The Brix Life

Thursday, December 31, 2009

Welcome 2010

Just want to wish everyone a prosperous 2010. Looking forward to writing and reading another chapter in our lives. God Bless. :)

Staying home at Christmas Eve is one of the few times in a year that I get some time to be alone. My family is just chilling in our home and I spend some time in my room either reading, sleeping or listening to music. It’s still a couple of hours before Christmas but here’s what I’ll be indulging for tonight’s celebration (in no particular order):

1) Ice cream - Rocky Road

2) 4 Cans of Beer - Red Horse

3) Potato Chips - Maybe Tortillos or the Ridges

4) Bread and Ham - Staple food every noche buena.

Good thing I’ve lost some weight lately due to being sick with Pharyngitis. I also didn’t party a lot last month that’s why my beer belly is smaller. But I promised myself that I’ll lose the calories that I’ll take in by running and eating healthy after tonight.

I might get a Pugad Baboy or Kikomachine book later at Powerbooks as a present to myself. Merry Christmas everyone! :)

This Time Last Year

Time flew by so fast I can hardly distinguish 2008 and 2009. It feels like this year and last year has been intertwined to creat a hybrid year called 2008-9. Maybe it's because this is the busiest year I had so far since I started my career. First, I'm working in a very dynamic environment where I'm always moving and talking to different people, multi-tasking (a.k.a. working while internet surfing). Second, been to a lot of social gatherings (a.k.a. drinking sessions). To sum it all up, just experiencing a lot of new things that made life more interesting again.

A question came to my mind. Where was I this time last year? I'm not talking about physical displacement (a.k.a. my location) but my state of mind and emotion. I can still remember the cloud of doubts and uncertainty hovering above me this time last year. Presently, I'm more sure of myself and the path that I wanted to take. The sky is relatively clearer. The road is a little more wider.

I don't really know the point of this post other than feeding my blog something new and I should stop those parenthesis a.k.a. plaguing this post before I get used to it's humorous yet annoying tone.

So where were you this time last year?

If people were rain, I was drizzle and she was a hurricane

Emo mode... /wrist. This is an excerpt from a book called "Looking for Alaska" (Alaska is a girl's name in that book). :)

I'm Craving for some Coffee Jelly!

Have you ever tried starbucks' Coffee Jelly? If you haven't then you're missing on some of the best things in life! It's awfully darn expensive and I'm not really the coffee lover like some people are but this frapuccino is too good to pass up. Highly recommended! :)

Keyless Lock?

Has it happened to you when you get home and you suddenly realized that you left your keys on your workdesk? Well, it happened to me a couple of times already. It's quite embarassing having to wake people up in our house just to open the doors for me. Then it entered my mind, why can't they make a keyless lock! In my former company, we had this gadget where we use our fingertips to log on our time in and time out. How about we use a lock that will open doors through the use of our fingertips? Brilliant idea right? I don't suppose someone will try to cut-off my fingers just to get an access to our house. This will be a great solution specially for kids who keeps losing their keys. The only thing I'm worried about since this kind of technology uses electricity, how can you enter your home during power outage? You might spend the whole day outside waiting for the electricity to come back. I hope they can design this with a battery back-up for this kind of situations.

Itching to press the shutters again

Did you know that hello in Dutch is "Hoi"? If you find yourself in Denmark, don't be offended when someone calls your attention by saying "Hoi" because it's like our native "Hoy" only more respectful.

Just opened my flickr account which I've been ignoring for the past months and I think I want to indulge myself again with my former hobby (or what I commonly refer to as my Insanity).

Patience is a Virtue

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-Brix

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

kesha ni'cole nichols pictures

You can view kesha ni'cole nichols pictures. Those who doesn't know kesha ni'cole nichols, she is the former bride-to-be of NBA star Richard Jefferson. Recently, the two are scheduled to be engage but in a strange turn of events Jefferson broke-up with her just days before the wedding. Unfortunately, not all the guests were informed about the cancellation of the event thus some of them still went. For consolation, Richard Jefferson lent his very exclusive AMEX Black Card for them to enjoy the night away.

