Double Treat from FHM

Here you go ladies and gents. XD

I hope my schedule would be free this coming Saturday as Bianca Manalo will be signing our FHM's. I'll give my feedback once I get a hold of a copy. XD

My last day shift

Only a few minutes left before I log-off. Today will be my last day in the office as a day-shift person. I will be missing a lot since I have to move to the night-shift for personal, career and financial reasons. Even though I'm no stranger to night-shift, I need to prepare myself for a total shift of schedule. Its like I have to alternate night and day. I know my wife will be a little bit worried because I had health issues before when I used to work at night but I know I can endure this. I mean I have to endure this for our future. In my next 13 months, I might work at nights but whether or not I'll go beyond there, only time knows and I have to anticipate it.

The week that was (August 22-28)

That week was really jam-packed with a lot of activities and happenings. XD

Sunday:  Got up at around 7:30am to go online and check my fb games. Then I did some laundry even if my body is still aching with pain due to the physical activities I've been through during our team building.After going to mass with my wife, I went to WTC to attend CAMPI which is on its final day (another blog will be created for this). I was able to maximize the time I spent there together with some of my friends who loves taking pictures of the models there. XD. I went home at past 7am since my wife was a little bit worried about the heavy rains in Sampaloc. I went home even if I know the dangers of having my camera gears get wet.

Monday: I got up at 7:30am and hurriedly prepared for work. But I went to Intramuros again to have my breakfast there. I don mind spending 66 pesos for a big piece of fried chicken and 3 cups of rice which makes me full for the day. I got to the office at around 10:02am. We were able to meet another team mate who will increase our headcount here to 9. Work was quite slow since we were 7 in the room in the afternoon. There were free food in the pantry courtesy of our IT Director. I was able to get myself full which allowed me to save enough money for my lunch that day. I left the office right away but I got home at almost 8:30pm.

Tuesday: I wasn't able to get up early for the nth time as I got up at around 7:30am.I prepared myself for work and as usual, its quite slow.

Wednesday: Got up at 7:30am when I was supposed to get up at 5:30am for photo-editing purposes. Traffic was quite ok. When I got to the office, I saw a piece of paper that looks like our schedule for September. I was shocked that my days-off would be Sun-Mon instead of Fri-Sat (as agreed upon with our OIC). Most of my photoshoots would be on a Saturday and It won't help if I would go to a photoshoot after work or with little/no sleep. Good thing, I have my plan b as an option. And I'll make sure that I would be able to attend my sister's wedding on the 25th of September. As for the other photoshoots on some Saturdays of September, I have to think about it if I'll join or not.While I'm on lunch, I passed by Glorietta 3 to check out the bags that my wife wanted to buy from Bayo. I was also impressed with the bags and the material used was good. Though its expensive (at 745php), I'd say the proceeds will go to a good cause.I was thinking of surprising my wife with that bag, she already had plans of buying it but unfortunately, she wasn't able to stop by at Gateway.

Thursday: I got up at around 6:00am and I was able to upload some pictures on my flickr account (I'll share my flickr account in due time). I wasn't able to edit some pictures though. Traffic was quite OK since I'm getting used to travel to and from the office for at least an hour an a half. Work was quite slow and steady. By lunchtime, I passed by Landmark's Supermarket to let time pass by. I was quite surprised that some of their products there are sold at an affordable price. I was thinking of doing some grocery there one of these days. Then I had my lunch at Sisig Hooray (take-out). 

Friday: I got up early again to edit some pictures. I was able to edit at least 13 pictures in an hour before uploading them. I left home early since breakfast wasn't enough (mostly pandesal's). I went to Intramuros for the nth time to have my fried chicken. As I am enjoying my food, it rained all of a sudden leaving me no choice but to move forward after my meal. I didn't get wet, but my feet did since my sneakers has a big hole in its sole (both shoe). I got late by 10 minutes but I didn't mind since its Friday. My wife sent me a message thru ym telling me that her sister failed the Nursing Board Exam for the 2nd Straight Time.

Saturday: Got up early to go online and try to edit some pictures. Then, I did my laundry (socks) before getting myself (and my sister-in-law) ready to go to Katipunan to pick-up my wife from her Saturday work. Then we took a quick stop at Mushroom Burger since we were hungry. Sad to say, they were disappointed with the food as well as with their service (we witnessed one customer asking for a refund). We took a cab to Medical City. Once there my wife undergone a series of tests to determine the results. It took us more than 4 hours before we were able to go home. But traffic was also evident on our way home. I let them get home first before buying my wife's medicine from my paycheck. Then I went to Yellow Cab in CM Recto to have a mini celebration though my wife didn't ate a single slice of pizza.

XD

The long hours at The Medical City

After several canceled plans of having my wife checked-up with an OB, we were able to have her scheduled yesterday at The Medical City. In search of a good hospital, My mom gave me 2 options. First is at The Medical City wherein the Doctor there was a classmate of my uncle. The second was Capitol Medical Center where my cousin has her OB there. We have to choose between the two. We have to consider my wife's schedule since she also works on a Saturday, thus we chose the former.

I initially thought that we will be going to The Medical City once my wife wakes up but she had to report to the office for her Saturday Shift. By 12 noon, we went to her office in Katipunan to pick her up. then we passed by Mushroom burger for a quick bite. But my wife and her sister were not satisfied with their burgers as we were on-board a taxi on our way to The Medical City.

