Gateway to adventure

a bug is the biggest lie we know!

2013-01-28T17:27:00.002-08:00

Manila Ocean Park Adventure Part 2: Trails to Antarctica

2012-04-23T22:54:00.000-07:00

Here's the 2nd part of our adventure in Manila Ocean Park. After you exit on the Oceanarium, you will see a stairway that will lead you to Trails to Antarctica.

Stairway leading to the Trails To Antarctica Entrance

Trails to Antarctica is like a museum wherein you can see various information about Antarctica, penguin species, explorers that went to Antarctica and many more.

Entrance to Trails to Antarctica

Old World Map

History reading with the Kids ( They are not my kids lol)

Map of Antarctica

Wall Photos and Info about Penguins

After seeing and reading those great information about Antarctica, you will see a species of penguin called Humboldt Penguins. It is a South-American penguin that can be found in Chile and Peru. They are named after the German explorer Alexander von Humboldt. You can see them through the mirror but you can also have a personal encounter with them and you can also feed them but for an additional cost.

Pictures of Humboldt Penguins

After seeing those Humboldt Penguins, you can also ride a rubber slide through ice for free. Sad to say we didn't took some pictures of that.

They also have another attraction, the Snow Village. But beware because the temperature inside is freaking cold (-15 degrees Celsius) but don't worry, they provide jackets that you can wear.

After going to Snow Village, you can also put your face and pose for some pictures like the ones below.

Do I look like an explorer? lol Well that's all folks. Stay tuned for the part 3 of our Manila Ocean Park Adventure. Thank you so much for your time.

Manila Ocean Park Adventure Part 1: Oceanarium

2012-04-05T00:21:00.001-07:00

This is the Part 1 of a 5-part adventure that happened last January 15, 2012. Manila Ocean Park offered discounted tickets to the employees of our company last December 2011 and I bought 2 tickets for myself and also for my girlfriend and it will serve as my birthday gift for her. I bought it for 1,200 pesos each from the original price of approximately 2000+ pesos each(sorry I forgot the original price) and you can enter 6 attractions in Manila Ocean Park.

Manila Ocean Park ticket

Our first destination is the Oceanarium. From the name itself, you can expect to see things that comes from the ocean. Oceanarium is composed of indoor and outdoor parts. When you enter, you will see first the outdoor part. It looks like a zoo for me because it is the same as the settings of common zoo. There are large aquariums that have fishes like arowana, koi, starfish etc. Here are some pictures of what will you see in the outdoor part of the Oceanarium.

river crocodile

starfish

After you finished seeing the fishes, the path will lead you to the indoor part of the Oceanarium. It is a huge dark room filled with large and small aquariums of different species of sea creatures. The room is dark because some fishes are sensitive to light so camera flashes are not allowed but many visitors are not following the rules! Grrrr! Here are some great pictures of those fishes:

clownfish

small crabs

lionfish

pajama cardinalfish

porcupine fish

sailfin tang

sea horses

stonefish


it's not a fish...it's me lol

Then after that, you will go to a tunnel and you can see fishes everywhere especially stingrays and sharks.

tunnel full of people taking pictures

sharks

Then after seeing all those fantastic creatures, you will now exit the Oceanarium. FYI, the ticket for the Oceanarium only is worth 400 pesos. It is much smarter to buy Ultimate experience tickets worth 1,200 pesos because you can enter 6 attractions and you will also save money.

It is great to go to Manila Ocean Park with your family and loved ones especially if you have children because it can serve as an educational trip for them and they will also enjoy the experience at the same time.

Thanks for reading and stay tuned for the Part 2 of the Manila Ocean Park Adventure!