Here are the kesha ni'cole nichols pictures:

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Giordano Rips Off TWLOHA

I'm so freaking pissed off this morning when I saw a billboard of Giordano's new line of graphic tees. The new t-shirt designs is a rip-off of the TWLOHA (To Write Love on Her Arms) shirts! For those who aren't familiar with the punk/emo scene, TWLOHA is a non-profit movement dedicated to presenting hope and finding help for those struggling with depression, addiction, self-injury and suicide. TWLOHA exists to encourage, inform, inspire, and also to invest directly into treatment and recovery.

Here is the original TWLOHA shirt:

This is the latest giordano advertisement:

I haven't found a larger image yet but you can still see how "similarly exact" the designs of the two shirts. Where's the originality Giordano? You're a big brand and you're ripping non-profit charitable group's ideas! Grrr....

A place for fun, relaxation and entertainment

One of my favorite vacation spots is the Myrtle Beach Resort. Most of the time, my family and I spend our summer at the Myrtle Beach Resorts in South Carolina, not only because of the wide and endless beach shore but the variety of activities to do within the area. First, there is a golf area where you can play with your buddies and availe of the golfing packages that they offer. Second, shopping is just around the corner and many stores offer collectible stuff for commemorating your stay. Myrtle Beach Hotels are one of the best in the world. You can choose to stay near the ocean front that will give you unobstructed views along the North shorline.

If you really want to be in the middle of it all, you might want to stay at then Seaside Condo Hotel. This is located directly on the beach but spacious enough to enjoy the luxury of a four star condominium. If you're bored staying inside your hotel or laying the whole day at the sandy shores, you can watch shows around the Myrtle Beach. Carolina Opry, Alabama Theatre, Palace theater are just some of the show places you might want to check out. So what are you waiting for? Call for a reservation now!

Setting up a Home Security System

Over the years, my family and I have experienced both attempting to be robbed and being robbed.
With the harsh times, a lot of people are pushed into the edge to do things that you can't even imagine. Good thing that we are living in a modern world now. Home Security System is more ffordable than ever. ADT plays a very crucial role in helping you safe guard your home against people who have bad intentions. It's really traumatizing for a family to be put in such a horrible experience.

I highly recommend putting up a Security System in your home so you'll always have a peace of mind whenever you're at work or in a vacation. The wonderful thing with the technology nowadays is that control of such an intricate security system is just one touch of a button and the equipments are light and unobtrusive so it's easy to integrate to your living space. Investing in these kind of tools are priceless.

Heavy Machineries: Toys for the Big Boys

Being a civil engineer, one of our concerns with regards to construction are heavy machinery. From tower crane, backhoe, concrete mixers and other machines that are essential in building structures no matter how big or small. Skid steer attachments vary from augers (used for drilling), planers, forks (for heavy lifting), and backhoes and boom poles (for moving debris).

I recently acquired a post hole digger for my contracting business. I need this for residential projects that needs quick digging for lightweight poles. I also purchased some garden equipment to help my landscaper get his job done. One of these are zero turn mowers, used for professional landscaping. Such equipment can mow around obstacles, easy to maneuver and can mow in uneven terrain.

Shift to HDTV now!

Everyone seems to be shifting to digital. The big networks are now promoting HD TV and there's no better way to appreciate this but through subscribing to Direct TV. With more channels than any regular cable subscription, Satellite Directv offers flexible plans that will suite your needs. If you're a sports guy like me, there are DirecTV plans that offers more sports channels aside from the usual ESPN like Fox Sports Network, NBA TV, Versus
(for MMA enthusiasts), Sentanta Sports, MLB Network and more.

If you're a couch potato who likes movies, HBO, Starz, Encore Channels, Showtime, The Movie Channel, Flix, and Cinemax are just some of the channels you can choose from. If you are a channel surfer you might, DirectTV also offers international programming for your viewing pleasure. Channels from Greece, China, Korean and Japanese are also available. So what are you waiting for? Get a DirectTV subscription now.