As we got there, it was like we went inside a hotel. but it took us a while before we were able to get to the clinic of my wife's Ob-Gyn. I made sure to have my wife listed and she was 7th on the list. We waited patiently for her turn as we read some magazines the clinic has and probably we were able to read all of them. When it was my wife's turn to be checked-up, I was quite surprised to see the how the doctor looks like. She was a classmate of my uncle way back in college. She asked the both of us some questions regarding our reproductive health. Then she undergo pap smear and ultrasound which this would be the first time my wife will encounter. After her pap smear, we waited for all of her patients to finish before the doctor accompany her to the Women's Development Center for her ultrasound. Me and her sister waited patiently for the results. After a few more minutes, the doctor called me to tell the Bad and the Good news.

The bad news was there is a cyst in my wife's left ovary. Though the cyst was benign, it had to be removed after 4 months. Why after 4 months, because they don't want to risk the baby on being aborted. I didn't know what to say. I am so happy and at the same time I feel very very worried about my wife's condition for the months to come. Sometimes it makes me think what will happen next to my wife and to both of us. After the news, we settled our hospital bills and went straight home.

Moving forward, I had to take better care of my wife and my unborn child since this would be our first and my wife's first pregnancy.

UNO September 2010 (Advanced)

Am I seeing things or what?!?

UNO Just released their September issue on facebook. This is really surprising. And if these two magazines are different from each other aside from the cover, I'll get two definitely even if I know that I'll be burning a hole in my pocket.

Featuring Gaby Dela Merced

 

Featuring Rhian Ramos

I wonder why they have released the September issue this early? XD

37, 679 out of 91,008 pass Nursing board—PRC

Taken from Inquirer Online. 

MANILA, Philippines – (UPDATE) Over 37,000 out of 91, 008 passed the Nurse Licensure Examination that was given last July, according to a release by the Professional Regulation Commission Friday.

At least 37, 679 examinees passed the exams that were given in the cities of Manila, Baguio, Cagayan de Oro, Cebu, Dagupan, Davao, Iloilo, La Union, Legazpi, Lucena, Pagadian, Pampanga, Tacloban, Tuguegarao, and Zamboanga, it said.

The members of the Board of Nursing are Carmencita M. Abaquin, chairman; Leonila A. Faire, Betty F. Merritt, Perla G. Po, Marco Antonio C. Sto.Tomas (inhibited), Yolanda C. Arugay and Amelia B. Rosales (inhibited), members.

The results of examination for five examinees were withheld pending final determination of their liabilities under the rules and regulations governing licensure examination.

Those who will register are required tobring: duly accomplished Oath Form or Panunumpa ng Propesyonal, current Community Tax Certificate (cedula), 2 pieces passport size picture (colored with white background and complete name tag), 1 piece 1” x 1” picture (colored with white background and complete name tag), 2 sets of metered documentary stamps, and 1 short brown envelope with name and profession; and to pay the Initial Registration Fee of P600 and Annual Registration Fee of P450 for 2010-2013.

Successful examinees should personally register and sign in the Roster of Registered Professionals.
The oathtaking ceremony of the new nurses, as well as those who have not taken their Oath of Professional will be held before the Board on Monday and Tuesday, September 20 and 21, at 8:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. at the SMX Convention Center, SM Mall of Asia, Pasay City.

All must come in their white gala uniform, nurse’s cap, white duty shoes, without earrings, hair not touching the collar and without corsage.

Oathtaking tickets for the National Capital Region (NCR) and nearby regions will be available at the Philippine Nurses Association (PNA) at 1663 F.T. Benitez Street, Malate, Manila, from September 1 - 20, on a “first come first serve” basis.

All regional oathtaking schedules will be posted in the BON website: www.bonphilippines.org.

The complete list can be found here.   

On  a sad note, my sister-in-law didn't pass the board for the second time. =(

A 4th Runner-Up finish for Ms Philippines

This morning, entire universe was hooked on TV (except for those who are at work and those who don't seem to care) to find out who would become the next Miss Universe 2010. I wasn't able to watch this over the tv but I was able to get live updates online. Though one disadvantage is that sometimes it chops-off or you can't view the live stream. What I did was to check on the forums that I'm active at and check on the latest update from time to time. First, Ms Philippines was included in the top 15 (being called at #15). Then she got included on the top 10.Then, she got included on the top 5. Then the final part which was the question and answer portion. A lot of people (including me) were disappointed with how she answered her final question and answer portion. Its a major-major no-no if you ask me. But then again, if you ask that question to almost all people, they would probably have a hard time giving a decent answer. Anyway, below is the picture on how it went.

Regardless of how she answered the final question, I'm still proud of her. At least we had a decent finish since 1999.And she is the only Asian who reached the Top 15 until the final 5 XD.

A Letter from a young Filipino

I was thinking of what to put here today until I saw this from a friend's facebook site. Its a letter written by a young man despite of what happened yesterday regarding the hostage drama. Though unavoidable due to unnecessary circumstances and lack of thereof, The Philippines will continue to grow and flourish.

To Reigno Jose Dilao, I salute you for your courage and humility.

Here is the letter written by him addressed to everyone.

August 23, 2010

"A letter from a teenage Filipino to the WHOLE WORLD”

As you are reading this letter, I bet that you have seen/heard about what happened earlier in our country.

