Life @ 28

NAIA terminals yellow cabs - shams!!

2009-12-13T08:33:00.001-08:00

Two years ago I was glad NAIA finally had an organized metered taxi system with brand new cars. Mostly toyota vios yellow cabs. At first it was great since they charge Php70 flag down and 4 pesos increments as compared to the fixed rate taxis which charges Php450 up to Makati. The other common white taxis are just too old and should be taken off Manila roads. With the yellow cabs I would only pay around Php200-250. But that was then. NOW these yellow cabs are getting just like the crooked independent old taxis. They have a standard rate but they cheat and swindle travellers!! I heard they were featured in IMBESTIGADOR last October 2009. But my last trip was in November 2009 and still the taxi i got has tampered meter and cheat driver!

The victims ofcourse are tired travelers, clueless tourists or returning OFWs.

SO WATCH OUT FOR THE YELLOW CABS IN NAIA TERMINALS!!

BEFORE BOARDING, CONFIRM WITH THE DRIVER IF THE METER IS NOT TAMPERED AND THE STANDARD RATES WILL BE FOLLOWED. YOU CAN ACTUALLY COMPUTE TOTAL FARE BASED ON THE STANDARD RATE.

I don't actually mind if they RAISE the standard rates. The point here is that these people doing business with the public should learn to respect and FOLLOW RULES!

McCarran Airport - Las Vegas

2009-08-28T20:30:00.001-07:00

McCarran Airport - Las Vegas, originally uploaded by edbumalo.

I stepped at McCarran Internation Airport... literally.

For more information about my Vegas trip CLICK HERE.

90 Days In Miami

2009-08-19T19:01:00.000-07:00

I will be based in Miami, Florida USA for 3 months. So I created another blog specifically for my 90 Days In Miami.

Investiiing!!

2009-06-03T02:32:00.000-07:00

Mistake#1: I bought UITF in 2007 when Phil stocks are on record high.

Lesson#1: Be well informed before investing (in anything). Before investing in financial markets, read wall street journal or other financial related columns or at least watch or listen to business news. Know the trends, learn a bit of stock market history.

Mistake#2: I cashed-out in May 2009 when the stocks showed some recovery. From the news, I have an idea the stock market will recover in May and June. But I badly needed the cash in May so I have to withdraw. Unfortunately, the stocks gained more than 5% after my withdrawal.

Lesson#2: Do not invest in high-risk products if you can not hold it long-term. If you believe you'll be needing that cash soon (less than 3 years) then invest in safer products like time deposits or money market. I guess this is the reason why banks wants to know the percentage your investment from your total liquid assets. It is not advisable to invest most of your cash into high-risk products.

ZoukOut Singapore 2008

2009-05-29T04:54:00.001-07:00

ZoukOut Singapore 2008, originally uploaded by edbumalo.

This is the annual beach party at Siloso beach (Sentosa) held every month of December. It was very well organized but the beach, i must say, is no match to our beaches.

So... theres entrance fee, not so accessible since Siloso beach is inside Sentosa which is an island of theme park and resorts, whole night of music from local and international bands, booze and disco on the beach.

Photo taken with my SE W9601 phone.

Who will be the next president??

2009-05-27T19:19:00.000-07:00

It was not waste of time watching the Ateneo leadership forum. I learned many things about these individuals who expressed intentions to be the Philippines next president. Photo by: flickr/jvnunag

Here's my opinion:

Gordon - i will vote for him if election is held today. good background. sounds intelligent. mature and with excellent experience in public service. nice american name as well, easy for mass voters to remember.

Teodoro - harvard educated lawyer, good reputation and with great ideals. with good public service experience though unknown to most voters. i think he is clean and desires change for good. with elite image and could be hard to campaign for the masses.

Escudero - looks young and sounds young. full of great ideals and have great appeal to young people, perhaps due to his speaking skills. belongs to political clan which may not be good. he is a UP educated lawyer with one year stint at Georgetown University.

Panlilio - there's a joke "road map to recovery" is written over his face. like religion he offers hope for the hopeless. but lacks experience compared to others. could be favorite among those who hates traditional politicians. will likely be influenced by catholic church. last name hard to write and remember.

Roxas - son of ex-president. name easy to write. young and with vision for this country. future husband of korina sanchez. looks adventurous. may not be favorite for chick voters.

There should be more forums like this or televised debates for presidential candidates. And people should not vote for those who don't attend forums. I suspect they prefer going to places to convince the vulnerable masses to vote for them rather than spending few hours on TV to subject themselves to questions and let the general public know what they want to do and their potential to make it happen.

Life @ 28

2009-05-27T05:46:00.000-07:00

I have been to lot of travels and adventures recently but had no time to post here. Now I am officially 28 and so i have to update at least the title of this blog. I will still post here life adventures from my life @ 27. Belated happy B-day to me!!!

Canon 850 IS -- Singapore

2009-04-30T03:20:00.000-07:00

I will be in Singapore on the week of May 18. Canon 850 IS is selling here in Manila for around Php14K but this is only between Php11-12K in Singapore. This is a very good digital camera. I already bought one for my sister.

If you're interested to purchase, just leave a message and will get in touch. Can probably sneak in 3 units in my luggage.

PAL Tagal

2009-04-14T20:27:00.001-07:00

PAL Tagal, originally uploaded by edbumalo.

Came through this picture in my archives which instantly reminded me of lots of troubles I had while traveling with the Philippine Airlines. This shot was taken in Bangkok in 2007. Flashing proudly on the airports flight sched monitor – PR0731 MANILA DELAYED.

Back in 2006 I slept at NAIA T2 for about 5 hours waiting for a PAL plane which supposed to depart at 11AM. We were advised our flight will depart at 6PM instead. So much trouble for some travelers but for me it was a perfect timing! I had a terrible hang over it was almost impossible for me to be on that flight. But I was allowed to check-in and pass through immigration. I already conditioned my mind to use those sanitary bags. This was the only time I was really thankful for a delayed PAL.

Few weeks ago I decided to travel via PAL Express - AirPhil domestic flight going to Tuguegarao. Travel time is only 1hr and the ticket is only Php1,300 one way. So 10AM I was at the airport for my 11AM flight. While queuing to check-in, the clerk announced the plane will arrive only at 2PM. I was not surprised and not much hassle for me cause I had the whole day allotted for travel and my family is with me at the airport. But for one Caucasian who seems a regular flyer… “Late again?? This is not PAL Express, change your name to PAL Tagal!!!”.

Sunset@PuertoGalera

2009-04-12T19:39:00.001-07:00

Sunset@PuertoGalera, originally uploaded by edbumalo.

4th time in Puerto Galera... but 1st time with a Canon DSLR. Though known as the nearest “white beach” south of Manila, getting there actually takes more time than going to Boracay – 3 hrs drive to Batangas Port and an hour boat ride to the island. Will only take around 2hrs to get into your hotel in Boracay but of course there’s the hassle of booking tickets, hotel reservation, transpo etc.

Nick the Dragon Slayer

2009-03-24T22:30:00.000-07:00

Once upon a time lived a beautiful Queen with voluptuous breasts.

Nick the Dragon Slayer obsessed over the Queen for this reason. He knew that the penalty for his desire would be death should he try to touch them, but he had to try.

One day Nick revealed his secret desire to his colleague, Horatio the Physician, the King's chief doctor.Horatio thought about this and said that he could arrange for Nick to more than satisfy his desire, but it would cost him 1000 gold coins to arrange it. Without pause Nick readily agreed to the scheme.

The next day, Horatio made a batch of itching powder and poured a little bit into the Queen's brassiere while she bathed. Soon after she dressed, the itching commenced and grew intense. Upon being summoned to the Royal Chambers to address this incident, Horatio informed the King and Queen that only a special saliva, if applied for four hours, would cure this type of itch, and that tests had shown that only the saliva of Nick would work as the antidote to cure the itch.

The King quickly summoned Nick. Horatio then slipped Nick the antidote for the itching powder, which he put into his mouth, and for the next four hours, Nick worked passionately on the Queen's voluptuous and magnificent breasts.The Queen's itching was eventually relieved, and Nick left satisfied andhailed as a hero.

Upon returning to his chamber, Nick found Horatio demanding his payment of 1,000 gold coins. With his obsession now satisfied, Nick couldn't have cared less and, knowing that Horatio could never report this matter to the King, and with a laugh told him to get lost.

The next day, Horatio slipped a massive dose of the same itching powder into the King's underwear. The King immediately summoned Nick.