Lighting Fixtures for Your Home

Our current project is a 41 story high-rise condominium. One of my tasks in our project is to look for suppliers of lighting fixtures that will satisfy the needs of the future tenants of the condominium. Fortunately, I found a lighting store that have a variety of products, including chandeliers, accent lamps, bath vanity strips, desk lamps, pendant fixtures, mini-pendants, floor lamps, desk lamps, picture lights, wall mounted sconces, flush and semi-flush ceiling light fixtures. Farrey's offer a wide array of styles and manufacturers to choose from. One of the styles that caught my eye is the George Kovacs collection which has a simple yet very modern and elegant design. If you're the type who likes the more classical designs, maxim lighting is the one you're looking for.

If you're not sure what style will suit your needs, you can always search or browse their site for other designs and manufacturers. With so many products to choose from it's safe to say that you're guaranteed to find something that will fit your budget. You can also come down at Farrey's showroom located at North Miami, Florida to see all their collections (you can download the map at their site for directions).

Gold as a worthy Investment Tool

I remember when I was still fresh from college and in my first year of work as an Engineer, I've set my goals to save money and be able to make it grow. So I invested some of my savings in mutual funds and some part of them is locked in a time deposit. When the stock market crashed last year due to the financial crisis that hit the United States, the investment I had in the mutual funds also tanked.

Good thing that I diversified my investments to a very safe and medium risk. My time deposit is safely tucked in a very stable bank and even if the value I invested in mutual funds went down. One new investment I want to get into is buying gold bullion australia. Gold is a commodity that has always maintained it's high price. Another stable investment is gold coins and jewellery sydney. It might sound too luxurious but when I do get enough money to purchase such assets, I will try to invest in these valuable commodities. Like I said earlier, diversifying investments is the way to go if you want to keep building your wealth.

The Great View of the Ocean Front

South Carolina is home to one of the most beautiful beaches in the world in Myrtle Beach Resort. If you're planning to escape the summer heat with your friends or family, there are many affordable rooms in the hotel that will fit your budget.

Not only do you get to enjoy the beach, nearby Museum, Shopping Center, and Parks are just in the vicinity of the Resort in Myrtle Beach. This is just an all around destination for your family and I'm sure the kids will enjoy their stay here. Some of the activities that you might want to try in Grande Shores are dinner in Medieval Times Dinner Show, watch big music concerts at the Alababama Theater, see the biggest collection of sharks on Ripley's Aquarium, race around the tracks at Grand Prix Family Thrill Park and play golf at one of the outstanding golf courses.

With 60 miles of sandy beach and warm weather, Oceanfront Hotel Myrtle Beach is a perfect vacation spot all year round.

Pinoy Life Hidden in Plain View

I've come across a couple of blogs that talks about life in the Philippines. The author of the blogs are foreigners who are currently living in our country for quite some time. It's very interesting to find out their views with regards to the usual day in the Philippines, which for us Filipinos, are very much ordinary and the same. We're living here ever since we were born and most of the things we experience are just "routine" and so common that we've become blinded to them.

Just like Philfaq's blog article about a Typical Philippine Trip to the Mall where he talks about his experience in shopping in SM Hypermarket. Here's a snippet from the said article:

Our checkout did get interrupted by anther ritual… the Japanese sounding ‘my dog has leas’ tones come over the loud speaker and a voice intones ‘Welcome to SM” and then every employee in the store drops what they are doing , claps their hands three times and chants’ “Happy to serve You,”. It’s not an ingrained ritual or anything, only happens about three times each and every hour.

I remember the first time I've heard this "SM Sales Cheer" for the first time and I've felt a roller coaster of emotions which are 1) Scared - the first time I heard the clap I was like "what the hell is going on? Am I on Punkd or Wow! Mali!?" 2) Embarrassed - Seeing the look on their faces, they seemed to be doing it just because it's a new sales policy. They look embarrassed and in that moment I empathize with them. 3) Weird - Now after the cheer some of them have this stoic look as they went back to what they were doing before the short interruption...at that moment I felt that I'm the only breathing person and the rest are robots or cyborgs programmed to do grocery stuff.