Tourists were hostages of a policeman here, Rolando Mendoza. After a few hours of the horrible crime, some of the victims were dead including the hostage-taker.

I wrote this letter not just to apologize but also to let everyone know that we Filipinos are not all like Mendoza. We are loving and good-hearted people.

For so many years, our country has been standing tall and surpassing every dilemma; be it small or big. Years ago (back when I wasn’t born yet), you have watched us fight for what we think is right. We fought for the democracy of our nation.. The EDSA revolution. But that’s just one out of many.

Second. We Filipinos have been serving other countries for our families and we treat you as our own as well. With all due respect, I thank you all for giving us the trust through the years. For helping us to become what we are now.

The Philippines is more than just a group of islands. We are a nation of strong and remarkable people. A country of beauty and love known to be hospitable and well-valued. I humbly apologize for what happened tonight. No one in this world would want something like that to happen for life should be valued.

I politely ask the attention of the world. Please do not judge and mistreat us just because of what happened tonight. I have been searching the net and found terrible things. Hong Kong advices to avoid travels here, China and HK bans Filipinos and that Philippines is the worst place to go.

I can’t blame you for what you have decided but I hope that you could understand. Our country is now in a sea of problems. And I know for sure that we helped you in a way or another. Let peace and understanding reign this time.

I know that this letter will just be trash but I wish that you would understand. On behalf of the Philippine population.. WE ARE SORRY.

As a song puts it…

And I believe that in my life I will see an end to hopelessness, giving-up and suffering. And we all stand together this one time then no one will get left behind. Stand up for life. STAND UP FOR LOVE

Sincerely yours,

Reigno Jose Dilao
Catbalogan City, Samar

(End of Letter)

The week that was (August 15-21)

Sunday: Got up a bit early to go online. I wanted to edit some pictures but my will power is weak.I went online in the afternoon to update my mafia and vamps before going back home.

Monday: Met our new team mate at helpdesk.Work was quite slow.

Tuesday: Since I slept late last night, my will to get up is quite week. I wanted to sleep all day but I have to work of course. XD. Had my new office PC as well as a new location of my workstation. At least I can work more efficiently (as well as play efficiently XD). 

Wednesday: Got up at 7:30am for the nth time. Then I prepared myself before going to work. I looked for an ATM since I had to buy some magazines I've missed for the past month. During my lunch, I went to Landmark to buy 5 magazines that cost me 1,200 pesos. Since my team mate won't be reporting for his 1-10pm shift, I worked for 3 more hours to cover the gap. Those 3 extra hours were quite boring so I played some music on my cellphone to kill time.

Thursday: Got up at 7:30am and prepared myself for work. It's also Quezon City day but my wife has to go to work. Work was quite steady and I was able to contribute a thing or two. I went to WTC to check out CAMPI (3rd PIMS) and took some snapshots before heading back to the office. But before I went back to the office, I went to Grow to give my answer whether or not I will renew my contract for one more year. After my shift, I went to SM Megamall to meet my wife there.We had dinner at Avenito Pizzeria before calling it a day.

Friday: Got up at around 7:30am and prepared myself to work. Before going to work, I went to Intramuros to have breakfast at Manang's Fried Chicken. Then I went to Harrison Plaza to meet my mom there before going to work. I to to the office a bit late. Work was quite steady as usual and I felt quite bored. We had our meeting with the IT Manager regarding our Team Building this coming Saturday.

Saturday: Got up early even if I slept at past 12mn. Probably its the excitement that I felt that's why I got almost sleepless. I got up at around 5am and prepared my self for out Team Building. After our team building, I went to Jollibee to buy pasalubong for my wife since she texted me that she was hungry. I went online for a couple of minutes before I called it a day and went to bed.

XD

C A M P I (4th Day)

Taken at 50mm. XD

The babes start here. XD

Yesterday, I went back to WTC to take more pictures of the cars as well as the models. But the catch was I have to take their pictures using 50mm only. This was indeed a challenge for me. Actually, I tried it last Thursday as I sneaked out of the office and took some quick snaps for reference. Then I checked it to make sure to correct any settings that I made prior to the event. I went there all by myself again since some of my friends were not that much interested in car shows lately.

I was able to meet a few friends here who are also fond of taking pictures of the models more than the cars itself XD. I spent the next couple of hours taking pictures of models (mostly XD) using my 50mm lens. It was a challenge for me since aside from this would be the first time I'll use a 50mm for carshow events, I'm not yet used to do foot-zoom (zooming with your feet instead of your lens XD).

The event was a huge success and I'm looking forward to next year's carshow.

Here are some more pictures of the event. Please do enjoy. XD

Team Building at Phillip's Sanctuary

I got up early so that I won't miss the 6:30am bus. I was anticipating this event since this would be my first team building activity in a long while and my first without any drinking session. I took a cab going to Makati and I got there in less than 30 minutes. I went to the 6th floor to check some of my accounts before going down to start taking some snaps at the back of the building.

As we travel towards, Antipolo, we were able to pass several views that were really captivating. There were some parts of the trip that we saw several memorial parks (around 4-5 I think) but the overlooking view of the mountains really captivated me in a way that I wanted to get our of the bus and take some quick snaps. It took us more than an hour (an hour and a half) before reaching the place. It was really a long trip, hence I anticipated a tiring trip back home after our team building.