My Birthday Celebration

2012-03-22T00:40:00.001-07:00

It's been 26 years since I was born last March 10. I can say that I have lived a not perfect but wonderful life because of my loved ones specially my girlfriend. My day become special because of them . Later that day, I have treated them for dinner in a local restaurant near our home in Bulacan. We chose to eat Filipino dishes rather than eating at fast food chains.

a restaurant near our home

Chopsuey

Garlic Soup

Sizzling Pork Sisig

Mixed Seafoods

Buttered Chicken

Iced Tea

Here's what we looked like after eating...so full... hehe

can you see the clean plates?lol

Mt. Maculot Hike: Day 2

2012-03-07T00:26:00.000-08:00

It's our 2nd day in Mt. Maculot. We woke up at 7am and take a little breather and then went to the Rockies. It will take about 10-15 minutes walk/rock climbing from the campsite to the Rockies. Here's the picture of the Rockies taken near the campsite. You can see other mountaineers who woke up earlier than us.

The Rockies

Rockies facing the Taal Lake

During our walk from the campsite, we saw this marker which is built by the Philippine Air Force.

Before ascending to the Rockies, you will need to cross a thin road with cliffs at both sides. Scary? Not really because of the amazing views you will see. You've only got to be extra careful.

Then after crossing that thin road, you will start climbing the Rockies. You can call this literally as rock climbing because there are a lot of rocks along the way.

I'm the one with a blue shirt lol

After successfully climbing the Rockies, you will see the most breathtaking views in Mt. Maculot. Enjoy the pictures guys.

Taal Lake

The Karate Kid? haha

Senti Mode

Watta Hair !!!

There are still many pictures that I want to share but I'm feeling lazy right now. lol. We stayed there until 8:30 am and then after that we decided to go back at the campsite. After eating our breakfast, we packed-up our tents and things and started to descend at past 10 am. We reached the mountaineer's store at the jump-off at 12pm. Then we ate our lunch and take a bath and then decided to go home at 2pm. We rode a jeepney going to Lipa City in Batangas and from there we rode a bus going back to Manila.

And that concludes our Mt. Makulot Hike. Thanks for reading guys.

Mt. Maculot Hike: Day 1

2012-02-29T19:35:00.000-08:00

We've had a great adventure last weekend. We climb Mt. Maculot which is located at Cuenca, Batangas. It was my return hike after being inactive for 2 years. The summit of Mt. Maculot is about 930 MASL (meters above sea level) but we didn't went to the summit, instead we went to the Rockies of Mt. Maculot for the famous scenic views of Taal Lake and rock formations. The Rockies is about 706 MASL.


The Mountaineers Creed: " Leave nothing but footprints. Take nothing but pictures. Kill nothing but time."

Here's the start of the adventure. We all agreed to meet at Jollibee in Gil Puyat LRT 1 Station at 10 in the morning. We took our breakfast there while waiting for others to arrive and left at 12 noon. We take a Lemery-bound Jam Liner bus and the ride last for about 2 hours. We arrived at Cuenca, Batangas at 2pm and we bought some stocks in their public market. Then after that, we took a tricycle ride to the jumpoff.

The jumpoff to the Mt. Maculot Rockies is a Mountaineer's Store. We take our lunch (chicken/pork adobo with rice) there and prepare ourselves for the hike. We started the hike at past 4pm.

During the ascent, we experienced many steep trails. There are also many locals that sells buko juice along the trail for 10 pesos so it will not be a problem if you run out of water/gatorade to drink. By the way, in hiking, we always bring 3 liters of water per person: 1 liter for the ascent, 1 liter for the descent and 1 liter for the group that will be used in cooking and for what we call social night.

