Mushrooms

I'm slowly turning my online journal into a photo blog. Here's a bunch of mushrooms I found on an old bark in Buendia Avenue, one of Makati's busiest streets. Weird thing is, most of them were plucked from thier roots. I don't know why, I'm not even sure if their edible.

Cats

I can't explain it, but it seems like I have a thing for cats. Whenever I see one on the road, I just have this urge to adopt it. But doing so may get me some flack from my dad, who hates cats because these creatures usually consider my dad's car as a resting spot.

As of late, I estimate we have seven mainstay felines (three of which are kittens), all stray cats. There was a time that the total count reached 14, unfortunately that didn't last long (some kittens mysteriously disappear while others die shortly after birth).

I also like dogs, and other furry mammals, but cats are really different for some reason. I think I have other cat pictures scattered in my Flickr and Multiply galleries.

Pizza Night

Our host Carlo

Never put too much anchovies. That's what I learned in preparing my own pizza last Friday at my officemate Carlo's place.

Bobby and Kat the Golden Retriever

It was a fun night, with food and booze (although I only drank one bottle) plus a chance to play with Carlo's dogs Kat (Golden Retriever) and Chopchop (Labrador).

Mikey wants to become a peacock

Looking forward to making my own pizza again.

Makati At Night

I just want to share a picture of the Makati skyline that I took last Thursday night while waiting for Roxanne. This was taken atop the Exchange Building (former IBank headquarters) along Amorsolo Street in Makati. I really cannot stress how much I love taking night shots.

Fire!

This is the reason why I was late for work this morning. Although it was a block or two away from our house, it caused some major traffic, and generated some scare since the fire was besides a gas station and nearby power lines were catching fire. Fortunately, the fire was out in less than 30 minutes, thanks to the firemen, mostly volunteers, who responded quickly.

JETS

Enchanted Kingdom circa 2006

No, I'm not talking about the football team from New York. I'm referring to my long time friends, namely Tim, Mac, and Burn. There's actually a story as to why our group is named that way. You can check it out by visiting Burn's blog entry, which is probably my inspiration to write this piece. Now, here is my version.

Tim

Don't let the flower fool you. He's as straight as a ruler. It just shows his on camera funny side. But outside the frame, he's one of the most mature persons I know. Weird, but mature. I often come to him first when I need advice on the deeper meaning of life. Well that's a bit overboard, but you get the picture. Being an architect, he's passionate about saving our cultural heritage, something I have in common as a photo enthusiast. This guy is definitely one of my best buddies.

Mac

Bobo the Wiseman. Known for being booksmart but giving pointless remarks. I'm just kidding. This guy is an avid traveler, often seeking new adventures, especially now that he has a Nikon D80 (check out his gallery here). Back in grade school, I picked up my first set of green jokes from him. But apart from all that, he's one cool friend, and contributes a lot to the fun factor of the group.

By the way, to all ladies out there, Mac is still available.

Burn

Unlike the other two, I only started to know this guy in highschool, but that doesn't matter anyway. Like the name of our group, his nickname (a far cry from his real name Engelbert) also has a story, and I always forget how that story goes. Burn is so many things to our group. He's our official driver (give him Red Bull and he can drive 10 hours straight), our party/vacation organizer (but lately he keeps disappearing from the events that he starts), and our tech adviser (Mac and I are IT professionals, but give this guy Internet access and the rest is history). He's also an avid basketball fan. But most importantly, he's a really good friend to all of us.

Anyway, I hope my friends appreciate this tribute to them. It's late and I need to sleep. Looking forward to our next adventure.

House Of Jani Balani

No new adventures this week. Actually, I'm quite exhausted from celebrating fiesta today and still grieving over last Friday's gruesome bank robbery (even though I work for another bank, I'm so affected by this news, but I'd rather not post anything about it).

One thing though is that I finally found my house on Google Earth. Yey.

Loudmouth

Thanks to my officemate Gelsen for sharing this video. It was taken from Jumping Jelly Bean's Multiply site. Apparently, it's best to be discreet when riding public transportation such as the LRT.

You can also view the video from its original link here.

Happy Mother's Day

To my mom, Happy Mother's Day! Enjoy your new Buddha.

Six Months

Photo taken from the Unionbank Branding Party last March.

Six months. That's how long Roxanne and I have been partners, more than friends. I know six months is not equal to one year, but we're just as happy to celebrate half a year of adventures.

Yesterday, we decided to celebrate by going to Intramuros. I have always wanted to return to Intramuros armed with my DSLR. And for Roxanne, this is a break from her hectic schedule, and a chance for her to see more of old Manila.

We had to wait a bit for the summer sun to be more forgiving. Unfortunately, this delaying tactic isn't ideal, as trucks coming to and from the port area are abundant during these unholy hours. Add to that the sudden gush of rain. Talk about bad weather and limited time. One thing though, Father Blanco's Garden is under maintenance for two weeks, so this means a return trip is in order.

Manila Cathedral at dusk.

Fortunately, I was still able to take some decent shots. You can see my gallery here. The sudden rainfall created wonders for some of my pictures.

If I could fall
Into the sky
Do you think time
Would pass me by...

After the Walled City, we were able to catch a part of Vanessa Carlton's gig in Glorietta. Roxanne and I only know her song A Thousand Miles, but it was still a thrill to see her perform live.

Jinxed?

I went to Tarlac yesterday on official business, and I noticed that the Ninoy Aquino monument along the Luisita Complex is gone. Only the base of the said statue remains. For those unfamiliar with this statue, click here. I was told that the statue was moved to the town proper.

Upon arrival at the town proper, I saw the statue that I was looking for. But something looks different.

It seems like Ninoy's statue was retrofitted in such a way that it looks like Ninoy is sitting down and giving an awkward wave. Oh, and the staircase is gone. Why?

Well, legend has it that the statue (or maybe the staircase) is bad luck, since it depicted Ninoy's final moments. The monument was originally erected at the corner of Ayala Avenue and Paseo de Roxas in Makati way back (I was still young at that time). Some say it was moved to Lusitia Complex in Tarlac (the hometown of the Aquinos) during the Financial Crisis of the late nineties. This was said to be the start of the so called jinx. Today, a different Ninoy statue occupies the same spot in Makati, where most rallies are held.

Just recently, it was said that the Luisita Complex was foreclosed (maybe due to bad bank loans) and sold to the Robinsons Land Corporation. Here is an article about the said sale.

Coincidence?

Chuck Norris Facts

Need some humor? Check out some interesting "facts" about our favorite action star
Chuck Norris by clicking the link below:

* Chuck Norris Facts *

Some of my favorites include:

* If you have five dollars and Chuck Norris has five dollars, Chuck Norris has more money than you.

* There is no theory of evolution. Just a list of creatures Chuck Norris has allowed to live.

* Chuck Norris can't finish a "color by numbers" because his markers are filled with the blood of his victims. Unfortunately, all blood is dark red.

Cheers!