It's amusing how most of us dream a romantic night in Paris or a busy corporate day in New York or a Cherry Blossom season in Tokyo and other adventures in different cities. There's nothing wrong about that but sometimes we forget that there are a lot of things going on right in front of our eyes. All we need is just to see it in an outsider's point of view. Some experiences are funny or just borderline "stupid" others are regrettable and forgetful, and there are some that will make you feel proud as a Filipino. Maybe if we can just realize how great we are as a country, we'll make that realization into reality.

Direct TV is Everything You Need

So I recently got a direct tv and it's one of the best decisions I've made in my life. Not to exaggerate but being the sport and movie fanatic that I am, I need all the sport and movie programing fix that I can get. Just imagine having instant access to the on going NBA Finals and upcoming UFC fights on Spike TV. Good thing that there are plenty of options with regards to direct tv packages.

So what made me shift to DirecTV? How about 25 specialty sports channels from ESPN, NBA League Pass, NHL, MLB; 250 plus channels (including 31 Premium Movie channels) and superb digital quality picture on all channels right on your fingertips.

To top it all, I also got the DVR package! Not only do I get to watch my favorite shows but I get to watch them in the highest definition possible! What are you waiting for? Look for Direct tv offers in areas near you and avail of the service now.

How IRA Gold Works

I've been investing in mutual funds and trust funds for some years now. With the recent economic crisis, most of the earnings that I have with those funds have been almost wiped out. Good thing the market has been gaining recently and I've recovered much of the "paper loss" from the previous months.

This experienced have opened my eyes in investing in IRA gold. First question you might want to ask is how to put gold in an IRA? First, for those who don't know yet IRA stands for Individual Retirement Accounts. Gold is a very stable investment for centuries and is ideally a long-term one. Since gold has many uses, it always have a very high demand hence also a high price. A gold 401k investment is fundamentally sound and the returns are almost guaranteed. For more info about 401k gold you can go to GoldCoinsGain.com.

Classic Games Never Die

Being the old school gamer that I am, sites like GamesZombie is a great find. Not only that I can play retro games like super mario or the mind boggling tower defence but also the new generation miniclip games. If you don't have any idea on what you want to play just check out the top games on their "Most played" or "Highest rated" list of games. For sure you'll find something that will interest the gamer in you. By the way, GameZombie have 1200 game titles in their disposal.

If you want to relax and just hang out, GameZombie allows users to interact with one another through the comment section in a particular game. Discuss strategy or compare your high score with friends all over the world. I've already played Bubble Shooter but I find it harder than the Bubble! bubble! game that we're accustomed to play. There are also games like "Guess who's Celebrity thong is this?" which is downright silly but doesn't fail to put smile to your face.

Start playing now! It's fun, it's challenging and most of all it's free!

Switching from Cable to Satellite TV

It's been a great year for sports so far. TV ratings for NBA Playoffs and the upcoming NBA Finals is on an all time high, MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) through UFC is enjoying a continuous surge of popularity among the general viewers, and Boxing is on a rebound with Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. heading on a collision course later this year.

I'm recently having problems with my Cable TV with regards to it's reception. There were times I'm in the middle of watching an all important sporting event when our TV signal suddenly went haywire. Just a month before, our cable provider decided to cut down the number of channels available to us and replaced some of the popular channels with not so good alternatives. This got me thinking if I'm really getting my money's worth with our cable subscription. My friend told me that I should get Direct TV.

With over 250 channels in digital quality picture, I feel that DirectTV is worth much more than any ordinary cable subscription. One fantastic feature of this platform is the Parental controls/locks which is very useful if you have kids around. You'll never worry about them coming across programs unsuitable for their age. This is one of the reasons that sets Direct TV System apart from other similar satellite TV providers.

Cable TV has been around for a while and it's about time that such monopoly to stop. We consumers deserve better quality and variety with the hard earned money that we spend monthly. So make sure to avail of the Direct TV Service by going to their website. There are a lot of packages to choose from that will suit your needs.