The moral of the story - Pay your bills

Viva La Vida

2009-02-23T23:06:00.000-08:00

I used to rule the world
Seas would rise when I gave the word
Now in the morning I sleep alone
Sweep the streets I used to own

I used to roll the dice
Feel the fear in my enemy's eyes
Listen as the crowd would sing"Now the old king is dead!
Long live the king!"

One minute I held the key
Next the walls were closed on me
And I discovered that my castles stand
Upon pillars of salt and pillars of sand

I hear Jerusalem bells a ringing
Roman Cavalry choirs are singing
Be my mirror, my sword and shield
My missionaries in a foreign field

For some reason I can't explain
Once you go there was never
Never an honest word
And that was when I ruled the world

It was the wicked and wild wind
Blew down the doors to let me in
Shattered windows and the sound of drums
People couldn't believe what I'd become

Revolutionaries wait
For my head on a silver plate
Just a puppet on a lonely string
Oh who would ever want to be king?

Happy 2009!!! Year of the Ox..

2009-01-26T00:57:00.000-08:00

It is time again to count blessings and to list wishes. 2008 was generous all in all.
1. Had summer 2008 trip in Laoag
2. Been to Japan twice - this is something cause it's really expensive for us - working class - to visit Japan. 5 star accomodation + airfare costs around 500k for 25 days. It was hectic business trips but still I enjoyed the best Japanes foods walked around the city after office and during week ends.
3. Spent 1 week in Jakarta (2nd time) - again its business trip but i will remember those old and creepy buses (like those old ordinary bus from EDSA to Fairview) on the roads of Jakarta. They have the worst transport system i have seen so far. No mono rail or subway but instead plenty of what we call habal-habal in Mindanao. Noted however that Jakarta has more and bigger upscale shopping malls. Shoes are cheap in Jakarta. Ofcourse I did not leave Indonesia with out a taste of Soup Bontot... real Oxtail Soup.
4. Assigned to Singapore twice - SG is much better than HK unless you're out there to shop. Singapore is more diverse and Filipinos can easily blend with the locals. Plus the birds in Orchard Road sound like those wild birds we call "Martin or martinis" in the mountains of Luzon.
5. Got my US Visa for around 7k + half day of queing at the the embassy. I met a distant cousin along the queue. He is a PT in Tennessee.
I have few wishes.. maybe I should think of more before writing down.

Destination: Singapore

2008-11-21T09:06:00.000-08:00

"You cant Trus Anyone These Days....." - House of Condoms @ Orchard Road

I heard this is a popular local brand. There is also local fast food named Jolly-V. These are probably among reasons why Jollibee is not in Singapore. =)

Japan's Transport Minister quits

2008-09-29T01:18:00.000-07:00

Nakayama said he was stepping down to avoid a disruption of parliamentary debate. He explained that if he had stayed on, the opposition would have wasted time in parliament questioning him and Aso about his comments rather than focusing on emergency measures needed to shore up Japan's sagging economy.

Well... this is Japan. In PH "quitting" is not in the vocabulary of politicians.

Makati CDB should be overlooking Manila Bay

2008-08-14T02:01:00.000-07:00

Maybe foreign investments will come in and set up office here.... just because of this wonderful view every after office hours... hehehe. And it isvery close to the old Manila and Malate. Most of the existing buildings along Roxas boulevard are casinos, hotels and few small offices.

Tokyo Tower taken with my Sony Ericsson W960i

2008-08-10T06:12:00.000-07:00

Tokyo Tower is just behind Prince Park Hotel in Minato-ku.

"The 332.6-meter-tall (1,091 ft) orange and white lattice communications tower is the tallest self-supporting steel structure in the world, the tallest artificial structure in Japan, and was the 11th tallest tower in the world.^[3] Built in 1958, this Eiffel Tower-like structure supports an antenna that broadcasts television and radio signals for important Japanese media outlets. In recent years, the tower has also been instrumental in Japan's push to switch from an analog signal to digital signal."

Tokyo walk on Havaianas would cost JPY2,000

2008-08-09T19:04:00.000-07:00

Divide it by 2 and thats Php1,000. Manila price is i think around Php600-800.

Just another over priced brand flip flops.

"The Zori (a Japanese style sandal) was the inspiration for the creation of the Havaianas sandal in 1962."

Tokyo - Beers and cigarrettes

2008-08-09T08:19:00.000-07:00

Pictured below are at the Prince Park Tower hotel shop so it's pricey. It would costs around JPY150 in convenience stores (7-11 or amPm). In restaurants a mug of beer is expensive at JPY600-800.

Can't tell if these cigarettes packs are expensive (i don't smoke). Cigarettes are normally sold through this amazing vending machines. They're introducing new machines which uses cash cards; just swipe the card push the button of your choice and pack of cigarette rolls out.

Tokyo - Food grocery stores

2008-08-09T07:25:00.001-07:00

Most Tokyo people perhaps don't have time to prepare food after work. So food grocery stores are common. Just take it out reheat and its ready to eat.

Cheapest of those food pieces is around JPY100 (Php45).

Tempura/Noodles -Tokyo is among the Top 10 most expensive cities

2008-08-09T07:20:00.001-07:00

A regular meal would cost around JPY500-1000. Fine restaurants would cost average of JPY5,000 per meal. A good bowl of tempura would cost around JPy1,000.

Tempura, originally uploaded by edbumalo.

Reproductive Health Bill

2008-07-22T22:33:00.000-07:00

I was watching Reporters Notebook last night with the issue on population control, poverty and the now controversial RH Bill. Truth is millions of our country men suffer from poverty. Those who suffer most live in crowded shanties in urban areas.

Question: Are they poor because they are jobless and have too many children or they have too many children because they are poor and jobless? Whatever the answer is, too many heads or overpopulation is a primary factor of poverty. Unemployment has lesser to do with it. Assuming both parents have work and being paid minimum wage, can they feed 7 to 10 children and provide for needed education? Even 5 children will be very hard.

And in the news today, El Shaddai leader calls the RH Bill as evil and godless ideology.

“People’s choice must not be legislated. Even God gives man a free choice. But as far as child-bearing is concerned, God has already decreed that we must choose life instead of death. God has decreed that we must increase, not decrease, our numbers as a people.” -- Mike Velarde

With all respect to our church leaders, I think they are close minded and irrational on this issue. They point fingers to the government on the poverty issue and think that God doesn't want artificial contraceptive.

“Religious orthodoxy should not consign women to unrelenting pregnancies and condemn poor families to hunger and penury across generations.”-- Edcel Lagman

TRIVIA: Malaysia has populations of around 28 million. With almost the same land area, Philippines has around 90 million. The big difference? Malaysia is Muslim and we are proud Christian nation.

Domestic Helpers

2008-07-18T03:39:00.000-07:00

I was searching the internet on any campaign to stop sending domestic helpers abroad --- just thinking of donating (seriously). I got very few hits and only this one article written from Kuwait.

http://www.pic-link.com/journals/read/29533

It seems impossible for our politicians to make this an issue or any social organization to start this kind of campaign. Besides legal issues, I guess politicians are afraid of backlash from voters...

Manny Villar? Big NO. Those advertisements are self-serving. If he is real he should initiate a law that would ban or limit sending domestic helpers abroad. Not just coming to rescue. I know there are legal issues here and maybe it's not that simple.

Here is my point: I don’t believe our economy is benefiting from dollar inflows from DH abroad. The cost of sending DH abroad is much greater than the benefit of dollar remittances. There is so much to mention on the social cost involved --- broken families is no#1 and all sort of social problems follow. I have seen many of these cases. In 10 years this social issues converts to economic issues. Of course DH is just part of the term OFW and I would agree that OFW is big deal in our economy.

There are also success stories and I salute those mothers who made the brave decision and end up successful. But I only know or heard very few of them.

I can’t explain this further and I know many people won't agree. It just saddens me to see college graduates serving as domestic helpers in HK. We always question opportunity in this country and the easy answer is.... go abroad. But if we think smart, work hard and start some business wherever in this country… it’s easy to live a decent simple life (with your family).

Pit Stop!

2008-06-25T04:24:00.000-07:00

Buying a second hand car is the most expensive decision i ever made.... Nevertheless, browsing the internet on car repairs and maintenance sometime gives random funnn... hehe...

Euro Trip

2008-06-15T22:42:00.001-07:00

It's a 2004 comedy which i heard and watched only last week. Wikipedia:

"Four friends travel across Europe in search of Scott Thomas's German pen pal Mieke, whom he initially mistakes for a guy, but now realizes he has feelings for. They visit London, Paris, Amsterdam, Bratislava, Berlin, and Rome, getting into all manner of awkward and embarrassing situations along the way."

Cheap jokes, full of stupidity and sinfulness... The best! Hehehe... Ask "DiBiDi" vendors for a copy..

