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A kid carrying an image of the Sto. Niño

Every third week of January, the whole Christendom in the Philippines celebrates the much anticipated feast of the Holy Infant Jesus – popularly known as the Feast of the Sto. Niño. It is a celebration that also commemorates a special event in the history of the Philippines when the Spaniards first introduced Christianity to the natives of Cebu. It is believed that during Ferdinand Magellan’s voyage, he came across the island of Cebu where he met Rajah Humabon and his wife Hara Amihan. They were invited to pledge allegiance with Spain and as part of the colonization, they were baptized into Christianity. As a token of their baptism, an image of the Sto. Niño was given to them and was believed to be the start of the Filipino’s devotion to the Holy Infant Jesus. The Sinulog Festival in Cebu is known to be the most extravagant and lavish celebration of the said festivity but different churches in the country –like the Sto. Niño de Pandacan in Manila and the Little Shrine of the Sto. Niño in Mandaluyong– also celebrate the same feast similar to the Sinulog. Street Dancing and a parade of the images of the Sto. Niño has been a tradition during the event. I was lucky enough to be part of this yearly tradition at the Little Shrine of the Sto. Niño in Mandaluyong that celebrates the feast a week ahead, and I am always amazed with the energy and enthusiasm of the people who attend this special feast – as we chant “Viva! Viva! Santo Niño!.”

This kid brought her image of the Santo Niño as she waited for the procession.

The Celebration
At 2:00 PM, the celebration started with a mass at the Little Shrine of the Sto. Niño. The church was jam-packed with devotees from different parts of the Philippines and abroad who just came home to join the fiesta. After the Holy Mass, the sound of drums and percussion instruments gave off a dancing beat which can be heard from outside the church. The upbeat music signaled the start of the procession, and devotees started to leave the church and line-up outside. The event calls no age group, because both kids and adults enthusiastically joined the parade carrying their images of the Sto. Niño. Most of the groups from the Philippines even made their mini “carosa” decorated with fresh flowers and garlands with the image of the Sto. Niño at the middle. As the music continued, devotees started to dance their images to the beat and everyone seemed to be enjoying the festive mood.

A drum and percussion group performed outside the church.

The queue of devotees outside the church waiting for the procession to start.

The streets of Mandaluyong was jampacked with devotees from the Philippines and abroad.

Cool Niño. Filipinos are fond of dressing up their Santo Niño images and this one in the photo is no exception.

This group of devotees joined the procession with matching red and white Filipiniana costumes.

The Ati-Atihan and the Pinoy’s creativity
During the procession, Ati-atihans dressed in colorful and flamboyant costumes gyrated to the beat of the drums. The Ati is a tribe in Panay island practicing Animism. Their pagan practice of worshipping their Anito gods or spirits from nature was later made into a Christian practice after they were converted into Christianity by the Spaniards. Today, dancers imitating the original Ati tribes can be seen dancing to tribal music in every Sto. Nino fiesta around the Philippines. This practice has also been a showcase of Pinoy creativity and resourcefulness because it is a challenge among the Ati-Atihan tribes to come up with an extraordinary costume that will stand out from the rest. Best in Costume and Best in Choreography are usually awarded to the best Ati group who performed well after the procession.

This dancer leads the group in synchronized street dancing.

One of the Ati-Atihan dancers.

Colorful costumes with ethnic influences are usually worn by the Ati-Atihans. But i guess the one in Ilo-Ilo are the authentic ones.

This group of street dancers made use of the "salakot" (farmer's hat) as props in their stint.

Beaded strings as part of their costume.

The Sto. Nino
At around 4:30 PM, the devotees are still in high spirit dancing, walking, and dancing around the outskirts of Mandaluyong. The loud music served as a siren to those in their homes to come out and pay homage to the Sto. Nino. Families brought out tables and made a make shift altar outside their homes and lighted candles as the procession passed by. Everyone was friendly and some families were kind enough to give water to tired and exhausted devotees who joined the procession. At the tail end of the procession, was the carosa of the Sto. Nino of Bulusan – the Holy Infant looked regal in his red suit and cape. A marching band followed the carosa playing music simply fit for a king. As usual, the procession ended at the chapel as the whole congregation sang the Santo Niño song with much fervor and enthusiasm.

