloween folks!

Photoblog - Day 202, Oct 28, 2010

White Cup:

This is obviously a Starbucks cup (or mug, if you want to be precise about it), and what is so significant about the mug this day? Simple, it's the start of my graveyard shift training that's gonna last until tomorrow (two days total)... so I'm definitely going to need my uppers - legal of course, and in this case - Starbucks coffee. naturally.

My training this evening, though will be Achieving Meeting Results - a course I've been very familiar with - ans one that is relatively easy for me to conduct (in fact I just conducted one last week - an afternoon to evening session). So yeah... it's been a while since I've had a graveyard shift, so we'll see how awake I can stay.

As for this shot... well, the over-all white cup with white design was, I felt, a challenge to get just right. I'd like to think I did get it right. I had to rely on bright sunlight form outside for this one though. I don't think it would have had the same effect had this been taken with less brightness and less a play with shadows.

Photoblog - Day 201, Oct 27, 2010

My other Loach:

This is a Kuhli Loach, one of two I have in my smaller fish tank (they were actually three - but I can't seem to see the other one, even after I cleaned the tank), and I guess they were both happy with their cleaned environment that they were actively swimming around the tank.

Now since I had some difficulty capturing them for pictures, I would either just get them in a far shot and do a post shot zoom-in, or just bide my time until I saw them not doing much movement. Well today was the latter... sort of.

I did say I caught them moving around a lot and they were likewise sort of playing with the internal pump. Moving in front of the pumped water and swimming against the current. Well that kind of activity will eventually make them tired, so I watched and waited... then, when one of them would rest in the gravel, I could take my shot. I actually missed catching them both in the frame by just a few seconds... but this one is cool enough.

Why my other loach, you might ask... well, I did feature my clown loaches before, right? If you want to learn more about these fishes, there's a site I could point you to.

Loaches

Read up on them, and who knows? Maybe this'll convince you to try them out as pets.

Photoblog - Day 200, Oct 26, 2010

Cold Room:

This is me in a jacket while reading a book at the back of the training room - something I'm able to do because it was my partner's turn to talk. Said partner for this day being Tess, who saw me; liked what she saw - and said she just had to take my picture, so I could add it to my photoblog.

As for me, yes the jacket is necessary. You see, where I'm sitting, I find myself in a near direct path of an industrial airconditioner's cold blast, and even if we lower the temperature a bit, it still is cold for the person in the aircon's path. In actuality, I'm trying to cover my head more than my body, more so since I'm still nursing a cough. The book I'm so engrossed with? "The Last Templar", a book I just started reading this day.

So there you have it... another picture of me this October (unintentionally done), because Tess saw a memory worth preserving - and when I saw her take of me, I thouhgt so too.

Photoblog - Day 199, Oct 25, 2010

Mohawk:

I remember first seeing people sporting the mohawks in relatively modern times (the '80's if you must know) from Mt.T - first as a formidable opponent to Rocky, and later as a comedic tough guy in the A-Team (the TV series - not the movie that has recently been shown). Naturally, this got a handful of people copying the style of Mr. T. - but more often enough it was to convince them (and others) that they were as tough as their idol.

Later the 'hawk' look was somehow revived as part of the punk rock / new wave stage in the music industry's life - and even then, this was seemingly reserved for the more erratic (some would even say wildly behaving) bands. After all, aside from the fact that they were mohawked - they were likewise gelled to look like spikes, so it was understandable that the not too many (with exception to the more eccentric followers) started sporting that style of 'hawk'.

Fast forward to the 2010s and we have a resurgence of sorts for the 'hawk' - thanks to another TV character in the series Glee. It's a more conservative 'hawk' than that of the punk rock era... and the character is more mainstream high school than Mr. T.

Guess this explains why some parents are having a ball having their kids look that way these days... and depending on how the 'hawk' goes in a decade or two, I wonder how this kid will react to seeing pictures of himself with the 'hawk'. It could go either way, of course... he could be proud of being bold enough at a young age to sport it, or he could probably keep all early pictures of himself from this particular time period.

Anyway, this shot was just on impulse - saw the kid; opened the camera and clicked. After all, as far as memories to remind me of where I was goes - this was as good as any. To preserve the kid's identity, I did not bother getting a face shot. After all, the back of his head says it as clearly.

Good luck in your future, kid.

Photoblog - Day 199, Oct 25, 2010

Ants:

Last time I tried getting these critters, I ended up with a vague orange shape on green mangoes - apparently, I still needed to learn how to better focus my camera's lens to catch these ants.

Well, as you can see, I've improved by some leaps and bounds when it comes to capturing these critters - and I couldn't be happier too. After all, being able to catch the ant clearly (and this is not yet using any zoom lens) means I'm definitely getting the hang of using my camera's features. If you look closely, you can even see the ant's eye.

