The Extraordinary Kiddo

Dumaguete City: Sans Rival [Part 2]

Bryan Karl — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 12:30:49 +0000

Your Dumaguete stay won’t be complete without getting something from Sans Rival, a famous cakes and pastries shop in the place. We went there for lunch because surprisingly, they also offer set meals aside from their main products.

We went to the main store in San Jose St. The exterior looks simple, cozy and very inviting.

We skipped the cakes/pastries section and headed directly to their meal displays. Delectable food, really. Here’s their menu for that day and some displays (which you can also buy without getting the meal set).

And here’s Set 1 on the right and Set 2 on the left.

Mine’s the Set 1 on the right. Here’s some closeup shots of the food!

The Salad Nicoise is good. The breaded pork chop though is a bit hard to slice and chew but still okay. All in all, the food experience is good. What really mattered to me that time is that I was eating in a very comfortable place and it made my eating feel really good.

I got some dessert after my meal. I got a black-bottom [cup]cake and a jelly roll. Jelly roll made me regret I bought it but the black-bottom was good enough for my taste buds though.

Before we left the place, I took some random shots of the interiors.

I think though that Sans Rival is most famous of its Silvanas. I didn’t buy Silvanas anymore when I went there because I had one box the week before. Silvanas are yummy but very, very sweet. The next time I visit Dumaguete, I’ll get me a box again!

Definitely, I’ll be back in Sans Rival many times until sawa. Sans Rival is love. A piece of advice, do drop by the place if you visit Dumaguete. They also have a branch in Robinson’s Place Dumaguete.

Dumaguete City: In Retrospect [Part1]

Bryan Karl — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 08:46:45 +0000

Though still recovering from a sickness, I traveled alone from Cebu City by bus and by ferry just to reach the City of Gentle People, Dumaguete City.

I was only there for 2 days and 3 nights (January 21-23am). I was supposed to be with Jellie & Ryan but they did not push through with the trip so I had to do it alone. As expected, Dumaguete is a laid back city, with no traffic lights, motorists not wearing helmets, no taxis and very few PUJs and private vehicles — things which I like and things which primarily make Cebu City crowded.

Dumaguete City’s way of life is comparable to that of Bantayan and Iloilo’s. It’s really relaxed and the city is still holding on to its heritages. For those who are fed up with traffic and the busy, polluted streets of the metros (Cebu or Manila), Dumaguete is the perfect place to rewind to the old, peaceful times. If you have also spent much time relaxing on the beach already, then it’s time to visit the quaint place of Dumaguete.

Basically, what I did there was just explore the place. I didn’t push myself to discover everything in one weekend (because I’ll know I’ll be back often). I was brought though to one of Dumaguete’s pride, Silliman University. Another post will be for this one.

Also, from now on, when I think of Dumaguete, I think about food. I started to love eating very much and Dumaguete is a great place to practice this eating-much habit. We ate at Cafe Antonio, City Burger, Sans Rival, and at the sidewalk of Rizal Boulevard (separate posts for the aforementioned places). Added to the simple yet great food is the perfect ambiance.

At night, we stopped by Aquino Freedom Park (or just Freedom Park). The last stop was Rizal Boulevard (or just Boulevard). Again, there will be separate posts for these places.

I didn’t take lots of pictures; I only took enough. I will show the photos in the coming posts to this Dumaguete City series. I will save everything that I have to say in the last post in the series. For the meantime, here are some basic info in getting to/staying in Dumaguete.

How I got there

From Cebu South Bus Terminal, I rode an air-conditioned Ceres bus going to Lilo-an Port (signage says Bato Oslob via Lilo-an Port). Fare is Php169 and I don’t know why but there are no bus stops along the way. From Lilo-an Port, I rode a ferry for Php62 which took me to Sibulan, a town next to Dumaguete City. From there, one can take a pedicab to take you to Dumaguete proper. As for me, somebody fetched me from the port so I didn’t have any problems commuting.

Where I stayed

I stayed in Hotel Camila which is just about near everything else so there’s no problem getting to places. Room is clean, rates are affordable, generally relaxed and safe.

Watch out for the next posts in the Dumaguete City series!

