Joint Administrative Order 2014-01

Here's an important thing for all Filipino drivers to take note of: make sure that you renew your driver's license on time and that you have it with you every time you are on the road. The penalty for driving without a license or with an expired driver's license is a fine of P3,000 as well as the revocation of driving privileges for a year.

I found out about this while I was on a taxi cab recently and the driver was listening to Isumbong mo kay Tulfo on the radio. A guy called in to raise a concern about the penalty he got for driving with an expired license. More than the money, it was the fact that he couldn't get a license for 1 year that hurt him quite badly, as it would any driver. Tulfo then called a government official to ask about this and the official confirmed that the penalty was in fact correct ever since Joint Administrative Order 2014-01 was put into effect in June 2014:

Top Gear Philippines provided a summary of the updated penalties for certain traffic violations. To all Filipino drivers out there, make sure you familiarize yourself with Joint Administrative Order 2014-01 and make sure you do not commit any of these violations as the penalties are quite stiff.

Scrabble tournament

Our annual company sportsfest kicked off last month and as a bit of a twist this year, three board games were included in the list of events. (Yes I know, these aren't sports, but our sportfest has evolved over the last few years and it no longer includes purely athletic events to make it more interesting and diverse and so that more people can participate.) These board games were chess, dama, and Scrabble. I wasn't really planning to join any of these events but when I checked our sign up sheet, I noticed that almost no one registered for Scrabble. I hadn't played this game since maybe the early 2000s so I wasn't too keen on signing up but I didn't want our department to be defaulted either so I decided to sign up anyway.

Thankfully, I did. The Scrabble tournament had three categories: Men, Women, and Open. And our team had only three players, including me. If I didn't sign up, we may have been defaulted in one category. If that happened, we would most likely have ended up in last place.

As it turned out, we didn't do much better than last place, finishing 6th out of 8 teams LOL. However, on a personal level, I am quite pleased that my scores were quite good. In the first round, I scored 157, landing in second place in my category. Unfortunately, the total score of our team fell short by 20 points and we ended up in the lower bracket, which meant we could only compete for 5th place. In the final round, I scored 172 which was a pretty decent score but it was only 3rd in my group, with my competitors scoring 195 and 176. There were only three of us - the fourth team didn't have someone to field in our category - but the unfortunate thing was that the player next to me opened the triple word score three times and the player after her (and before me) was able to play a word using the triple word score in each of those times. That allowed him to build a solid lead and often left my with very little options to score well. In the end, we beat the 7th place team by about 20 points and the 8th place team by around 50 points so I guess I did make some kind of positive contribution.

Heneral Luna

Heneral Luna had been on my to-watch list ever since I saw the billboard, mainly because it has that epic-movie vibe. As soon as its theatrical run started in early September, it started getting solid reviews. Even more than the marketing and advertising, positive word-of-mouth helped drive more and more people to the cinemas to see  it. When my nephews told me that their school required them to watch it, I decided to take them. And I have to say, it absolutely lived up to the hype.

photo from the en.wikipedia.org

The film tells the tale of Hen. Antonio Luna, regarded as one of the most brilliant and tactical Filipino generals who fought against the Americans during the Philippine-American War. I must admit I am ashamed that I didn't know this much historical detail about Antonio Luna. I didn't know that he was assassinated by his own countrymen (or maybe I knew this back in grade school but I have since forgotten). I also didn't realize that President Emilio Aguinaldo is believed to have been involved in Luna's assassination although there is no confirmed proof of this and Aguinaldo remained steadfast in his claims that he was not involved at all. Watching Heneral Luna has ignited a strong desire for me to study Philippine history again and visit the National Museum of the Philippines.

The movie opens with a statement that while it is based on history and on facts, several liberties were taken to be able to share a greater truth to the audience. Indeed, what makes this film very compelling is the fact that while the setting in the late 1800s, the issues and the scenarios presented are very current and relevant. It showcases how the progress of the country is impeded by Filipinos battling against each other, and often, the parties involved in these conflicts have vested interests and personal agendas that do not serve the betterment of the nation. This is actually not limited to the Philippines - practically every other nation in the world has its fair share of this - but somehow these conflicts hurt the growth and development of the Philippines a lot more.