The carosa of the Santo Niño.

The Sto. Nino fiesta was indeed a phenomenon. I am amazed how the Filipino’s faith to the Sto. Nino can be infused with merry making. Maybe, the subtle message that we can obtain from this is that sometimes it is okay to be child-like (not childish), just like the Santo Nino. His obedience and innocence is something that we must always emulate. I might not make it to the Sinulog Festival in Cebu this year, but being part of the fiesta in Mandaluyong gave the festivity more meaning. The flamboyant costumes of the Ati-Atihans, the tribal beat and the street dancing are just added flair to the occasion but what mattered most is the message the Sto. Nino would like to impart to his devotees – that just like him we must continue to grow in faith and love for God.

Santo Niño.

Viva! Santo Nino! Pit Senyor!

If you’ve been following this humble site for some time now,  can you easily spot my wife and our kid’s photo on that wall ?

I’ll make it easy… Can you find the photo below from the pictures above?  Nyek, lalo ata gumulo! LOL

There was NOTHING SPECTACULAR about our 6th Wedding Anniversary except for SPECIAL MOMENTS that Tina and I shared with who else but our bundle of joy ~Gabby!  

After Tina’s morning shift duty from a private hospital in Quezon City, we hailed from Gateway Mall to Shangri La Mall for a much-needed PEPPER LUNCH MEALS!!!  

We’ve tried Chicken Pepper Rice before but our palates have been partial to those tender and juicy thin strips of beef!

Tina had her usual Beef Pepper Rice while I had Double Beef !  

I’ve been craving for that Double Beef Pepper Rice because it has been monthssss since  our last PL experience…

We’ve also favored Amakuchi a.k.a. HONEY BROWN SAUCE over Karakuchi or garlic soy sauce. 

The flavor of honey brown sauce + butter in the middlemost portion of the serving + dash of freshly ground-only-outer shells-of-pepper = delicious craving satisfied!

While wer’e enjoying our D-I-Y cooking, Gabby was engrossed with his KUROMITSU ICE CREAM

Our 5-year-old son must have thought that Santa Claus and his reindeers’ job is already done but not for the people behind PL.  The season of gift giving isn’t over yet!  Before we enjoyed our PL meals, I’ve browsed this HP @ PL PROMO so we participated almost effortlessly!

I just clicked my cam while Tina and Gabby were having fun; finished our meals as evidenced by these before and after photos….

and asked the friendly staff on how-to sample the HP touch screen photo printer after I gave our cam’s memory card. They’ve printed two copies of the chosen pic taken at PL;  At the back  of one of the copies, I was required to write my name, and contact details and in a matter of seconds, my family’s photo was posted on their wall as an entry for their HP @PL promo where 2 lucky winners will bring home 2 of HP’s wireless Photosmart Premium Printer and Pepper Money! (I WANT!!! *greedy!*). While the other copy of the photo was ours to keep. Isn’t it sweet ? 

I therefore conclude that  —

1.  We’re  grateful for those 6 wonderful years of togetherness and we’re looking forward, of course, for more anniversaries!

2.  We had another happy dining moments at PL with high hopes to win a new HP Photosmart Premium Printer and Pepper Money!

_____________________________

Pepper Lunch, LG Level Shangri La Plaza, Mandaluyong City.   Also in Power Plant Mall, ATC and G5.

PS : When are you having PL branchesssss in Quezon City areasss ? Can’t wait!

Resto Name: The Frazzled Cook

Location:

Yuri received a Frazzled Cook Gift Cert worth Php1,500 for Christmas, and we decided to use it up last Sunday. It was just us two so we were treated to a full-course meal. We started with their Herb-Roasted Chicken Salad with Vinaigrette (Php275). Next, we had the Spicy Chicken Kebab (Php275), and their bestseller, Wagyu Salpicao (Php550). For dessert, we shared one order of the Pancake Ala Mode(Php180). With drinks and 10% SC, the total bill was just about 1,500. No complaints there.