This post is continued in Dumaguete City: Sans Rival [Part 2]

Champ

Bryan Karl — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 22:00:41 +0000

A dog doesn’t care if you’re rich or poor, educated or illiterate, clever or dull. Give him your heart and he will give you his. (Marley & Me)

Meet our dog Champ! Poor, poor face.

Color: Yellow

Bryan Karl — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 03:12:06 +0000

Submission to Digital Photography School Forum’s Weekly Assignment
Theme: Color: Yellow
Visit my Flickr Photostream

Fresh Start

Bryan Karl — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 06:11:54 +0000

Submission to Digital Photography School Forum’s Weekly Assignment
Theme: Fresh Start
Visit my Flickr Photostream

The Power of Six (Review)

Bryan Karl — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 09:25:18 +0000

I received The Power of Six by Pittacus Lore as a Christmas present and I consider it one of the best gifts I received this year. Thanks to the holiday offs from work, I got to read and finish the book even before 2012 starts to tick. So let me share with you my quick and honest review of The Power of Six.

Just a short info, this book is the sequel to the famous I Am Number Four which became #1 New York Times Bestseller and made into a motion picture. I Am Number Four became an instant favorite of mine and I expected for its sequel to be the same, or even much greater.

The book picks up from where I Am Number Four left off and begins with John (Four), Sam, Six and Bernie Kosar (BK) traveling to both adventure and escape from the police and from the Mogadorians. But there’s a new story that came to play in the book and that is Marina’s (Seven). While John and the others try to go far from Paradise, OH, Marina is struggling to convince her Cepan, Adelina, to have faith back to Lorien. The twists in the story, the bumps in between, the exciting play of emotions, the new secrets unveiled in each flick of the page, lead to a hanging ending which composed of a big battle, deaths, discoveries and the urge to move forward and unite all the remaining members of the Garde.

The Power of Six is undeniably exciting. There’s more action and drama to it compared to I Am Number Four. The way how John’s and Marina’s story is mashed and lined in one book made it great. You understand more about Lorien, the Garde, the mysterious, new characters (like Crayton and Ella), the Legacies and almost about everything. I know this book won’t be the last in the series judging from the fact that it isn’t too thick — there’s still so much information to know and the characters have so many things to accomplish. A new character, the super villain, was just introduced in the last chapter. Things will get bloodier in the sequel, I expect.

Pittacus Lore (a pseudonym for James Frey and Jobie Hughes) writes the book in a simple yet attention-simulating manner — not too much word play, direct to the point, and naturally artistic. Some parts of the book though get boring, if not a bit confusing, but the answers are given light soon enough. All in all, I’d give the book a 9/10. I can’t wait, just like a lot of the other fans, for the sequel which is set to come out August 2012. I hope it falls on my birthday.

Speak Up in 2012: Say it all now

Bryan Karl — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 14:20:44 +0000

Say it all now.

Have you ever wanted to say something out loud but you can’t because you are afraid of what others might say? Have you ever wanted to defend someone but you can’t because you are afraid others might bully you too? Have you ever wanted to resist something bad and unjust but you can’t because you feel you are nothing against those forces? If yes, then you are not alone.

Mostly it is the adults speaking for us, the youth, for our future. They reshape the world. So as media. Media, though generally a good thing (entertainment, arts, information), it has reshaped our world far more than what we have thought. I’d like to share this song by a local artist, Neverending Weekend, entitled Say it all now. The song is about love, but I’ll use some bits of the lyrics differently.

I’m singing this though I may not hear a sound

Apathy. Apathy is one thing very common to everyone of us. We are used to bahala nalang na oi, sige nalang, bahala na, okay na yan that we forget what we really want and just go with the flow. We are afraid to go against the current and speak for our beliefs. I’m also guilty of this. For example, the RH Bill. Apathy is when you say, whatever the church says, I will follow. In 2012, let’s learn to speak for ourselves and not use others to say what we want.

This I would not forget and I won’t let this pass

With Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and other SNS, information can spread like wildfire. And sometimes they’re oh so wrong. Do you +1, retweet, or share without verifying if any news is true or not? I sometimes do, I sometimes don’t. It was controversial when hearsay about Oprah saying that Shamcey Supsup should have won Miss U broke out. It was just plain hearsay but it got spread like crazy. This 2012, let’s learn to be careful on what information we share to everyone on the Internet.