This could be because of another "truth" that Heneral Luna presents: that most Filipinos are willing to make huge sacrifices for their families and other people close to them but not for the nation. In some cases, the selflessness does go beyond family ties but not beyond provincial or regional loyalties. This was showcased when General Tomás Mascardo declares that he will only follow orders from a fellow Kabitenyo. When people look out only for themselves or their immediate surroundings, the choices they make can easily become slanted towards their personal gain and impede the nation's growth. The fact that the Philippines is one of the most corrupt countries in the world could be a result of this. Hopefully, enough of the youth who see the film understood this and take it to heart when they leave the theaters.

While there are many other important lessons that this film tries to impart to its audiences, I will share just one more: every Filipino needs to take action to make the Philippines a better place to live in. When (fictional) journalist Joven Hernando gets caught in an ambush attack, he takes up arms and fights the Americans even if he has no military training. While we don't need to pick up a weapon and march into an actual war now, there are many things that every Filipino citizen can and should do to make a difference. Following traffic regulations (don't jaywalk, don't counterflow unless allowed, don't beat the red light, whether you are driving or just crossing the road on foot) is probably the easiest thing people can do that can make a difference.

What makes Heneral Luna a little (or even a lot?) different from many other local historical films is that it was written to cater to the younger generation, which I believe is its target audience. A lot of the dialogue feels a bit current so that millennials can relate to it a bit more. Because the theme is very heavy, a lot of humor was injected throughout the film, especially in the first half, which helps cut the tension, making the film easier to digest and keeping viewers entertained and interested. Many people have said that audiences in the theaters clapped loudly as credits rolled and the same was true when I watched it. I suggest that you go see it while you still can as it is definitely worth seeing.

My appreciation of Philippine history and culture has grown as I have gotten older so I am very pleased that a well-made film about one of the most heroic historical figures has gotten such incredible support from the public. I am very happy that Heneral Luna has now raked in more than PHP200 million at the box office and I hope it continues to earn even more.

Dahil ito sa inyong lahat. Naabot na po namin ang aming 200M breakeven mark! #HeneralLuna pic.twitter.com/fnGDEXe9Os

— Heneral Antonio Luna (@HeneralLuna) October 3, 2015

The difficulty of winning the elusive Grand Slam

The Grand Slam in tennis is achieved when a player wins all four major tournaments - Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, and US Open - all in the same year. This feat is so difficult that only five players in the entire history of the sport have achieved it: Don Budge in 1938, Maureen Connolly in 1953, Rod Laver in 1962 and 1969, Margaret Court in 1970 and Steffi Graf in 1988. Even other legends who are considered some of the best ever, such as Roger Federer, Pete Sampras, Rafa Nadal, Martina Navratilova, and Chris Evert did not or have not achieved this elusive feat.

While Rod Laver was the only player to win a Grand Slam twice, Steffi Graf is so far the only one to do so at the time when the majors were played on different surfaces. Until the early 70s, Wimbledon, the Australian Open, and the US Open were all played on grass. Now, the Australian Open and the US Open are played on hard courts (Australia has Rebound Ace, US Open has DecoTurf) while Wimbledon is still played on grass and the French Open is played on red clay. Since 1988, no one has come close to achieving the elusive Grand Slam. That is, until this year.

photo from SIKids.com

For the first time in 27 years, Serena Williams won the first three Grand Slam events of the year and it looked like no one could stop her on her way to a fourth. At the US Open, she won the first five round to reach the semifinals, and by then the outcome seemed inevitable. Everyone was now waiting to see history be rewritten.

However, that semifinal between Serena and Roberta Vinci showed just why it is extraordinarily difficulty for even the best ever to achieve this feat. Throughout the year, you could sense Serena was feeling the pressure of doing what only 5 other people had before. Two matches away from the loftiest achievement in tennis, the pressure and her opponent finally got to her, with Vinci beating her 2-6, 6-4, 6-4.