JapaneseWashlets and Doglets

2008-06-13T19:20:00.000-07:00

This is probably the most famous "funny thing" in Japan, they call it washlets by the 4th largest toilet maker in the world--Toto. According to wikipedia:

"....these washlets are designed to open the lid when they sense a user nearby, wash the anus or vulva of the user (including a number of pulsating and massaging functions), dry afterwards with warm air, flush automatically and close the lid after use".

Hehehe... Well, its true this toilet is a smart machine.

Napa-tumbling ako sa notice nato! Hehehe.. This was taken at a public park/garden near the Tokyo Tower. I guess residents around the area usually gather during family days and do some gardening (flower gardens), play baseball or just walk around with their dogs. They like small and cute shitsu-type dogs.

Yoshinoya in Japan

2008-06-13T04:14:00.000-07:00

Yoshinoya is a known restaurant chain in Japan. Ofcourse we have franchises in Manila and its quite popular too. We had breakfast in this restaurant and solve na kami at JPY300 to JPY500 (1JPY is around PHP.4500). Plus the interior design is very nice, great food, cute waiters and the price is relatively cheap.

Pedicab Japan Version

2008-06-13T04:03:00.000-07:00

"Welcome to our funny country". These were the first words i heard from my host upon arrival in Tokyo. Indeed Japanese workmanship is amazing, people are polite and kind and cute and funny things abound.

The Kite Runner

2008-05-25T08:26:00.000-07:00

If you are flying Cathay Pacific in long haul flights this month, one good in flight movie is The Kite Runner.

It tells about the life of an Afghan boy before the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan their exodus to Pakistan, migration to the U.S. and his return to Taliban Afghanistan to claim his nephew.. A story of family drama, how brutal the invading Russians and the Taliban rulers that came after the Russian defeat. There's a rape scene of a boy [Hassan] which became controversial.

One of my instant favorites.

Yokoso Japan!!

2008-05-12T07:55:00.000-07:00

Ichi, ni, san......

Will be posting pictures soon... =)

Manila Ocean Park

2008-04-29T00:45:00.000-07:00

It was a good news last year to hear about the construction of an ocean park in Manila. Most countries in Asia already have this kind of attraction. Hong Kong has Ocean Park, Jakarta has Seaworld and I guess they also have it in Kuala Lumpur, Singapore and China for sure.

So with so much excitement we toured Manila Ocean Park. And here are my observations:

1. The park is half finished--- but the work in progress is for a hotel and restaurant. The aquariums are all set.
2. Too little space--- it has at least 4 sections and, with all the aquariums cramped, this place will always be crowded.
3. The 350 (kids) to 450 (adult) is not worth it. You can finish the tour in 1:30 minutes. Theres is nothing much spectacular specially for visitors who have seen HK Ocean Park or even the Seaworld in Jakarta. It may still be worth the price for kids who will see such species for the first time.
4. The surrounding restaurants are expensive. For tourists on a budget they need to drive away from that area to get some reasonably priced restaurants.

Here are some snap shots:

I am a bit frustrated since this could have been a major attraction for the city of Manila. The location is perfectly at the shore of Manila Bay and very accessible--- there could be no better place for this. This was the best chance to build something in Manila that stands out-- no one will invest to build same kind of theme park in larger scale.

Random shots @ Sukhumvit

2008-04-21T20:05:00.000-07:00

TRAFFIC-- This is Sukhumvit,the shopping district of Bangkok. It was a working day and the traffic got jammed quickly around 5pm... just like any other south east asian city.

CONCERT -- Heard from a Malay colleague that a female pop group "famous" in south east asia are having some gigs... but never heard of them... perhaps not in the Philippines.

CARSHOW-- There was a ferrari car show at Centralworld. This one has nice "gills"...

New Airport Taxi

2008-04-16T05:02:00.000-07:00

There's a new airport-taxi system at the NAIA Terminal 2 (aka Centennial Terminal).

Manila's old rickety taxis sometimes don't use meters or overcharge passengers... and the old "airport taxis" with their better maintained cars are just expensive. Airport taxis charge at least Php450+ for a drop to Makati... they actually fixed the taxi-rates in a way you will not mind the change e.g. Php460 (OFWs will probably just give away Php500).

But with the new airport-tax system all cars are brand new and metered. The minimum flag down is at Php75. Going to Makati will just cost around Php250. Taxi stand is at the international airport arrival area which is also accessible from the domestic arrival.
By the way, the old NAIA is just getting older. The building is old and looks bleak with the dim lights... and the transport system is worst. Sadly, this is where all international flights land (except PAL) and where foreigners get their first impression. The new terminals are of course exclusive for Philippine Airlines.

Mang Mario

2008-04-10T22:21:00.000-07:00

Google (ph) "car air-con repair" and it will bring-up Mang Mario in many car forums. Google Mang Mario and it will show forums on car air-con repairs.

My car is E30. Those familiar with BMW would know how old it is. One typical problem for old cars like this is the not-so-cold air from its "air conditioner". I have consulted few shops in Makati area and the usual diagnostics was "kulang ang freon". In the last 4 months, I had my freon topped-off twice for at least Php300 each refill.

Then Google introduced me to Mang Mario. With so many good words in car forums about his shop, I decided to drive all the way from Makati to Bago Bantay in Q.C. And indeed Mang Mario is one of a kind repair shop! They cleaned the motor blower then topped-off freon and billed me just Php100! I just cant believe it... so I just paid double the bill with the half given straight to the mechanic.

And the air-con? It worked perfectly.

Mang Mario is a small family business not the commercial type of car repair shops. Just check Google for more details.

Glorietta, Day After Explosion

2008-03-31T06:16:00.000-07:00

Pasta Italia

2008-03-18T09:34:00.000-07:00

Some restaurants just list the menu (no pictures) and sometimes we end up not getting what we are expecting. That just happened to me today. So I did some reading and came up with this.

Basically there is "long" and "short" pasta! Here are the most common.

.Fusilli..Penne..Rigate

.Fettucini..Linguini..Spaghetti

Just remember the shapes and the names... and you can dine in Italian restaurants with confidence. =)

FSGO Wish list

2008-03-13T19:21:00.000-07:00

I say wish list because I believe these have slim chances of being minded by Philippine’s little president.

• That the current members of the Cabinet resign and support the continuation of the Senate inquiry into the NBN contract with ZTE Corp.
• That the President order former National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Director General Romulo Neri to resume his testimony at the Senate “without any restrictions or limitations.”
• That she order the release and delivery to the Senate of all public records pertaining to the NBN-ZTE deal, chiefly the minutes of the NEDA board meetings on the project.
• That she suspend Transportation and Communications Secretary Leandro Mendoza and Assistant Secretary Lorenzo Formoso III..
• That she suspend Environment Secretary Lito Atienza, Philippine National Police Director General Avelino Razon, Deputy Executive Secretary Manuel Gaite, assistant airport general manager Angel Atutubo, Supt. Paul Mascariñas, and all officials who had allegedly tried to muzzle whistle-blower Rodolfo Noel Lozada Jr.
• That she stop any attempts by government agencies to harass Lozada and other witnesses.

To me these are reasonable; it is expected for a public servant to be questioned for accountability. This is actually a good chance to show transparency in our government. Well this is Philippines……

My Name is Earl

2008-03-03T01:39:00.000-08:00

"Karma is a funny thing. You know when you do something stupid and you realize your life sucks? Well, thats me! My Name Is Earl!" (My Name is Earl tag line).

Been watching this comedy series all night and enjoying all the funny stories in each episode. I would highly recommend this to those yuppies who like Jack Black kind of comedy and at the same time want to improve their "English listening skills" hehe..

My friend bought DVD copies at Makati Cinema Square for only around Php60 each (3 seasons). Well, i don't support piracy nor suggest anyone to buy pirated DVDs. This is just us doing what we want to do.

Sunset at Manila Bay

2008-02-26T02:03:00.000-08:00

Manila Bay is popular for its sunset. But besides how it was conceived in my elementary textbooks, I have never actually spent time to appreciate its beauty. Not until last week. Well I was lucky to have my camera while dining along Manila Bay during the long weekend.

There were several photographers waiting for their chance. But clouds are too low and the sun went down so quickly. So we all settled to this usual blue-orange-red color spectrum.

Maybe next time I should plan to shoot on a clear sky be in better location and wait for that perfect sunset…

By the way, the security guards at the American Embassy have the tendency to overact. Standing inside the railing of embassy (boundary fence), I was framing the bay walk area when two uniformed guards came by asking if it is my first time shooting in that place. I said yes, and they told me not to do it again... otherwise they can have all my personal information to their security log and may even confiscate my camera. Hehe...