We reached the campsite at about 6pm and it's quite difficult to find a place for our group because there are many tents installed when we arrived. It's also a proof that Mt. Maculot is very popular for weekend hikes. After finding a place for our group, we installed our tents and we started to cook food for our dinner and socials.

the campsite

preparing our dinner and pulutan

After eating our dinner, we immediately started our socials. It means drinking alcoholic beverages. We do this to counter the cold breeze in the mountains and also for bonding purposes.

the drinking session


the tomadors

our pulutan consists of nachos, jalapeno, sisig and chocolates

Our socials ended at about 4am in the morning I think. I don't remember the exact time because I'm already drunk. lol. By the way, here's some scenic views during the ascent and on the campsite and also stay tuned for the Mt. Maculot Hike: Day 2.

some part of Taal Lake

My Mountaineering Gear: Clorts Shoes

2012-02-23T12:16:00.000-08:00

It's been 2 years since my last climb so I have decided to buy a new shoes. It's also included in my preparation for the upcoming climb this Saturday at Mt. Maculot in Cuenca, Batangas. My last shoes wasn't a hiking shoes so it's not that good in hiking. It's kinda heavy and when it rains, the mud sticks to its sole so it contributes to weight of the shoes.

Last Sunday, we went to Sandugo apparel store in Trinoma to check out some hiking shoes. I really want to buy Sandugo shoes because it's a nice brand and it's a local brand. I want to support our local brand other than imported ones but sadly, Sandugo shoes are out of stock so I tried to search for some alternatives. The salesman told me that Clorts is also a good one because their sole is the same as Sandugo shoes but much lighter and when I tried it, I feel comfortable so I decided to buy it. It costs me 2,145 pesos. I just hope that this shoe is durable enough and will last long. By the way here are the pictures of the shoe.

I'm getting excited for the new adventure this coming Saturday. :)

Mandarin Tea Garden Abreeza Mall Branch

2012-02-22T02:42:00.001-08:00

I have said in my previous post that I went to Davao because of work-related duties last year right? Well since it's my first time there, I didn't let the chance to wander around slip by. And since I'm tired of eating in fast food chains, I looked for a different dining experience. Me and my officemate went to Abreeza Mall in Davao City and there we spotted Mandarin Tea Garden.

Mandarin Tea Garden is a restaurant located in 1st floor Abreeza Mall in Davao City and they serve Filipino and Chinese dishes. They have many branches in Visayas and Mindanao area. They also have a branch near Tower Inn Davao if I'm not mistaken. I just want to share some pictures of their mouth-watering foods.

Did you notice that I didn't put the name of the dishes? It's because I don't remember it. LOL. Maybe because the food is so delicious that it gave me temporary amnesia. Just kidding. All I remember is that our bill is only more than 300 pesos. Affordable right? It is highly recommended for all the foodies out there.

My Valentines Day Experience

2012-02-16T13:52:00.000-08:00

I know it's kind of late for this post but I just want to share my experience this last Valentines Day to all my readers and friends.

Last Tuesday is Valentines Day right?I'm lucky to have no work during that day so I have all the time to prepare. Me and my special someone both agree to meet at Trinoma in Quezon City after office hours (office hour in our company ends at 6:30pm). So I left home at 3:00 pm to go to the mall to buy Dairy Queen Ice Cream Cake because I know she will like it. By the way, I also plan to give her doughnuts from Dunkin Donuts because they have a promo that when you buy 3 boxes of doughnut, they will give you a Valentines Day-themed pillow case. I got it from my sister because she works there and I still owe her, I'll pay her later. Hehe. Here are the pictures:

A box of doughnut

pillow case

I arrived in the mall at about 4:30pm so I hurriedly went to the Dairy Queen store because I know that ice cream cakes are in-demand during this special occasion. Luckily there are still 3 cakes left in their fridge and I bought one. It costs me 675 pesos but its ok, it's a piece of cake for me (joke). Here's the picture and sorry if the picture quality is not good, I just don't want to open the box because I don't want to mess up the presentation.

Dairy Queen's heart shaped ice cream cake

After buying, I strolled inside the mall waiting for my special someone. At about 5:30 pm, I felt that there's something weird inside the box and when I look at it, I saw that the ice cream cake is MELTING!!! I don't know what to do at first but I decided to go to the apartment of my girlfriend and her office mates to save the cake before the time runs out. lol. I told her that there's a change of plans and we will meet at their apartment. I didn't tell her the reason because I want her to be surprised by my gift but looking at the melting cake, I realized that I'm the one who is surprised. tsk!