The interesting thing is that Serena has twice won 4-in-a-row: in 2014-2015 and back in 2002-2003. She coined this the Serena Slam, which is essentially a non-calendar Grand Slam that was also achieved by Steffi Graf (1993-1994) and Martina Navratilova (1983-1984). This proves that skill and domination over the competition can help you win four in a row but the pressure of a calendar Grand Slam, which grows exponentially the closer you get to the finish line, is something that few people are able to overcome. Martina Navratilova also got to the semifinal of the Australian Open in 1984 after winning the first three (the Australian Open was played in December back then) before losing to Helena Sukova, a player she was expected to beat. Serena's semifinal loss to Vinci is uncannily similar. While many people have argued that four-in-a-row is just as difficult to win as a calendar Grand Slam, this US Open result proves them wrong.

When asked what she felt after winning the US Open in 1988, Steffi said she felt relief. I guess seeing other players who are often touted the best-ever wobble at the final hurdle just shows the unimaginable pressure placed on them when trying to complete the Grand Slam. That Steffi also won the Olympic Gold in Seoul shortly after her Grand Slam - making her the only player to have won the "Golden Slam" - really does make Steffi's 1988 achievement unlike any other.

Steffi Graf wins the Olympic Gold in 1988 (photo courtesy of dailymail.co.uk)

I don't see anyone close to taking over the reins from Serena Williams at the pinnacle of women's tennis at this point, and with 2016 being an Olympic year, she will have a shot of equaling Steffi Graf's 1988 Golden Slam achievement. She certainly has the talent to do it. But if 2015 is any indication, it will not be easy.

My nephew's birthday

My nephew celebrated his birthday recently and we were thinking of a good place to have dinner. Since he had to get new athletic shoes for school, we figured a mall would be the best place to go. so that we could have dinner then shop for shoes. We ended up going to Shangri-La mall and having dinner at Duck & Buvette. Ever since I had dinner there with my mom and my nephew a few months ago, I had been wanting to take my entire family there so this birthday celebration was as good a time as any.

The traffic was a bit bad so it took a while for us to get to the mall. I had eaten in Duck & Buvette a couple of times before and I had always been seated immediately but that night, we were about 8th in the waiting list. We decided to do a few things in the mall first and after about half an hour, if we were still far from being seated, we would eat somewhere else. Thankfully, when we got back to the restaurant, we were already next in line and a table became immediately available so we all got seated. Cool!

As expected, everyone enjoyed the food here. While most of us ordered relatively conventional items such as Angus Briskets and Veal Shanks, my brother ordered a couple of interesting items: Braised Frog Legs and Mustard Rabbit. My nephew and my grandmother both got the Confit of Pork Belly and I think this really is one of the best pork belly dishes I've tasted. I've only gotten to taste a bit of this dish so the next time I dine here, I am ordering it so I can enjoy it more fully. We also ordered two Liege waffles. I got to try one of them - the tartine one - and it was really, really good! I also ordered a Cocoa Nibs and Madagascar Vanilla Ice Cream Sandwich, and while it was a bit expensive, it was really good. It's a bit of a shame I didn't take any photos of the food LOL but we were really hungry. Maybe the next time I eat here, I will take photos and dedicate a blog post to this restaurant.

It was around 8:30 PM when we were done with dinner and there was very little time left to get shoes. My family headed to Rustan's but the only pair of shoes that my nephew was interested didn't have an available size that would fit him. What I found a bit unfortunate was how early the shops start closing. We had about 10 minutes left before the mall would officially close but I guess their clocks were advanced. Nike and Planet Sports on the 2nd floor were already closed so we couldn't go in anymore. So unfortunately, my nephew's shoe shopping would have to wait. Nevertheless, it was still a great day spent with my family.