Highlights: LOVED the starter and the dessert! The chicken was perfectly crisp and juicy. They used fresh rosemary for the chicken so it really brought out the flavor. The pancake was phenomenal. (I say this after a disappointing breakfast at Pancake House.) The consistency of their pancake was closer to that of a biscuit so it was really filling and tasty. The mantekado ice cream went really well with it. The dessert was a pleasant surprise.

The two main entrees we ordered were good too. I’m thinking you can’t go wrong with any of their chicken dishes since they cook it beautifully. For Wagyu beef fans, you guys would absolutely love their Wagyu Salpicao. Yuri and I decided to give it a shot because of our waitress’ recommendation. Thing is, we prefer our beef with more bite. We generally find the consistency of Wagyu too fatty and there is still that gamey after-taste. That’s just our personal preference though. I’m a rice person so I’ve got to say that the garlic rice was a really good. It was tasty and not oily at all. I think it complemented the dishes really well. Overall, the food was perfectly cooked and felt really close to home.

Our final verdict….

WIN!

Food: 5 out of 5 stars

Price: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Service, Ambience & Everything else in between: 5 out of 5 stars

OVERALL RATING: 4.75 stars. Let’s round it up to 5.

We’d gladly pay for our next visit.

Technically, my newly wed cousins have been living in their house since October so the housewarming concept is slightly different.

However, this was the first time we got to visit their new abode and a potential venue for future Medina gatherings  And, this is the first venue outside of Rizal.  My cousins’ residence is in Mandaluyong City.

The house was cute and perfect for my cousins who have just started their new life together.   It kinda brought me and Daddy back to 7 years ago, when we were still renting an apartment and had minimal things.  They gamely showed us the place and it really reflected their personalities.  The place was simple and functional.

A lot of our relatives weren’t able to come to this family gathering and there were a lot of food.  My cousin in law M, is a newbie cook and she prepared a tasty pork chop dish.   There was chicken, rice and the best seller of the evening,  Malaboni pansit.

I hope I didn’t offend the hosts because I was laughing at the name. Grabe talaga ang Pinoy mag-isip minsan.     Its your regular pansit  Malabon  but since they were in Boni Mandaluyong,  they combined the names, hence,  Malaboni.  Gets?

Like its utterly delightful name, the pansit tasted very good.  Even Daddy, who’s reaaaaally picky about this dish hadtriple servings.   Likewise with Lola I, the Butchoboy and even Nanay C, who rarely eats pansit malabon.  All of us really had our fill.  It had crab sticks, hardboiled eggs, meat, squid and shrimps in a tasty sauce with limited veggies.  Like cabbage only.

The aroma was very enticing, to think that this was prepared almost 2 hours earlier.    Imagine how it’ll be if it was newly cooked.  Yummy!   Boohoo to our relatives who didn’t come.  This was enough to make our evening.

We didn’t have our camera-lugging cousins  and picture-loving (Auntie and Leni) present and we were immersed in kwentuhan so we totally forgot to take a picture.

This representation will do.   After all, we had good food, a nice place and we were with family.

Kudos to my cousins J and M.   Let’s just say that you invited us for dinner.

It was their first time to host as a couple and they were fully prepared… as in.   Lola  said J reminded her of his dad, Uncle G (who’s her brother).     They had everything down to pat:  Ice, water, drinks, napkins and even two (2) containers of toothpick heehehe..    To use Auntie’s phrase,  they both did a  suuper kadooper good job.

See you on Christmas Day guys!  Thank you for welcoming us into your home.  We love you both..

As part of this year’s Christmas in the city 2009 series, the Urban Roamer takes you to one of the most famous streets in the metropolis during this season.

Located within the vicinity of Barangay New Zaniga in Mandaluyong City, is a street known as R. Policarpio. I have yet to find out who exactly is R. Policarpio but I can surmise he’s some Mandaluyong politician or figure. While it looks just like any other middle-class neighboorhood typical here in the metropolis, this neighborhood shows a different face every Yuletide season. A face some may find too flamboyant or extravagant. But hey, it’s the Christmas season so we can at least cut some slack on that.

