YodiSphere.com: Notes on Human Idiosyncrasies

[Mobile Snapshot] Summoning the Angels at the Devil's Mountain

noreply@blogger.com (yodi insigne) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 12:15:00 +0000

"We call upon you Oh creatures of Fog and Mountain, To protect us and aid in our Climb, Oh thou Fog, Be thou a pure blanket of Enthusiasm and Joy, In Perfect Safety and Trust A white shield against all wickedness and evil spirits." - yodi - ______________________________ Note: These photos are taken via mobile phone (SGS) during our Mt. Cristobal (Devil's Mountain) climb. Thanks to the yoga girls - Gra-zie, Sheraly and Crissy. I will post complete post climb write-up soon.

THIS IS A CONTENT SUMMARY ONLY. Visit http://www.yodisphere.com for full articles, interesting content and more!

Chinese New Year and the Year of the Water Dragon » How you can join the fun even if you are not Chinese

noreply@blogger.com (yodi insigne) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 12:51:00 +0000

Most Tsinoys, or the Filipino-Chinese community in the Philippines will celebrate Chinese New Year this weekend. This is the most important of all Chinese holidays and arguably the most auspicious date on the Chinese lunar calendar. 2012 is the year of the Water Dragon, which starts January 23, 2012 and ends February 9, 2013. Dragons are quite special and very much revered because it symbolizes power, superiority and rule, thus this year’s Chinese New Year celebration is expected to be extra spectacular. Although the Philippines is the largest Catholic country in Asia, Chinese New Year will be commemorated in the country for the first time and to mark the coming of the Year of...

THIS IS A CONTENT SUMMARY ONLY. Visit http://www.yodisphere.com for full articles, interesting content and more!

[Mobile Snapshot] That's What Friends Are For

noreply@blogger.com (yodi insigne) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 10:37:00 +0000

Click photo to enlarge While having my afternoon coffee break, I saw this two guys passing the Reliance overpass outside our pantry window. I suddenly got this urge to grab my smartphone for a snapshot. Maybe they are brothers, but they looked more like best friends - the other guy lifted the one on crutches onto his back and carried him down the overpass. So do you still have that friend who’s there for you when the going gets tough?

THIS IS A CONTENT SUMMARY ONLY. Visit http://www.yodisphere.com for full articles, interesting content and more!

Friday the 13th Interesting Facts, Trivia, Superstitions and Stories

noreply@blogger.com (yodi insigne) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 03:13:00 +0000

How did Friday the 13th become known as an unlucky date and why? What are the origins of Friday the 13th? Contrary to common superstition, I consider this as lucky day here at yodisphere.com. Tomorrow is Friday the 13th and to celebrate this most unlucky day for the triskaidekaphobic, I poke around and gather some interesting facts and trivia surrounding this belief. So to answer my opening question, here are some amusing superstitions and trivia regarding Friday the 13th: Superstitions If 13 people sit down to dinner together , one will die within the year. If you have 13 letters in your name, you will have the devil’s luck. Jack the Ripper, Charles Manson, Jeffrey...

THIS IS A CONTENT SUMMARY ONLY. Visit http://www.yodisphere.com for full articles, interesting content and more!

Feast of the Black Nazarene in Quiapo » Faith or Fanaticism?

noreply@blogger.com (yodi insigne) — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 09:02:00 +0000

"When I was a young boy, my father took me into the city to see a marching band. He said, "Son, when you grow up, would you be the saviour of the broken, the beaten and the damned?" He said "Will you defeat them, your demons, and all the non believers, the plans that they have made? Because one day I'll leave you, a phantom to lead you in the summer, to join the black parade." -“Welcome To The Black Parade,” My Chemical Romance – It is a dangerous thing. Devotees clad in maroon, barefoot, spiritually euphoric and wild vie with each other for the honor of pulling the rope. The streets of Quiapo transformed into a raging sea of human bodies, waving banners of maroon and gold....