I rode a taxi going to Libis, Quezon City. I asked the taxi driver if he can drive fast because it's an emergency (well it's really an emergency). Well being a good taxi driver that he is, he drove fast. We take many shortcuts. Luckily we didn't experience heavy traffic that is common especially during special occasions. I also told him to put the aircon unit inside his taxi at maximum low temperature because the cake is melting. I don't know what to do at that moment, all I care about is the cake.

At last I arrive at their apartment at 6:00pm. My girlfriend is not yet at home but luckily, one of her office mates is already inside so I ask her if she can help me to put the cake in their freezer. We put it in a plate because the box it already wet with melted ice cream. Here's the picture of my precious ice cream cake. Ouch!

melted ice cream cake

When my girlfriend arrived, she seems to be happy because of my gift for her even though it is not in good condition. We ate it and it still tastes good. After that we went to Cubao for a simple dinner date.

Well my surprise for my special someone can be considered as an epic fail right? But I think it will be considered as an A+ for effort. Hehehe.

Lesson learned: never buy an ice cream cake again. Just kidding. When you buy an ice cream cake, but sure to take it home as fast as you can.

A Story suited for Valentines Day

2012-02-09T23:27:00.000-08:00

Hi guys, it will be Valentines Day next week. Happy Valentines Day to all of you!!! Have you already bought gifts for your special someone or set-up a dinner date? No? Well me too. Hehe. But I already have an idea. Well since Valentines Day is near, I want you all to read this heart-warming story. It is not written by me. My girlfriend sent it to me yesterday. We don't know who the author is but I still think it is worth sharing because it will give a good lesson to all of us. I hope that you will read it thoroughly. Here it goes...

Married or not… you should read this.
Marriage.

“When I got home that night as ...my wife served dinner, I held her hand and said, I’ve got something to tell you. She sat down and ate quietly. Again I observed the hurt in her eyes.

Suddenly I didn’t know how to open my mouth. But I had to let her know what I was thinking. I want a divorce. I raised the topic calmly. She didn’t seem to be annoyed by my words, instead she asked me softly, why?

I avoided her question. This made her angry. She threw away the chopsticks and shouted at me, you are not a man! That night, we didn’t talk to each other. She was weeping. I knew she wanted to find out what had happened to our marriage. But I could hardly give her a satisfactory answer; she had lost my heart to Jane. I didn’t love her anymore. I just pitied her!

With a deep sense of guilt, I drafted a divorce agreement which stated that she could own our house, our car, and 30% stake of my company. She glanced at it and then tore it into pieces. The woman who had spent ten years of her life with me had become a stranger. I felt sorry for her wasted time, resources and energy but I could not take back what I had said for I loved Jane so dearly. Finally she cried loudly in front of me, which was what I had expected to see. To me her cry was actually a kind of release. The idea of divorce which had obsessed me for several weeks seemed to be firmer and clearer now.

The next day, I came back home very late and found her writing something at the table. I didn’t have supper but went straight to sleep and fell asleep very fast because I was tired after an eventful day with Jane. When I woke up, she was still there at the table writing. I just did not care so I turned over and was asleep again.

In the morning she presented her divorce conditions: she didn’t want anything from me, but needed a month’s notice before the divorce. She requested that in that one month we both struggle to live as normal a life as possible. Her reasons were simple: our son had his exams in a month’s time and she didn’t want to disrupt him with our broken marriage.

This was agreeable to me. But she had something more, she asked me to recall how I had carried her into out bridal room on our wedding day. She requested that every day for the month’s duration I carry her out of our bedroom to the front door ever morning. I thought she was going crazy. Just to make our last days together bearable I accepted her odd request.

I told Jane about my wife’s divorce conditions. . She laughed loudly and thought it was absurd. No matter what tricks she applies, she has to face the divorce, she said scornfully.