Since 1995, the residents of this little street make an effort to show off their own brand of Christmas celebration. While the number of households participating in this affair seemed to have dwindled due to a number of factors, the Christmas spectacle still remains alive and has become a modern tradition that has been embedded in the Christmas culture not only among the people of Mandaluyong but also among the many visitors who flock this little street as a Christmas pilgrimage of sorts.

And these “pilgrims” will not be disappointed with what they see. One such attraction is a house I’d like to call the “House of Lights.” As the name implies, this house is literally lighted all over on all corners. From the outside gate to the telecom tower at its yard, the whole property is all covered in multicolored Christmas lights. The owner of this house must have some Christmas light fetish of sorts, but hey, it’s one fetish I’m sure the Manila Electric Company does not mind seeing.

Right across the “House of Lights” is a house that proudly declares itself as the “House of Santa.” Now we have a house whose owner has a fetish of sorts for Santa Claus. Spectators are greeted by a sheer number of Santa Claus figures in all forms and sizes, even dancing St. Nicks that you will see on the balcony who sing Christmas carols.

Here’s one house whose lights look like it’s a bar or some night spot.

And then there’s this house which proudly shows off a life-sized Belen or Nativity scene on top of the house (with a fountain of sorts and a Chinese lion to boot)

If there’s one thing the residents of Policarpio St. have shown, it’s their dedication to keep the Christmas feeling alive in their own way, in spite of the negativity in the world around us.

© The Urban Roamer

My family has a very diverse palate but a single denominator binds us as one – FOOD. When we were still younger we would frequent hotel buffets and will see maitre’ d scratch his head say “here’s the family who knows how to eat in a buffet”. Ask why he scratched his head? Because we make the most out of the buffet. Here’s how…

This is my dad's 5th plate

1. Don’t pile up on the carbs – We eat less rice, pasta or noodles in a buffet. If we need carbs with certain dishes, 2-3 tablespoons is enough. You don’t want to get filled up with the rice and you’re not even done half of the buffet spread.

oh no! Lotsa Rice!!!!

2. Scout! Scout! Scout! – We don’t grab a plate once we are given out seats. We scan the buffet spread before we get any of the dishes. Eliminate stations that we don’t like and investigate whats new. Here’s some of the pics while I was scouting.

The Inihaw (Grilled food) Station

The Japanese Station

Love this! Its Salmon with green onions and cucumbers wrapped in rice paper with a spicy dipping sauce

The International Dishes Station

Mini Cakes

3. Early bird catches the worm – We also come early and as much as possible reserve. When you come early you get first dibs on the food which means its fresh and more items to choose from. We were at Dad’s Ultimate Buffet  at 10:45AM yesterday so we had first dibs on everything. The Roast Beef was a hit at the buffet thats why by 11:30AM they ran out of them already.

I took this around 10:45AM

4. Eat extraordinarily – Don’t pile up dishes that you always eat. Go for the ones you eat occasionally. John doesn’t like Japanese so we don’t go to Japanese restaurants as much as I want my sushi. So after scouting (rule #2) the sushi spread, I knew I will pile up on the Japanese spread more than the others. Because of this, I didn’t get to taste some of the dishes in the Kamayan side like the Kare-Kare John’s raving about (but we eat Kare-Kare almost every week that’s why I didn’t tried any).

My Japanese Plate Yummy!

John's Plate of Samu't Sari

5. Slowly but surely – Eat slow. Savor every bite. Be aware whats going on your mouth. People were staring at me yesterday because I make too much noise when I’m eating. Then they look at my plate and get some for themselves! LoL It took us a good 2 and half hours for the lunch buffet.

6. Go small – Don’t pile up the dishes with 2-3 serving spoons at a time. Get just one serving and move on to the next. This way you can taste as many dishes in the spread and just come back for more if you really like them. And also use the smaller plates, this way you are not attempted on piling.

My Plate of Samu't Sari

7. Take a break - After every plate that you devour, pause for about 5-10 minutes. Chat with family, take pictures, ask for beverage refills. whatever it takes for you to stop going again to the buffet spread. Our group took turns in amusing Peewee during the buffet.

The Birthday Celebrant and our Mom

He doesn't like the booster seat, big boy na daw sya

8. Hold on to the juice/iced tea – We seldom order drinks because it’ll just add to the “fullness” feeling.

I hope these tips will help you make out the best on your buffet eating adventures.