Singin' in the Rain in Manila

If you haven't seen Singing' in the Rain at the Theatre at Solaire yet, I strongly urge you to do so (especially now that tickets are all at 50%  off; read more about this below). I saw this musical stage adaptation of the 1952 film classic last night and I was thoroughly entertained!

The production is amazing, with beautiful sets and bright costumes that transport the audience back to the 1920s which is when the musical is set. The timing of the cast as they all move around the stage is so on point - you could tell how well-rehearsed and professional everyone was as they all hit their spots all the time. The cast in this Manila run is headlined by Grant Almirall as Don Lockwood, Bethany Dickson as Kathy Selden, and Steve van Wyk as Cosmo Brown and they are all exceptionally talented.  I do have to say that possibly my favorite was Taryn-Lee Hudson who plays Lina Lamont. She was an incredibly funny scene stealer and there were many sequences that had everyone in the audience laughing out loud.

What makes this musical unique is that it rains on stage! I don't know how the set up the stage but at the end of each act, there is a production number that involves a performance under the rain. It's amazing how the actors manage to sing and dance while being drenched by water. If I had a chance to watch it again (unfortunately I don't), I would probably get a ticket at the "splash zone" or the area close to the stage where people get wet. (Don't worry, everyone seated in this area is given a poncho.) Here's a performance that combines the ends of Acts 1 and 2.

video uploaded in youtube by Brit Brit

It was unfortunate that only about a third (or less) of the theater was filled when I watched last night. If you haven't yet, I encourage you to see it. All tickets are now at 50% off, meaning the cheapest tickets are P750 and the most expensive are P3000. When there are a lot of empty seats, people at the back are allowed to mmove to a closer seat (which is what happened when I watched). As I mentioned before, the acoustics in the Theatre at Solaire are fantastic so even if you sit far from the stage, you can hear everything quite well.There's a shuttle service from MOA (and a few other locations in Metro Manila) to Solaire for those who are taking public transportation. If you are bringing a car, there is more than ample parking space and the parking is free. Considering how great the performers are, how solid this production is and how this musical may be the only opportunity you have to see pouring rain on stage, P750 to P3000 is definitely very good value for your money. Singin' in the Rain still has four shows left in its Manila run - 8pm on Friday, 3pm and 8pm on Saturday, and 3pm on Sunday - so please head to Ticketworld to get your tickets now. You won't be disappointed.

Kid-themed birthday party

My friend Joyce turned a year older recently so we used this long weekend to meet up and celebrate together. To keep things interested, Mitch suggested that we have a kiddie party theme, where we would enjoy food that would normally be served during a children's birthday celebration. Everyone seemed to take to this idea so we ended up with legendary baked spaghetti prepared by Iona's mom, lumpiang shanghai prepared by Mitch, and fried chicken and mojos we ordered from Shakey's. I was supposed to bring a mocha (or mocha-inspired cake) but I wasn't able to get one so I instead brought a Red Velvet cake from Karen's Kitchen.

Since it was a kiddie party, we had to start mid-afternoon, which meant we started eating at around 4pm. Mitch's son even asked us why we were having dinner so early and we told him it was because it was a party. I brought my 7 Wonders tabletop game to the party and since Mitch told her kids that I would bring a game, everyone was eagerly anticipating getting to play it. I'm getting pretty good at explaining this game now (I mean, I did spend last long weekend teaching my friends how to play this so I should be good at this now). Once I started helping people figure out what they needed to do to earn as many points as possible, they all started getting the hang of it quite easily and the towards the end, everyone was starting to strategize even without my help. Mitch and Joyce actually wanted to play another round but the kids didn't want to anymore so we set it aside and then just ate again. :)

This is the first time in a long time that I actually got to hang out with my friends for most of the day without me being double-booked and having to rush to another activity. I'm really happy that I got to spend many quality hours with them today and hopefully, I get to hang out with them more (and maybe play more 7 Wonders).

Suits just got real

I just saw the midseason finale of Suits and wow, things have just gotten a whole lot more interesting. Which I guess shouldn't be a surprise given how the storyline has been progressing so far.