In fairness they spoke kindly and showed some sympathy in trying to explain their rules.

Well, i guess security guards think of or associate espionage with these sophisticated-looking cameras. What they should know is that camera, regardless of its type (camera phone, cheap digicam, film camera etc.) can do the job to capture the same image if thats the intention.

People Power Anniversary

2008-02-25T20:01:00.000-08:00

I have been watching too much TV lately. And here are some opinions, aired on shows commemorating EDSA anniversary, which I would totally agree.

“EDSA 2 just happened a little too fast. It was a mistake which the people is afraid to commit again” – Winnie Monsod

“Darating ang pagbabago kung ang mga tao sa ating gobyerno (opisyal at emplyado).... ay hindi anak ni ganito, asawa ni ganito, kapatid ni ganito…. Maaaring hindi ko na aabutin yun ng buhay pero umaasa akong ito ay darating.” – Freddie Aguilar

Bayan Ko

2008-02-18T01:24:00.000-08:00

This has been the most notable song on Filipino patriotism, probably one of the most popular songs of EDSA 1. The lyrics are outdated but indeed it still has a rousing tone and perfect musical notes... and it's getting popular again. Here's a version by Kuh Ledesma.

Ang bayan kong Pilipinas Lupain ng ginto't bulaklak
Pag-ibig na sa kanyang palad Nag-alay ng ganda't dilag

At sa kanyang yumi at ganda Dayuhan ay nahalina
Bayan ko, binihag ka Nasadlak sa dusa

CHORUS
Ibon mang may layang lumipad Kulungin mo at umiiyak
Bayan pa kayang sakdal-dilag Ang 'di magnasang makaalpas

Pilipinas kong minumutya Pugad ng luha at dalita
Aking adhika Makita kang sakdal laya

Makati Rally - February 15, 2008

2008-02-17T19:10:00.000-08:00

Let me share some pictures of the rally at Ayala Avenue last Friday. It started past 2 pm with this group of farmers (i guess) as the first batch of protesters.

There’s complete media coverage with GMA and ABS-CBN holding grounds as early as 11am. There were numbers of free lance photographers and I have seen some foreign press.

Looking at the backstage, you can tell this rally was not organized by the political oppositions (no VIPs at the backstage). Except for the left wing organizations, which have joined our political system, I haven’t seen or heard the usual attendants from the United Opposition.

The crowd is mainly of church groups and civic groups; I can tell many Makati workers also joined the rally.

At the side of HSBC building were familiar business people, probably observing..

I remember previous political rallies with accusations that some people were paid just to join the crowd. Those were mostly pro-Erap rallies, and Erap’s “masa” appeal obviously gives reason why most of the crowds are from the poor communities (I would say squatter areas around the city). This time, there were still small groups which came obviously lacking the “spirit” of a protester. They came in t-shirts and shorts and just walking around.

Those real protesters would stand still, listen, shout when asked to react and raise their hands to show support.

It was also a big day for those Ayala/Makati avenue street vendors and some "intruders" like these Selecta/Magnolia ice cream vendors. I have seen many of these carts.

And the quote of the day goes – “moderate your greed”.

Photoworld Asia 2008

2008-02-05T01:32:00.000-08:00

At the Glorietta activity center from Feb. 2 up to 5 (that is today!). I bought one cheap black tripod and claimed my free 128MB SD card.

Lots of pretty models to shoot but I was able to catch just one (overexposed) shot.. before the last model declared "..sorry guys i need to go". As usual, there were bunch of photographers and a swarm of onlookers enjoying those sexy poses (..i should have taken whole body shot hehe..).

And again I saw those expensive Noritsu photo developing machines. The cost of putting up "real" photo developing business is easily seven digits.

Working Class Hero

2008-01-22T02:39:00.000-08:00

I chanced upon this interesting music video by Green Day on MyX. Then I learned its a John Lennon original (cant believe i did not know). Anyway I like the Green Day version...

Fine Dining in Makati

2008-01-17T02:27:00.000-08:00

To those who are expecting foreign guests and looking for "sosi" place to treat for dinner--- here is a nice review of some high-end restaurants in Makati.

OUR AWESOME PLANET

Thank You 2007

2008-01-10T02:18:00.000-08:00

I will remember Year 2007 as one of the best years.

First, i have been to five Asia Pacific countries for the first time (Indonesia, New Zealand, Thailand, Singapore and India). Indonesia and Thailand are much like Philippines minus the language, temples etc. New Zealand is a cold place with really few people compared to south and eastern asia; but NZ got lots of nice natural parks. Singapore is, well, very cosmopolitan city state just like HK. India is a shock..

Second, i have earned so much (Hehehe..). And third, i got my first car last December. A second hand vintage BMW which can barely beat 140kph. At 160kph i feel like the whole car will disintegrate at any moment.

I am thankful for all the blessings and most importantly the many realizations i learned. I realized how hard life can be for the born-rich people. And how lucky i was to be born with nothing but love and care from my folks.

I hope this year 2008 will be another best... peaceful and prosperous. Happy New Year to all!

MERRY CHRISTMAS (another war is over)..

2007-12-17T01:52:00.000-08:00

Booze Test

2007-12-06T00:34:00.000-08:00

52%LIGHTWEIGHT
So i am not a drunkard hehe.. click image for self test.

Manila Pen Stand Off

2007-12-05T23:57:00.001-08:00

We had an Australian guest in Makati when Trillanes and company marched to Peninsula. She is actually planning to get married in Q1 next year and considering the Philippines or Thailand for their honeymoon. The president of one of our subsidiary companies was all out in marketing El Nido resorts in Palawan. I would have suggested the same. She was so thankful for the informations and I guess she was seriously considering El Nido. That was Wednesday.

Thursday morning-- work work work. Then, after lunch, all the TV networks are into this escape and march of Trillanes. At 3pm i guess CNN or BBC picked up the news, then the mobile phone of our guest started to ring.. calls from colleagues and bosses in Hong Kong and relatives in Australia. Even our counterparts in Hong Kong called to assess the situation. After so much calls, our guest decided to leave right then... picked up her things at the hotel then drove to the airport that afternoon.

I can tell from her face how worried she was. And i guess the Philippines have lost just another prospective tourist.

El Nido, Palawan, originally uploaded by zenbanez.

Anyway, I cant blame foreigners on how they'd react in such situations. This world has so much security concerns and often times foreigners are advised to just leave or move away asap.

Update

2007-11-14T02:12:00.000-08:00

It has been almost a month since my last post. Lots of stories to tell, events to write and issues to comment over the past few weeks. Maybe I am giving too much time for WORK.. and unfortunately i don't enjoy work.

Glorietta Explosion

2007-10-19T07:53:00.000-07:00

..
"People thrown like dolls by blast".
..

Road to Kalinga

2007-10-16T04:27:00.001-07:00

This road links northern Isabela province and Kalinga.

The valley is known as Mallig Plains, a vast agricultural region benefiting from the spills of chico river in Kalinga. Click on the picture for more.

Taken with Canon 30D and17-40mm lens.

Exact Fare Act

2007-10-11T02:12:00.000-07:00

Its in the news. Senator Ramon Revilla Jr. has filed a measure seeking to penalize taxi drivers who don’t give exact change to passengers.

Do we need this law? Yes, definitely. Most taxi drivers in Manila has lost morals just to earn extra peso. They are abusive most of the time and have no idea of customer service.

Our culture on giving tips and gratuities is one of the things i dislike. We are all striving in this forsaken third world country. We are all poor. Poverty should not be an excuse to compromise what is good or right. People should just work hard, be fair and succeed on their own (of course that's ideal, and no one is perfect hehe).

I wish this law will come with efficient and effective implementing rules and not just for the sake of having a law (or publicity). There are similar laws for sure but only LTO/LTFRB knows and nobody cares to implement.

I know execution of law is just another one big problem. I tried once to fill-in an electronic complaint form in the LTFRB website hoping for a miracle reply. Months passed and i received not even a read receipt of my complaint. Those "Contact Us" pages on government websites are useless most of the times. Well thats another story.

Canon 50mm f1.8

2007-10-08T20:33:00.000-07:00

I got Canon 50mm as a kit lens of my 30D camera. At first, knowing nothing about lenses and SLRs, i had few complaints with this lens. It has no zoom. To get a group picture you need to move far from the group so you can fit everyone into the frame. It is very hard to get everything in the frame to focus (i don't know the technical term for it hehe).