Care to share some of your buffet eating tips?

One World Learning and Staffing Center (OWL) is a training and staffing facility for BPO services. We provide FREE extensive client standard based training to individuals who want to gain employment in the lucrative business of call centers. In turn, we provide premium staffing services to partner contact centers with international clients.

OWL takes pride in three aspects of its training program:

1. Client Standard Based Modules – Our modules are formulated to target the problem areas of Filipino call center agents in response to their international customers. Communication, Customer Service, Sales, and Technical Training are broken down to key areas which contact center clients hold in priority, and are based on evaluation tools such as CSAT, churn, and attrition.
2. Expert International Instruction – OWL trainers are US-based experts on the business of BPO, whose talents and contributions have lead to the irrefutable growth of known BPO clients globally. As they are based outside of the country, they also have first hand knowledge of international culture and personality that international customers will reflect when interacting with a non-western agent.
3. Premier Facilities – OWL facilities are designed based on western standards that have been studied and proven to enhance an individual’s efficiency in learning and application. OWL also makes use of a profile technology which evaluates its agents’ compatibility with the global customer, allowing them to improve on areas that creates the gap and hinders them from delivering top performance.

Trying to be part of the lucrative and fastgrowing Callcenter industry? On the rocky road to BPO career success, there’s only two things that matter most – a determined traveller, and the right pair of shoes. At ONE WORLD LEARNING we equip you with the right gear to beat the challenges of the distance ahead. Through expert western training and placement in reputed Callcenter partners both local and abroad, OWL is able to guarantee both agents and companies a definitive advantage in the BPO Market. Shoes that Fit the Job, and more importantly, YOU OWL’s mission is to prevent the earlier said scenario. Agents are trained to step in the western client’s shoes through internationally certified high-calibre BPO standards in both instruction and facilities. By being a part of our program, you will gain deeper understanding, strategic advantage, and appreciation for your job, allowing career opportunities to come to you faster and easier! Best of all, we offer this to you for FREE! OWL’s team of young, driven, highspirited, and dynamic professionals will ensure that your OWL experience would be a truly fun one! We maintain creativity, interaction, and innovation as fundamental principles of our company, utilizing methods of learning that is suited and made compatible to the modern day Filipino young professional. On top of these, OWL also ensures that your route is secure. Agents are placed in reputable and established institutions. We make partnerships with the big players of the BPO global community in order to provide you not only better security for your job, but also bigger opportunities for your career!

COMPETITIVE EDGE:

One World Learning Center’s competitive edge is the understanding of our Global clients’ need surrounding CSAT, churn, and attrition. All principals are customer service advocates who understand the expectations of our Global clients. Each of the principals has worked on the client-side of Learning and Operations within customer service organizations and has driven positive uplift on people.

 

COURSES WE OFFER:

• Basic Communication, Comprehension & Culture Immersion Skills

This training enhances the candidate’s ability to speak and understand Basic English, relate to North American customers and provide logical responses. With complete immersion, they will practice the language at all times.

 

• Customer Service 101

This training is an effective way of enabling the candidate to understand the value of Customer Service. It helps them prepare for their role as Customer Service Representatives through actual simulation techniques and role-play scenarios.

 

• Technical Training

As the IT BPO industry continues to grow in the South East Asian Region, OWLC will be able to satisfy the needs of the clients’ technical training specific to vendor/client needs.

One World Learning offices are located in 21st Floor, Robinson’s Cybergate Tower 3, Pioneer St., Mandaluyong City. Business hours is from 10:00 AM to 5:00PM Mondays-Fridays.

I was just playing around with my camera. I wanted to take a sunset picture which looked good. Just didn’t know how to fiddle with the shutter and aperture in my camera yet. I think that’s why my friend always tells me to read the manual. Of course, with almost a year past since i bought my camera, I haven’t gotten around to it.

I know, I need to take more pictures if I want to practice this. Just didn’t have the inspiration recently.

Will have lots of chances to take nice pictures this coming weekend. I will be going out of town.