SPOILER ALERT: please stop reading if you don't want to know what happens in the midseason finale.

I actually lost a bit of interest in the more recent seasons of this show, mainly because I felt like the characters were devolving and behaving in ways that didn't seem in line with how they were portrayed early on. However, this season started tying things up more neatly and I started to understand people's motivations a lot more and their actions started making more sense. Also, the sword of Damocles hanging over Mike Ross' head - about him not really being a lawyer - felt like it was going to drop any time soon given how much more visible and influential he was becoming.

Everything came to a head in the last episode of Suits before it goes on its midseason break. It seemed everyone was in critical danger of losing something and in fact, a few of them did. That episode definitely left me hanging and I can't wait for the show to resume.

Way Back Wednesday: Paula Abdul choreographs Janet Jackson

I stumbled upon this video on youtube recently while looking for something else and it's really cool. Paula Abdul choreographed many of Janet Jackson's routines back in the 80s.


video uploaded in youtube by ILOVEJANET&MICHAELJACKSON ♡

Gotta say, you can tell how talented and professional those dancers by how easily and quickly they pick up the steps. :)

Board game weekend

The long weekend was a good excuse to gather my friends and play board games. I used to think that the complicated board games I have don't have wide appeal, due to their complicated nature. However, my recent trips to DyceNDyne and Ludo Cafe as well as my experiences playing Resistance made me realize that a lot of my friends have a good enough interest level in these complicated board games. I invited a couple of sets of friends for board game weekend - one set of friends on Friday and another on Saturday - and the result was hours and hours of fun and entertainment.

I decided to stick to just just two games. Ticket to Ride is always a good starting game because it's easy to explain. It's also ideal for 3-5 players so when a few people have arrived, game play can already start.

Ticket to Ride

Once people have gotten into the board game atmosphere, I bring out 7 Wonders. This is probably my favorite game (at least of the ones I've tried), not only because each round can be completed quite quickly (around 30 minutes) but also because up to seven players can play, which means it is ideal for big groups. The challenge with this game though is that it is very complicated to explain and both times I had to tell people we needed a trial run where I would help explain things to everyone as we played. Once we got through that very long and challenging first game, things started running more smoothly.

7 Wonders

I made sure that each set of friends played 7 Wonders multiple times so that people would sort of remember how to play it next time. (I mean, if we played this game only 1-3 times, it would be very easy for them to forget how to play it which means I would have to spend another hour or so explaining it to them.) I realized though that despite me playing this game so many times now, I have rarely won. I almost always end up in 2nd or 3rd place which I guess is a good thing. During the long weekend, I did end up winning once against each set of friends, but both times I only tied for first place (I was never a solo winner). I was almost always in the top 3 though, and often in the top 2. I guess my goal should be to win at this game more frequently. :)

Birthday at La Cocina De Tita Moning

La Cocina De Tita Moning is one of my family's favorite restaurants. The food is great and the ambience is luxurious yet informal and relaxed. The service is fantastic and the staff make you feel like you are part of their family. It is pretty expensive which is why we reserve this place for special occasions. My mom's birthday is of course a very special occasion so it was as good an excuse as any to take my family here to celebrate.

When we got there, one of their staff Malen told us that they were very relieved that we arrived because they forgot to ask for my contact number when I made the reservation. As such, they couldn't call me to confirm if we were pushing through. Nevertheless, they still went ahead and prepared the food for us. Cool! Since all of us had been here at least a couple of times, we told our guide Amver that we could skip the tour this time around. (Of course, while we were waiting for our food, we still looked around. :))

As expected, we all enjoyed our amazing meal and everyone was stuffed. And why wouldn't we? La Cocina De Tita Moning was awarded a certificate of excellence by tripadvisor in 2015.

I purchased three 10-ounce jars of Salsa Monja for my family (I would have gotten a bigger jar but they only had the 10-ounce jars when we were there) and I got a 7-ounce bottle of their Queso de Bola spread for my grandmother. I have now been to La Cocina De Tita Moning several times and each time has been a wonderful dining experience. I'm pretty sure I will visit this restaurant again in the future.

