Moving Forward To 2010

Depending on when I finish writing this entry, this would either be my last post for 2009, or my first one for 2010.

The year 2009 was sort of a "mix bag" for me. It had its fair share of ups and downs. This year marked many adventures and blessings, as well as trials and hardships (Ondoy comes to mind). For whatever it's worth, here are some of my highlights for 2009:

- US Trip (got my MacBook and iPod while I was there, and saw the Grand Canyon and the Golden Gate Bridge)

- Promotion at work (well, it was actually last year, this year it was just for formality)

- Hong Kong (where I popped the magic question to Roxanne)

- Isabela

There are still some more, but I guess the one above are what I consider the best for this year. As for the trials and hardships, I want to start the new year on a positive note, so it's best not to dwell on them anymore.

So what's in store for 2010? I feel that this is going to be a special year. If all goes well, this is the year where we finally tie the knot. I also feel that a lot will change for the better for me, that's why as early as now I'm trying to visualize how to manage the new year, what actions to take, and for some reason, what new gadgets to buy.

So with that, I will end this post and enjoy some pasta and ham. Happy New Year!!!

Isabela: The Pictures

Farm scene.

Dirt road.

The lake.

Beast of burden.

St. Ferdinand Church.

As promised, here are some of the pictures from Isabela (Echague and Ilagan, to be precise). You may check out the rest by clicking here.

Enjoy and Happy New Year!!!

Isabela: The Experience

Would you believe this place is just a short hike from Roxanne's house? Really cool!

Okay, at the expense of sounding like a broken record, here it goes again: my camera went bonkers for the nth time. I was literally at the mercy of my camera during my stay, thankfully it decided to cooperate on moments that mattered, like the photo taken above. It's back at the service center, and I'll write something about it when I hear from the guys at Canon.

So back to the story. I was my first time to visit Roxanne's home town of Ilagan in Isabela, and I was fortunate also to visit some of the adjacent towns, like San Mariano and Echague.

Isabela isn't your typical tourist destination. It's a classic example of the rural scene in the Philippines. If you play the likes of FarmVille on Facebook, then you could probably relate to what I'm saying. And I love this rural feel. The animals, the rice fields, the trees that shape the landscape, and the stars at night, all of these contribute to the serenity of the place. This is simplicity at its best.

I must admit that I'm a total city boy, that what I call home consists of tall buildings, heavy traffic, and accessibility to malls. But once in a while I enjoy the calm that the likes of Isabela has, that quiet aura that enchants you and takes all your worries away.

I really enjoyed the Isabela experience. Mingling with Roxanne's relatives and seeing how she grew up makes me love her even more. And that was just the first of many visits to come.

I'll post the pictures soon, Multiply is down anyway so I'll take my time.

George And Pris

The happy couple.

George and Pris have been together for a long time. I've known George since 2004, and he was already with Pris at that time. I guess this is one of the testaments on how much this couple jives together.

Mass was celebrated at the historic San Agustin Church in Intramuros, followed by a reception at the nearby Villa Immaculada.

And of course, this post wouldn't be complete without a link to the pictures. Here are the ones from Gelsen, while here are the ones from my camera (Jayson took some of the shots, thanks bro). We're still waiting for the photo boot pictures, I'll post something about that once the gallery is online.

Again, congratulations George and Pris. May God bless your union.

Weddings And Cameras

Weddings

Congratulations to George and Pris on your wonderful wedding. Pictures coming soon.

Cameras

I finally got my 400D from the service center last Wednesday. Weird thing is that after a month of being checked in, they found nothing wrong with it. I decided to pull it out for the meantime, since I don't have any backup to use.

I'm actually tempted to upgrade early, since there's this three year warranty program for selected units purchased before the year ends. But I'm also trying to save up, since I've spent more this year. We'll see, I hope my 400D "stays in shape" for the meantime.

And as for Canon, I still believe they're one of the best in terms of service quality. Very polite representatives and specialists.