So I read about lenses and learned about wide angle lenses. And one of the best selling canon wide angle lenses is the 17-40mm f40. I bought one at a discounted price expecting so much from it. To my frustration, I should have bought high end digital camera with wide angle lens instead. Well, i believe this can be a good lens depending on the subject of interest, only its not useful to me at this time.

Suddenly I like my Canon 50mm, it can do nice portraits easily and is much sharper than 17-40mm.

Elegant ferns-- using Canon 50mm. Composition is not good but its fine, i am satisfied.

Under Construction

2007-10-08T20:25:00.001-07:00

By 2008, on going developments in Glorrietta and Greenbelt area will be opened. And some more constructions will start.

1. Greenbelt 5 - almost done, connects G1 and G3.

2. Landmark Parking - almost done, Park Square 2 will be decommissioned and this will replace. Below fountain is of Ayala Museum with the parking construction at the background.

Planned structures: Twin tower Raffles Hotel which will cover the current area of Park Square 2 and elevated walkway connecting Shangri-la car park,G4, G3 and Landmark. The Ayala terminal will be moved to the parking area near MRT Ayala and beside Park Square 1.

Keep the Worm Warm

2007-10-05T03:52:00.000-07:00

It was a cold winter day. An old man walked out onto a frozen lake, cut a hole in the ice and dropped in his fishing line. He was there for almost an hour, without even a nibble, when a young boy walked out onto the ice, cut a hole in the ice not far from him. The young boy dropped his fishing line and minutes later he hooked a Largemouth Bass.

The old man couldn't believe his eyes but chalked it up to plain luck. But, shortly thereafter, the young boy pulled in another large catch.

The young boy kept catching fish after fish. Finally, the old man couldn't take it any longer. "Son, I've been here for over an hour without even a nibble. You've been here only a few minutes and have caught a half dozen fish! How do you do it?"

The boy responded, "Roo raf roo reep ra rums rrarm." "What was that?" the old man asked. Again the boy responded, "Roo raf roo reep ra rums rarrm."

"Look," said the old man, "I can't understand a word you're saying." The boy spit the bait into his hand and said, "You have to keep the worms warm!"

Dear Dr. Ruth

2007-10-03T21:24:00.000-07:00

A Bus Incident

2007-10-03T05:28:00.000-07:00

A woman got on a bus holding a baby. The bus driver looked at the child and blurted out, "That`s the ugliest baby I've ever seen!" Infuriated, the woman slammed her fare into the fare box and took an aisle seat near the rear of the bus. The man seated next to her sensed that she was agitated and asked her what was wrong.

"The bus driver insulted me," she fumed.

The man sympathized and said, "Why, he shouldn't say things to insult passengers. He could be fired for that."

"You're right," she said. "I think I'll go back up there and give him a piece of my mind!"

"That's a good idea," the man said. "Here, let me hold your monkey."

Update on my Unit Investment Trust Fund

2007-10-02T03:55:00.000-07:00

Only last month my investment was Php30,000 deficit. But the net asset value started going up since thursday last week and now I only have Php934 deficit. Thats 29k gain!

I guess this is still a Greespan effect hehe... i said "guess" since i really don't know much about Greenspan, all i know is that he once served the U.S. Federal Reserve.. and when he talk, people listen then the world markets move. That's how powerful the U.S. economy is. Perhaps people should stop thinking the economy is getting better or the peso is getting stronger much because of the President. And the President should stop claiming. Being a capitalist and open market, the Philippines most of the time just follows global and regional trends. Well i am not an economist... but i trust my opinion.

City of Acronyms

2007-09-27T21:11:00.000-07:00

Makati, Manila, Quezon City... there is one common thing about the Mayors of these cities.

In Makati, they probably spent few thousands just to get those metal railings twisted to form the logo of B. From what i have heard it means "Bayan". Hehe very nice coincidence for Binay.

In Manila, former mayor Lito Atienza painted all those public fences and walls with his favorite slogan "Buhayin ang MayniLA". It's a worthy project actually... but why is the last two letters always highlighted? Does it mean Los Angeles? Does it say lets make Manila like LA? No, thats acronym for Lito Atienza ofcourse.. and has no meaning at all but just trying to put their name everywhere.

Same in Quezon City. They have this slogan "Serbisyong Bayan" posted everywhere. I think they disregarded many other cool political mottos just because it didn't bear the letters SB.. or they launched a city-wide slogan contest and letters S and B is a must-have criteria.

And in the Visayas, a friend told me there is a place (i forgot) where all street light posts where awkwardly curved to shape letter P which is believed to be in honor of a local political clan with last name starting with P (i also forgot). I don't think its for Pacquiao.

Well, in Baguio city, many public structures got the letter V logo. I guess that stands for the past mayor's last name- Vergara.

These people are sick. I believe most of them are great achievers in their own field or career and yet want their names posted everywhere and get recognized everyday. Or is it human nature? Will i do the same if i were them? Hehehe... i will never know.

Anyway here is a wonderful dusk shot of Makati skyline courtesy of flickr.com/angrylittleboy.

Political Confusion

2007-09-17T06:03:00.000-07:00

I am personally convinced Erap has plundered lots of money during his time --- well, just as politicians do. But Erap is the man-- he stood all the way to his conviction saying he did nothing wrong and that people already acquitted him. I admire Ghandi, Mandela, Che Guevarra et. al. for doing their own things in history. But for Erap to make it appear he can replicate such sacrifices is a twisted belief a.k.a delusion. Its just good for him to be brave and face his enemies cause other options would tantamount to admission of guilt.

But i am also convinced Erap doesn't deserve all of it. He wasn't given a good chance. He was already convicted by Davide in 2001 and that Sandiganbayan was created just to formalize the judgment. Eventually he will end up guilty, i believe, but at least it would have been a fair fight if the impeachment trial continued. The million people in Edsa 2 should have instead shouted for the opening of the envelope and watched over the impeachment proceedings. By that, Erap would have been impeached and there will be no question on the legitimacy of Gloria's succession. The question on legitimacy brought so much pressure which eventually pushed Gloria to do EVERYTHING to win the 2004 election. Well, thats how i saw it. =)

They say Erap's conviction is a warning to all public officials and a good indication that no one is above law and that justice prevails in this country. Sounds good. And foreigners to this country would praise the verdict and blindly take the message. But for me, this can be just another sad part of our twisted political history. And the story continues with the lady who conspired with high society and exploited people power to get the presidency. Then cheated all the way to... well this will gonna be a long post, time to go.

Gambling on Mutual Funds (UITF)

2007-09-14T01:07:00.000-07:00

A MUTUAL FUND is a pool of assets managed by an investment company engaged in buying and selling securities on a regular basis - commonly banks or other financial services firms. These banks/firms have team of financial analyst/consultants who act as brokers in buying and selling stocks or other marketable securities in behalf of the fund. The "FUND" of course is from various investors/depositors who gets a certificate of unit of investment based on the Net Asset Value (NAV) per unit of the fund as of investment date. The NAV per unit is based on fund performance and on the stock market in general. The fund managers decide on which security and when to invest.

So, if today you invested in a mutual fund, your share of that fund will be computed simply as follows: Assuming the value of Total Fund today is Php90, you invested Php10 making the Total Fund Php100. Say the NAV today is Php5/unit. So, as of investment date, the fund has 20 units of investment and you own 10% or 2 units. If next month the stock market went up, that will surely drive the NAV up! Say it went up to Php10/unit, you now have Php20 from Php10 in just one month. In the same way, you can totally loose your money if the stock market plunged to its lowest. And these investments are not covered by PDIC.

This explains the financial wealth of stock brokers/ analysts/ consultants. They manage funds, not their own money, and get big commissions from big time gainers. They understand the market and can read and make good decisions out of market indicators.

I actually tried investing and lost Php 30,ooo as of today. Its now 3 months old. What i did not know when i put the investment was that the Philippine stock market is reaching its record high (in June 2007)! Which only means i will only realize gain when the stock market will reach a new record high. Tsk tsk. Gambling.

Indigenous People

2007-09-13T23:46:00.000-07:00

Click here then here for exciting discussions on indigenous people. I guess the discussion has settled down so let me just post my opinion here.

There is no exact definition of "indigenous people", i bet even anthropologists would not agree on a precise definition. That, i think, is the root of all these issues. I say the 110 list of indigenous people is valid and that pampangos, ilocanos, tagalogs and the likes are not indigenous. They have embraced Spanish culture for centuries and they are attached and even proud of it. They are the Filipino majority. They run the government. They populate the elite society.

Igorots embraced Christianity only during the American era (not really sure hehe), have been historically differentiated from the majority Filipino and are still doing things they do long long time ago. I think that satisfies at least 90% of the supreme court definition of indigenous people.