A New Way to Shop Online

Most of us have tried shopping online and we've experienced how tough it is to find an online store that meets our specific needs. I've recently found out about Shopwiki which is somewhat like Google when it comes to shopping online. What it does is it searches different online stores for the specific item that you're looking for including the price of the item with the respective stores. No need to search Directories, Forums and other sites endlessly because Shopwiki does that for you!

Here are some of the things you can see at Shopwiki: Home and Garden, Garden Hoses, outdoor entertaining, bird baths, hedge trimmers, garden accents, Housewares and Home Maintenance, Home Furnishings and Decor, Home accessories, Furniture and more. I've recently tried searching for a Canon 450D on their site and I was able to compare different stores all at once. Now I have an idea where I can buy my future camera.

If you're the type of person who's constantly seeking out the best deals, Shopwiki can help shopping easier and much convenient for you. Enjoy shopping!

Jumping ship, joining the bandwagon, whatever...

One day I just woke up feeling that I need to get a DSLR. Yup... you've heard it right. This analogue, old school, vintage camera lover is set to join the "other side". But please don't get me wrong, I still love the smell of film and the gritty mechanical parts of an analogue cam. Being the sentimental person that I am, even though I have limited budget the thought of selling my old cams is something that I just can't bear. I feel like they have been a part of me and my long journey in becoming a photographer of sorts and I am proud that I took that bumpy road.

Here I am, ready to take my skills to the next level. If you're wondering what camera I'll be buying, after much thought and deliberation I've decided that I'll go with the Canon 450D. It's a pricier than other entry level DSLR but I feel that I'm not in the "entry level" market anymore. I want to invest in my craft and by so doing I'll have to go with a camera that will give me more artistic freedom in terms of features and capabilities.

Hopefully, I get to post pictures from my future DSLR soon. I can't wait.

The Freshman

The Freshman is a song by the band The Verve Pipe which was a big hit during the 90's and incidentally I was a freshman in high school when this song came around. I instantly like this song back then and even now still. When I heard it played in the radio it brought back a lot of nostalgia from my high school days. One thing I've liked about the song is the lyrics. The lyrics are, in many ways, easy to relate with. All of us, in one point in our lives became a Freshman. We were in that stage when we were full of optimism, dreams, idealism, arrogance and carelesness. Looking back at the things that we've done and noticing how flawed and full of shit our lives were, we wish we can turn back time to make things right. But that's where the genius of this song lies, being a Freshman we had the license to commit such mistakes. Less is expected on us back at those days and messing up is like a part of our job description. It's just but a part of life's lessons that we need to learn from our past no matter how regretable and forgetful those experiences were.

Here is the line by line explanation straight from the writer of the song itself, Verve Pipe's vocalist and songwriter Brian Vander Ark:

In 2001, Brian Vander Ark explained what the song means to him on Verve Pipe's bulletin boards:
"When I was young I knew everything" - We all think we know everything at a young age. I thought I did. I realize I didn't know sh*t until I was 36.
"And she, a Punk who rarely took advice" - How many people do we know like that?
"Now I'm guilt-stricken, sobbing, with my head on the floor" - Something happened that caused this reaction, but I wouldn't want to give that away this early in the song, so let's throw in an some ambiguity:
"Stop a baby's breath, and a shoe full of rice, no" - First of all, forget the NO. Stop a baby's breath is just that. Abort the baby. A shoe full of rice is a result of a wedding. So - stop a baby's breath AND then you stop a wedding. She's pregnant, get her to abort, and then there's no wedding. And you know what?
"I can't be held responsible, cause she was touching her face" - When I wrote this song, The Divinyls had a song out called 'I Touch Myself.' The TV was on, she was touching her face in the video. Very sexy. So, I can't be held responsible because she was trying to be sexy, trying to seduce me, etc.
"I won't be held responsible, she fell in love in the first place" - I didn't tell her to fall in love.
"For the life of me, I cannot remember what made us think that we were wise, and we'd never compromise" - What was I thinking back then? Who am I to put a girl though that? Why was I unable to compromise? Guilty feelings.
"For the life of me, I cannot believe we'd ever die for these sins, we were merely freshmen" - We were just kids, let it go, we all make mistakes, etc.
"My best friend took a week's vacation to forget her" - He needed to get away because of what happened.
"His girl took a week's worth of Valium and slept" - This is why this song is not that strong literally - it's confusing. HIS girl is MY girl. the same girl that had the abortion has now killed herself.
"Now he's guilt-stricken, sobbing with his head on the floor, thinks about her now and how he never really wept he says" - He has the same guilty feelings that I do about the abortion and death.
"We tried to wash our hands of all of this, we never talk of our lacking relationships" - We rarely spoke after the incident - we just tried to forget it. We never spoke of her or the fact that we can't have a decent relationship with anyone since then.
"We fell through the ice when we tried not to slip" - No matter how careful you might be, there are other perils out there. The girl is real, the abortion is real. the death is not. it's poetic license to make the story more interesting.