I though we were already there at Phillip's Sanctuary. But we had to take a 15-20 minute hike down before we reach the actual place. The place was really nice and quiet, perfect for team building activities as well as practicing photography. We made ourselves comfortable and had to rest for a couple of minutes before we begin with our team building activities. This would be my first time in a long while that I will be involved in a lot of physical activities. And I had my handful of it. I really enjoyed getting physically tired and I was able to take some snaps at the same time.

After that whole day activity, we had to take another 15-20 minutes hike back up towards the bus. I couldn't imagine how tired I am for the first time in years. XD

About their food, it was quite OK though I was hoping that our food will be buffet. I just had to imagine that the food were abundant.

With the location, though its very far away from civilization, it was still worth the trip. Plus you get to see a lot of picture-worthy scenery. If only I didn't participate in those physical challenges, I could have took more than a thousand shots.

Anyways, pictures to follow very soon. XD

markpogi0121 turns One

After almost 150 posts, markpogi0121 will be a year older. ^_^

Looking back, out of boredom, I wrote down whats on my mind here in cyberspace. Not knowing who will visit this space. Not knowing whether or not people would care about my posts here or not. What matters is its my post and I have to channel my energy somewhere.

Happy Birthday markpogi0121! XD

More posts to come and to share. XD

C A M P I (Straight from the cam)

I went there yesterday and took a few snaps for an hour. And here they are. Unedited version (taken using 50mm f/1.8 lens). XD

Thanks for looking. XD

One more year

Last Wednesday, I signed with Grow/Greif for a one-year extension as they offered me a contract to work with them. Though they informed me that they want my contract to be extended earlier, I had to think and consider some possibilities. After at least two weeks, I made my decision to stick with them (hence, I signed the one-year contract extension) for one more year. I told my wife about my decision to stay with them but she was a bit apprehensive. Though I haven't told her my reasons why, here are some of my reasons why I decided to stay with them for another year.

1. With the current base pay I have (subject for salary review by Oct '10), It will help me somehow save enough money to help my wife with our savings for a new home.

2. This would allow me to save enough money to fund my basic camera set-up (I might be able to complete it before 2010 ends). Another lens (28-75mm f/2.8 and 11-16mm f/2.8) and additional filters would suffice plus a sturdier tripod would complete my basic set.

3. With at least 9 hours of being online in a day, I would be able to use the internet for enhancement of IT-Learning. I hope this time, the temptation of surfing non-work related sites would be reduced to at least 50%.

That's what I can think of for the moment why I opted to extend my contract with Greif. And besides, I love what I'm doing here. XD

Getting up late

For the past few days (4-7 days I think), I've been getting up at past 7:00am to either ready myself for work or go online early. I told myself 2 weeks ago that I'll make the most of my early mornings to edit some pictures for web posting. But it seems that our bed gets the best of me, preventing me to get-up early. Hayyy. I need to free-up my load soon. Or else, I would be loaded-up with a lot of things to do.

The week that was (Aug 8-14)

Sunday: Got up a bit late at around 8:45am. Cooked pancakes since my wife requested for it. Then I went out to but some pancake syrup as well as butter for the pancakes. Had our lunch before going back home to Manila. As we travel back, I felt so sleepy all of a sudden that I don't want to wake up. As we got back home, I went online again before buying some stuff needed for the week ahead.

Monday: I didn't wake up early to edit pictures. Instead, I got up at around 7:00am then I went online for a while before getting myself ready for work. One of my office mates called me saying that one of our team mates won't be able to report today. Good thing I was able to report on time even the traffic was almost horrible. before the clock strikes at 1:00pm, another team mate of ours wasn't able to report to work since he is not feeling well. We were able to complete our tasks on time and I was able to go home early but I got home 90 minutes later.

Tuesday: Rendered 3-hours overtime since my office mate won't be able to make it that day. I left the office at 10:10pm and went to Trinoma to pick-up my wife there.

Wednesday: Good thing my team mate already reported for his 1pm-10pm shift which means I can go home by 7pm. But everytime I leave the office at 7pm, it takes me almost an hour and a half to reach home. XD

Thursday: Got up at around 7:20am and went online for a short period of time before heading to the office. But before that, I went to Perpetual Hospital in F. Cayco street to ask for the schedules of their OB because I will be taking my wife there for a check-up this weekend. Then I went to Intramuros again to have my breakfast there at Manang's stall #9. I really crave their fried chicken there with 3 cups of rice XD.I got to the office at 10:30am (30 mins late XD). Work was quite steady as usual until 7:00pm. After logging-off, I went to Greenhills to join fellow photohobbyists from HGT. They are really fun to be with though I get shy every first meeting. I got home at around 12:00am before I went to bed.

Friday: I got up at 7:00am since I slept at around past 1:00am. Went online for a while before getting myself prepared for work. Traffic was bearable though it took me an hour and a half to reach the office.Work was quite steady until I got home.

Saturday: I got up quite early since I had to do some laundry before going online. After going online, I went to the barbershop to have my haircut before having my shave. XD. After that, I went to Harbor Square to meet my fellow hobbyist It was my first time taking snaps there. It was really a fun learning experience learning from the masters and sharing shots with fellow newbies like me. XD. I got home at around 11:30pm and it was really tiring.

XD

How to choose a camera club and reasons for joining them

I got this from two interesting websites. Here and There. XD

Do you feel alone in your photography? Why not consider joining a camera club? Joining a club can be a good experience especially if you are around people that share the same passion.