With the ongoing efforts to clean up the city’s rivers and waterways, one waterway that perhaps needed to be given more attention to is the San Juan River.

Known as one of the tributaries of the Pasig River (Metro Manila’s main waterway) the San Juan River traverses all the way up north in Quezon City (marked by the purplish ink on the map above) It also serves as a natural boundary for a part of eastern Manila, northwest Mandaluyong, west San Juan, and part of southwestern Quezon City.

Sadly, it is one of Metro Manila’s most polluted rivers. Which is a pity because the river does provide some great views:

a view of SM Sta. Mesa and the towering Mezza Residences

garbage-infested river that you can walk on (that's how bad it is)

a view of Marketplace Market/Mall in Mandaluyong and the remains of a railroad bridge that used to traverse Mandaluyong

With the experiences of “Ondoy” still fresh among the populace of a recovering metropolis, there is no better time than now to act on the rehabilitation of all waterways in the city, San Juan River included. Now more than ever, there should be some sort of environmental consciousness instilled among all parties involved: government agencies, non-government organizations, and the citizenry.

Let not another calamity befall on us because of our apathy and abuse of our natural resources, given the limited natural resources we are afforded to on this urban jungle.

©The Urban Roamer

Manila Globe Tower 2 Condo Pent House 4Bed Sale Philippines Real Estate Property

Globe Tower 2 Condo Pent House Sale

Condo Located Along the EDSA cor Boni AVE.
Front of Robinson’s Pionner Mall and MRT Boni Station.
Near Ortigas Center , Mega Mall , Makti Rockwell.

Sale Unit Info
Pent House 300 SQM 4Bed Room Bi-Level
5 Toilet and Bath 2 Parking.
40 Floor Semi Furniture.
View is Whole of Manila.
Antipolo , Laguna Bay , Fort Bonifacio , Makati , Manila Bay.
Sale Price : 13,000,000 PHP

For More Inquire Contact To GoldenBell Properties Inc.
Look For Jimmy Lee
Offiice 632 812 9548 / 632 996 8362
Cell Phone : 63 915 890 7914
E-Mail : wonwoolee612@hotmail.com
http://manilacondo.wordpress.com/
http://manilalife.tistory.com/

SYCAMORE and PALOVERDE

Tower

DANSALAN GARDENS

BONI AVE.  MANDALUYONG  CITY

READY FOR OCCUPANCY

Finnally , some space to breath . . . .

. . . . at the Center of it all.

·        1st  10% Down Payment then (move-in)

·        2nd 10% Down Payment  in 12 months

·        80% In house Financing in 10 years

PROMO :  from Nov. 03 to Nov.30

Be the first   15 buyers: Choose From

1. 3 days and 2 nights Vacation Package for 2 to HONG KONG (inclusive of airfare and accommodation)
2. 3 days and 2 nights Vacation Package for 2 to MACAU (inclusive of airfare and accommodation)
3. 4 days and 3 nights Adventure and Wellness package for 2 to BORACAY (inclusive of airfare and accommodation)

TypIcal floor : 6^th – 29^th FLoor

1  bedroom   43.85 sqm. P 2.8 M

2 Bedroom   61.9 sqm. P 4.9 M

Penthouse : 31 ^st floor

3 bedroom  (139 sqm.) P 10.5M

The great big outdoors meet the great big indoors

Rarely do you find big and open space both outside and inside your condominium.

Now, the search is over with  “Sycamore Tower”  at Dansalan Garden Condominium.  As 69% of its total land area is  allocated for gardens, pool and  recreational   facilities,   Dansalan  Garden Condominiums  blooms  into  an  expansive  and  lush  outdoor  tropical  oasis.

The condominiums are generously designed, giving you lots of indoor space.

Nestled  right in the middle of Makati and Ortigas, it enjoys a very convinient  and prestigious location.

Compared with other properties of the same price, Sycamore Tower gives you more open and bigger living space.

Finally, some space to breath . . . right the center of it all.

Sycamore or  Paloverde Tower  Condominiums is indeed the wiser choice.