Restaurants I miss

As I was having enjoying a sticky bun from Cinnabon recently, I suddenly remembered Saint Cinnamon, a similar shop that I frequented many, many years ago. I don't think it's present in Manila anymore although a quick search online indicates that there is one in Glorietta 2, Megamall, and . I know there was a Saint Cinnamon in these places before but they all closed; I don't know if these online entries are outdated or if Saint Cinnamon has reopened so I think I will be checking out for myself some time soon as I do miss their cinnamon rolls.

Remembering Saint Cinnamon made me start thinking about all the other restaurants that aren't present in Manila anymore. Here's a quick list of some places I miss:

Sukho Thai
This was one of the first Thai restaurants in Manila. My family would sometimes go to Megamall just to have a meal here. This was where I first discovered and enjoyed Pad Thai, Chicken Pandan, and Bagoong Rice. The food was also relatively affordable and the portion sizes were good. There are a lot of Thai restaurants in Manila now but Sukho Thai still ranks as my favorite in terms of flavor and price range.

Full House
Back when I was in college, my friends and I would occasionally head to Full House along Katipunan to enjoy their Chicken Crepe. Obviously it was a bit more expensive than canteen food in school but compared to other restaurants, it was quite affordable, especially when you consider the quality of the food. I've had a lot of savory crepe dishes since, especially from Cafe Breton, but I haven't found a place that serves Chicken Crepe since.

Country Waffles
This was another family favorite. My family and I have always been fans of breakfast food and Country Waffles had a whole lot of dishes to offer. I always felt like a kid in a candy store when I would go here because there were so many options that appealed to me. We would usually visit the branch along Annapolis but there was another one in Glorietta. There are a lot of other similar restaurants scattered over Manila now so my cravings for breakfast food can easily be addressed but I do miss Country Waffles.

Dean St. Cafe
I visited that place a couple of times and I enjoyed what I had. I don't know if this place closed because it wasn't as lucrative or if the owners decided to close it for other reasons but this coffee place does predate Starbucks' presence in Manila. And back then, people still weren't that keen on spending a lot of money on expensive coffee.

Au Bon Pain
There was an Au Bon Pain near the place that I worked. I would sometimes get sandwiches there (not very frequently though) but what I did quite enjoy from this place was their Blueberry Danish.

Other restaurants that I miss: Adarna and Mr. Jones.

Dinner Reunions

I had an opportunity over the last couple of weeks to meet up with some friends who are now based abroad.

Dinner #1: Kapitolyo

I didn't realize how many restaurants there are now in the Kapitolyo area until I drover there several days ago to meet up with Pia and our other set of friends for dinner at Open Kitchen. I was actually extraordinarily late since I had a ton of work to do and I couldn't really leave until around 8:30 PM. I was worried it would take me forever to get to Kapitolyo but surprisingly, the traffic wasn't debilitating and I made it to the restaurant in about an hour. By then, my friends had all been together for about two and a half hours LOL. I arrived just in time too, because as I got comfortable in my seat, the waitress arrived to ask everyone for our last orders. I chose the Anise Pork Belly for my main and that was really good. For dessert, I got the Creme Brulee and had the Le Grande Reserve coffee. My food was served very quickly, probably because I was the only one ordering at the time. As it was near closing time, we stayed there for maybe about an hour more before bidding each other farewell. While I didn't get to hang out with everyone for very long, I was still happy I managed to spend some time with them and with Pia while she was still in town. I also think I want to try more restaurants in this area.

