I Blog, Therefore I Am.

A lot of people ask what is the camera I use for this blog. Its actually just a simple DSLR entry-level Canon EOS 1000D (or otherwise known as Canon EOS Digital Rebel XS in the United States). I bought it in December 2008 as a well-deserved Christmas gift to myself.





I'm not really into the whole photography thing as others perceived. Not all DSLR owners are, actually. I bought a nice camera because I just want to have more-than-average-looking photos on my blogs,  Social Networking Sites and scrapbooks. Photography is just one of my many interests, but not one  of my hobbies. :) A cousin even told me that I use my DSLR like I use a regular point and shoot digicam; since I don't maximize the full potential of the manual settings.

When I was about to buy my Canon camera in 2008, a lot of my friends and colleagues are convincing me to get a Nikon instead. They said that it would be easier for me to borrow lenses and other camera accessories since most of them are Nikon owners.  I still chose Canon over Nikon primarily because of the picture and color resolution it gives. I find Nikon shots too bright and overly saturated compared to the more subdued Canon photos. Some may argue that this can be adjusted through the settings or even Photoshop, but I still find the photos too striking for my taste. Plus, I've always been loyal to Canon cameras so it was really a no-brainer and a non-choice. My first digital camera was a Canon Digital IXUS 60 (Canon Powershot SD600) and I loved it so much until it expired after years of everyday use. It indeed served me well.

Here are some of my favorite Boracay photos using a Canon EOS 1000D with 18-55mm lens:




Boracay Lantern Along Station 2



Boracay Boats On Break



Aria's Aglio, Olio, e Peperoncino from Aria Boracay


Next on the agenda is to save for a new Canon macro lens.  I'm really fascinated with food styling & photography and it's something I want to learn more about. I've been practicing, eating out a lot lately  (yikes!), and even started a new blog so I can document all the food photo adventures. Let's see how it will go.

There's a lot of specials, promotions and memorabilia in celebration of the upcoming inauguration on June 30 of our 15th President, Noynoy Aquino. One of them, and the most enticing I've read and seen so far, is the Php 15.00 ($0.32) Domestic Travel Ticket Sale of Cebu Pacific. It's not yet announced publicly - as of this writing - but their official Twitter account already made the announcement hours ago. Travelers can already book and avail discounted tickets through the Cebu Pacific Air website.


Photo Courtesy of Ariel2009's Flickr

I tried it myself and I was able to book for a trip to Puerto Princesa on November 2010 for 3 days. I only paid Php 158.80 ($3.45) for a round trip ticket including taxes and surcharges. I also tried to book myself for an International Flight and got a Php 3,793 ($80.70) fare, also on November, for a Manila-Singapore-Manila route.

Here are some tips: Cebu Pacific usually announce their sales and  promotions a day ahead through their official Facebook or Twitter accounts. I also noticed that they primarily have seat sale promos before the end of the month. Duration for this particular promo is until June 30 for October to November 30 , 2010 travel dates.

On a personal note, I can't wait to go to Puerto Princesa and experience the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park. Filipinos should really visit the Underground River NOW before it become very expensive and popular due to the New 7 Wonders of Nature recognition that it's expected to get by next year.

I am so behind with my blog posts. This entry was supposed to be posted two months ago. I've been busy with work and personal stuff so I wasn't able to update. I have a whole lot more to tell about the summer that was and I'm really hoping that I would be able to blog them all.

Our first family adventure for the summer was a Visita Iglesia of Laguna churches. I've been to Ilocos, Batangas, Cebu and other old Spanish towns and provinces but nothing beats Laguna when it comes to its abundance of historical churches. I've always been fascinated by churches so this trip is both cultural and religious. The goal of the travel was to visit 7 churches which includes a trip to the popular Kamay Ni Hesus religious grounds in Lucban, Quezon. We had two Stations of the Cross for each visit to complete the 14 stations.

OUR LADY OF THE HOLY ROSARY CHURCH
Our first stop was the Our Lady of the Holy Rosary Parish at Luisiana, Laguna. It's a very simple church but is very popular among Visita Iglesia goers. It's also said that it's the oldest parish honoring Nuestra Senora del Rosario in the Philippines.

Here are my photos for Weeks 12 to 14 of my Project 52. I haven't been neglecting the project. I was just busy last week thus I wasn't able to post the photos.

WEEK 12: MINE IS PURPLE!
The photo for Week 12 is, of course, my new MacBook Pro in Speck Satin Purple cover. A lot of people are telling me to remove the cover so that they can see the spanking aluminum unibody design. What's the point in buying a Pro, right? But I love the Purple color and I love how it looks on my MBP so it's going to stick in there - for a while at least.