My wife and I hadn’t had any body contact since my divorce intention was explicitly expressed. So when I carried her out on the first day, we both appeared clumsy. Our son clapped behind us, daddy is holding mommy in his arms. His words brought me a sense of pain. From the bedroom to the sitting room, then to the door, I walked over ten meters with her in my arms. She closed her eyes and said softly; don’t tell our son about the divorce. I nodded, feeling somewhat upset. I put her down outside the door. She went to wait for the bus to work. I drove alone to the office.

On the second day, both of us acted much more easily. She leaned on my chest. I could smell the fragrance of her blouse. I realized that I hadn’t looked at this woman carefully for a long time. I realized she was not young any more. There were fine wrinkles on her face, her hair was graying! Our marriage had taken its toll on her. For a minute I wondered what I had done to her.

On the fourth day, when I lifted her up, I felt a sense of intimacy returning. This was the woman who had given ten years of her life to me. On the fifth and sixth day, I realized that our sense of intimacy was growing again. I didn’t tell Jane about this. It became easier to carry her as the month slipped by. Perhaps the everyday workout made me stronger.

She was choosing what to wear one morning. She tried on quite a few dresses but could not find a suitable one. Then she sighed, all my dresses have grown bigger. I suddenly realized that she had grown so thin, that was the reason why I could carry her more easily.

Suddenly it hit me… she had buried so much pain and bitterness in her heart. Subconsciously I reached out and touched her head.

Our son came in at the moment and said, Dad, it’s time to carry mom out. To him, seeing his father carrying his mother out had become an essential part of his life. My wife gestured to our son to come closer and hugged him tightly. I turned my face away because I was afraid I might change my mind at this last minute. I then held her in my arms, walking from the bedroom, through the sitting room, to the hallway. Her hand surrounded my neck softly and naturally. I held her body tightly; it was just like our wedding day.

But her much lighter weight made me sad. On the last day, when I held her in my arms I could hardly move a step. Our son had gone to school. I held her tightly and said, I hadn’t noticed that our life lacked intimacy. I drove to office…. jumped out of the car swiftly without locking the door. I was afraid any delay would make me change my mind…I walked upstairs. Jane opened the door and I said to her, Sorry, Jane, I do not want the divorce anymore.

She looked at me, astonished, and then touched my forehead. Do you have a fever? She said. I moved her hand off my head. Sorry, Jane, I said, I won’t divorce. My marriage life was boring probably because she and I didn’t value the details of our lives, not because we didn’t love each other anymore. Now I realize that since I carried her into my home on our wedding day I am supposed to hold her until death do us apart. Jane seemed to suddenly wake up. She gave me a loud slap and then slammed the door and burst into tears. I walked downstairs and drove away. At the floral shop on the way, I ordered a bouquet of flowers for my wife. The salesgirl asked me what to write on the card. I smiled and wrote, I’ll carry you out every morning until death do us apart.

That evening I arrived home, flowers in my hands, a smile on my face, I run up stairs, only to find my wife in the bed - dead. My wife had been fighting CANCER for months and I was so busy with Jane to even notice. She knew that she would die soon and she wanted to save me from the whatever negative reaction from our son, in case we push through with the divorce.— At least, in the eyes of our son—- I’m a loving husband….

The small details of your lives are what really matter in a relationship. It is not the mansion, the car, property, the money in the bank. These create an environment conducive for happiness but cannot give happiness in themselves.

So find time to be your spouse’s friend and do those little things for each other that build intimacy. Do have a real happy marriage!

My Blog is on PageRank 2!!!

2012-02-07T20:30:00.000-08:00

Earlier this morning, my good friend virgoguy checked his pagerank and he was surprised because his pagerank jumps from PR0 to PR2. So I got curious to also check my pagerank because the last time I checked it, it was still pagerank 0. So I went to prchecker.info to check the pagerank of my blog and I was shocked to know that my blog is already in pagerank 2! I couldn't believe it because it has been only 4 months since I started blogging. I was so happy to know that and I feel energized to increase my posts! Hehe!

