Take a Shot

a new toy...the Nikon D50


another view of Manila Bay's famed sunset


another new toy...

Photogenic Grande Island

The agreed-upon meeting time was the ungodly hour of 4:30 AM. 4:30 AM?! But I haven't spent a whole weekend at home with B since the wedding, and I wanted to spend more time with him. So it was that jetlagged me accompanied B to his company outing to Grande Island in Subic.

For 3 hours we travelled north towards Legend Hotel in Subic. Near the hotel was the pier where we boarded a boat which took us to photogenic Grande Island.


One hour later, we were at the island. Very clear waters greeted us. I can even see the jelly fish swimming by the boats. All around, there was a great view of the surrounding mountains. The white sand beachfront though was a bit small. However, the waters were still very clear...although if you go a bit farther from the shore there were a lot of menacing-looking seaweeds. We only spent the day there though, so we didn't get to experience the comfy-looking cottages and accommodations. Instead, we baked in the sun, swam in the man-made salt-water pool (with water pumped in from the ocean), and swam some more in the beach.

During our trip, there was another company outing, and lots of other Asian foreigners spending the night there. There are facilities available for jetskiing, fishing, and other water sports.

Grande Island is located at the mouth of Subic Bay. It has an area of approx. 1/2 square mile, with the highest point being 167 feet above sea level. It was formerly known as Fort Wint during the American period. Grande Island has been a natural point used to protect shipping in Subic Bay since the 16th century.

A Story About Nothing

When she wants to boggle her mind, she thinks about the origin of things.

"Ang sino mang hindi lumingon sa pinanggalingan ay hindi makakarating sa kanyang paroroonan," sabi nga ni Rizal.

So we need to look back and know where we came from in order to get to where we're going. Or do we really have to?

Her story

She is grateful to be where she is right now. She acknowledges the gift of circumstance and luck. Like a boring telenovela there are twists and turns in her story, but no real drama involved. And no real desire to create drama. But she does sometimes wish to know the truth. The real truth, without the gloss of coverups and half truths and half lies. The root cause of things. Questions swirl in her head. Why? Why did they do it? Was another name given to her? Why did they agree to all that? How did they cover it all up? How did they even conceive it? All the questions which she fears will be buried in the grave and never be answered.

The tragic thing is, she doesn't know where to begin.

So she is living in limbo. She doesn't know where she starts, or where she's going to end up. She just has to resign herself to her existence. She exists, she lives, and maybe that should be enough. The fruit doesn't fall far from the tree, they say. At least she knows where the tree is. She doesn't know how the fruit fell to where it is, but at least she knows the tree exists.

She just is. And that's the truth.

A.D.D. It All Up

Symptoms of Adult ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder):

According to the site, if you experience more than 10 points on this adult ADD self symptom test, Attention Deficit Disorder is likely present.

• An internal sense of anxiety
  
• Impulsive spending habits
  
• Frequent distractions during sex
  
• Frequently misplace the car keys, your purse or wallet or other day-to-day items
  
• Lack of attention to detail
  
• Family history of ADD, learning problems, mood disorders or substance abuse problems
  
• Trouble following the proper channels or chain of commands
  
• An attitude of "read the directions when all else fails"
  
• Frequent traffic violations
  
• Impulsive job changes
  
• Trouble maintaining an organized work and/or home environment
  
• Chronically late or always in a hurry
  
• Frequently overwhelmed by tasks of daily living
  
• Poor financial management and frequent late bills
  
• Procrastination
  
• Spending excessive time at work due to inefficiencies
  
• Inconsistent work performance
  
• Sense of underachievement
  
• Frequent mood swings
  
• Trouble sustaining friendships or intimate relationships
  
• A need to seek high stimulation activities
  
• Tendency toward exaggerated outbursts
  
• Transposing numbers, letters, words
  
• Tendency toward being argumentative
  
• Addictive personality toward food, alcohol, drugs, work and/or gambling
  
• Tendency to worry needlessly and endlessly
  
• "Thin-skinned" - having quick or exaggerated responses to real or imagined slights

So what to do if you feel you're sick? Aside from the drug route, you can "find help naturally without the side effects of ADD medication treatment by incorporate diet, exercise and lifestyle modifications."

Release the Steam, Quiet the Mind:
Regular and vigorous exercise can be very helpful for the Attention Deficit Disorder adult. Attention Deficit Disorder adults tend to have addictive personalities. Exercise is a good addiction. Aside from the obvious health benefits, regular exercise is also a great way to release steam and quiet the mind. Some studies also link regular exercise to decreased depression - a condition common with Attention Deficit Disorder adults.

Diet:
The brain is a hungry organ that cannot function at optimal levels without the proper fuels. To keep the brain functioning at top performance, ADHD diets packed with brain boosting essential fatty acids and amino acids is a must. A diet high in lean protein provides amino acids necessary for brain functioning.

The ADD adult can also meet these crucial dietary requirements for Attention Deficit Disorder by taking a high-quality nutritional supplement to ensure that they are giving the brain the fuel it needs to function properly.

Restructuring the ADD adult environment:
The Attention Deficit Disorder adult should get into the habit of making lists. The list should include any and all tasks required for the day, from "Mop the kitchen floor" to "Finish the sales proposal."