But time will pass and the 110 list needs update. Time will tell.

San Fabian Beach, Pangasinan

2007-09-05T00:33:00.000-07:00

My first time to see San Fabian beach was in January 2007. It was a holiday and the long beach was jammed with people, tricycles, jeepneys, trucks, and dogs. Like Divisoria during pre-christmas days. It was a terrible view to be honest. The beach has good slopes but the sand is dark-grayish to black making the water bit murky.

I was there again last week. I thought of spending my weekend in Baguio but ended up driving down to Pangasinan early Saturday. This time we stayed at PTA (Phil. Tourism Authority, wow!) beach resort which has large quarters and nice swimming pools.

The beach is still the same but looks much better without the crowd. Its a public beach and I did not see anyone cleaning the beach or sorting things. In some area, you can tell the smell of dead hermit crabs or other crustaseans -- probably of heat stoke (hehe).

Anyway, the beach is still a wonderful natural beauty.

Sing Air & Inflight Movies

2007-09-04T22:09:00.001-07:00

A cloudy afternoon in Singapore. Taken from the window of Singapore Airlines economy seat no. 67B while approaching Changi airport on my way to Mumbai.

Picked "Kenny" on the inflight movie list. A brilliant australian film about a hardworking, dedicated, all out plumber who took an aeroplane for the first time to the "Plumbers World Expo" in the States. Yeah there is a real business in shit. Its all about the life of Kenny-- being single parent, taking care of his son and Dad, his passion at work and sorts of plumbing expertise, traveling to the expo and finding new love. A simple decent life which gives the movie a serious humbling message. All business executives should watch.

Another favorite inflight movie was Korean "Miracle on First St.". A typical Korean comic flick about a real estate executive who faced a challenge in trying to evict squatters for a planned commercial housing project.

Mother & Child

2007-09-04T01:05:00.001-07:00

Picture taken somewhere in Worli, Mumbai. With all of India's apparent wealth and becoming asia's powerhouse, poverty still looms the the streets of Mumbai.

I tried walking the streets to have some good shots. I just had few quick test shots and i got scared with the attention i am getting. First, i am one malay-chinese looking guy in a crowd of arab looking or typical indians. Second, my canon eos 30D looks cool and tempting for thugs. So I moved back and just took pictures from inside the car. More pictures here.

Incredible Mumbai

2007-08-18T21:42:00.000-07:00

Mumbai is a 9 hour flight via Singapore. Also known as Bombay (old name) and is the commercial capital of India. Bollywood is here. I arrived 12 midnight and the airport is good although lacking modern airport equipment- far from high-tech SG and HK. A renovation is on going apparently. Queue at the baggage carousel and immigration was not good. Lots of visitors looks confused where to go. Much like NAIA in Manila.

This city surprised me a lot. I did not actually thought of India as still third world, but indeed it is. Traveling from Mumbai airport to my hotel at Nariman Point is an eye opener. Mumbai is in the same situation as Manila, maybe even worse. You can see slums right after exiting airport. It's 12 midnight and lots of people are roaming the dim streets. And some topless guys sitting or just walking at the road side (pretty much like Pasay!). There are lots of homeless folks sleeping on the streets (just like Quiapo or Carriedo!). There are bunch of uniformly colored black small cars (not aircon) all over the roads and even up the fly overs.

The next day: Beggar knocks on car doors (looks worse than Manila). Black crows outnumber pigeons. I saw a cow on the street, the chauffeur told me nobody owns it. The Nariman point is like Baywalk in Manila only longer (4km) and cleaner. A man with his monkeys is dogging me to his monkey dance-- for a fee of course. Lots of people on the streets just walking or sitting around (waiting for job?). Hard to go around the busy streets or the slums as i can be easily spotted as foreigner in this part of the world.

Camera Lens - Basic Info

2007-08-16T00:26:00.000-07:00

Here are basic info about lenses.

Lenses are classified into wide angle, normal and telephoto. It is measured by focal length (in mm). Digital cameras and camera phones mostly have wide angle lenses ranging from 8mm-35mm which is ideal for group pictures (taken within a short distance). For normal lens, like 50mm, you need few steps back from the group to get the same picture composition as the wide angle. And for zoom lenses you need to move away farther from the group to take the same composition. Basically thats the concept.

There are also two types of lenses -- prime and zoom. Primes has fixed focal lengths (no zoom- e.g. 50mm, 24mm) and zoom lenses has a range of focal lengths e.g. 14-70mm, 70-200mm which you can adjust instead of moving physically.

A shot during the foto fest. I was the last guy at the back but able to get some good shots. How? Using my 50mm lens. Its interesting how this lens can take picture through small openings. Here is a sample shot.

The blur on the lower right and upper left are actually the arms, ears, nose hehe of those in front. It was just a small opening to take this shot.

Below was taken from outside the cage but looks like I am inside the cage hehe. The screen is actually about 2x2 inches which is too small for my lens to sneak in.

Starfish.

I smell curry..

2007-08-10T03:23:00.000-07:00

Curry - a pungent dish of vegetables or meats flavored with curry powder and usually eaten with rice (east indian cookery).

Pungent - strong and sharp (e.g. body odor???)

Body odor - malodorousness resulting from a failure to bathe.

Source: Wordweb

Nursing or Accounting?

2007-08-06T03:19:00.000-07:00

There is a big big difference between a CPA and an accounting graduate. Just like a Registered Nurse and a nursing graduate or a Lawyer and a law graduate.

The CPA exam is second lowest after Bar exams when it comes to passing rate. The good thing is, there is a high demand for certified public accountants both locally and internationally. BUT, maybe just like the nurses, CPAs need to spend 2-3 years in a reputable audit firm to be marketable abroad.

In Baguio City, current tuition fee for B.S. Accountancy is at average of 15K per semester (about 9K in 2000). While my estimate is 30K in UST, 40K in DLSU and atleast 20K in smaller universities. After graduation, a six month review will cost 10K maximum (7K in 2001). And thats it.

A senior auditor (3-4 yrs experience) in Middle East, Singapore or other parts of Asia Pacific, would normally start at around Php130K monthly. In the US at least Php200K, and Europe at least 250K.

Looking at the numbers, for a career outside Philippines, there is no big difference between accounting and nursing except for the starting pay. Nurses are likely to start at a lower pay but will eventually catch up. Forget about working environment blah blah.

The difference actually lies here in the Phils. First, the cost of education. Accounting is cheap. Nursing is almost no different to Medicine (because of some opportunists?). Second is the demand or availability of jobs. There is probably more jobless registered nurse than certified public accountant in this country. I have seen jobless certified public accountant (just months after passing the exam) and they look suicidal hehe. The pressure and expectation is just too much. But honestly, right now, not one CPA i know is jobless. The problem for nurses is the fact that local demand or job opportunity heavily relies on the government. Private health care is for the rich and so we only have few large private hospitals.

Financially, I think nursing is a high risk and accounting is more secure. Of course, ideally, the financial aspect should only come next to a more important factor... whatever it is.

“The best way to appreciate your job is to imagine yourself without one.”
- Oscar Wilde

By the way, there was a foto fest last week in Glorietta sponsored by Philippine Star.

One booth is selling lighting equipment and they thought the best way to promote is to let consumers have a try. Here is my attempt on one of the models (click image for best view).

Her name is.... Angelica Panganiban hehe. True enough serious photography is an expensive hobby. Lenses, tripods, bags, printers etc... all expensive.

Nursing or Accounting? - Part I

2007-08-03T00:33:00.000-07:00

I have heard this question in a funny radio commercial the subject i don't remember.

It's a question among parents whose kids are about to enter college. Most parents would not object though to whatever course preference their children has. But there are many high school graduates who would answer "Dko alam!" or "Kahit ano!" when asked about what to take up in college. And in such cases parents will decide and most probably ask the question "Nursing ba o Accounting".

My younger sister is taking up Nursing; maybe because she has no other particular interest and everyone is taking up nursing. She was lucky to avail some scholarship during the first two years. But now, I am starting to realize how unreasonable schools, hospitals, review schools and those benefiting from this nursing frenzy. The total cash outflow for one semester is at least 35K (UC). Fees in UC is known to be cheaper than other schools in Baguio. In Manila, i think the expense is similar in those smaller schools. For UST, FEU etc. my guess is atleast 40K per semester. The fee includes tuition, training and other miscellaneous. Training cost is mostly payment to hospitals where they do "duty" or nursing service. They work for the hospital and they pay the hospital. Sounds illogical. More cost comes when they do community service-- just like medical missions. They spend for travel, food, accommodation and others at a minimum of 2K a week. After graduation, they will take review for the national licensure which i think will cost 30-50K! And there are more licensing exams they need to take before considered ready for "export'.

