Certified Professional Scrum Master!

Several months after my first Scrum certification, I now have my second one. I am now a certified Professional Scrum Master!

I was a lot more confident when I took this second certification compared to my first one because I already got trained and certified before. I was also told by many people who had taken and passed the Professional Scrum Master certification that it was a lot easier the the Product Owner certification which I got late last year. While the exam was actually a lot more difficult and complicated than what I was made to believe, I still thankfully passed it.

The key now is for me to apply what I've learned. I've started seeing plenty of opportunities to apply Scrum and leverage Agile at work. Once again, I'm really thankful that company continues to invest in its employees.

Car Registration Renewal at QCIS Motor Vehicle Inspection Center

If you live in Metro Manila and are planning to renew your car registration, I highly recommend QCIS Motor Vehicle Inspection Center. While is located in Quezon City, you don't need to be a QC resident to avail of their services. Renewal is quick and easy. This is mainly because there is a satellite LTO office there. During my visit, inspection, emission testing, insurance, and renewal all took about 45 minutes.

QCIS Motor Vehicle Inspection Center

After last year's challenges of getting my car registration renewed, I wanted to make sure I had a much easier time this year. A few months ago, a friend of mine shared her great experience at QCIS. I saved that information and when it came time for me to renew, I messaged their Facebook page to set an appointment. (Note that they accept walk-ins and I think many of the other motorists who were there at the time didn't have appointments.) 

When I arrived, they took my car for inspection and emission testing. I paid for those services then I waited in their air-conditioned waiting room.

Once done, I sorted out my insurance. The ladies at the insurance desk took the payment then explained to me what I needed to do at the LTMS Portal to confirm that the inspection, emission testing, and insurance have all been sorted out. They then told me how much I needed to pay for my renewal fee and I was given instructions how to make the payment through Gcash. I was then told I could just print out the renewal from the document section of my LTMS account but since my printer at home is busted, they printed it out for me there.

There is an LTO Satellite Office at QCIS

And that was it! Done and dusted in less than an hour. After spending a day and a half sorting out my car registration renewal last year, I am so pleased that I barely spent any time on it this time around. I will definitely be going to QCIS again in the future.

QCIS Motor Vehicle Inspection Center
https://www.facebook.com/qcismvic
No 20 Cattleya Extension, Brgy Bahay Toro
qcismvic@gmail.com
Mobile: 09950851592, 09365725560

Catching up on Disney+, Netflix, and HBO Go

The last few months have been very busy but I still found some time to watch some shows on the different streaming services to which I'm subscribed. One of the shows I was looking forward to the most was White Lotus Season 2 on HBO Go. I really loved the first season so I wanted to see how this next one would turn out. Gotta say, it didn't disappoint. While the theme of the first season involved money, greed, and social inequity, this second season dealt with sex and manipulation. White Lotus' study of the dark side of human nature is really captivating and I continue to be a fan of this show. I am definitely looking forward to season 3.

Also on HBO Go was Everything Everywhere All at Once. I had been interested in this film for a while now, especially since it was getting really good reviews. After its success at the Oscars, I took the time to see it. I gotta say, it's weird and trippy, with scenes that range from the borderline ridiculous to the not-so-easy-to-understand. That said, it is exactly those qualities that make this movie unique and innovative. It also has a lot of heart so I can totally understand why it won the Oscar for Best Picture. Michelle Yeoh also put in a superb performance and fully deserved her Oscar Best Actress award.

Over on Disney+, I finally got to see Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. It was bittersweet how they handled Chadwick Boseman's passing in this film. I found so many elements of this Marvel movie to be really interesting, from the situation that triggered the movie's primary conflict to the backstory of main antagonist and to the emergence of the new Black Panther.

I also watched a couple of animated films on Disney+: Luca and Encanto. While its tempting to think that Luca is just like Little Mermaid but with a male lead, it isn't (or, well, not exactly). It talks about - acceptance of who you are and acceptance of others who are different from us. Encanto, on the other hand, is the story of a family that is receives an enchantment that results in everyone having powers, save for one. It is this twist that provides the conflict in the film, and the protagonist Mirabel Madrigal goes on a journey of discovery that leads to the movie's emotional climax. Of course, in classic Disney style, Encanto is a movie musical. One thing that ties both movies together is their use of the name Bruno. You can read more about this coincidence here.

On Netflix, I watched a couple of light and easy movies that were based on children's books: Firedrake the Silver Dragon and Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile. I decided to see both because I was looking for movies that were light and easy to watch and I felt that these two filled that requirement quite well haha.

Since it's Pride month, I thought it would be a perfect time to watch Filipino film Remington and the Curse of the Zombadings. That's the name it goes by on Netflix but the original Tagalog title is the Zombadings 1: Patayin sa Shokot si Remington, which I think is much more intriguing. This movie tells the story of a man named Remongton who was very homophobic as kid. He teases and verbally abuses someone who turns out to have powers and this person places a curse on him, saying that when he gets older, he himself will become gay. He unexpectedly and slowly shows signs of becoming gay at a time when there seems to be a serial killer of gay men in Lucban, the municipality where he lives. It's funny and entertaining and the revelation of the Zombadings or zombie badings is hilariously outrageous. I gotta say, this movie was really loads of fun.