The reason I chose this as a topic, was I always see people that are eager to learn photography but don’t have the venue and to learn photography.

Here are some tips in choosing a club.

1. Look for a club that is accessible to you. Going to club meetings is fun but if they too far away, there may be a million reasons not to go that is why location of the club is criteria in choosing a club.

2. Look for a club that share the same passion and zest for photography. Am sure you would like to be caught in a room of gear heads that think the best equiptment = the best photographer. Choose wisely since these are the people you will be shooting with on your photo trips.

3. Look for a club with a good mix of members. A good variety of taste is good because it will expose you to different types of talent around. Seeing is learning and the more attractive photos you see the better. You can get first crack on interviewing someone on his “techniques and tricks”

4. Look for a club that is willing to share in their experiences. Some clubs are too competitive and it is everyman for hiimself. This doesnt instill sharing and competition can sometimes get out of hand.

5. Look for a club that loves photography and the art of taking pictures not a group that uses photography as a guise for other deeper and darker plans.

6. Look for a club that suits your budget. Some clubs spend a lot on photo trips and photo expeditions. Joining clubs that do these things in excess can be harmful to the pocket.

7. Join a club that has experience. There are new clubs and there are old clubs, join a club rich in tradition and experience so you can take advantage of the rich and diverse culture they present to you.

8. Join a club that is active in promoting its craft. Having exhibits are one of the main goals of the club, showing your work can be a rewarding experience. Look for a club that actively participates in photography activities and exhibits.

Here are some basic reasons, I would suggest you join a club.

1. Improve your photography.

Joining your a club will surely improve your photography. Seeing how others shoot and studying their different shooting styles give you an insight to their photography. You will be able to compare different styles and effects that photographers do and choose the one that you are comfortable with.The contest “themes” will give you a window to the photographers mind and how he thinks the interpretation and execution will always be different because these are expressions of their own creative styles.

2. Meet new friends that share the same passion.

When joining a club, you will meet new people that share the same passion of photography and can keep this passion alive. It is hard to shoot by yourself and share your work if no one is interested.In joining a club, you have an audience, a friend and a teacher all rolled up into one.

3. Increase your confidence.

Showing of your photos and learning from each contest will give you the confidence to be able to present your style and photographic work to others. As you build your confidence you will also build up your own style and in turn build up your photographic identity to others.

4. Explore the world together.

Sometimes you are given the opportunity to go travel as a group and explore different places and share these places thru your photography. At times you are invited to On-the-spot shooting contests which are usually done out of town. These are some of the things that put your creative juices to the test. Showing the world thru your eyes is always a reward in itself.

5. Humility.

In a club you will learn humility. Not everyone will like your style and the expensive cameras are at par with any digital or film camera. The Photographers eye is what counts. It is the theme execution that counts. You will always be judged and will not always be on top. This is what drives you to perform better and want to outdo the others.

6. Learn for Free

The club is where you can go and learn for free by asking question on how the photos were taken presented or how it was shot. you can learn from other members that specialize in different fields like portraiture, wildlife, fashion, interior, wedding or food. You can share tips and tricks that you have learned and understand how others do their work.

7. Stock Photos

We have monthly meetings in our club and during those monthly meetings we have our contest with different Theme each month. Thru the years you will be able to compile Photos from different topics and from different Places and eventually have your own mini “stock photo library”.

Am sure if you go over the above list you will find that the clubs you join should be a place where you will fit in. They are a group you should grow with and are willing to share what they learn along the way.

Thank God Its Friday the 13th

Most people don't like Friday the 13th for it brings bad luck to them. I don't buy that S#*t. XD. I just hope we have our paychecks today but I won't happen for the next two weeks XD.

Oh well. Happy Friday the 13th to all. XD

Swabeng Thoughts: Top 10 Things Men Shouldn't Do After 30

I got this from Askmen.com. I'd probably add my insights whenever I have the time. XD

There's a lot of downright stupid stuff society will give you a pass on while you're still in your 20s, but most of it ceases to be amusing and just gets depressing as you soldier on toward middle age. In a larger sense, though, approval is about achievement; we expect people to improve themselves as they age, so if you're working the same meaningless job and acting just as you did in college, then you're not improving much of anything. Thirty is a big milestone, and it's also a point at which people are going to start to wonder what you're doing with your life.


No.10 - Eat fast food

We're not arguing that you have to become a vegetarian here. You don't even need to spend a lot of time or consideration on preparing your meals. But a decent, healthy, inexpensive meal is not at all that difficult to throw together in, say, five minutes. There are plenty of recipes for healthier eating out there, and many are designed for people with no substantial kitchen and no motivation to cook. Regardless of how little effort you put into it, almost any reasonable meal you make is going to be far better for you than the cocktail of heart attacks and hypertension you're getting with fast food. I'm kinda guilty here until now and probably until the day I die. XD


No.9 - Drive recklessly

The Wikipedia list of famous people killed in traffic accidents has hundreds of entries. About a million people die from traffic collisions every year, and about 50 million more are injured. More than just a behavior for the young and foolhardy, driving like an idiot means ruining your (or someone else's) life. You’re too old to tailgate someone at 70 mph just because you don’t like the look he gave you. If you have trouble imagining the consequences, think about how it would feel if you woke up in a hospital with no legs. Uhm, I have no car so this won't be a problem for me. XD


No.8 - Play video games obsessively

Games are branching out to diverse consumers as best they can. The development of phone games, the explosion of small indie publishers and the amount Wii spent reaching out to non-gamers old and young is making gaming more prevalent. That part of the market is one thing, and nobody's going to look down on you for playing some iPhone game while you sit on the subway. But when you slouch in front of the computer for 48 hours because you're obligated to kill a specific number of orcs, something is amiss. You can't expect to make any real progress in life if your first priorities lie in a world that only exists on a server. The only video game I play is Mafia Wars from Facebook. Does that count? XD. Seriously, I haven't played any serious video games since 2000 and I guess I have moved-on from that phase.