Ok, so how much is the average salary of nursing entry level in the U.S.? According to this site, at least Php100K a month (gross pay). Really good compared to our Phil. standard. BUT, there is not a good chance for a fresh graduate or newly licensed nurse to get there. The increasing number of nursing graduates is too much. There is increasing cases of nursing applicants getting duped by illegal recruiters. There are lots of nurses who end up "caregivers" in HK or Middle east. To make it short, after spending too much in college and passing licensure exams our new nurses are still far from getting that paycheck. While the owners of those nursing schools and review centers are enjoying millions in earnings.

Part II - Accounting

Origin of Filipino People

2007-07-25T03:01:00.000-07:00

I am curious what our current elementary text books tell about the history or origin of Filipino people.

I learned in Grade 4-5 that original Filipinos are the Aetas. Then came the Malays from the malay peninsula down south through the land bridges connecting Borneo and Palawan or Mindanao. My teacher told me malays are the tagalogs, bicolanos, kapampangans and other low land groups. Then came the Indones through the same path and who are now the mountain people of Luzon and Mindanao. In short, Filipinos are from Malaysia and Indonesia.

But Wikipedia tells a different story.

"The term Malay is also considered misleading because it gives the impression that the route for the populating of the Philippines was via Malaysia, when actually, the current Malays of the rest of the Malay Archipelago and of mainland Malaysia are the descendants of Austronesian-speaking immigrants who first went to the Philippines before further venturing south into what is now Malaysia, Indonesia, East Timor, as well as to the other Pacific islands."

So, we are the ancestors of Malaysians and Indonesians and not the other way around. And if this is true, it means most of my generation have false knowledge of our origin. Tsk tsk.

Cameras Strictly Prohibited

2007-07-24T22:40:00.000-07:00

I know most cinemas specially Ayala malls strictly prohibits still or video cameras inside movie houses. Obviously trying to prevent piracy. But can a still camera like my digital eos (no video or sound recording capability) can do movie piracy? If yes, i don't know how. So I though its not practical to surrender my camera.

And above is what i got hehe... shadowy image of Emma Watson. The timing is just bad.

Bohol - Cost of Travel (Last Part)

2007-07-23T23:00:00.000-07:00

Here is how much it costs to be in Bohol for a 3 day vacation (for two).

Fare = Php7,000 -- Cebu Pacific. Return tickets can be as cheap as Php2,700 each but i booked our flight only a week before the trip.

Terminal Fee = Php400 -- collected at Manila Domestic terminal.

Transpo to/from Panglao = Php800 -- rent per car, small car can accommodate 4.

Accommodation = Php4,200 -- 3 days/nights, house can accommodate 4.

Car Rental = Php1,800 -- 1 day tour to at least 7 destinations.

Boat Rental = Php 1,500 -- half day island hopping and snorkeling.

Snorkeling = Php 600 -- for the guide. there are optional gears (flippers or shoes) rented for Php150/pair which are actually useless.

Food = Php3,500 -- estimated at 1,000 a day or 500 each.

Entrance Fees = Php 200 -- estimate

Tips = Php 1,170 -- estimate; too generous at some point i.e. Php 200 for the driver.

Souvenirs = Php 1,000 -- estimate

In total, its around Php20K or 10K per head. Since we went out of control on some expenses, I think Php6K each is a reasonable budget for a group of at least 4. That's still a lot of many though.

There's also internet cost but its minimal. At least 2 computer shops are available along the beach; connection can be good but most of the time very slow or none. There's wifi in some resorts including Flower Garden but unfortunately I wasn't able to use mine as no one is available to assist with the settings.

Bohol - Island Hopping (Part IV)

2007-07-22T21:14:00.001-07:00

At 6:00 AM, we boarded a bangka (mid-size) to look out for dolphins off Alona Beach. Dolphins here are smaller than those I have seen in Puerto Galera 3 years ago.

An hermit crab.

After the dolphins, we headed to Balicasag which is known for dive spots and snorkeling. The fish sanctuary is amazing. The guide positioned us in a reef where you can see small fishes and corals on one side and school of bigger fishes and the deep blue unknown on the other side. The view of deep blue is really scary--- looks endless and you have no idea whats in there. I should have bought waterproof camera for pictures.

A group of divers early in the morning.

Next is Virgin Island- a tiny uninhabited island. It's about 20 minutes from Balicasag and is famous for it's shallow white sand shores. This place is good for photo shooting but unfortunately my camera setting was not adjusted for that bright sunny day. All I know was i'm taking nice shots until we got back and had a normal monitor view. Too bright! The pictures should have captured the clear water and the long stretch of white sands.

You can actually walk hundreds of meters away from the island with waters just above knee.

It's a half day trip so at around 10:45 we headed back to Alona Beach which took us less than an hour. It was our last day in Bohol so we decided to have some rest in the afternoon as we need to fly early the next morning. At 6PM we went to Alona Palm Beach for our grilled fish dinner - it was the last for the trip and turned out to be the best. This is a nice beach but surprisingly, most restaurants (cheap or expensive) don't have at least good sea food to serve. More popular are western style foods.

After dinner, we had a last walk at the beach from end to end. The tide then is low and the sea retreated far from the beach. Reaching the end of the beach... we ran across this crawling object. It's a sea snake.

Creepy. It's trying to crawl back to the sea but apparently it cant crawl as fast as land snakes do. It's tail is like those of fish.

NEXT: Cost Accounting.

Bohol - Island Tour (Part III)

2007-07-20T00:21:00.000-07:00

There are at least 7 destinations in mainland Bohol and Panglao Island.

First stop is Hinagdanan Cave in Panglao Island. Its a small cave with lagoon at the middle. There is nothing much of interest about this cave though the tourist guide said the lagoon has passageway to the sea but no one ever succeeded trying to cross (wow!). Also there are no bats inside, only paniki-like birds (i forgot the name) so the lagoon is guaranteed free of paniki droppings -- but looks stagnant. Here are other stops:

Sandugo Monument - where Datu Sikatuna and Legazpi held the historic blood compact. I wonder sometimes about history. How did those spaniards communicate with an indones or a malay chieftain? Even today its very very frustrating and even scary talking to locals in the suburbs of Jakarta or Bangkok who don't speak or understand English.

Baclayon Church (1700s) - This has little appeal to me. Why? I know there are much older and architecturally amazing churches in Europe. And the temples in Wat Pho or Angkor Wat or Borubudor are far more interesting.

Loboc Tarsiers - I would say this is the best part of the tour. Tarsiers are cute and sweet, shy and harmless little animals. They eat crickets/insects and can jump so quick. They are social animals and can live in relative captivity - not in a typical small cage (they get easily depressed and can kill themselves) but in an open controlled area. Selling or buying is illegal. Tourist can smuggle (illegally transport) but they have remote chances to survive in other places.

Obviously, tourist are so amazed by the tarsiers. The Loboc sanctuary, along the riverbank, has 4 tarsiers in "display" but they say there are more in the mountains of Bohol. The caretaker is equally amazing, he speaks Japanese, French and perfect English. Ayos!

Loboc River Cruise - The cruise is a floating restaurant. The location is just right for lunch after going trough several destinations. The buffet meal is at Php250 each and the cruise takes approximately an hour.

It rained hard while we are at the middle of the river causing little disorder as we are having lunch. Anyway, food is genuine Filipino and good enough for the price. Below is an old bridge crossing the Loboc river.

Chocolate Hills - I did not expect much and true enough the chocolate hills is just like what you see in postcards. I am more interested to go around the hills and walk the rice paddies beneath them.

At the back of this peace-post is "jumping area" where tourist can do fancy jump for a perfect postcard. I must say the photographers are pretty good - not the typical photographers with manual cameras but digital SLRs with good lens (Canon and Nikon) and instant canon photo printer. They charge Php100 for each print.

After Chocolate Hills, we passed by Butterfly garden. The tour guide mentioned many things about butterflies from scientific names to life cycle to biggest and smallest etc. All i remember now is that they breed and raise butterflies in that small garden.

Last stop is Souvenir shop and the Bee farm. The bee farm has restaurants perfectly overlooking the bay-- so scenic and relaxing.

Tired and satisfied, we drove back to Panglao island at around 5PM.

NEXT: Island Hopping

Boho - Panglao Island (Part II)

2007-07-18T20:37:00.000-07:00

The best place to stay in Bohol is along Alona Beach in Panglao Island. Its about 30-40 minutes from airport/city. Rent-a-car is the only option which costs Php400 one-way.