WEEK 13: LAKE & MOUNTAIN
I spent Maundy Thursday and Good Friday with some of my favorite people - Witt, Tin & Ylette - in San Pablo City. The photo below was taken in one of our walks in Sampaloc Lake, the largest of the Seven Lakes in the city. The shot was taken with the majestic and miraculous Mount Banahaw in the background.

More photos of our San Pablo sojourn soon!



WEEK 14: SUMMER SHOES
I was at the mall last Friday and I fell in like with these wedges. I am not really fond of wearing bulky platform shoes but this pair is so summer-y so I decided to buy it. There are other colors of this style but I chose yellow to match my newly-bought yellow statement tops.

This is definitely going to be my summer & election shoes!

I was fortunate to be in Boracay last Labor Day weekend for the Smart Buddy Hot Summer Samahan event. I was not really expecting the work trip and I only learned that I was going less than 24 hours before my actual departure. I went to the island to oversee one of the activities of Smart's premiere summer event.

It was only my third trip to the island and it was fun to learn and experience new things and visit different places which I haven't been. It's also nice to discover a different Boracay apart from the watersports and beaching that we all love. Read on!

1. I was "almost" and "mostly" solo on the trip and it was both good and bad. Good because I can do all the things I want and bad because I don't have anybody to share it with.

2. Labor Day weekend was the second busiest period of summer! I was early at the airport but I was still bumped off because PAL Express overbooked my flight due to four canceled Caticlan flights that day.



3. PAL Express transferred us to Seair and it was my first time to ride a 20-seater plane (I counted)! The plane was bare and I can't sleep. I was finally able to sleep 30 minutes after take-off but the repeated turbulence woke me up.

4. The upside of Seair? We were only 9,000 ft. high so I was able to take some overhead shots; and land and sea travel to Boracay were also free!





5. There were so many people in Boracay that weekend! It was so crowded! You have to line-up for almost everything. It was also raining on and off but the people were dedma about it.

6. I met and worked with colleagues from Boracay, Iloilo and Makati who helped me with agents stuff, booth supervision and reaching the target. :)

7. First lunch meal was at The Big Mouth in D'Mall with colleagues. I ordered a small bowl of Pesto Pasta and a glass of Coke. Damage? Php 200! Welcome to Boradise of Expensive Everything!



8. I was supposed to stay at Patio Pacific (it was overbooked) or at the Fairways (it was so far) but I ended up at this simple, beachfront hotel at Station 1 called Casa Fiesta. It was right in front of our event venue and it was just less than a hundred feet from our Wireless Center. Perfect!

9. The lady who owns Casa Fiesta was very kind and accommodating. She did not ask for even a deposit or a down payment for my 4-day stay. She just asked me to fill-out some forms. The room was spacious and the bathroom was clean. It has a double bed, a TV, a ref, a/c and a veranda overlooking the beach.

10. Work on my first day was very stressful. The target was high and it was really stressful working in the beach. Unbelievable but true.



11. I took a break and a stroll along Station 1 mid-afternoon to check out the scenery. I was hoping for a Jonah's shake but it was jam-packed as usual.

12. I'll be fit as a fiddle if I live in Boracay with all the walking and strolling. I loved all the solitary walks I had.



13. I love great hotels so I took note of all the resorts and boutique hotels I want to stay in. Here are some of them: Zuzuni, Las Brisas, Residencia Boracay, Two Seasons, Bluewaves Beach House, Seawind (always been on my list since 2001), Boracay Regency and, of course, DS.



14. Since it was a work trip, we obviously had meetings! I had two on my first day.

15. I love the I-don't-care Boracay attitude that gave me the convenience of wearing anything I want. Shorts? Check! Floral overload? Check! Non-black stuff? Check! It was also the first time I wore white in years!

16. Our first day dinner was buffet at Seawind where I was able to taste one of the best pastas I've ever had = Oil & Garlic With Mushrooms and Hams. I am now hunting for a recipe!




17. There was also something in the Boracay air that makes one thirsty! So I ordered a glass of Bailey's on one of the beach bars near my hotel. I had the shock of my life when the bartender gave me two glasses. I apparently ordered one their "buy one, take one" drinks. Geez!



18. I was up bright and early on my 2nd day for our actual Summer Samahan event. I was happy and excited. I was up until 2:00 am devising a strategy that would "sell". It DID sell and we had a favorable outcome. Yey, me!