No.7 - Live in a dorm room

Metaphorically, that is. By the time you're 30, it's expected that you've developed some sense of taste and style that's reflected in how you choose to live. If you're still surrounded by beer posters and five-dollar furniture, then people are going to infer a lot about your level of maturity from what they see (and it's probably a pretty accurate assumption). Make an effort to keep everything clean and to present yourself like an adult. I never lived in a dorm room and perhaps I never will.


No.6 - Get a tattoo

Before you get too defensive, note that we're not saying there's anything wrong with already having a tattoo. It's just that most regrettable tattoos -- whether they be an homage to a long-dead band or the pedestrian tribal design -- can be explained as the rash decision of a twenty-something. You're going to be hard-pressed to explain how body modification fit into your thoughtful, adult considerations if you get one after turning 30. I'm having thoughts on getting one for quite sometime now and I guess this isn't for me. XD


No.5 - Binge drink

Of course, nobody's arguing that you need to quit drinking entirely. There's nothing wrong with drinking in moderation, and in fact, you'd probably find yourself in some awkward professional situations if you were to decide not to drink at all. But there's a point at which regular, heavy consumption literally qualifies as a severe chronic illness, and if you haven't worried about that at all yet, hitting 30 is a good time to start thinking about it. Uhm, I've so sober since I got married and I kinda missed going on drinking sprees. XD


No.4 - Live paycheck-to-paycheck

Most wealthy men are wealthy because they were considerate enough to save or invest their money. Long-term wealth is something most of us really have to work at, even if that just means having the restraint to save something -- anything -- every month. If long-term wealth isn't motivating enough, consider all the unforeseen opportunities and emergencies that might require you to have some cash ready. Are you comfortable being totally unprepared for those? It’s time to start saving. Shoot! This one is a tough nut to crack. I guess I have to live within my means now.


No.3 - Work at a dead-end job

Your current job -- the thing you spend your time doing right now -- is how people see you, and it influences how they treat you. When you're defining yourself, either on a form or to another human being, this is one of the first things you'll be asked. Obviously you have plenty of time to figure out what you want to do with your life; you don't need to be an entrepreneurial firebrand straight out of college. But if you're cresting 30 and no dream job has fallen into your lap yet, maybe it's time to consider that you've waited long enough and that it's time to make some changes. I love my job right now but I need to move up the ladder ASAP.


No.2 - Be socially/politically clueless

In American demographics, the term "youth vote" literally means "18 to 29," so by at least one metric, hitting 30 places you cleanly out of the youth category and into the mainstream. The further you go professionally and the more you expand your social horizons, the more you'll be called upon to converse like an adult who actually understands the world. Your politics aren't the issue -- that's not what this is about. It's just that, after a point, you need to know when people are talking about a playwright or a country. I have no idea about this. XD


No.1 - Dress like a slob

Even more important than your job or your personality is how you dress. It’s one of the first things people are going to notice about you (and before you even speak to them, they'll already have partially made up their minds about who you are and what you're like). Just as with cooking like an adult, dressing like a man doesn't really take time, effort or even money. It only requires that you care about how you present yourself and to realize that more is expected of you now than 10 years ago. For me, as long as I look good, its all that matters regardless of what most people would say.

Overtime

The last time I rendered overtime work was last year when I was with my previous company before. I remember then that work was really loaded and we barely eat due to the amount of workload that needs to be done. But here, I have to render a 3-hour overtime since one of my office mates who was supposed to report from 1:00pm-10:00pm was still down and not feeling well (get well soon bro). Actually its fine with me to render overtime work as long as I get paid and I have company here (in our office, you'd get to be alone from 8:00pm-7:00am except for the night-shifters).

Oh well, back to work. XD

FHM Autograph Signing August 2010: Priscilla Meireles

This event was a bit challenging on my part since the signing itself started from 7pm-8pm and I won't be able to leave the office until 7pm. BUT, I did something I haven't done in a long time. Go to the event then go back to the office to log-out. XD

But this requires planning and some luck as there might be some issues that I have to attend to while I'm away. Well luck was on my side and I was able to sneak-out for a couple of hours to attend this event. Together with my friend Alex, We went to Robinson's Galeria to attend the said event. Good thing we were able to get there before the event started.

Then we were able to meet Priscilla in person. Actually, this would be the second time I would meet her since the first time was during UNO's Real Hot 100 party back then in 2008. I still remember how tall and pretty she was back then. Now, she is still the same as she wasback in 2008, only taken by John Estrada. Thank God she posed for FHM first before deciding to settle down for good. I was also able to have my picture taken with her as well as have my magazine signed as well. After the event, I immediately went back to the office to log-off before going home.