Compared to Boracay, Alona Beach is smaller but equally touristy. While Boracay has problems with green algae, this beach has lots of sea weeds specially after high tide.

The sand in Alona is more fine than Boracay- like a talcum powder.

Beachfront resorts can cost up to Php 7K a night while in Boracay Regency (a 3 star resort) its around Php6K. Anyway there are lots of options when looking for accommodation, the farther you go from the beach the cheaper. Alona Palm Beach, Alona Tropical and Alona Kew resorts are popular high-end beachfront resorts. Cheap hotels are available in tagbilaran, but its not advisable to stay there unless you intend to stay out of the beach. We stayed at Flower Garden which is not a beach front but just 5 minutes walk to Alona Beach. We rented a car for a one-day Bohol Tour and a boat for half-day dolphin watching and island hopping.

NEXT: Bohol Island Tour.

Bohol - Part 1

2007-07-18T04:59:00.001-07:00

Among the 1,700 islands, Bohol is probably one of the most gifted. It has Chocolate hills, Tarsiers, Loboc River, Alona Beach and Resorts, Balicasag Diving and Fish sanctuary and few other local attractions. I skipped working on Monday for a 3 day trip over the week end hehe..

The capital, Tagbilaran, is 1 hour 30 minutes by air from Manila.

Above is one of several islands viewed while approaching Tagbilaran airport.

Photoblogging

2007-07-08T20:36:00.001-07:00

I was looking for idiots guide to photography but realized I don't actually need it at this stage. Although the original "idiots guide" is out of stock, all similar books are not useful to me. I thought I need to explore my camera first and learn by experience.

Above is G's bbq. Pork bbq sells at Php12 while chicken isaw at Php6. Is it clean? YES.

Camera Setting: High shutter speed (10-15) and medium ISO (100-500).

Here's another shot using high shutter speed. Birds generally fly with their feet stretched backwards and beaks open.

Funny Boxing

2007-07-06T01:26:00.000-07:00

Street Photgraphy

2007-07-03T18:55:00.000-07:00

Street Photography? Hehe.. sounds good. Pictures were taken somewhere in the suburb streets of Makati. A foreigner colleague asked me what game Filipinos love to play, and my instant answer is... Basketball. We are sticking on a game we all know malay/indones genes are no good. Asean nations are football fans... except us.

A familiar scene in almost every street of Manila specially during summer.

And every street corner has it's own grotto. I'm a catholic but it annoys me to see a grotto occupying the side walks. It's not legal and i think the street is not proper for such icons. Our grotto has counterpart in Thailand (a deity in mini thai temple) but they always put it in a sacred place near establishments or in their yards and not on the streets.

I have seen this in a nearby garage. A second hand BMW selling at 400K pesos. I am ignorant about cars and thats all i can say.

WARNING: If you are offended by dogs having sex on the street please STOP and click the left arrow at the top-left of your screen.

I warned you so.

This is a public market along Olympia, Makati. And that's the Ayala central business district at the back- maybe just a kilometer away. As foreigners often say Manila is a city of sharp contrast. Shanties standing near skyscrapers. So with the central business district of old Manila - Roxas Boulevard.

The good thing about this place is that they sell everything at a lower price and you can bargain (hehe of course nothing unusual)... Well it's a lot cheaper than getting it from SM or other supermarkets.

I like this shot, the contrast of pink and lively green.

Another shot. This thing grew up wildly crossing its owners fence towards the sidewalk.

Flower portrait. The best set up I can have with my 50mm lens. Same case, this flower crossed the "border" so I got this close up shot from the sidewalk.

My best shot so far. Click to enlarge.

I am excited with my camera and hoping for a better location and subjects soon.

I Am a Certified Traveller

2007-06-29T00:14:00.000-07:00

My Lakbayan grade is C- Traveler!!

Born in Kalinga, partly raised in Isabela, lived and studied in Baguio-Benguet, worked and lived in Makati which brought me to Bulacan, Laguna, Batangas, Bataan, General Santos City, Cagayan de Oro, Misamis, Iligan and Davao. Been also to Cagayan, La Union, Ifugao, Sagada, Puerto Galera and Boracay for vacations.

How much of the Philippines have you visited? Find out at Lakbayan!

Created by Eugene Villar.

Pasig Ferry

2007-06-25T23:30:00.001-07:00

The pasig ferry transport system is now open. I really didn't know until i saw one advertisement in glorietta. So.. having nothing to do last week-end, we thought of giving it a try ala tourista.

Going to Guadalupe

Inside a jeep. This jeep can stop wherever it wants. Always try to pick up anyone standing by the roadside. Drops passengers wherever they wish to take off. All for Php 7.00.

National symbol? Maybe yes, there is still something in it, but I wish it will evolve and improve into something much better. The air-con jeepneys plying Makati Loop are nice and organized.

Guadalupe Station

The station is near Guadalupe Bridge and MRT station. It is convenient for those coming from Taguig and Fort Boni area since jeepneys can drop them in front of the station. But for passengers coming from Rockwell area and MRT station they need to walk about hundred meter across the busy typical JPRizal which is not comfortable. Ofcourse "accessible terminals" is all-important if they want his system to work. It's a work-in-progress so let's wait and see. The station is also secured, air-conditioned and every equipment looks fine (new!). But it looks too small to accommodate 50-100 waiting passengers.

The Route

The big plan is to connect Marikina to Manila.

Tickets cost Php25 from Guadalupe to Escolta in Manila which is cheaper compared to around Php45 FX fare from Guadalupe to Taft- Quiapo. The ferry operates from 5AM to 10PM.

Hulo and Lambingan are on the side of Mandaluyong - never heard of these places but I hope they are strategic enough to draw passengers.

Pasig River viewed near MRT station. That's Globe and Rustan's at the background.

Inside the twin-hull catamaran boat. It has nice plastic seats and large TV in the middle playing Bryan Adams DVD concert. This shot was taken at Guadalupe and the boat got almost full when we reached Escolta.

PUP Station.

The big problem of Pasig are the squatters along the river banks. There are only few factories, at least in Makati, Mandaluyong and Manila areas, and so I think domestic waste is primarily to blame.

Guadalupe to Escolta (near Carriedo) took us 50 minutes with stops in Hulo, Lambingan, Sta. Ana, and PUP. Not sure if it saves time compared to commuting by jeep or FX. From Escolta, we walked to Carriedo. It's the same Carriedo 3 years ago - but getting shabby and seedy again. Maintenance is a big problem in all those "buhayin ang maynila" projects. Anyway that's another stroy.

Side Trip - Carriedo

I didnt know Carriedo is a walking distance from Escolta. Its just a few blocks actually on the right side of ferry station. Well, carriedo is, maybe since year 2001, known for its flourishing piracy. We bought pirated DVD of Next for Php35 only.

That's Palito beside Mr. Bean. We didn't notice him until one of the vendors asked for autograph.

The Fall of Bataan

2007-06-14T23:36:00.000-07:00

"There is a limit of human endurance and that limit has long since been passed. With out prospect of relief, I feel it is my duty to my Country, and to my gallant troops, to end this useless effusion of blood and human sacrifice. With profound regret and continued pride in my gallant troops, I go to meet the Japanese commander.
Goodbye, Mr. President."

--Lieutenant General Jonathan Wainright to U.S. Pres. Roosevelt before surrendering to Japanese Gen. Homma (Corregidor, Bataan)

Corregidor Tour

I spent the week end (right before independence day) at Corregidor with my Baby. The tour well exceeded my expectations. It made me realize my ignorance on the what happened in Bataan during the second world war. All I remember is Mc Arthur and the infamous Death March and I didnt know that:

1- McArthur and president Quezon were bestfriends (Quezon is the godfather of McArthur's only son).

2- Pending defeat in Bataan peninsula, Gen. McArthur and his family, Pres. Quezon and thousands of American and Filipino soldeirs positioned in Malinta Tunnel in Corregidor.

3- Corregidor is a fortress island accross Bataan peninsula ( I heard this from my Dad when i was a kid) with several batteries positioned at Topside overlooking Manila Bay. The whole island is a military camp with almost complete amenities.

4- Gen. McArthur escaped from Malinta Tunnel to Mindanao (as ordered by Pres. Roosevelt) and left command of US and Fil. troops to Gen. Jonathan Wainright who after savage battles and dwindling supplies surrendered to Gen. Homma of the Japanese army.

5- At marami pang iba..

Corregidor is now a national park with awesome historic ruins and beautiful dense jungles. You can even spot monkeys on trees along the road. The park operator (a Magsaysay company) offers guided tours at Php1,600 for day tour and Php 1,900 overnight- check google for more details.