But still my heart’s awake not be quiet and regret it

Empathy this time. Do you feel empathy for those oppressed or bullied, even just for fun? Sometimes, I join those who are having fun at someone not thinking what the other person is feeling. We all did this to Charice, Rebecca Black, even to PNoy. On the web, people love to make a lot of fun. It’s fun but it might be painful to the object of ridicule. In 2012, let’s all have kind hearts even to the celebrities we don’t like. If you won’t defend, at the very least, don’t join the bandwagon of cyber bullying. Personally, I don’t like Charice. But in 2012, I will try.

But all I want is for you to be aware

In relation to the one above, bullying not only happens in the web. All the more it happens in real life. My friends and I were inspired by the song It gets better from the It Gets Better Project, which was created to show young LGBT people the levels of happiness, potential, and positivity their lives will reach – if they can just get through their teen years. Listen to the song and support this cause.

I’ll say it all now I’ve already gone this far

There are many issues we face everyday. May it be in the Internet, in our lives, school, work, relationships, most likely or not, we remain mum about them. In 2012, let’s learn to speak up our minds and souls. Let’s use our capacities to defend those who are ridiculed or bullied. Or simply, let’s say what we really want. From as simple as ‘I want my hamburger with no tomatoes‘ to as daring as ‘I want to save Charice from cyber-bullying‘, there’s much one can do. But this is NOT an easy thing to do, speaking up. We’ll take it one step at a time and learn to slowly express our selves.

We can save the world by speaking up.

This time I’ll make it right.
This time I found light.

Do you have anything to speak up about? Or are you part of the silent majority? Let’s not be. Share something below!

2011: When life gives you oranges

Bryan Karl — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 04:13:32 +0000

My 2010 was ‘easy come, easy go‘. Highs and lows were unavoidable and it all came in a blur. My 2011 was different. I took on the end of my 2010 with a head start and readied myself for a joy ride that was 2011. Honestly, I couldn’t remember every detail of what has happened in the previous months of my 2011. It’s either I’ve grown to be forgetful or I’ve finally learned to live in the present.

Looking back at some of the most important happenings of my 2011, I’ve grouped them into several categories.

1. Financial – I spent less this year compared to 2010. In the beginning of 2011, it was like ‘where the hell are all my money now?‘ and that was one of the saddest questions I’ve asked myself. So I controlled myself in countless little things which included setting my monthly budget, minimizing night outs with friends, avoiding getting late at work, bringing rice for lunch, and many others. I didn’t save much but I’m happy with what I’ve kept aside. My friends know how financially strict I am. Frugal, in other words.

2. Travel – 2011 is a ‘low’ when it comes to my traveling. I wasn’t able to go with my friends to Baguio in September, and our Boracay trip this month was canceled. I only went to Manila and Bantayan Island this year. This doesn’t make me sad though. There are travels waiting in 2012.

3. Passion and Skill – My love-hate relationship with blogging was on again this year. But I’m back on track. I also started to toy around with my camera more this year which included casual photo shoots and some practice here and there. I have no plans with upgrading my camera gear as of the moment and even in the months to come. I’ve seen people over-upgrade their gears and they’re still struggling in their photography. I will learn from what I see as other people’s mistakes. Isn’t that good? No pun intended.

4. Family – I spent more time with my family this year. We celebrated special occasions together. I also love spending my Fridays with them. My parents fetch me from work from time to time and it’s not something I complain about. Our Christmas was just okay. We are not accustomed to merry noche buena celebrations. I’m at least grateful that we are all together and complete.

5. Friends – This part is the roughest but unlike the previous years, I’ve managed to get out of the trouble zones quick and with dexterity. It’s painful when you realize who your real friends are or what your friends really are, but sometimes we also make mistakes in our analysis and realizations. The good thing is that after all these, I came to know myself more, aside from knowing others in the process.

Always, remember:

WHEN LIFE GIVES YOU ORANGES, DON’T TRY TO MAKE LEMONADE.

Goodbye 2011!

(Last photo by Joshua Paldo)

Manita, made my wish come true

Bryan Karl — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 04:05:38 +0000

Merry Christmas! In the spirit of giving and receiving, I’d like to share the special material things I received this Christmas.