Still on Netflix, I started watching Cobra Kai. I heard lots of positive reviews about this series and I was a fan of Karate Kid back in the 80s so watching it was a bit of a no-brainer for me to start it. I love the fact that each episode is just about half an hour long, making it quite easy to watch. What I found to be really surprising and interesting is how the antagonist in the first Karate Kid - Johnny Lawrence - becomes a bit sympathetic in the show. Maybe it's because he takes a young kid who is being bullied under his wing. I've gone through several episodes in the first season already and I'm really enjoying it. That said, since I'm not a binge-watcher, it will take me a while to get through the whole series.

I have also finally completed the latest season of 9-1-1, my favorite current series. (I guess it became my favorite because I've become really invested in the personal stories of all the characters). It was one of the shows I was really looking forward to watching when Disney+ became available in the Philippines. Season 6 wrapped up in mid-May and the episodes were shown here about 2 weeks after they came out in the US so I'm now all caught up. I've also been watching The Golden Girls and Code Black, a series I used to watch on one of the channels on Sky Cable. I still have lots of shows on my watch lists on each of these streaming services. Hopefully I can find more time to watch them. And maybe complete Cobra Kai before the end of the year.

Keep on Walking

My Fitbit journey continues with a couple of new achievements. First, I got my Great Barrier Reef badge, which means I have walked a total distance of 2,574 kilometers since I started using my Fitbit last year. This means that for the last year, I have been averaging 7.33 kilometers per day. When I achieved my previous badge, I was averaging 7.11 km per month. This means that I have actually walked enough this year to improve my average by about 200 meters per day. That's pretty awesome!

I also achieved my best 1-week result in terms of steps (101,043) and distance covered (70 kilometers)! That's 10 km a day! I beat my previous 1-week best in terms of distance of about 67 km that I set a couple of months ago. It's also the first time I took more than 100,000 steps in one week. Cool!

Having a Fitbit has really motivated me to keep on walking. Hopefully, I can break these personal records soon and continue to improve my daily average.

Retiring My Favorite Shoes

Sad news. I now have to retire my favorite sneakers - my Metcon 2 Flywire shoes - after 7 years of use. I got them in 2016 and I've loved them ever since. They fit well and are very comfortable. I also love their color.

My worn-out, dirty, and apparently irreparable Metcon 2 Flywire shoes

A few years ago, I noticed the sole start to slowly detach from the show. Recently, I decided to bring them to a shoe repair shop to try and have them fixed and cleaned. Unfortunately, after more careful inspection, the shoe repair shop told me they couldn't repair my Metcons anymore.

Unfortunately, Nike no longer produces Metcon 2 Flywire. If they did, I would have purchased the exact same pair again. These shoes served me very well over the last seven years, especially during my trip to South America. I even went up the Perito Moreno Glacier wearing them!

Wearing my Metcons as I prepare to do a glacier walk in Perito Moreno in Argentina

I now need to find replacement sneakers. Hopefully, I can find a pair that will be just as good, both in fit and in looks.

A Historic French Open

23 in 2023. That's the number of Grand Slam singles titles that Novak Djokovic has now won after lifting the French Open trophy. Novak continues to make history with this win, and the numbers are staggering:

• With 23 Grand Slam titles, Novak moves past Rafa Nadal and is now the male player with the most Grand Slam singles titles in history.
  
• He ties Serena Williams as the players with the most major singles titles in the Open era.
• This is his 3rd French Open title, making him the only man who has won each Grand Slam event at least 3 times.
• He returns to the #1 ranking on the ATP tour.

Novak continues to break records and his tennis resume is absolutely astounding. I wouldn't be surprised if he soon equals and even breaks Margaret Court's all-time record of Grand Slam singles titles won (24).

On the women's side, Iga Swiatek beat Karoline Muchova in a tough 3-setter to win her 3rd title at Roland Garros. She has now won 3 of the 5 French Open tournaments she has played and has a very impressive 28-2 win-loss record at this tournament. She also has four major titles to her name and it will be interesting to see how many more majors she can win in her career.

Congratulations, Novak and Iga!

Revisiting Old Favorites

Recently, I found myself revisiting some of my favorite restaurants that I haven't been to in years. First on my list was Old Swiss Inn, which has been around since 1946. Their Makati branch used to be open 24/7 but since the pandemic, they're opening hours have been adjusted and they now open at 9am and close at 10pm. I had dinner there one night and I ordered the Zurich Geschnetzeltes, which is shredded pork tenderloin in mushroom cream sauce served with roesti potatoes. I really love this dish!

