Good morning, Azalea!

Good morning, Azalea! (Taken with Instagram at Baguio City)

Full Moon on the Ground

Full Moon on the Ground of TechnoHub

There is no full moon up in the sky tonight. It’s on the ground along Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City.

I remember a lot of  student activists not so long time ago rallied against the construction of the Ayala TechnoHub in this huge part of UP land along Commonwealth. They are low-rise buildings that house mostly call centers  and chains of coffee shops and restaurants.

After a couple years, it has now become the most visited, if not the favorite, hangout of some UP students.

The landscape and the in-ground fountains are refreshingly beautiful, especially at night time. There is also a man-made lagoon at the eastern part of the compound, but it is already around 9:00 PM. It is impossible to take a picture of it because that area is a bit dark. It is a moonless night.

Well, as you know, the moon is on the ground.



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Weekend Jog at the Oval

Today’s highlight of the day (Taken with Instagram at UP Acad Oval, UP Diliman, Quezon City)

Busy Bee

Bees are generally not friendly to people because they do sting, and it does not feel good when they do. This one is a busy bee pollinating a sunflower.

Taken at UP Diliman where sunflowers with massive heads are in bloom every summer.

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Sunken Dreams

Sitting right at my favorite spot, where serene, fresh air intersects with darkness (Taken with Instagram at Sunken Garden)

Monday Bright Skies

It's a beautiful sunny Monday morning . The bright sky over Mindanao QC seems like talking to me promising me a great week ahead.

I know, I know, this week's gonna be crazy at work. And I am looking forward to it. :D

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Ballpoints

Trying out a new app on the cam with these ballpoints.

Awesome Ideas: Bluebook Tumbler

Good morning!

Today, I brought my Bluebook thermo tumbler in the office. I notice that I already have a bunch of Diliman Republic products that are still in package sitting in my drawer at home. I thought they are so cute they are not meant to be used. But man, they are a real thing.

Although I have to admit that Diliman Republic's products seem overpriced,  I love them - from bags to jackets to bag tags to tumblers and lanyards... nameit! The idea of sticking a Bluebook front page or the bold letters U and P in screaming deep red color to anything that people normally use would entice any UPians around, especially those who have been away from school for quite sometime.

So there, one of my workmates arrived from a business trip from China today, and she gave me a can of green tea. I guess this Bluebook thermos will have a use in the  next couple of weeks.

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Interesting Jobs: Caddie

Manong caddie with the clubs

One interesting job that I learned while at Camp John Hay in Baguio the other day is being a caddie. Caddies are the ones walking around the golf course in charge of carrying golfers bags.

All these years, I thought they were just simple assistants and their work is similar to that of payong girls -- assist as asked. However, it turned out that caddies also play the role of a coach to the player, (there may be a right term or that in golf) as they are aware of the challenges and obstacles of the course as well as the strategies in playing the game.

Just like in the corporate world, they also go through ranking system where in they get promoted from being a trainee to a champion. That, of course, depends on their training and performance.

I always thought that golf is an interesting sport. Now that I knew a bit about caddying, I personally think that this job is equally interesting as the sport itself.R

Morning Fog Lifts in Tuba

Morning Fog Settling over Tuba, Benguet

While on the road back to Manila, the morning viaje gave me a refreshing view of the morning fog over the mountains of Benguet that was just starting to lift out of the valleys.

Loaf Bread of Life

Danes Bread

The history of bread can go back to thousands of years, but Danes Bakeshop will definitely play a big part of  any written bread-related articles in the Cordillera region, particularly in Benguet.

Regardless of its taste and how it looks like, Danes proved to be very popular among ordinary people mainly because of its consistency -- it's availability in the market, it's freshness, and it's price. It's cheap because it is locally-made.

The bread aisle of supermarkets is usually jam-packed with cleverly labeled brands. Some sound healthy and expensive and some are just there to fill in the space. But the stacks of Danes outdo all other brands apparently.

For an ordinary Baguio resident, this loaf bread, along with some other basic staples in the pantry, is a must to be in stock. Otherwise, it's time for grocery shopping

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Sungka with Pearls

This carved piece of heavy wood at the Mother's Garden Panorama Restaurant in  Baguio caught my attention. It is called Sungka. The sight of it reminds of me childhood and the terms such as sunog, bahay, bawal-bilang!, touch move, etc.