I'll try to post some pictures soon. XD

The week that was (Aug 1-7)

Sunday: Got up early to go online. After that, I decided to go out and have breakfast at Jollibee in Mendiola since I have to go to SM Manila to buy some stuff for the week. I got there (SM Manila) quite early so I hang-out with the rest while waiting for the mall to open. Once the mall was opened, I was able to purchase my needs including a new cleaning cloth for my camera as well as the August Issue of FHM. I went home right away to wake-up my wife so we could attend mass. After hearing mass, we went back home to relax a little bit. Then I went to Trinoma to check the availability of the Lenspen since I need it badly. Good thing there was still available at Digital Walker Zoom though it took me a while to convince myself to get one. After getting one, I went back home but had a quick snack at Mongolian Quick Stop at Gateway. As soon as I got home, I cooked some pancakes for my wife. I felt tired doing these activities as my body wanted to get some rest. I texted my officemate to ask for my schedule this August and she replied that I'll be reporting from 10am-7pm starting Monday.

Monday: Got up early but I decided to get some more sleep until 7:00am. Then I went online for a while before preparing myself for work. Before going to work, I went to Intramuros to have some Fried Chicken for breakfast at manang's stall #9. I got late at work (logged-in at 10:01am) but its fine since I was able to have my breakfast there. Though I feel uneasy having a new schedule, this would work for me in the long run but for the time being, I have to enjoy this. 

Tuesday: Got up at around 5:30am to edit some pictures. Good thing I was able to do good edits on few of them plus I've learned perspective cropping XD.Then I went to work and do my daily responsibilities while I'm there.

Wednesday: Got up early again to edit some pictures. This time, I used perspective cropping on some pictures to make it straight. Commuting to the office was quite ok considering the traffic. Work was quite steady also which gives my brain some exercise. XD.

Thursday: Got up early to edit some more pictures. I also posted an album in facebook where I will upload raw (meaning untouched by photoshop except for the watermark). Then I went to Intramuros to have breakfast there. But I took a different route since there were no bus traveling to Quiapo that time. I was able to have my hearty serving of fried chicken for two days this week (the other was last Monday). Then I went to Harrison Plaza to meet my mom and hand her some stuff before going to the office.Work was quite steady before going home.

Friday: Got up early but I wasn't able to edit some pictures. I left home to go to Quirino Grandstand to see the photo-mosaic done for the late President Corazon C. Aquino before going to the office.Work was quite OK with some discussions about our incoming schedule in September. I had to wait for the right moment for me to sneak-out and attend the FHM Autograph Signing for August. I got home at around 10:15pm before hitting the bed.

Saturday: Got up early to go online and check some pictures for editing. I bought some breakfast (pandesal) for us to chow down on. Then me and my wife went home to San Pedro to visit our folks there. It has been almost a month since the last time we got there. Travel was ok and we were able to make ourselves comfortable. Then I visited my dentist and my wife tag-along with me. She wanted to go out and after my visit to the dentist, we did some grocery before calling it a day. But I had to go back to one of the internet cafe's in our place to check my facebook. XD

XD

Tribute to Tita Cory

This morning, I was able to visit Quirino Grandstand to see the photo mosaic of former President Corazon C. Aquino. My good friend and master photographer Alex Mempin was able to go there last Saturday and took some photos. I'll post my snaps within the next few days.

XD

Almost getting used to it

I still have less than 2 hours to go here in the office before I head home. Since Monday, my schedule has been adjusted to 10am-7pm. I am so used to this schedule since it allows me to wake up late and party after office and still report the next day fully charged.

Right now, I'm adjusting again to this schedule which I consider very flexible and hopefully, I would be able to utilize my priorities here. XD

Rogue vs UNO

Take your pick for this month. XD

Georgia

OR

Phoemela

Why not both? XD

Beer Troubleshooting

Now you should know better. XD

 

Taken from Google

So let's drink to that. XD

The week that was (July 25-31)

Sunday: I got up a little bit early to go online as well as edit some pictures that I took during the WWPW. I was able to choose 7 pictures and from there, I have to pick one. Then we went to church to hear mass before having our lunch as well as watched dvd. I wasn't able to get some good sleep in the afternoon so I went online at a nearby internet cafe before calling it a day. 

Monday: Got up much earlier than usual since I had to work from 7am-4pm as my morning team mates won't be able to make it. Work was really handful as I barely make it before lunch time. Good thing my team mate came at around 1pm since work was really overwhelming especially if you are all by your lonesome. After work, I went to Mc Donalds to get a bite of my favorite Quarter Pounder meal before heading home. I was supposed to take a short nap but instead, I browsed on some websites pertaining to Sagada. 

Tuesday: Work is back to normal now thanks to my team mates who were able to report to work. I did my usual morning routine then head home to rest.

Wednesday: Did some morning rituals before going to work. At the office, work was so light as I was able to browse blogs and forums. I got an sms from my wife asking me to meet her at SM Megamall. After office hours, I meet my wife there at SM Megamall ang accompanied her to settle some accounts.We had dinner at the foodcourt with a heap serving of Beef Pares.

Thursday: Did my usual morning rituals before going to the office. Work was literally light and we waited for our monthly salary to load to our respective atm. I had my luch at The Landmark for a change and ordered my favorite Sisig at Sisig Hooray. After lunch, I already received an email notification from them saying that our salary was already credited to our atm account. I got enough money to buy the necessary stuff for my camera though I wasn't able to buy the battery grip that I am planning to for the last few weeks. After office hours, I went to SM Megamall to get myself a brand new canon battery before going to Robinson's Galeria to get an 8GB SDHC memory card.