The Freshman by the Verve Pipe

When I was young I knew everything
She a punk who rarely ever took advice
Now I'm guilt stricken,
Sobbing with my head on the floor
Stop a baby's breath and a shoe full of rice

I can't be held responsible
She was touching her face
I won't be held responsible
She fell in love in the first place

For the life of me I cannot remember
What made us think that we were wise and
We'd never compromise
For the life of me I cannot believe
We'd ever die for these sins
We were merely freshmen

My best friend took a week's
Vacation to forget her
His girl took a weeks's worth of
Valium and slept
And now he's guilt stricken sobbing with his
Head on the floor
Thinks about her now and how he never really
Wept he says

I can't be held responsible
She was touching her face
I won't be held responsible
She fell in love in the first place

For the life of me I cannot remember
What made us think that we were wise and
We'd never compromise
For the life of me I cannot believe
We'd ever die for these sins
We were merely freshmen

hey yeah
hey yeah
hey yeah

We've tried to wash our hands of all this
We never talk of our lacking relationships
And how we're guilt stricken sobbing with our
Heads on the floor
We fell through the ice when we tried not to
Slip, we'd say

I can't be held responsible
She was touching her face
And I won't be held responsible
She fell in love in the first place

For the life of me I cannot remember
What made us think that we were wise and
We'd never compromise
For the life of me I cannot believe
We'd ever die for these sins
We were merely freshmen

For the life of me I cannot remember
What made us think that we were wise and
We'd never compromise
For the life of me I cannot believe
We'd ever die for these sins
We were merely freshmen
We were merely freshmen

Conflict of Interest

I read an article in the Inquirer yesterday that was about the practice of "soft-selling" medicines by Medical representatives to Doctors. Maybe you have heard of the grand parties, hotel accommodations, luxury gifts etc. etc. thrown at Doctors by pharmaceutical companies just to "promote" their brand of drugs. Now we wonder why branded drugs are so expensive compared to the generic ones.

I haven't found a copy of the article online but it says there that the Congress has passed a bill that prohibits and punishes Doctors who accepts such kind of "tokens" from drug manufacturers. It's great to know that someone in the Congress is actually doing their job. I can't help to be pessimistic when it comes to the implementation if this bill becomes a law but still I consider this as one of the rare brilliant moments in Philippine politics.

Conflict of interest is one of the reasons why this bill has been created and I couldn't agree more. How can a Doctor pass his/her judgment with no-bias and clear objectivity if he/she is indebted from accepting lavish gifts from business entities? I'm a professional myself and one of the topics that were discussed in our company during our orientation is integrity. We were told that it's wrong to receive gifts from our clients even how small it is because by doing so we will put our credibility in jeopardy.

I have a friend who's sister is a Pediatrician and I remember her proudly telling us that she will be spending a couple of nights in a posh hotel because her Pediatrician sister got a free accommodation from one of her medical representatives. I envy her before when I haven't realize fully the moral backlash of such an opportunity. But now that I do, I feel lucky that I didn't contribute to the dilemma of patients that have no money to pay for their medicines while such kind of doctors are soundly sleeping their ass off in their cozy hotels. It baffles me why such people who spent at least six to eight years in post-college education and pledged to uphold their duties and responsibilities to their patients first before any other (at the same time gets paid a hefty amount with their services) can sleep soundly knowing the implications of their actions.