THIS IS A CONTENT SUMMARY ONLY. Visit http://www.yodisphere.com for full articles, interesting content and more!

Canoe Beach Resort Pundakit Zambales [Review] » What You See Is What You Get

noreply@blogger.com (yodi insigne) — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 11:09:00 +0000

Pundakit Zambales has been gifted with natural beauty and now becoming a favorite travel destination among backpackers and island hoppers. It is perfectly suited for travelers seeking a refreshing Philippine countryside without going too far from Manila. Today, beach resorts and hotel business flourish in the area because of its rustic glory and beauty, thus it is now a challenge searching for cheap resort and accommodation when planning a trip to Pundakit. As much as possible, we would like a handpicked hotel or resort that could met our basic needs such as convenient location, comfortable rooms with amenities, good customer service and with an atmosphere that offers local charm. It is...

THIS IS A CONTENT SUMMARY ONLY. Visit http://www.yodisphere.com for full articles, interesting content and more!

Yodisphere Year in Review » An Amazing First Year of Blogging

noreply@blogger.com (yodi insigne) — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 11:41:00 +0000

It’s an exciting place, the blogosphere – and it’s unfortunate that I just discovered blogging this year. Though 2011 has been busy: with my regular work, other personal projects and non-essential stuff, I’ve tried to continue posting, though not as consistently as I would like. This blog just celebrated its first blogversary last September 1, thus still at its infancy. However, 2011 was a great starting year for me. I got a Google PR 3 already, has a daily average of 500 unique visitors, had the chance to meet and network with some inspiring Pinoy bloggers and attended a few blogger and PR events. As this year comes to a close, I wanted to take a moment to look back at my top posts...

THIS IS A CONTENT SUMMARY ONLY. Visit http://www.yodisphere.com for full articles, interesting content and more!

10 Crimes Against Christmas That Filipinos Tend to Commit

noreply@blogger.com (yodi insigne) — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 05:44:00 +0000

© Universal Pictures The holidays are in and most of us are now savoring the festive mood that fills the air. During this magical season we do our most treasured Filipino holiday traditions — the ones we cherished during childhood and are now passing along to our own families. Christmas in the Philippines is definitely unique and known to be the longest in the world. However, Filipinos has also started to pick up some bad habits, especially when it comes to Christmas. The Pinoy Christmas is very nice and meaningful in itself but there are some minor observations that accompanies it. Here are the ten Filipino Christmas habits that are not really a Grinch but maybe needing...

THIS IS A CONTENT SUMMARY ONLY. Visit http://www.yodisphere.com for full articles, interesting content and more!

[Mobile Snapshot] Christmas Rush

noreply@blogger.com (yodi insigne) — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 07:37:00 +0000

Christmas Rush

THIS IS A CONTENT SUMMARY ONLY. Visit http://www.yodisphere.com for full articles, interesting content and more!

Are You Living Your Life in Style?

noreply@blogger.com (yodi insigne) — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 03:31:00 +0000

Enjoying and living life to the fullest as a professional has never been easier in the Metro. However, it is inevitable anyone can now live in style as contemporary cosmo-lifestyle is slowly taking root in major cities in the Philippines. With a positive economic outlook, most of the Filipinos are in a good position to find it a pleasure to work, live and play in Manila’s economic microcosm. Not living your life in style yet? Why not welcome 2012 and celebrate the good life by registering at Hyundai’s grand lifestyle event, the One Hyundai Club Life in Style. Let me give you few details of this exciting event. One Hyundai Club (OHC), Hyundai Asia Resources Inc....

THIS IS A CONTENT SUMMARY ONLY. Visit http://www.yodisphere.com for full articles, interesting content and more!