Climate part of still bigger problem

My colleague Earl, one of the organizers of HMES 2010, recently visiting from Kuala Lumpur complains:

• They are building a high rise tower in Shaw Boulevard. The edge of the building is the very edge of the sidewalk, hugging the street with all the affection it can give.
  
• Who approved that kind of design? Who gave permission for that building to be built?
  
• Look at Manila Water and Maynilad, they’ve been cutting all streets in several pieces and not returning them to their original shape. And the MWSS and MMDA, the DPWH doesn’t care about sewerages. Just keep building the streets, repairing, rebuilding, but all for terrible waste of public funds.
  
• That kind of mentality makes people here prone to risk, danger, disaster, etc., etc.
  
• Back in Malaysia, you look at the streets, they’re all wide and spacious and no buildings impose themselves on the streets nor on the sidewalks.
  
• Now in Malaysia, all permits for building are evaluated through the criteria of Green Technology. That’s how they are now in Malaysia.
  
• The Philippines is doing the opposite; clearly we are headed for bigger disasters in the future.
  

Returning from Japan last year, Mr. Michael Buquid says: “They build their streets, bridges, etc. differently in Japan. They build them in layers and layers that when it rains, you can’t even see water piling up to a few millimeters on the street surface. All of the rainwater get’s soaked up inside the layers. It might be raining hard in Tokyo streets and bridges, but you can see the surface. No rain piles up on top. Amazing!”

And of course we were told long ago how a Japanese architect instructed a local contractor: “You Filipinos build street first. Then when remember, you build sewer. Japan, many years ago already, we do not first build street; we build sewer. If sewer working, we put street on top.” Good. But that was said in 1990. It is now 2009.

Well, one doesn’t have to go all that far. In Sendakan, that is only a stone’s throw away from one of the Philippines’ last island in the far Southerns, Taganak Island (it’s so small you wonder how they even got a Chinese Mayor there), they’re so environment conscious. Sendakan people have been very guarding and protective of their home towns and home province and the even birds frequent their place. That made them a bird watchers’ paradise. They earn so much tourist revenues just from bird watchers. I’m even writing a book slowly about that subject.

Some coordination the soon-to-be created, new Climate Change Commission will be doing indeed.

And what about the Philippine version of the Japanese buraku min who thrive in our own sewerages and the sewers and other areas underneath bridges?

I felt the need to repost this blog from my FS, which I originally posted on October 20, 2007. This has some additional tidbits, but basically retained the original post. I want to create a new entry related to this..
Katz, Nax, Peter, thank you so much for reading/visiting my blog  :)

I read an article somewhere na when you’re twenty something daw, you’ll tend to experience the so called “middle life crisis.” This, according to the article, is the stage daw when you suddenly become confused about a lot of things: your self, career, relationship and friends. Reading through the piece, I have concluded that I have gone through that stage. Ang hirap, sobra. I hated my self so much. It’s as if i’m not the “thinking and strong edz” as I know my self to be.

I resigned from my work as an Information Analyst in Alabang because I was too burned out. I like the work pero “napagod” talaga ako. From Alabang, I moved to Makati as a web content writer. The American employer was so strict that I can’t imagine my self staying there for another day. So I quitted again. Then came another opportunity from another web services outsourcing firm in Mandaluyong. I was about to start na pero bigla na naman ako nagkaroon ng reservations. Yun, di ko na naman tinuloy. Kahit very competitive sana ng salary and benefits.

Dami ko confusion no’n about my career. But now, I’m very happy na with my work. Kahit sobrang nakaka-pressure, I honestly love the challenge that goes with it. Nahihirapan lang ako sa idea na mahirap makipagsabayan pag sobrang galing ng mga colleagues mo. But so far, I can manage to deal with it the best way that I can. I’m so thankful that God put me in a job na sobrang bait ng employer. My current boss is one in a million. Sya lang ang boss na willing ka ipagtimpla ng coffee just to motivate you to finish your job. At sya lang ang boss na pag pressured and stressed ay nagti-treat ng bongga sa buong office. And sya yung boss na nagre-reflect un faith nya sa buong operation ng company. Anyone in the office pwede nyo tanungin about this. From the guards to the utility people, same treatment sya.