Friday: This would probably sum-up my boring work week. Work was really light. And I waited for the day to end. I meet up with my friend to borrow his CPL for my lens by lunch time before heading to The landmark again for my Sisig lunch. This time, I ordered the famous "Aling Lucing Original Sisig" and it didn't fail my expectations except for that additional cholesterol in my system. After work, I went to Robinson's Galeria to buy some pasalubong for my in-laws before finally head home. I prepared my things for the roadtrip the next day.

Saturday: Got up at around 4:30am to prepare for our Rizal-Laguna roadtrip courtesy of Pipho. I took a cab to get to our meeting place at Shell in Ortigas. I was able to meet new piphols as well as reconnect with the old ones. We left Shell at around 6pm and we got back there at around 9:30pm. I was really tired and exhausted that day but it was all worth it.

XD

Pipho's Rizal-Laguna Road Trip (My first)

Taken by Regie Fernando (Founder of Pinoy Photography)

I still feel my body aching after that long trip that I had courtesy of Pipho. I was a bit hesitant in joining since I didn't know when was the exact date of the trip. Prior to the trip itself, I was filled with excitement to visit other destinations in Rizal and Laguna that I haven't been to for the past 31 years. Even if I'm not sure with my schedule for July, I still signed-up for the trip hoping I would be able to join with fellow photographers. Contrary to what my other friends told me about the places we were going infested with NPA's our roadtrip was a safe one.

Good thing, my former boss gave me a Sat-Sun off which allowed me to join. However, there were some challenges including the schedule itself for the road-trip as to when will it exactly happen. After a couple of discussions, it was decided that it would be on the 31st of July. Another challenge was which van I will be included at but it has been fixed before the day itself.

At around 5:30am, I was already at our meeting place together with the other Piphols. We exchanged pleasantries first before we were briefed on our itinerary. I hoped there were more time with doing some socials as I'm not yet familiar with some of the Piphols I've joined though I've been familiar with some of them.

We left our meeting place at past 5:30am and went to our first destination.  We passed by a certain spot somewhere in Rizal overlooking a good view of Laguna De Bay in the morning. I was able to take a snapshot of the place several times before we moved on to our next location.

One of the Church Doors in St Jerome's Church

About St Jerome's Church in Morong

Our official first stop was at St. Jerome Church in Morong, Rizal. It was my first time to set foot there but not my first time to take pictures of a church in Rizal built in 1800's. I tried to take the best pictures of the entire church as well as its details too. We didn't stay there that long since we need to go to another location. 

The Lush Greens at Pacheco's Place

Our next was was at Pacheco's Gallery in Morong, Rizal.The place was owned by Señor Rafael Pacheco which is considered as the father of finger painting here in the Philippines. Though I haven't seen or noticed his works that much since I was busy looking for a good vantage point to shoot, I'll be going back there to take a deeper look into his artwork and hopefully he won't be shouting at me just as he did with some of my fellow photographers.

More lush greens available for viewing

We stopped by through a rice field and took some shots. For one, I like shooting landscapes and nature with a little people on the background (or foreground) and this was a good training exercise for my eyes.

One shot inside Baras Church

History of Baras Church

Then, we head off to Baras Church located in Baras, Rizal. Again, this was another old church built during the 17th century. If my memory serves me right, there was a mass going on there but attendees were a handful.

One sample shot at the Famous Parola

The Famous Parola in Tanay

After our 2nd church stop, we went on to Tanay, Rizal to see its the famous parola. Now I know why most photographers do go here. It not just about the parola itself but what it surrounds it. The tranquility in its surroundings and of course, lots of subject to shoot XD.

Lunch time, we were some where in Tanay but it was raining during that time. I was hoping it won't rain once we pass by some stops in Laguna. After lunch, we went straight to Laguna to get some more shots.

On our way there, we took a different route. Then we stopped at one spot to take some pictures of the scenery. That was the second time of the day that we were in high altitude and we were able to take more photos from the top.

Pakil Church in Pakil, Laguna

I really like taking pictures of these XD.

What more with these? XD

Once we descended down, we were already in Laguna. Far away Laguna, probably the other side of it. After a while we were already in Pakil, Laguna. We stopped by at it church and there was a fiesta-wedding event there, thus making our visit more meaningful as we were able to take pictures of the festivities of love and happiness there.

Taken at Paete Church

Paete Church's History

However, weather wasn't on our side as it continued raining going to Paete, Laguna. We visited its church which was the fourth in our itinerary. I took some more snaps before deciding it was time to rest a little bit from shooting the whole day.

Jesus Christ in Wood.

Time to go home.

Then we head to our next stop (which was our last since rain doesn't stop =( ) which is one of the wood carving shops in Paete. I was able to maximize the use of my 50mm prime lens since I'm not using any flash to take pictures so as not to disturb the workers there.

We were supposed to go to Lake Caliraya for a good sunset shots by the lake but unfortunately for us, the rain didn't stop. We had to be contented with passing by other towns in Laguna that I see for the first time. We bought our pasalubong in Los Baños. I got 2 boxes of buko pie for my wife and my in-laws.

Finally, we had our dinner along one of the gas stations in SLEX before parting ways back at Shell in Ortigas. The road trip was really fun as I leaned a lot from my fellow photographers and enjoyed their company as well.