Mt. Batulao » 10 Amazing Life Lessons You Can Learn from the Trail

noreply@blogger.com (yodi insigne) — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 06:24:00 +0000

Mt. Batulao is not something imposingly sublime, but its peaks could etch something inspirational on you like a ladder of life. Climbing its multiple peaks, jagged slopes and valleys can make you realize the significance of trekking and the meaning of mountains on your personal life. Yes, Mt. Batulao is called the “Illuminated Rocks,” also tagged by pilgrims as “Mountain of Salvation.” However, do not deceive yourself that climbing this mountain, or any other mountain can make you enlightened. We do not climb mountains to seek enlightenment; we should not probe for deeper meaning. It will come to us because we value life. Nevertheless, Mt. Batulao can always confront you with the...

THIS IS A CONTENT SUMMARY ONLY. Visit http://www.yodisphere.com for full articles, interesting content and more!

[Mobile Snapshot] » Playing with Infrared

noreply@blogger.com (yodi insigne) — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 11:10:00 +0000

Caged in the Wild: A lonely Quail bird in captivity Imprisoned beauty Mt. Batulao mountain ridges Mt. Batulao: scenic & deadly Mt. Batulao: The Carpeted Mountain Mt. Batulao: Breathtaking peaks Anjho: The Batulao Avatar Green Rose I conquered another mountain last Sunday, 20 November 2011; it's the truly breathtaking Mt. Batulao in Batangas. During a short break at one of the peaks of Mt. Batulao, I tried experimenting with my smart phone camera, setting the effects to infrared (negative) mode while randomly shooting scenes and stuff. Today while doing the draft of my post climb write-up, I browse my visual notes on my phone...

THIS IS A CONTENT SUMMARY ONLY. Visit http://www.yodisphere.com for full articles, interesting content and more!

Anti-Epal Bill is OK but how about the Kapalmuks?

noreply@blogger.com (yodi insigne) — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 12:44:00 +0000

Image Source: Walee.com FACT: The practice of putting up billboards or signages bearing the names, initials and images of government officials on government programs and projects has been noticeably abused and misused by some public officials for their personal interest and has taken the credit away from us, the taxpayers who are paying for such programs through our tax payment. Inquirer columnist Randy David, called the practice “the new narcissism,” while the street punks called it “Ka-epalan” or “epal” which simply means the shameless self –promotion of attention grabbers, scene stealers, or people who crave a role (mapapel) in affairs that are not necessarily theirs to handle or...

THIS IS A CONTENT SUMMARY ONLY. Visit http://www.yodisphere.com for full articles, interesting content and more!

Pundaquit, Zambales » I Shall Return When the Waves Died Down

noreply@blogger.com (yodi insigne) — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 10:45:00 +0000

Yeah, I know, backpacking is miserable during rainy season. That's nothing new, and of course the first rule of bad-weather traveling is "stay at home." However that's not always possible for the itchy-feet backpackers like us. It’s a long weekend and the thought of staying at home doing nothing for three days is just oh-so deadly boring. Hence, despite the obviously crazy skies, we still go with our quickly planned Zambales island-hopping weekend escapade. Yes, you read it right – island hopping at Camara Island, Capones Island, Anawangin Cove and Nagsasa Cove. Awesome destinations, but it is something of a gamble on this bad weather really. The lure of the Zambales...

THIS IS A CONTENT SUMMARY ONLY. Visit http://www.yodisphere.com for full articles, interesting content and more!

Kamay Ni Hesus » Lucban Quezon Spiritual Side Trip

noreply@blogger.com (yodi insigne) — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 15:22:00 +0000

Lucban Quezon is actually great for any kind of traveling, as it also provides many attractions including the colorful Pahiyas Festival, food tripping - pancit hab-hab, as well as gorgeous nature - Mt. Banahaw. However, aside from old churches, places of interest also include spiritual and healing sites. Visitors wishing to benefit their spiritual life and seeking to get healed, physical and spiritual, should definitely take a side trip to Kamay ni Hesus Healing Church in Brgy. Tinamnan. This Catholic national landmark, popularly known as “Kamay ni Hesus” was built around 2002 by the Kamay ni Hesus Ministry Foundation, Inc. founded by the renowned faith healer Rev. Fr....

