February 10, 2009

It's Day 18 of my first ever lunar new year and Day (or night) 1 in UP Fair. I got backstage pass to do photography for the show courtesy of my college organization PSME-UPSU which is a co-sponsor for the Eraserheads night of the Fair (their individual bands all played!) and EMC^2 which is the major sponsor, but I learned about my free acess a couple of days after the show. The email was sent one day before this night and I was out for my POEA exit clearance and my university friends.

One big ANYWAY.

Anyway, I would not have enjoyed the Fair with Tesh, Chai and her workmates had I done my photography stint. But I must admit that chance would have given me a certain kind of high, literally as I would be upstage.

I had instead another literal kind of high:

Flow from Ateneo is Chai's workmate. Together we climbed UP Mountaineer's wall.

Those on the left are actually my feet!

I was trying to direct Flow where to place arms and legs.

February 11, 2009

It's Day 19 of my first ever lunar new year vacay.

After moving my stuff from Chai to Pax's place and before watching Walang Sugat and the UP Fair with Micka, I met my sis, cousins, and nephew at Trinoma, which is just a mere 10 minutes away from Pax's place!

Here's my family less my sister who was in a dinner meeting at Pancake House:

After listening to UdD's Bipolar CD, I made it early to Trinoma and ate suman and ripe mango at Lamesa while waiting for my family.

Grace upfront is a first timer in this mall. Marie at the back is another cousin.

The 3 of us represents the first 3 towns of Bulacan next to Metro Manila. I am from Meycauayan City, Marie is from Marilao, and Grace is from fireworks capital Bocaue. These are also the 2nd, 3rd and 4th exits in the North Luzon Express Superhighway (the first one is Malinta exit in Valenzuela City, Metro Manila)

I grew up growing up with them and other cousins as we move from one Aunt to another. I only got Aunts in my father's side.

February 12, 2009

It's Day 20 of my first ever lunar new year vacay and this is my Day (or night) 3 of entering the UP Fair and Day (or night) 2 of meeting my dormitory friends, including Nestor who I haven't seen in years!

Here's a few of our pics:

Shopping with the Davids less Tito Mon.

Tejoy bought that bag in the Fair. Naglilihi siguro

Congrats Bob! Pax in the background. I was watching out for Nestor's sms.

Bob carrying concert-goer Sydney, me, and Dominic.

Untag-me-Drei, Bili-mo-ko Tejoy, and me. That's the stage where OPM bands like UdD among others would later play that night.

Bob Balilla at 6:15pm March 2

... ang mga boys ni Mama Sang Jojie.

How's your lovelife? Dominic and his Bible at the background.

My nightly vice at the Fair. I got to shoot every night except for the crazy Friday the 13th night. The orcs were threatening this area of the Fair that night!

February 1, 2009

On this first day of March, Mar posted yet another set of Mt. PInatubo pics entitled "the march home" as the set shows our descent and our stop over at the site of the Bataan Death March.

Pics and words courtesy of Mar:

"started the long trail back at about 130 pm. but before really heading back, we gave mt. pinatubo the last look, as we gave ourselves the last set of photoops in that magnificent crater "

"the trek home was swifter (and i must say, easier?) since trail was now familiar (thanks to our cognitive mapping processes)... "

That is me with the crimson cap in the background yet marching ahead.

"travel factor handed us our little merienda - mamon and C2, which we enjoyed while at the ride back to the jumpoff point. that 4x4 ride was more ashy, than it was during the morning. after an almost two hour ride, all of us were like aged people becuase of our ash-covered hair"

"the whole travel factor team had a sidetrip in capas shrine (which we all anticipated to be a grand church). to our suprise, capas shrine was a memorial for all those who died during that infamous death march during world war II. an edifice (which we descibed as "the eiffel tower of capas") and a circular wall - where the names of the victims of the march were engraved, were built to commemorate the bravery of the filipino-american soldiers who fell at the hands of the japanese during the war"

I am particularly grateful for this pic as I have no more battery during this final phase of this lovely trip

Greetings On The First Day Of March!

We march into the third month of the year with four greetings:

1) Kynan

He is the oldest of the four. Used to be in this house weekly to teach these kids. Now he is working for Star Cinema. Pic grabbed from his Facebook.

2) Kristine

She is my teammate. Thanks for the great party last night!

3) Ate Dina

She is our friend in orange shirt. Good to see you partying again last night!

4) Naps & Aims

He's the second guy on the right and she is beside him. Introduced the couple in Michelle's birthday party and the rest is history. Happy anniversary and congratulations on the engagement! Hope to drop by your new home soon~

Eating At Max's Fried Chicken After Eat Bulaga

L-R: cousin, nephew, nephew, sister, me, cousin, cousin, cousin, mom, dad.

February 13. Day 21.

After doing my grocery which would cost me my first ever excess baggage fee a couple of days later (krisis na talaga, the airlines are strictly watching out your baggages), I moved from SM North to Gateway, to meet my family who is having late lunch because they just came from watching Eat Bulaga, the Philippines longest running noontime variety show. I begged off from seeing teh show since I already saw it last month. Sadyang jologs to.~

We also had lunch in the same resto after watching the show. The good thing about this one is I did not have to pick up the bill since I already had my lunch In Pizza Hut Bistro after I did my groceries unlike the first time. In times of recession, free meals are always welcome ^^ like when I met my UP Math Club friends before heading north to Mount Pinatubo (see previous blog entry). That night, it was Allan's treat for us to share his blessings in Singapore.

The Power Of Ash

Astronomers believe that a long long time ago, dusts accumulate to eventually build up planets, from which human lives spring. It is written in the Holy Bible that human came from ash and to ash too we shall return. Astronomers still fear the possibility of an accumulated dust in the form of a comet will someday hit our planet and turn us all into dust.

Ash is indeed powerful. In 1991, Mount Pinatubo erupted and the ash that covered the earth's atmosphere lowered global temperatures to a couple of degree. This day, the ever changeing landscape of Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines is a marvelous reminder of God's glory.

Here's a few more pics from our hike last Feb. 1.

Straight from meeting UP Math Club friends in Boni High St, headed North to Pinatubo.


My travel mate is my birthday mate Joanna. Mark April 20 in your calendars!

Me and my hideous posture stopped over for some wonderful sight.

"swam in the crystal blue waters of the crater. freshwater was so cool, i thought it would at least be lukewarm, since we're actually in the volcano's mouth-" Mar, the leftmost guy
I overheard from foreigner tourists that Taal's lake is colder.

"explored the inner crater via a boatride with manong bangkero for only 250 pesos per person"- Mar, who posted more pics here

"a ride would consist of 4 people max." - Mar, who posted yet another set of pics here

" the sight was simply amazing, since we couldn't believe that we're actually in the philippines" -Mar, who is now reconsidering going to Bali

"it was like what the lord of the rings looks like in the movies. it was like new zealand in our country!" - Mar feeling like Frodo

"on that part of the creater, you could actually see steam coming from the boiling waters. water here was not for swimming since you'd be scald alive if you do so. we tried dipping our fingers, and it really was hot, and boiling!" - Mar, simply Mar


'the sands, and rocks on that part of the crater were hot as well"- still Mar


" it was indeed an experience!" - you know who

I would insert lovely to that.

PS: Here in Korea, ash has a different power. When you say ash, it is actually a bad thing. Similar to saying oh, shit.