19. I was busy the entire day working non-stop. I only stopped for a well-deserved lunch at Tribraz along Station 2. Tribraz is a french bistro near Cafe Del Mar. I had Potato & Meat Casserole and Rice Pilaf. Yummy!

20. I had an EX moment across the miles. I can't believe it! *shakes head, roll eyes*

21. Speaking of #21, I learned that all my pasts and possible future are all Smart subscribers. Galeng!

22. The Summer Samahan event was so great! Bosses will be happy. I realized that I can also be an excellent frontliner and on-ground person. Chat will be proud!



23. I would like to thank Aqtiv 100 Plus Energy Drink (Hi, Jomar! Hello, Mark!) and Colgate for the support and sponsorship. Until next time!

24. I was so exhausted the whole day but it did not hinder me to peek at my Social Networking Sites and tweet.

25. Second night's dinner was another buffet at Le Soleil De Boracay at Station 2 with colleagues. It was just so so. Nothing spectacular.

26. I strolled along Station 2 and 3 after dinner. I discovered new restaurants, saw the new Mandarin Spa and took note of all the places I can take my family on our trip in June.



27. Looks like the best chill-out places in the island are (and still are) Guilly's, Bamboo Lounge and the new Obama's Grill at Statiton 1; and Bombom's, SummerPlace and Hey Jude at Station 2.


The new Obama Grill at Station 1

28. Spongecola is the best! 'Nuff said, love 'em. The Summer Samahan Event culminated with a concert of Spongecola, Rocksteddy and Bamboo. Rock on!

29. I caught a fever because of the on/off rain and the high temp of my room's AC. I spent the night on-line with my favorite fattening snack bought from D'Mall: Lays & Coke.

30. I am the biggest loser in Boracay because I spent the day in bed resting and nursing my colds on my 3rd day. I was awoken by cheers before lunch as a result of Pacman's greatest boxing battle against Hatton. I wasn't able to watch the match live but I learned from Twitter how the bloodshed happened.

31. I spent my final afternoon doing usual Boracay stuff like eating Chori Burger, strolling along Station 1 and sipping Jonah's Fruitshake. I tried the plain Mocha flavor and it was delicious.



32. There was, of course, the Sunset! It was not a magnificent summer sunset and it was very cloudy but it was great nonetheless.





33. I love the All Flip Flops By The Beach store at Station 1. Nice lighting, too!



34. My favorite Boracay activity is Massage By The Beach so I obviously did not leave the island without it. It was relaxing and refreshing as usual.

35. I had my first-ever Henna Tattoo! I was so happy about it so I had two. One on my right ankle and the other one on my right leg.



36. One of my best ever meal was at Aria. I had the Aglio, Olio, e Peperoncino pasta for my last lunch at the island. It was so delicious. All the raves about Aria are indeed true!



37. The flight back home was breeze. I took a PAL Express flight and I must say that it's the best ride I've ever had from Caticlan to Manila. It's not as "uncontrolled" like Cebu Pacific and Seair.



38. I arrived around 4:00 PM on a Monday and was both happy and sad about it. Sad because I just came back from one of best places in the world and happy because I am back in my beloved city with my family and friends on it.

I'll be going back to Boracay in June but this time with the family. We will be celebrating my brother's 27th birthday there. Hopefully, I'll be able to swim and do beach stuff and watersports by then.

I went to Cebu a week ago and to Davao last Thursday. Both are quick trips where I attended two important regional meetings. Both were good trips and I feel confident that the huddles we had will yield positive results in the next months (Go, Team!).

I requested too late for my trip to Cebu so I was very unfortunate to be booked on a Cebu Pacific flight outbound. It was terrible! The ground staff were so impolite and they ask embarrassing questions to passengers out loud! I will really try my best NOT to take any Cebu Pacific flights in the future - cheap rates or not! There's absolutely no excuse for bad customer service. They were very different from the personnel from PAL who even gave me a seat upgrade on my flight to Manila from Davao.

Cebu was a delight as usual! I stayed for less than a day but it was still a joy nonetheless. I arrived 8ish and immediately checked-in to my hotel. I was upgraded to one of their suite rooms but I soon realized that it was freaky to spend a night alone in a very huge room (but the plasma TV was great). I had a late dinner at Bigby's at my now-favorite Ayala Terraces, browse a few books at Fully Booked, took some night shots, and had a very relaxing well-deserved massage at The Spa at Cebu.