THIS IS A CONTENT SUMMARY ONLY. Visit http://www.yodisphere.com for full articles, interesting content and more!

[Mobile Snapshot] Sun and Silhouette » The art of enjoying the outdoors

noreply@blogger.com (yodi insigne) — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 12:59:00 +0000

Serenity Affection Fighting Spirit Faith Semper Fidelis Harum-scarum Determination Freedom On my recent mountaineering gig, I got a very fortunate chance to get mesmerized by the amazing sunset and sunrise right there at the Mt. Gulugod Baboy peak - definitely not your everyday thing. These are the scenes I definitely want to capture so I asked fellow hikers to pose for a silhouette shot. The photos are not that sharp because I only used my very handy SGS smartphone for these photos (...still hoping for an SLR someday.) I just want to share here the joy of hiking and of capturing silhouettes against the sun. Be active to feel good. Laugh, relax, slow...

THIS IS A CONTENT SUMMARY ONLY. Visit http://www.yodisphere.com for full articles, interesting content and more!

Mt. Gulugod Baboy » A Romance of the Mountains

noreply@blogger.com (yodi insigne) — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 09:36:00 +0000

"I may not know it, But these are the moments that I'm gonna remember most," - The Climb by Miley Cyrus - Sensuous summit curves; Sea in perpetual tranquility; Vibrant tangerina sunset and glorious sunrise; Wild mushroom blossoms; Tantalizing breezes; Snaking silk fog… When it comes to romance, Mt. Gulugod Baboy looks like love, caressing, fresh, vibrato, mango-sweet. There is no question about it. This mountain is sensuous. Please read on and let me guide you on your online climb… A bank of clouds was assembling on the not-so-distant horizon when we reached one of the three peaks. They crawled forward teasing us with soft rain showers and cold fog while we are...

THIS IS A CONTENT SUMMARY ONLY. Visit http://www.yodisphere.com for full articles, interesting content and more!

Best Pasalubong from Ilocos

noreply@blogger.com (yodi insigne) — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 07:55:00 +0000

It is interesting how we always allocate as much as we can for pasalubong whenever we travel, simply because we want to make sure office colleagues and folks back home feel “remembered” while we are having our vacation. It’s a Pinoy thing! Pasalubong or bringing homecoming gifts is our distinctive and widely practiced tradition. It’s like “a must” for us to bring some souvenir or food items for our loved ones, friends and officemates after we came back from a trip or a vacation because we don’t want to hear them complaining “Wala ka man lang pasalubong?” Various regions in the Philippines have their own specialties in food, handicrafts, and the like. These are promoted to local...

THIS IS A CONTENT SUMMARY ONLY. Visit http://www.yodisphere.com for full articles, interesting content and more!

Magic to Success: Money, Love and Health » an Interactive, Theatrical Seminar

noreply@blogger.com (yodi insigne) — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 07:53:00 +0000

How happy are you in your life? How’s your financial state, relationship and health? If you don’t have a 100% YES answer, please attend: Magic to Success (Money, Love and Health), an Interactive, Theatrical Seminar Venue: Ortigas Foundation Library, 2nd Floor of Ortigas Building, Ortigas corner Meralco Avenue, Ortigas Center, Pasig City [Please refer to location map below] Date: October 22, Saturday Time: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Seminar Investment: 280.00 Php To maintain high quality of training, D.E.P. will only accommodate 50 participants on this seminar. There are only a few seats left, so reserve your seat now! This event is not your typical seminar. They’ll help...

THIS IS A CONTENT SUMMARY ONLY. Visit http://www.yodisphere.com for full articles, interesting content and more!