I thought that my most hated bunch of people are the corrupt politicians but now, I hate these gift-accepting-doctors equally or to some degree maybe even more. Life is unfair in so many ways but I find comfort knowing that this imbalance will be left here on earth.

On perfumes and perfume bottles

Tommy Perfume
Originally uploaded by BeeBoy

One of my hobbies is collecting perfumes and as much as I'm fascinated with their scent, I also fancy the variety of bottles that they come in. For me, the bottles speaks a lot about the characteristic of the perfume itself. Whether we admit it or not, presentation carries a lot of weight when we decide to take our money out of our wallets.

When it comes to scent, my most favorite perfume would be the now classic Tommy Hilfiger for Men. Not only because it always smell refreshing even if you wear it everyday for the rest of your life but also the history that I shared with this cologne. I wore this on my prom, my graduation and other memorable occasions of my youth. A close second would be Lacoste Essential. Girls just love the smell of this perfume and this maybe the perfume I would use when dating at night.

Other honorable mentions include Davidoff's Cool Water, which is essentially a perfume you must have if you don't have any idea what can mix with your sweat yet still will smell good, Carolina Herrera 212 for Men is a bit picky unlike Cool water but still does the job and lastly, this list will not be complete without a Calvin Klein perfume. For the CK line, I have two recommendations: 1) CK Crave - the nice fruity smell is perfect for daytime and summer getaways, 2) CK IN2U - this is something I've been planning to buy for a long time now, very close to the refreshing scent of Crave but packs a lot more punch. Hopefully, I can get to buy this soon.

How about you? What's your scent? :)

Friday, March 13, 2009

Caleruega Church in Nasugbu, Batangas

Camera: Vivitar UW&S
Film: Fuji Sensia 200 (Cross processed)

Is there a more peaceful place on earth than that of Caleruega? The place is just so serene and relaxing. If there is a perfect place to collect your thoughts and connect with your spirituality, this is the closest to "heaven on earth".

Here is a detailed introduction about Caleruega church:

The chapel itself is replete with symbolism. Its façade is a reproduction of the original chapel in Caleruega, Spain. Its hut-shaped roof is in remembrance of the temporary sheds that the apostles wanted to build for Jesus, Moses, and Elijah during the transfiguration (Mt 17:1-8). The seal of the Dominican Province of the Philippines is depicted in stained glass in the upper portion of the chapel’s façade. The seven grapevines entwined in the steel doors of the chapel not only portray Jesus as the vine and we as branches (John 15:5), but also symbolize the seven sacraments. The main altar is a carved tree trunk representing the “stem of Jesse,” mentioned in the Book of the Prophet Isaiah: then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse, and a branch from his roots will bear fruit (Is 11:1). The tabernacle is a gentle reminder of the burning bush through which God revealed Himself to Moses in Mt. Sinai (Ex 3:2). The birds carved on the communion table are representations of God’s providence in Matthew 6:26: Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, neither do they reap…and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. The stained glass depicts the Transfiguration of Jesus witnessed by Peter, John, and Luke. With Jesus are Moses and Elijah, two significant instruments of God in the Old Testament (Mat 17:3).

If you're planning to go on a respite anytime give this place a chance. It only costs Php 25 to enter the vicinity and the ride is only 2 hours from Manila and 40 mins away from Tagaytay.
Here are some more pictures from Caleruega:

Friday, February 13, 2009

Evolve

"When people suggest we write a song, record, or sound like an previous record, that always floors me. I always wonder if the people suggesting this are musicians. If they are, do they only play the same chords and progressions or do they enjoy learning new chords, new arrangements, new ideas? This is really the case in anything you passionately pursue in life. Who wants to paint the same picture time and time again, write the same poem, live the same day over and over again? My favorite artists always evolve and when they stop, that's usually when I stop listening. Growing is the most important part of living." -Dave Elkins (vocalist of Mae)

I can never agree more on what Dave Elkins said when fans expects bands to write the same songs over and over again and how he related it life and growing up. Personally, I am on a phase what a lot of people dread of doing: moving on.