I would like to thank Google for this wonderful gift. Maybe it was his/her gift for me this Valentines Day. And I would also like to thank my fellow blogger friends and site visitors for their visits everyday. Thank you so much because you made my day!

Nokia 500

2012-02-07T18:31:00.000-08:00

After not buying a new cellphone for the past 2 and a half year, at last I have come to buy a new one. It is Nokia 500. Actually it is not new, it was pre-owned by the officemate of my girlfriend. It is used for only 2 months and then he decided to sell it. Upon hearing that he will sell it, my girlfriend told me to buy it because her officemate will sell it for only 4500 pesos and also due to the condition of my old phone. The current market value of Nokia 500 here in the Philippines is about 8,700 pesos. Great buy right? I got more than 50% off and the model is released last September 2011 only. Here are the specifications I got from gsmarena.com and some pictures of my new phone.

Nokia 500 Specifications provided by gsmarena.com

Nokia 500

Nokia 500 box

As of now, I use it more on mp3 music and photos because I still use my old phone for work related calls. I personally like the camera because although it is only 5 megapixels, the photos produced are quite good. Here are the sample photos. Take note that I take this photo while riding a bus. The photo is quite good because it is not blurry unlike the other cameras.

They also say that it is a smartphone, but sadly I'm not a tech geek. Can you give me some advice so that I can maximize the usage of my new phone? Kindly put some comments below my friends. All advices will be very much appreciated. Thank you.

99.9% Unique Blog Award

2012-01-25T17:13:00.000-08:00

Thank you so much Oh Bite!: A Journey to Palates for this wonderful award.

Since I'm a newbie in the blogosphere, I'm truly grateful that you've given this to me.

God Bless you always! I don't know what to say anymore (teary eyed like in a real awards night) lol

So, without further ado, I would like to pass this award to other blogs that is unique in it's own way. Here are the name of those blogs:

More than Sexy

Making a DiffeRENCE

There's No Place That Far

The resurgence of my life

Tweet, Rants and Ramblings

The COFFEE CHIC

CONGRATULATIONS guys!!!

Tower Inn Davao

2012-01-23T22:04:00.000-08:00

Due to my work related duties, I went to Davao City last September 2011. I stayed there for 5 days and 4 nights. And because I will stay there for about a week, I searched for hotels that have lower rates, comfortable and near Davao Doctor's Hospital. And Tower Inn Davao have all of them.

Davao Tower Inn is located along E. Quirino Avenue and just a few meters away from Davao Doctor's Hospital. During that time, the price for the single deluxe room is 850 php. But I have checked their website and the rate for the single deluxe is down to only 750 php (much more affordable right?).

In the first floor, they have friendly receptionists and have free WiFi connection for their guests.They also have Ate Loleng's Restaurant that serves delicious food for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I've stayed at room 306 and here's what the room looks like.

a very comfortable bed

Toilet

Cable TV

Toilet and Bath

During my stay at Tower Inn, I didn't encounter any unpleasant experience with their service and I always have a good night sleep so I recommend them for those who will have a vacation at Davao City.

For more inquiries regarding Tower Inn Davao, please click here to see their website.

Exchange Link

2012-01-11T01:32:00.000-08:00

Good day my fellow bloggers/friends. Want to exchange link with me? Kindly leave a comment below with the following format:

Blog Name:

Link/URL:

Location:

I will add your link to my blog and in return, please also add my link to your blog:

http://lesterrible.blogspot.com

Thank you. God Bless and more power. :)

Pawikan (Sea Turtle) Sanctuary

2012-01-10T23:52:00.000-08:00

Pawikan (Sea Turtle) Sanctuary is located at Brgy. Nagbalayong, Morong, Bataan. We went here last February 2011 because of the fiesta and it is also the hometown of my mother. This sanctuary is a community-based sea turtle conservation program that aims to protect and to propagate the endangered sea turtles. The persons behind this program are former hunters and poachers of sea turtles.