Nat. Geo., here I come!

Photoblog - Day 198, Oct 24, 2010

Cuenca Visit with 'Dubai' folks:

I normally try to visit my mom and sister in Cuenca at least once a quarter. Recently, though, this has not been the case. For example, I was supposed to go last August to celebrate the birthdays of Li, Bing and Patty in one go - wasn't able to make it due to a busy schedule. Darned if I would pass up this opportunity though.

Cuenca trips are well remembered by my 'Dubai' in-laws because of the gastronomic dishes we serve them there - and most of them being of generous and extra large serving. This time out, it seems the classic grilled Liempo was outdone by the humble smoked fish... something I guess they've really missed eating.

That said, we all ate more than enough to last us beyond dinner - and such a filling situation gave everyone else an excuse to walk around. Me? I finished reading a book while awaiting the famous Batangas Barako Coffee to be served.

My next trip will most likely be in the Christmas season... not sure if I can make a trip for Mom's birthday - but I'll see. Unfortunately, the 'Dubai' folks will be long gone to enjoy either or of these possible trips - having to go back to where they're working. But that's okay... I'm sure they have lots to talk about - with pictures to share too.

Photoblog - Day 197, Oct 23, 2010

Spa time!

This was a scheduled day at the Spa specifically for Barbie's Dubai-working relatives, and a few others. In this Photo, that would be Brian and Joji, while Ben and I... well, we're the 'few others', at least in the gentlemen side. This is them in robes after the massage (hence the uncombed hairs).

As I accompanied them, Barbie was enjoying a similar experience with her siblings Bea and Dette, with sister-in-law Lhynn. After this much needed relaxation (as mentioned by Joji and Brian to me), we had a late dinner at Eastwood, and that in itself was a nice experience... definitely better than the aborted plan to go to the Piazza in McKinley. After all, from all indications, the architecture and clock tower are the same - with exception that while Eastwood is filled with lots of places to hang out in, the Piazza looks near empty after you consider dinner.

Photoblog - Day 196, Oct 22, 2010

Red Tomatoes 2010:

This is a free concert sponsored by my favorite FM radio station; 99.5 RT - in fact, I've been an avid RT listener since... well, since college actually. Though the station went on a near 2 decade hiatus (or was it longer than 2 decades?). Anyway, they're back with a vengeance, and I get to listen to them in the morning and evening, specifically when I'm driving to or from work.

This was how I learned of their concert, and coincidence as it is... You might even say that the coincidence became stronger when I learned that a previously planned family outing was cancelled, leaving my Saturday evening open. I was in McKinley that day, conducting my last day for PM Estimating. That said, it was a simple matter of waiting for the appointed start time.

Hence I was able to get some pics of the bands playing - well, just two of them actually... Sinosikat (in the picture) and Sandwich. In between I saw a few RT jocks too. But what got me going was of course a chance to try taking really great pics of the bands.

Photoblog - Day 195, Oct 21, 2010

Great pumpkin time!

Yes, it's close to Halloween! Though we don't really celebrate it here that much in the past, it's commercial possibilities have seemingly caught on in the malls - then again, it's no real surprise, since it's the more affluent subdivisions and neighborhoods that have traditionally practiced this... I guess, wanting to make sure they have a semblance of the celebration here as in the U.S.

Still, I don't begrudge the commercial practice - after all, it's and opportunity for kids to enjoy one night of trick or treats (specially the treats) and is likewise a reason for dining places - like the coffee shop to spruce up their locale with decors of webs, witches and whatnots. In this case, the jack-o-lantern inspired decors are an attractive attention-getter. It obviously caught mine enough to take it's picture.

Ah... to be a child again, and get to enjoy trick or treats... wouldn't that be nice?

Photoblog - Day 194, Oct 20, 2010

Yummm!

By themselves, each food item is a very tasty dessert - the white items are Macapuno (preserved, sweetened coconut meat), while the yellowish item with a near burned caramel top is Leche Flan (sweetened milk pudding?). Both are well known in the Philippines, and both can be overwhelmingly sweet at times.

Fortunately, these two are not - even when placed side-by-side. Why so? For starters, these two were home made (not my home, though) and I was just lucky to be a recipient of such wonderful cooking. Believe me, these two are temptations to anyone with a sweet tooth; myself included, but I can honestly say that I have been winning the EQ war with this one - the bad part? Others at home are not so controlling, so unless I decide to eat these sooner (like this evening) I may very well end up not being able to taste them.

So as you can see, I took matters into hand last night as barbie was getting herself some. At least, I got to taste this combination... now if I cna only find some Ube (taro-flavored) ice cream...