The new Ayala Terraces


Grilled Rodeo Chops

I've wanted to try The Spa at Cebu since last year but I never had the chance until last week. The facility is okay and they truly made the effort to make the place relaxing and zen-ish. They adapted some styles and elements from the original The Spa here in Manila (but I think they are not related) and it turned out great. It was by far the best spa massage I had in Cebu. Try it on your next visit.


The Spa at Cebu

Davao did not fail to excite me as always. I was unbelievably stressed and anxious on the trip because I left a ton of work at the office and I unknowingly lost my ATM card on my way out. I only realized that it WAS gone when I was about to withdraw money at the airport. Good thing I have SMART Money so a colleague was able to lend me some moolah through our mobile phones and I was able to withdraw it instantly. The joys of SMART Money! Clearly one of our best innovations ever! It's really handy on "ooppps" moments like these.

The highlight of my Davao trip was probably our dinner at Pard's. Davao is known for its hole-in-the-wall restaurants which serve delicious seafood and grilled delights. We had prawns, fish, crabs and one of the best tasting tuna sashimi I've ever had! It was fresh, thinly sliced, and it doesn't have the funky taste that sashimis usually have. Too bad I wasn't able to bring home some because of an early morning flight the following day.


Durian - the most misjudged fruit in the Philippines


I ordered Chocolate Mousse from Room Service. Yummy.


Early morning at Davao International Airport.
Travel SMART, of course!

One of the most memorable moments I had on this trip was my first taste of Durian (the most misjudged fruit in the whole Philippines). I've had durian candies and shakes before but I've never tasted the actual fruit. The smell was so weird that even if it was good it was still weird for me. I took just a bite and gave up on it entirely. Sorry! :)

Today, January 5, 2009, is probably the most unpopular day of the year so far. Everyone was too hung-over to work or too tired from vacation to even pretend to work. The last holiday vacation was probably the longest I can remember since I started working. I took a leave on the 24th of December so I had 12 days of non-work including those holidays declared by the government. It's common for me to have January blues so I usually extend my vacation until the 3rd working day of the year. But the vacation was too long already so it's too much to even consider on extending for that long.

The first four days of the year were uneventful ones for me. I spent most of the day sleeping, surfing random blogs and websites, resizing pictures, reading The American Wife, and watching old episodes of Project Runway and Lipstick Jungle. I was too tired from all the holiday celebrations and was preparing for the work stress thus I spent 10 to 14 hours a day just sleeping after the New Year celebrations.

Now that we covered the mundane things I did during the long vacation, let’s now take a look at the few exciting events and get-togethers I’ve been in the last weeks of 2008.

YEARLY CLAN REUNION
We spent Christmas Eve at home with the usual Noche Buena and opening of gifts. My niece, Gabbie, had the biggest loot as expected. Christmas day was spent at home resting and lounging in preparation for our annual clan reunion with my mom's sisters and their families in the evening.


One of the gifts I received! This is truly a favorite.


My nieces Nica, Gabbie, Casey and Jana on our Christmas party.


My niece Icee counting her Christmas cash

BAGUIO ONCE MORE
My good friend Tin asked us to join her in celebrating her 30th birthday at the City of Pines. It was my second time in Baguio for the year but I still had fun. We went around Session, Burnham & Wright, had Strawberry Taho, coffee at John Hay, dinner at Volante and celebration drinks at Northgate.


Tin and her birthday cake of 12 years ago


At the El Cielito lobby


Ylette at Burnham. One of my favorite shots.

POST-CHRISTMAS DINNER WITH FRIENDS
My forces girlfriends Tin, Aileen, Charo & Jako had our holiday dinner at Italianni's before the end of the year. We haven't seen each other for a while so we spent the night catching up on things and exchanging gifts.


Me, Tin, Charu, Aileen


What's with the knife?


The Mac Keeper

WELCOMING THE NEW YEAR
We spent New Year's eve at home quietly despite the loud bangs outside. We gave thanks to the Lord for all the blessings He gave us for the year. We also prayed for good health, prosperity and joys for the coming year.


Gabbie and her three trumpets


Fireworks on a school zone? How weird is our neighborhood?


More holiday photos at my Multiply photo site.

November 21 was probably one of the longest and most tiring days of my life. Here's a detailed account of what happened:

3:30 AM My alarm went off and I punched the snooze button. I still had 30 more minutes of sleep time.

5:00 AM I left the house for the airport. My Philippine Airlines flight to Cagayan de Oro was at 7:10 AM. It was very early in the morning so I figured that it will be a quick trip from Laguna to Paranaque.