I've recently was accepted in a new job. After a couple of months of looking for work, I finally landed one and I'm ecstatic to start this coming Monday. Although I have a higher salary in my previous company, I'm still happy that I managed to find a job that I was really hoping to do. Career wise, it's the best thing that ever happened to me. I'm going to live the dream that I had when I was still a newly graduate and after passing the board exams.

I know how a lot of people from my former company thinks it's risky to leave with the amount they are currently earning. But if they know better, that's not a good enough reason to keep them from looking for better opportunities. I can't blame them though. This has been the toughest economic times in recent memory and it's almost suicidal to even ponder anything that's related to job resignation. It's understandable how anyone will think more about the short-term than the long-term results of our actions.

Is it just the money? I don't think so. After working for years on the same environment with the same people and sometimes with the same situations, some people have developed a phobia in experiencing uncertainties or what they call a "comfort zone" syndrome. But like what Dave Elkin said, "Growing is the most important part of living". Change doesn't come with a guarantee of a better life but it does give you the invaluable experience of learning.

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

Summer Destinations: Malapascua Island

Malapascua is an island located near Cebu. To get there you need to take a long bus ride (around 4 hours) from Mactan airport and almost an hour of boat ride from the nearby dock in Maya. It's quite far but it's all worth it once you've seen the white sand and crystal clear waters which reminds me of how Boracay looks like more than a decade ago.

The island is not that crowded during summer compared to more famous beaches like Puerto Galera or Boracay. But for me, the best time to go here is during off-peak seasons. It feels like you're all alone stranded on paradise. You can go all out nude if you like.

One of the best things on this island is the food. Compared to other destinations, Malapascua has nearby restaurants that sells not only great tasting food but cheap as well! The most famous is Ging Ging's, whose pancakes are to die for and very attentive staff.

If there's one place I won't mind going to over and over again, it would be Malapascua. For more info about this great place like how to commute, places to stay and contact persons just click here.

Friday, January 23, 2009

What kind of Nail are you?

Photo by Marcos André

Nails (the pin type fastener used in woodworking or construction) comes in different sizes and shapes. Depending on it's use and type of material that it will support or bind together. Personalities are a lot like nails. Some breaks before even putting a dent on the wood, some bend half-way through and there are those who penetrates the wood completely. In life, we get hammered by misfortunes and other sorts of problems but it's up to us to become that nail that will go through any obstacle that's put in front of us.

Thursday, January 22, 2009

In sight of the insight

Recent events have lead me to this point in my life where it seems like I'm starting all over again. I'm not gonna lie... I'm scared of all the uncertainties that surrounds me. And in some days, I also feel depressed and lacking self-confidence if I'll be able to pull through this hole that I'm in.

I had a career, stable financial condition and worry free relationship with my girlfriend. Now, everything has turned 180degrees. I'm jobless, limited financial capability and a hot-cold love life. I'm in what is now more popularly known as "Recession".

But I've realized that I'm still blessed because not many people are given the chance to rebuild their lives and I'm in that very rare place where I have the opportunity to carve a path for myself. I don't think I have given my best yet and there's a lot more that needs to be done. Clearly, It's all up to me to do the hard work and focus on what I have right now and the positive things that's still going on.

I know it's not gonna be long that I will see myself looking back to this day and tell myself that I overcame another difficult phase in my life. Knowing that everything will come to full view how these series of events have re-shaped me to become a better person in every way. Equipped with a new set of tools that will help me succeed and more prepared to take on obstacles that life will throw at me in the future.

Like they say "Quitters never win. Winners never quit."

Friday, January 2, 2009

Top 10 Most Viewed Photos in my Flickr

I'm taking pictures of everything to remind me of the place that's so perfect for me...
-The Starting Line "Left Coast Envy

It has been a great 2008 year in photography for me. I purchased some cameras, traveled to many places and last but not the least, started this photoblog. Thanks to everyone who has been supportive to my craft and hopefully you've enjoyed looking at this pictures as much as I enjoyed taking them.