The “middle life crisis” I’ve dealt with also made me so lonely and alone about my being single. “Why can’t I find the man God has chosen for me when I’m actually ready na to commit (again) to a serious relationship.” Para akong tanga thinking that my biological clock is ticking so fast like a time bomb! Hehe…

But then again, I realized.. Ano naman ngayon kung single pa rin ako?!! (Kasi naman po, most of my batchmates are into a serious relationship na or are happily married na!). I have come to appreciate my being single like a bitter pill (sabi nga ni quickmelt sa Youngblood 1). I’ll stick to my faith that in God’s perfect time, the right man will come along. .

I’m just so thankful na na-overcome ko ang stage na yun. Now, i’m more certain that I am a better person. Mahirap yung “middle life crisis” na yun, Grabe! It came to a point kasi na I’m not eating properly na, tapos naging insomniac ako kakaisip ng mga useless fears and confusions. Grabe talaga yung depression ko nun. My family and friends are just so supportive of me to remind me of my worth and lift up my spirit. Prayers help me a lot of course. Yun ang hindi ko winala nung mga panahon na yun..

To everyone who’s going through that crisis, just stay strong and pray a lot.. God knows the desires of our heart..

Basta kasi, sometimes listening to your self talaga is the best decision there is.. And, if somethin is really meant for you, the universe will conspire to make it happen.. God bless everyone!

According to the event organizer , the commercial stalls promotes comics and comics related stuffs. There is also a competition on comic makings, cosplay, comic artists , autograph signing  and auction.

Event organizer: http://komikon.deviantart.com/

Special guests of honor includes

Mr. John Lent, Mr. Dencoy Miel, Mr. Edd Aragon

KOMIKON 2009
October 18, 2009
Sunday, 10am – 9pm
Megatrade Hall 1, 5th Level Bldg. B, SM Megamall
Entrance Fee: P80.00

Magandang Huwebes muli mga ka-litratista! Oras na naman para sa Litratong Pinoy.

Medyo matagal akong napahinga at sobrang na-miss ko itong LP! Ang lalim ng salita para sa tema ngayong linggo: Maagap. Kulang ako sa oras kung kaya’t recycled o lumang mga litrato ang mga naririto.

Marahil nagtataka kayo kung bakit puro mga cupcakes ang nasa larawan. Ano ba ang kinalaman ng mga cupcakes sa pagiging maagap? Kung hindi nyo pa nalalaman eh mahilig mag-bake ang aking misis. At kadalasan ay sya ang gumagawa ng mga cakes at cupcakes para iba’t-ibang okasyon ng pamilya at mga kaibigan, tulad ng binyag at mga kaarawan.

Hindi kumpleto ang anumang okasyon kung walang cake, hindi ba?  At syempre, kung kami ang may dala ng cake at cupcakes, kailangang maagap kami. Nakakahiya naman kung huli sa selebrasyon ang cake. Isa rin sa mga dahilan kung bakit dapat maging maagap ay upang ayusin ang mga cupcakes na maaaring na-damage gawa ng pagbyahe nito mula sa aming bahay.

Ang mga nasa larawan ay ilan lang sa mga likha ng aking masipag at maagap na misis. Ito ang aking lahok para sa linggong ito ng Litratong Pinoy na may tema na Maagap. Tayo na at tignan ang iba pang mga lahok ng mga partisipante dito.

Cebu City hits the number one spot in Trendsiff.com’s Top 50 Emerging Global Outsourcing Cities. Shanghai and Beijing cities, both in China, followed Cebu City in the list. Makati City, on the other hand, makes the 8th place in the Top 8 Global Outsourcing Centers. This list includes (from the top) Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Mumbai and Pune, all from India, and Dublin in Ireland.

There are also two Philippine cities that is part of the 2008 Top 50 newly-emerging outsourcing hotspots, namely, Quezon City (21st) and Mandaluyong City (45th).

The studies’ overall ranking are based on the following location assessment categories: scale and quality of workforce, cost, business catalyst, risk profile, infrastructure availability, and quality of life. Also, the “choice city” has now given way to “choice of country.”

The lists are according to a study by CyberMedia’s Global Services and investment advisory firm Tholons.

Reference: Trendsiff.com