5:45 AM I was wrong! I spent more than 30 minutes on standstill near the Sta. Rosa interchange. The morning shift people going to nearby TechnoPark created a huge traffic jam.

6:25 AM I arrived at the NAIA Terminal 2 just in time! I quickly checked-in, got my boarding pass and paid for my terminal fee. Good thing I only had my big handbag and laptop thus no check-in luggage.




6:40 AM My flight was called and I was one of the last who boarded because I had "breakfast" of Red Ribbon Special Mamon and Coke at the waiting lounge.

7:12 AM I put on my sunglasses and pashmina shawl and was fast asleep even before take-off. Manila was dull and cold when I left.




7:30 AM I was awoken by the crew who were chatting noisily at the back of the plane. I also observed that PAL's already cutting cost since they are no longer offering juice inflight.

8:35 AM I arrived in sunny Cagayan De Oro and was pissed at the taxi people who wanted to overcharge for a 2KM trip.

8:50 AM I learned when I arrived at the Clubhouse of Xavier Estates that my presentation for the Mindanao Regional Meeting was moved to 1:00 PM instead of the original 9:00 AM schedule.



9:10 AM I took some some snaps from the beautiful place before hailing another cab to downtown CDO to kill time and explore the place before my presentation.

9:35 AM I arrived in Limketkai and was surprised to see how "sleepy" CDO is. I checked the Body & Sole Spa and Bigby's and both opens at 11:00 am. Despite that I observed that CDO is now more urban and progressive compared to my last visit in 2003.

9:40 AM I ordered a Chocolate Chip Froccino from Bo's Coffee, one of the few establishments open, while reading a tourist info flyer on CDO. I obviously looked for stuff I can do for the next two hours.

9:55 AM I went inside Limketkai Mall and saw this queue near the entrance of SMART Wireless Center. Wow..they can't wait to go inside?



10:20 AM I went to Vanity Works, a local spa place, and asked for a one-hour massage. The receptionist told me that their therapists were not yet in. I got tired of waiting for them so I left and just went on-line to check my work e-mail.

11:30 AM I went to Bigby's and ordered my favorite Grilled Rodeo Chops and Iced Tea. I love their Iced Tea, one of the best I had!



12:30 AM I got back at Xavier Estates for my presentation. The Wireless Center Managers were still eating when I arrived so I reviewed my presentation and watched 90210 on my laptop while waiting.

1:30 AM I presented updates and results for three of our projects this fourth quarter. There were some questions and suggestions. They were also excited when I announced the SMART & Nokia Davao launch of the N96 at Urban Bar on November 28 (everyone is invited!).

2:45 PM Our office van took me back to Cagayan De Oro airport for my flight back to Manila at 3:50 PM.

3:00 PM I checked-in and was told that all the good seats were already taken so I have to settle for a middle seat. I've always been an aisle girl so I was not happy about it. The kind airport personnel even checked if he can upgrade me for free to business class but it was a full flight.

3:10 PM I bought boxes of delicious Pastel (bread with yema filling) and Pastillas for my girls from the office and my family. I also watched 90210 from my iPhone while waiting for my flight.



4:00 PM Turned-off my phone and slept to oblivion as the plane raced through the runway. I woke up a couple of minutes just before landing. I was so tired!

6:19 PM I answered SMS and calls that I missed on my way to SM Mall of Asia for a customer event.

6:30 PM I arrived at Pink Pepper at SM Mall of Asia and was glad to see some very happy subscribers. The food - Pesto Pasta, Steak, Paella, Creme Brulee - were so delicious!



6:45 AM I got a call from Eugene from our Consumer Sales and he told me that I can already get my new handset from my SMART postpaid retention on Monday. Yey!

7:40 PM Marj, Kathy and I left the event after congratulating the South Metro Manila Wireless Operations for their successful and enjoyable "Wine, Dine & iMax to the Max SUKI Celebration".

8:00 PM I was supposed to go home right away but I decided to get a well-deserved Swedish Massage at Body Tune. My usual is Shiatsu but I decided to go for a more relaxing Swedish after the day I just had. It was great!

9:40 PM I went to Fully Booked to look for some interesting reads. I was supposed to get two biographies of the Clintons but I decided against it when I saw the international bestseller bio of Princess Masako. I also bought a copy of Newsweek which has President-elect Obama as cover.



11:15 PM I finally arrived home! I immediately went to bed, read a couple of chapter of the book I bought and finished the last few episodes of West Wing Season 1.

Whew! What a day! :) How's yours?

Pardon for the photos. I forgot to charge my digicam so the above are all iPhone photos.