Calle Crisologo Vigan Ilocos Sur » Sojourn to the Past

noreply@blogger.com (yodi insigne) — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 08:46:00 +0000

This little place in Ilocos Sur seems to be on every tourists’ list of must-visit Ilocos tour agenda but we put it on the last part of our Ilocandia two-day itinerary – and we didn’t regret saving the best for last. Definitely, a sojourn to Ilocandia is incomplete without a nostalgic walk down the cobblestone streets of Calle Crisologo and the neat rows of ancestral houses in Vigan, Ilocos Sur, aptly called the “heritage village.” The setting sun was already painting the sky with striking hues of orange and blue when we reached the heritage village, adding an antiquated aura to the place. For me walking on a street carpeted by cobblestones is a kind of time travel, hence I immediately...

THIS IS A CONTENT SUMMARY ONLY. Visit http://www.yodisphere.com for full articles, interesting content and more!

Rediscover the North » Lakbay Norte 3: Outdoor Adventures of the North Blogger Contest

noreply@blogger.com (yodi insigne) — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 04:18:00 +0000

The North Philippines Visitor Bureau (NPVB) is a non-stock, non-profit organization created in 2006. Founded by the Manila North Tollways Corporation (MNTC), NPVB was created for the purpose of promoting tourism in North and Central Luzon, primarily through meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions (MICE) and by enhancing the visitor experience in the region. One of their major projects is the Lakbay Norte , an 8-day, 8-night media familiarization tour of North Philippines for 20 travel media writers and bloggers on board a Victory Liner bus. The third staging of Lakbay Norte is scheduled for January 22 to 30, 2012. So for all the Filipino travel bloggers...

THIS IS A CONTENT SUMMARY ONLY. Visit http://www.yodisphere.com for full articles, interesting content and more!

[Mobile Snapshot] Seeking Serenity After the Storm

noreply@blogger.com (yodi insigne) — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 06:08:00 +0000

O Seth, son of Nut, god of storms, We offer these beads of silver dew, To appease thy wrath.

THIS IS A CONTENT SUMMARY ONLY. Visit http://www.yodisphere.com for full articles, interesting content and more!

Ilocos Tour - Guerilla Style » 5 Interesting Places to Visit On Your Way Out of Ilocos

noreply@blogger.com (yodi insigne) — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 01:31:00 +0000

If there is one lesson I have discovered over my travel experiences is that you need to be very creative when coordinating your gigs in order to cover and experience what a place can offer. For instance, a place like Ilocos offers lots of interesting spots to visit so if you are there for a quick weekend getaway you need to apply guerilla tactics to truly enjoy Ilocandia’s chopsuey of travel destinations. So we’ve already successfully visited Ilocos Norte’s major tourist destinations starting from Laoag to Pagudpud going to Batac. Based on our Ilocos Tour Itinerary, our final destination before heading back to Manila is the famous Calle Crisologo in Vigan City – yep, we saved the best...

THIS IS A CONTENT SUMMARY ONLY. Visit http://www.yodisphere.com for full articles, interesting content and more!

[Mobile Snapshot] » Rambubetlog

noreply@blogger.com (yodi insigne) — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 10:10:00 +0000

Rambubetlog: Rambutan for the green minded.

THIS IS A CONTENT SUMMARY ONLY. Visit http://www.yodisphere.com for full articles, interesting content and more!

[Snapshots] Color Your World » Pahiyas Festival Photo Set

noreply@blogger.com (yodi insigne) — Sat, 17 Sep 2011 09:21:00 +0000

Today I'm adding post series to my blog by accepting snapshots and photo sets from visitors and friends. I'm still experimenting on accepting guest posting on this blog so I got no rules yet. Here are some photos submitted by my friend Aldan Reposo. Somebody Waiting Sizzling Faith House Blooms Human Scarecrow Sun Temple Corny Day Our Guest Shutterbug: ALDAN B. REPOSO Aldan is corporate drone based in Manila intrigued by the magic of photography, aiming to capture outdoor images when he is outside his cubicle doing travel gigs with his friends. Links: Multiply | Facebook: Aldan Reposo

THIS IS A CONTENT SUMMARY ONLY. Visit http://www.yodisphere.com for full articles, interesting content and more!