Yeah, I played this as a kid.

Sungka is a traditional board game in the Philippines often played by children and even adults during siesta time.

Tuna Pie is Back!

How come this pie is available only during Lenten season?

Its crust is crispy -- just like the other Jollibee's fruit pies -- stuffed with tuna, some vegetables, cheese, something creamy and some others that only cooks can recognize.

I love it! And I am probably going to have it from time to time until it will be out from the menu again.

It tastes good.

And it's fast-food.

Alright. I know.

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Sementadong Bundok

Going up to Baguio, you'd see numerous 
concrete-capped mountains along 
Aspiras-Palispis Highway

I have already passed through this highway more than a hundred times in my life and I know that since the steep hills beside the road were capped with erosion-resistant concrete, there have never been issues of landslides or rock falls.

Aspiras-Palispis Highway, formerly called Marcos Highway, is the link between Agoo, La Union and Baguio City in Benguet. It is a stretch of road composed of hair pin bends on steep cliff faces.

During rainy seasons in the past, there were instances of landslides and road closures resulting in motorists unable to pass through. In the recent years, however, of the three majors access roads leading to Baguio, only Marcos highway has not been blocked or closed making it the safest and the most reliable route despite it being the farthest.

The mountain in the picture is sementado, as most Pinoys would say it, is not as scenic as the green ones with trees and wild grasses. There are even ugly mesh wires laid on top of it, probably to hold the cement up. However, I don't think this is much of a concern, as most would agree that beauty should always take a backseat to safety.

Waterless River

Bued river bed taken from Agat Bridge

Taken from a bus as we passed by Agat Bridge, the sandy bed of Bued river looks really deserted currently without water flowing in it.  And it is not even summer time.

Bued River flows  from Benguet through a rocky canyon alongside Kennon Road and down to the neigbhoring provinces forming part of the border between Pangasinan and La Union. It runs through the towns of San Fabian and Sison and it empties into the West Philippine Sea.

Sunset in the Boondocks

Sunset over clouds and hills of Benguet

En route to Baguio and as we ascend the mountains, here's a snapshot I have taken from a moving bus - A glorious view of the sunset embracing the hills covered by thin clouds.

I will be here for a week for training. I'm excited to to meet those new guys who will be an addition to the team. Likewise,  I am excited to witness everyday sunset like this in this place, particularly that summer is now fast approaching.

It feels great to be on top of the world. Indeed!

Starting the Day with a Cup of Smile

Sbux Hotness

If someone you really, really like handed you this cup of coffee, the coffee in it would only be just an added perk.  

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A Flashback to Childhood: Iced Gem Biscuits

I loved this as a kid, but I only eat the colourful icing. I remember I never finish a pack because I usually stop eating it when all the biscuits have gone bald. It must be the color and the sugar.

One of my friends brought a bag of this in the office today. I've never seen nor tasted it after years, or decades even. I thought this thing do not exist in the supermarket any more.

I will include this in my grocery list next week. :D

Glorias Espanolas

At the center of the Mactan Shrine in Cebu where the historical Mactan battle took place in 1521 sits a century-old obelisk that honors Ferdinand Magellan. He was a Portuguese circumnavigator, also known as Fernando de Magallanes in Spanish, who was commissioned by the royalty of Spain to an expedition in this part of the world. They conquered the islands and introduced Christianity. History books state that he died in a tragic battle against the troop of Datu Lapu-lapu, a local chieftain who resisted the conquistadores and to convert to Christianity. The spot where the structure is standing is believed to be where Magelllan got killed.

The obelisk is really beautiful at night especially with golden yellow light. It is the first structure you see upon entering the plaza. Although very old, the words and names inscripted on each face of this landmark are still readable: A Hernando De Magallanes, Siendo Gobernador Don Miguel Creus, 1866 Reinando Ysabel II, and Glorias Espanolas.   

While noted as a conqueror who tried to politically dominate the islands -- interestingly in the present day - there are several memorials around the Philippines named after Magellan.

Cute Ideas: Magnetic Beer

Tired... How about beer break?

Of course, beer is not allowed in the office. This is a plastic magnetic button use to stick something on the wall. It’s kind of deceiving from afar. It looks real, right?