Dinner #2: BGC

So it seems BGC is really the popular venue now for many of my sets of friends for catching up. My friend Maileen and her husband Nick were in Manila for the first time in about four years. Their daughter just turned five and they had a party last weekend but since I was sick, I was unable to go. When dinner was organized with them while they were still here, I made sure to go. Dinner venue was in Mogu. I had the sukiyaki and while it was good, it wasn't significantly better than other sukiyaki dishes I've had (but this one is a lot more expensive LOL). Next time I'm here, I'll probably stick to the Harami or the Pork Kakuni. After dinner, a few of us wanted dessert and coffee while some wanted alcohol LOL (I was taking antibiotics so I had to stick to dessert and coffee) so we opted for Cav so that there would be something for everyone. I have to say that the dessert here is pretty expensive (everything we ordered was in the P350-395 range and the portion sizes are quite small). It was a shame that I was under medication since I haven't enjoyed wine in Cav in ages. Nevertheless, it was a thoroughly enjoyable evening, with great conversation and even greater company.

Inaanak #8

My cousin Rainier and his wife Doris asked me a few weeks ago if I could be one of the ninongs of their son, Joaquin. I was very honored that they would ask me so I immediately said yes. The Christening was held at the Serafic Hall of the National Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes. My cousin Fr. John, who is Rainier's brother, was in Manila so he officiated the sacrament. This was the first time that I saw a total immersion baptism where the babies were fully submerged into the water three times. Most other baptisms I've been in the past involved only affusion.

Our lunch reception was held a short drive away from the church and the party was initially set-up to be outdoors, with a tent covering most of the tables. Unfortunately, it started raining that morning so all the tables were crammed into the dining area under the tent. Despite having less space than originally planned, there was enough room for us to enjoy the party.

Joaquin is now my 8th inaanak. Call my OC but I actually have a file that lists down all my godchildren and their birthdays. That way, I will always know how old they are during Christmas to make sure I get all of them gifts that are a good fit for their age. :) Welcome to the Christian world, Joaquin!

An interesting birthday celebration

Well this was a first. My family had a celebration dinner for my brother's birthday without him. :)

We didn't really have specific plans to celebrate my brother's birthday but historically, we have always gone out for dinner. My brother works an odd shift so when I got home, I saw that he was still asleep so I couldn't ask him what he wanted to do. I decided to just pick my grandmother up and take her to the cemetery so we could visit my grandfather before heading back home. I had to run an urgent errand for my mom so I left my grandma at home first. When I returned, my brother was still asleep but it was quite late in the evening already. I figured, since my grandmother was already with us, we may as well go out.

We headed to Alex III. This place isn't as popular now as it was back in the day but the food here is still pretty topnotch. While the meal prices are a bit high, the serving sizes are pretty hefty. Some of our favorites dishes include the Pinakbet sa Bagnet, Bicol Laing, and the Premium Pork Barbecue. To make sure my brother could somehow be part of our dinner, I ordered take-out for him and I also over-ordered so that we could take home a lot of leftovers. That way, he would be able to enjoy some good food when he was finally up.

My Photobook Collection

I have always preferred looking at pictures in an album than in a laptop or some other electronic gadget. In fact, I have a few photo albums that display pictures from trips I took back in the late 90s to early 2000s. However, in 2007, a colleague of mine showed me a book that contained her family pictures. I thought this was a better alternative to photo albums mainly because a book is less bulky than a photo album. I did some research on these picture book options before finally settling with Photobook Philippines. I made my first photobook in early 2012 and I haven't stopped since.

some of my large landscape photobooks

Since then, I have created a total of 46 photobooks. 27 of those are mine (or my family's) and 19 of those were gifts for friends. That's more than 10 books a year! (I didn't realize until now how much time I have actually devoted to photobooking LOL.) I usually stick to two book sizes. I use large landscape (15" x 11") for trips where I have really good photos. That way, I end up with something like a cofee table book and I can appreciate the pictures even more. If I feel that my photos aren't that great, I will make medium landscape (11" x 8.5").

some of my medium landscape photobooks

I also tend to use just a bare white background for trips where I feel my photos are really beautiful so that the focus is on the pictures and not on the background.

sample spread of my Sagada/Banaue photobook

However, not all my travels have stunning pictures. In these cases, I will often opt to use a readybook template to make the pages slightly more interesting.