Zurich Geschnetzeltes from Old Swiss Inn

I also got the Zwiebelsuppe, a German onion soup (quite similiar to French onion). It was really good too! This return trip to Old Swiss Inn reminded me how much I love this place so I need to try and visit more often.

Zwiebelsuppe German Onion Soup from Old Swiss Inn

Another favorite is Bizu. While this restaurant is known for its cakes, pastries, and macarons, they also have really good meals. Their 10-hour Roast Beef is exceptionally good. The beef is tender and very flavorful and the potato gratin it is served with is the perfect complement.

10-hour Roast Beef from Bizu

When I was still in school, one of my favorite restaurants was The French Baker, mainly because they offered comfort food at a reasonable price. I had lunch at their SM Megamall branch on the day that I renewed my passport at DFA in Megamall. My go-to dish at this place is their Fettuccine Carbonara so I decided to order it again for old times' sake. There are lots of really good pasta places in Metro Manila but this dish is relatively inexpensive and they serve it really quickly so I still find it to be good value for money.

Fettuccine Carbonara from The French Baker

I used to go to Kitchen's Best a lot many years ago, especially when they had a branch in BGC along 3rd avenue that served savory dishes. (They still have a branch in Bonifacio High Street Central Square but I believe they only sell cakes and other baked goods there.) I visited their branch in Karrivin Plaza along Chino Roces Avenue recently to pick-up a cake I ordered - their Concorde is still really exceptionally good - and to have lunch. I ordered two items on their menu: the 40 Cloves Chicken in Olive Oil and the Wild Mushroom Pasta. I wasn't able to consume everything but I did take my leftovers home so nothing went to waste haha.

40 Cloves Chicken in Olive Oil and Wild Mushroom Pasta from Kitchen's Best

Finally, I had dinner at Causeway. Ideally, the best time to go to Causeway is when they sell their dimsum at 50% off (it differs per branch) but I found myself near Causeway along Timog Avenue one night and I decided to have dinner there, even if I would have to pay full price for dimsum. I got one order each of their Pork Siomai and Beancurd Roll. I also ordered their Asado Rice Roll, which I really love. Unfortunately, I forgot to take a photo of it haha.

Beancurd Roll and Pork Siomai from Causeway

Hopefully, I get to revisit these places again soon. And maybe other restaurants that I also love that I haven't been to in a while.

Bright Side of Life

The last month wasn't easy, given all the losses my family experienced, but thankfully there were still many good moments and positive experiences. My friend Drew visited Japan and I asked him if he could buy me a box of Tokyo Banana if he had time to find it and if he still had space in his luggage. I got to try this sweet snack many years ago when a friend brought a box home from Japan as pasalubong and I enjoyed it. I saw that it is now available in the Philippines at the Mitsukoshi Mall but it costs about twice as much here compared to Japan. Not only did Drew manage to buy a box and fit it into his luggage, he also gave it to me as a gift. I shared it with my family and they enjoyed it too. Thanks Drew!

I also got to try the Kurobota Pork Sinigang at Mamou. I've been to Mamou on a few occasions in the past but each time I've eaten there, I always have the steak and the truffle pasta. However, during the pandemic, a friend told me that the sinigang at Mamou is pretty good too. So when my friends decided to have lunch at Mamou, I decided to try the sinigang. It was good indeed. I'm glad I got to try something new and that I actually enjoyed. Of course, I'm also really glad I got to catch up with my friends Eliza, Marie, and Meg.

Speaking of new dining experiences, I enjoyed a crepe at Cooper's Coffee Haus in CW Ortigas Home Depot for the first time. I was in the area one afternoon and I was looking for a place to have coffee and dessert. I love crepes so when I saw Cooper's, I immediately decided to get a table. I ordered the Banana Nutella Brulee and the presentation was a pleasant surprise. The crepes seemed to have been sliced into strips, rolled up, made to stand on the side, and then topped with a banana slice. Pretty inventive!

My new experiences weren't limited to food. I finally got to set up my new weighing scale at home. I actually got it as a birthday gift from my mom a couple of years ago but I only set it up last month. Ive never had a weighing scale before so now I can more closely monitor my weight at home.

I also finally used my Nike app. I set it up and created an account during the pandemic but I didn't use it. And when my old phone ran out of space, I deleted it. I installed it in my new phone but didn't really use it. That is, until I walked into the Nike store at Glorietta one afternoon. One of the salespeople said that several items were on sale but you had to use your Nike app QR code to get the discount. I ended up getting the black Nike Free Metcon 5 at 30% off. Cool!

And while we're on the topic of luck, I won a 500g bag of coffee! I attended a company event and one of the activities that day involved visiting booths of the different departments to understand how other groups do their work. One booth offered visitors a chance to win a prize if they answered a trivia question correctly.  Thankfully, I did! My prize was a bag of Baslay Forest Coffee from Negros. I'm a big fan of local coffee so this prize really made my day.

Hopefully, the worst is over and things start looking up the rest of the year. In any case, I'm truly grateful for all these moments that make life better.