In this sanctuary, they secure the eggs laid by the sea turtles in the shores at night and then put them to a hatchery until they are hatched. Then they will take care of the baby turtles until they are ready to be released back in their original habitat. In the hatchery, the eggs are separated depending on how old they are.

Sea Turtle Egg Hatchery

One of the hatcheries

The caretaker of the sanctuary said that they also take care of sea turtles with disabilities like the turtles shown below:

Blind Sea Turtle

Hunchback Sea Turtle (unable to balance himself/herself)

As we all know, sea turtles are already classified as endangered species. Some of them are declared as "critically" endangered like the Olive Ridley sea turtle, Hawksbill sea turtle, Loggerhead sea turtle, Leatherback sea turtle and the Green turtle.

critically endangered species of sea turtles

Through the efforts of the Sea Turtle Sanctuary in Bataan, the day will come that these sea turtles will not be endangered anymore. We can also do our share especially for those communities that resides in the beach by not hunting these sea creatures and not eating their flesh and their eggs.

Here are some pictures of baby sea turtles that will be released back to their original habitat.

We should not waste the efforts given by the sanctuary so that in the near future, our childrens and grandchildrens can still see these creatures in person and not only in books.

FAITH

2012-01-08T17:52:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year

2011-12-28T20:41:00.000-08:00

Since it will be a long weekend here in the Philippines, I just want to greet all of you a Happy and Prosperous NEW YEAR!!! May you have more blessings to come in the year 2012!!!

Merry Christmas

2011-12-25T22:33:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas to all my fellow bloggers and readers.

God Bless you all and your family.

Donation for the Victims of Typhoon Sendong

2011-12-24T22:07:00.000-08:00

Starting last year, me and my college friends try to reach out to those in need every December because it is the only time that we have extra money because of 13th month pay and some bonuses for others. Last year, we went to Manila Boys Town in Marikina City to provide some orphans a little Christmas party with the help of McDonalds. It was such a wonderful event because it made those little children happy and we felt a wonderful feeling: the feeling of joy in helping others.

This year, we plan to do it again in other orphanage in Tagaytay. But when we heard of the calamity that strucked Iligan City and Cagayan de Oro City in Mindanao because of Typhoon Sendong, we realized that we should also help them. They need food, water and clothing but we think that what they really need is drinking water because of the scarcity of clean drinking water in the area. Since one of my college friends is working in TV5 (one of the local TV stations in the Philippines), we deposited some money in her account and she will be the one who will buy bottled water and send it in their office. She texted us and said that our money donations produced 10 boxes of bottled water and will be sent immediately to the victims of Typhoon Sendong.

After reading her message, I felt very happy because we helped other people in need again. I know that many other Filipinos are also reaching out their hands to the victims of the typhoon. The "Bayanihan" tradition in the Philippines is still alive.

To all my fellow bloggers and readers, you can also do your part in donating. Remember that it is better to give than to receive. It doesn't matter if the donation is big or small as long as you grab the chance to help others. You can donate cash, clothes, foods, medicines and bottled water. Please see details below.

Misa de Gallo (Rooster's Mass) Completed

2011-12-24T20:28:00.000-08:00

After 9 long days of waking up early in bed, at last we've completed the Misa de Gallo in our local church together with my two cousins. For me, it's very hard to wake up early because the mass starts at 4:30 am so I should wake up at 3:30 am. Even though it is hard to do, I still want to do it because it's our tradition and there's an old saying that if you complete the Misa de Gallo, your wish will come true and I believe in that old saying. Because of waking up early, sometimes I fell asleep during the mass or while I'm at work. :)

As a prize for completing the Misa de Gallo, we bought some putobumbong (a local delicacy in the Philippines during Christmas season) and it was funded by me. :) I also want to buy some bibingka (another local delicacy) but it is already sold out.

Putobumbong

I hope and I pray that my wish will come true after completing the mass, not for myself but for other people especially the victims of Typhoon Sendong in Iligan and Cagayan de Oro City.