Coincidentally, my manita (correctly spelled monita) in the office is the person I picked in last year’s Christmas party! We just exchanged gifts in a span of one year. Anyways, we have a special bulletin in our office where we could post our wish list. I first posted a wired camera shutter for my camera, and thinking it was far out from the minimum amount, I willingly changed it to a book (plus handkerchiefs).

And guess what, I received both!

Micnova Remote Switch

I first received my new Micnova Remote Switch the day after our Christmas party. Why I asked for this is solely for the reason that Rose and I will not have problems taking photos of both of us when we travel this coming March. The added benefit of self-portraiture is a big plus too.

I tried using the remote switch again this morning with a photo of one of my favorite 2011 shirts, Fire It Up.

My most worn shirt of the year

And then tenenenen!

“A book is a gift you can open again and again.”

My most awaited The Power of Six by Pittacus Lore.

Excited to read this one!

The Power of Six is the sequel to another extraordinary book I Am Number Four. I asked for this obviously to continue the series but aside from that, I really love books. I read my last book a few months back already and stopped when I had to avert my attention to Nihongo study. But now that I’m temporarily free from Nihongo, just in time, I have The Power of Six.

Big big big thanks to my manita! I asked for one, I was given two.

Also another manita (within friends) granted my other wish! An I Love Cebu shirt by Islands Souvenirs. I requested the wrong size (their medium is very big) so I think my father will be the one to wear my name on his shirt. But still, I’m happy I received the shirt that I wished for!

But never ever forget the quote below,

“Remember, the greatest gift is not found in a store nor under a tree, but in the hearts of true friends.”

Merry Christmas! Have your wishes been granted too?

Update: I also received an underwear from my Ninang. I don’t have a photo of me wearing it though but you can request me for one. Kidding!

Christmas Party 2011 and The One That Got Away

Bryan Karl — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 06:08:51 +0000

Our office Christmas party was a blast! We had for this year Music and Movie Awards as our theme so everyone came in at their best and some even dressed up like they’re going to the Oscar’s. It was held in Beverly View in Beverly Hills — the scenery was great (overlooking the city), fresh air, great food and nice place as a whole (though the only drawback is that it is far).

Our stage setup for our Christmas Party

I again hosted, together with my other co-hosts the previous Christmas party, this year and I think I will already retire from it. Next year I’ll be part of the audience. The group presentations were great, especially our group. No biases because our group won! *evilsmirk

Our group did a short film about a girl falling in love with the wrong guys (because they are gay). Nothing really juicy in the story line. It’s just to bring amusement to our other office mates. The cast were great, happy and gay. ~~I have yet to upload the video in YouTube so I’ll just update this post as soon as I will be able to do so.~~ Watch the video embed below. Enjoy!

Anyways, I did not get any decent sleep from downloading video editors the other night only to end up still using Windows Live Movie Maker in the morning on the day of the party. I titled our short film The One That Got Away inspired by Goot Music. I also used some of my favorite songs in the shortie including California King Bed, By Chance (You and I), and the cover by Goot Music. Too bad I wasn’t able to fit in some music by my other fave artists Jason Chen and Vincent Joseph.

Anyways, as a whole the Christmas Party of our company was great. I asked some friends whether this year was better than last year’s. I actually said last year’s was better but then they said that this year’s is more fun so I changed my mind. Majority rules. We had a great Christmas party this year!

Highlights!

Our own Jason Mraz

Our Lady Gaga and Beyonce mashed into one

Our best dressed male and female

Our after party was in MO2. Went home past 3 in the morning to get the sleep deprived to me the other day.

I’ll be adding more photos as soon as the others upload theirs. Thanks to Wietzell for taking shots while I’m in front.

Update: Here’s a photo of me and our mashup of Lady Gaga and Beyonce. Enjoy! (Photo by Ryan)

Me with Beyonce Gaga!

Next party, with friends this Friday. Merry Christmas!

The Extraordinary Kiddo

Dumaguete City: Sans Rival [Part 2]

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Dumaguete City: In Retrospect [Part1]

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Champ

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Color: Yellow

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Fresh Start

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The Power of Six (Review)

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Speak Up in 2012: Say it all now

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2011: When life gives you oranges

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Manita, made my wish come true

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