Day 2 of our Nov 26-28 Ilocos Norte family vacation.
IT was a gloomy day on our first full day in Pagudpud on November 27. It was raining the whole morning and the wind was chilly cold.
By 10am Kuya Mike and I decided to scout around “Blue Lagoon” to find alternative eating places. Having eaten dinner and breakfast in exactly the same corner of the cafeteria/restaurant of Hannah’s Hotel and Resort, we were eager to try something different, more “local,” and less expensive. Continue reading
DECEMBER 2, 2011 – For our annual family vacation to celebrate our wedding anniversary this year, my xxGF and I brought Marielle and Johan to a still undisclosed place somewhere in Marinduque (i.e. the kids did not have any idea where exactly we were going until we got there). Continue reading
NOVEMBER 26, 2011 – A 2-year-old plan to visit places in Ilocos Norte finally came into fruition. It was an extended family vacation arranged by my “bilas” (i.e. my sister-in-law’s husband), Dr. Mike Sabas, who is a native of Batac.
It was the first trip to Ilocos of Marielle and Johan. As for me, the last time I visited Ilocos was in the summer of 1998!
We arrived at Laoag International Airport via Philippine Airlines flight PR-226 shortly before lunch on November 26. Continue reading
THE MONSTROUS traffic in C5 on our way home from my kids’ pedia clinic in Marcos Highway on November 12 made the whole family ravenous. We were looking forward to a KFC bucket in Libis (near Eastwood) only to find out that it is temporarily closed for renovation. That’s when my ex-exgirlfriend and I thought of Mang Jacinto’s Panciteria across SM Hypermart between Tiendesitas and Valle Verde. We missed Mang Jacinto’s famous Pancit Malabon and Pancit Guisado. The kids weren’t too excited, however.
But alas! Mang Jacinto is no longer there. In its place is a new establishment: Mom & Tina’s Bakery Cafe. Curiosity — and extreme hunger — made us decide to check it out. We were not disappointed. Mom & Tina’s food is great and reasonably priced. The kids love their blue lemonade and green dalandan juice (or is it blue dalandan juice and green lemonade?). My ex-exgirlfriend enjoyed the desserts. I was so hungry I devoured everything that the waiter, my xxGF, and my kids placed in front of me. Continue reading
I ALWAYS seek opportunities for close encounters with wild animals but this one doesn’t seem like a good idea to me. Sure the cage must have been built sturdy enough without the possibility of collapsing, but still…
On the other hand, it may well be one hell of a thrill ride especially if I will be joined by some of my equally crazy and thrill-seeking friends. Dare to join us?
But first we need to figure out where this zoo is. Do you know?
PRESENTING… (drumroll)… the PEAR!
~oOo~
IT TOOK me a while to figure out what was wrong with the supposed MacBook on Carly’s lap in the photo.
I was literally rolling on the floor laughing when it finally dawned on me that the logo on her “MacBook” isn’t that of a bitten apple. So I guess that is not a MacBook after all.
Very subtly funny.
Nice one, Carly!
HAVE you ever been to a hotel where the rooms look kinda odd? And by “odd” I mean any sorts of odd — crazy odd, creepy odd, surreal odd, watta effing odd, etc.
I am yet to try one myself. If and when I have the opportunity I would like to try some really weird hotel rooms, like those below.
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For starters, here’s a creepy one. Will I sleep in this hotel room? Perhaps the better question to ask is, “Can I sleep in this hotel room?”
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LAST SUMMER we went to see the open-air dioramas and cultural presentations showcasing Philippine culture, as well as the unique lunch-on-river experience, in Villa Escudero. I instinctively knew that the place must be a scenic delight as well and am sure glad that I wasn’t disappointed.
I wouldn’t mind going back to Villa Escudero to bring family and friends. They can go and enjoy Villa Escudero’s primary attractions while I soak myself in the serene beauty of the place.
WITH the dawning of the age of e-books, libraries such as this huge one in Stockholm, Sweden will soon get a new name: Book Museums.
It will probably take many more years before all of the books in this gargantuan library will be converted to digital format. When they have been all digitized they will probably fit into a tiny chip and can all be made accessible from a single e-book reading device such as the iPad or the Kindle of our present time.
So what will it be like to go to a library in the future?
I am guessing that we will have to pay to get in. There will be guides to usher us around and explain each section. If we’re lucky we’ll meet the curator. She used to be called the Librarian.
There will be no chairs and tables. We are not supposed to sit and linger too long in one place. We are to walk around from section to section. In groups, usually.
Oh by the way, there will probably be a dress code — shorts, t-shirts, and rubber shoes are not allowed. Preferably, come in your cocktail dress.
Cameras and recording devices are not allowed.
And as the guide shows us the last remaining printed copy of a Kindergarten Text Book, there will be hushed “Ooohs” and “Aaahs” from the more sophisticated among us. A few, myself included, will probably be trying very hard to hide a yawn.
IT’S AMAZING how a single photo captures the timeless bond among old friends wearing their younger faces.
These are the wonderful men and women of ACI Systems Inc.
This serves as the an electronic time capsule for each and every ACI alumnus to go back to in the many years ahead.
~~oOo~~
Note to all fellow ACI alumni: I’m thinking of a project to collect photos from the good ol’ days for compilation into a single easy-to-access and easy-to-share online location. Anybody interested to “sign up” into this project with me? I have some initial ideas on how to do it but I look forward to hearing yours.
Register your suggestions and any inputs by leaving a comment below. Or e-mail me at bong.saculles@gmail.com.
I just noticed a new section in my RCBC Platinum Card billing statement called Spend Analyzer. I don’t know when exactly it was added. I also don’t know if the billing statements of other credit card providers have this, too.
This is a welcome development. An improvement, no doubt. I believe it offers very useful insights on credit card holders’ spending habits.
For instance, in this particular billing cycle shown in the accompanying screenshot image, I was so shocked to find out that I spent almost P11,000 for motoring. Was that all for fuel? Probably not. But it sure made me worried enough to prompt me to review my spend details.
I FOUND these awesome photos on my xxGF’s iPad2 photo gallery the other day. I was like “Wow, that’s one neat photographic effect, right there!
The boy in the photo is, of course, our 6-year old Johan. But I have to admit that for a split second I thought I was looking at a photo of Casper. You know, Casper, the friendly boy-ghost.
Johan must have been playing with his mom’s iPad2 Photo Booth app when he created this special effect by chance. Now I need him to re-construct it for me.
I’m calling this accidental and cool photographic effect the “Casper Effect.”