sample spread of my Copenhagen photobook

I also have a few books with different sizes, such as large portrait, medium portrait, and large square. I made these when I was just starting but I have since stopped using them. I figured I want most of my books to have the same size so it will be easier to store them. :)

some of my other photobooks of different sizes

Almost all my photobooks contain pictures of my travels (I do have one that is a compilation of the different corporate social responsibility activities I organized and participated in a few years ago). I have to say that I am tremendously fortunate and very grateful to have been able to travel - both locally and internationally - as much as I have. Over the years, I have gotten a lot better in laying out my photobooks and sometimes, when I look at some of my earlier works, I wish I could change how I put some of the pages together. However, a lot of my friends have told me that one of their favorites is the Iceland book, and that was one of the first few ones that I made (I guess it's because of the awesome pictures and the fact that not many people realize until they see these photos how beautiful Iceland is). Getting to look at my books every now and then always makes me smile and brings back a ton of memories so while it does take a lot of effort, I plan to continue making books in the future. My next project? My Russia trip. :)

Taking our dog to the vet

A couple of weeks ago, my mom texted me saying that we needed to take our dog to the vet. He had barely eaten in the previous two weeks and he looked very weary and lethargic. While there were some vet clinics near our house, I was more comfortable taking him to Animal House which is where we took our cat many times before. I already know the people there and I feel like they are better equipped at providing the necessary pet care so I figured the longer drive would be worth it.

Since we didn't have a cage big enough to fit our dog, I asked my nephew to join me in the car so he could keep our dog calm during the ride. Indeed, as I was driving, my nephew told me that our dog was shaking (it was his first time in a car). I tried driving a bit more slowly so as not to rattle him any further so it took a bit longer to get to Animal House. Once we got there, the vet took his temperature and true enough, he had a fever. She then took some blood so she could run some tests and she told us to wait for the results.

After around 20 minutes, the vet tells us that our dog's platelet count is quite low, most likely due to a parasitic infection. She prescribes antibiotics and tells us to make sure our dog takes 2 tablets a day. She told us that if the medicine does work, our dog will start eating more and he will become more energetic in just 3-5 days. True enough, after five days, my mom tells me that our dog was eating more regularly and was looking a lot better. When I saw our dog last Sunday, he was healthier than he was a week before and he also gained back the weight he lost (or at least some of it). It was a bit of an effort to take our dog to the vet but I'm happy we did because his condition may have gotten worse if he remained untreated. Hopefully, he continues to get better.

Angel by Sarah MacLachlan

One of the most beautifully poignant songs, sung by one of the most hauntingly captivating voices.


video uploaded in youtube by sarahmclachlanVEVO

Prayers for Ángel Ariel Escalante Pérez

This is one of the saddest things I've come across recently. 12-year-old boy Ángel Ariel Escalante Pérez was thrown off a bridge in Guatemala by a gang. The gang wanted him to shoot a stranger but he refused. He was then given a choice of being thrown off a bridge or hacked to death by a machete. He chose the former.

As if that wasn't horrific enough, Ángel somehow survived the fall. Unfortunately, he was too injured to move so he lay hidden underneath thick foliage for three days before his father and their family and friends found him. He stayed alive for 15 more days before he finally succumbed to his injuries and passed away.

Read more about this heartbreaking story here.

I haven't been disturbed and saddened by a story about someone I don't personally know since maybe typhoon Yolanda hit Visayas a couple of years ago. Just the through of the terror that a young boy would go through when asked to kill someone, then to be given a choice of how to be killed, then to be thrown off a bridge, then to lie injured and alone for three days before being found. I think the only possibly good thing about this is that at least he got to see his father and family before he died.

I have been praying for Ángel and his family since I learned about this. I hope you can spare a thought or prayer for him too.

Way Back Wednesday: Final Scene from Friends

This final scene from Friends is one of my favorite endings of a TV series (at least among those I followed). It is heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time and it was a perfect way to say goodbye to a group of characters I had grown up watching.


video uploaded in youtube by Dreamer1422

The beautiful music used in this scene is Embryonic Journey by Jefferson Airplane.