Ristorante Bigoli

2011-12-19T22:28:00.000-08:00

Me and my girlfriend have a lot in common. And one of them is we love to eat. We love to eat in different restaurants and fastfood. We try to eat different kinds of dishes as long as we can afford to buy it of course. :)

Last November 19, we chose to dine in Ristorante Bigoli in SM North EDSA. Ristorante Bigoli serves Italian foods (pasta, pizza etc.). They also have branches in Eastwood and TriNoma. We ordered Doppio Delizioso because it is said in their menu that it is a real value for two. It consists of Spaghetti Bolognese, 2 pcs. Italian Chicken, 2 slices of Cheese Overload Pizza, Garden Salad, Minestrone Soup and 2 Single Served Drinks. It costs 370 pesos. Here are some of the pictures that we've got.

Free Garlic Bread

can't fight the hunger LOL

Spaghetti Bolognese with garlic bread

Italian Chicken and Cheese Overload Pizza

Minestrone Soup and Garden Salad

Garden Salad

Iced Tea and Mango Juice

LEGO World

2011-12-13T18:08:00.000-08:00

Last November 27, me and my girlfriend went on a date in SM City North EDSA (a mall in Quezon City, Philippines). We watched Happy Feet 2 and after that went on strolling. While doing some window shopping (our favorite hobby) , we noticed that there are many people in a certain part of the mall that were taking pictures and I also noticed a large Christmas tree so we also went on to take some pictures. But we were amazed that the giant Christmas tree and its decorations are made of LEGO bricks. There are also some landmarks of other countries that are also made of Lego bricks. I remembered when i was a little child, I used to play Lego which is owned by my cousin. Here are some pictures that we've taken.


Giant Christmas Tree made of LEGO bricks

My Girlfriend and the Christmas Tree :)

Tokyo Tower in Japan

LEGO Town

Great Wall of China

Kadayawan Festival in the Philippines

Bank of Asia in Thailand

Merlion in Singapore

Petronas Twin Towers in Malaysia

Tiananmen Square in China

Luneta Park in the Philippines

Eiffel Tower in Paris, France

Here are the other LEGO structures that we've seen:

The Limo

2011-12-08T21:30:00.001-08:00

It was a cloudy/rainy Sunday morning (December 4). After we ate our breakfast in Jollibee, we suddenly bumped into something amazing. I usually see it in Hollywood movies but this is the first time that we have seen it personally. I really want to take a picture with it much closer but the "shy" me though that if I do that, the owner will be angry with us. It is really a luxury car that may be driven by professional chauffeurs. I do hope that I can have one of these someday. Haha. Here, take a glimpse of what I am saying...

Note: The picture is taken near Eastwood in Libis, Quezon City.

Kart Racing

2011-11-10T13:28:00.000-08:00

Last October 15, me and my beloved went to Enchanted Kingdom. We tried almost all the rides but there is one ride that I really want to try. It's Kart Racing. It's actually our 2nd time going to Enchanted Kingdom but during our 1st visit, we didn't try it because it is not included in the "ride all you can" ticket and the fee is a little expensive, but in our 2nd visit, I really insist that we will not leave Enchanted Kingdom unless I tried the Kart Racing. Haha.

The entrance fee for the ride is 370 pesos for the single seat kart and 400 pesos for the double seat. We've decided that we will get 2 single seat kart so we can both enjoy the ride. The ride is only for 10 minutes. The time is a little bit short but I think it's worth it.

At first, you will fill up the waiver form then you will give the money to the personnel. Then they will tell you to get the helmets. I suggest that you bring your own helmet if you have one because their helmets are somewhat old and stinks and the eyeshield of the helmets have many scratches. Then after getting your helmet you'll just have to wait for your turn.
Here are some pictures...


Feeling like a winner LOL

After finishing the ride, I felt very happy even though the time is limited and the race track is small because it was a different experience and the racer in me have just awakened... :)