Write your list with the tasks of highest priority first. Once the highest priority task is completed, mark it off and go to the next. Warding off the urge to skip around on the list will take some discipline but the sense of accomplishment at completed tasks is well worth the effort.

The Attention Deficit Disorder adult should also keep a notepad in their car, purse, coat and on their bed stand. Thoughts come and go quickly. Jotting the good ideas down will ensure that they don’t go away quickly - assuming the notepad does not get lost in the process...

The alarm clock or a wristwatch with an alarm can be a great tool for the Attention Deficit Disorder adult. If you need to pick your child up from soccer practice at a certain time, set the alarm. If you have food cooking on the stove and you leave the kitchen, set the alarm. If you have an important appointment, set the alarm.

Large tasks tend to overwhelm the Attention Deficit Disorder adult and they often put off large task as long as possible. It is not uncommon for the Attention Deficit Disorder adult to procrastinate until the "11th Hour" and then pull an all-night jam session trying to meet a deadline.

For large tasks, the Attention Deficit Disorder adult will do well to break the task into smaller, more manageable tasks and attach deadlines to the smaller tasks. If you need to finish a large project in one week, for instance, schedule specific time each day to work on a specific aspect of the project.

An adult with Attention Deficit Disorder might also find it beneficial to enlist the help of a coach. A coach is a close and trusted friend, co-worker or therapist whose specific function is to help the Attention Deficit Disorder adult stay organized, on track and focused while providing encouragement.

**Text above from mental health website article written by Jeannine Virtue.

Things

Things to love, things to hate. Things to indulge in, to be amazed at, to wallow in. Misery. Hehe.

1. Cheesecake Factory. Yum.


2. Don't you just hate it when people ask you to do something, like, now, but you don't know what exactly it is they're asking for, and you don't know what to ask because the first question that comes to mind is, "what the hell?"


3. Digital SLR. $xxx. The power of credit cards to make you think you can afford what you can't. Priceless.


4. Things your husband does when you're not aroundbok at the pits
   

The Boston Marathon

Today was the Boston Marathon. I could elaborate further, pero tinatamad ako. Basta, Boston Marathon ngayon. Hindi ko sya napanuod, was in a training, pero pagbalik ko ng hotel eh marami palang mga runners ang nakatira rin dito.

"Don't believe them when they say 'gently rolling hills'," one of the runners said. People walking barefoot in the halls, barely able to bend their knees to climb down the stairs. Grabe. Wala lang. Saya.

cambridge & boston in two afternoons

The solemnly magnificent Memorial Hall at Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts

More pictures at fotopic.

This is a town steeped in history and tradition. "Hallowed halls" seem apt to describe the institution that have been here since the 16th century. Well, come to think of it, 400 years isn't really old. But the buildings are well preserved, and the surprising thing about it is, while most of the facade looks old, the interiors usually are modern enough.

Like the building where we hold classes. It was a renovated furniture factory. From the outside I thought it was an old building...old meaning a building with creaking elevators. Boy, was I wrong. They did a great job of renovating the place, it has a wide sunroof (tama ba?) where natural light comes in, and it's just real pretty. On a different note, I have to say this, ganda ng coffeemachine nila. They have this single-cup coffee brewer...you just choose which flavor/variety of coffee you want from the single cups available, put the single cup into the machine, press a button, and voila, instant brewed coffee. Hmm, it doesn't sound that amazing when I explain it, pero basta I'll try to take a picture next time. Wala kasing ganun sa bundok namin :)

The Memorial Hall (pictured above), it was different though. There was...a sense of awe. The interior was like that of an old English church...the chandeliers, the heavy walls adorned with plaques listing the names of the people who donated to complete the building.

Anyway, that was a slice of my weekend. Sort of.

What Would You Do?

Was looking at some souvenirs and ref magnets, and came across this one:

"What would you attempt to do if you know you could not fail?"

And the first thing that came to mind: Be president. Of the Philippines. Para finally, umasenso na sya. Haha, didn't even know I had that ambition, but I guess it was the single most impossible but possible thing I could think of.

How about you, what would you do if you knew you could not fail?

Sick Again

I got sick big time last Tuesday. Fever, vomiting, diarrhea. Darn. And all alone in a city with no nearby McDonald's, drugstore, or grocery. All I see are cafes (with their cold sandwiches), clothing stores, specialty stores. Damn, where do they buy their basic supplies? From vendo machines? All the time?

But maybe I haven't explored the city enough. The training I'm attending takes up all day...from 9AM till 5:30PM. Attractions here close by 5PM, thus there's really no time to go around after class. Monday night though, a classmate and I drove around Cambridge and Boston. We passed by Harvard and MIT, Bunker Hill and the USS Constitution, and tried not to get lost around Boston. When we came back to our respective hotels, I went out again to explore Copley Square, and realized the mall there sucks. "a grand mall" according to the brochure...yeah but I couldn't buy anything there. Haha. It was on the way back to my hotel that I bought the offending pizza that must have caused my "sickness" the next day. Combine that with tiredness (finishing up some work after training), and there, the reason why I'm sick. So for the past two days, upon heading home from training, I go straight to sleep. Boring. Hehe.

Today is Thursday, and I have half-a-day free since my instructor is going to watch a Boston Symphony Orchestra practice session. I could go out and explore some sights. But guess what I have to do. Work. Sucks.

A Picture A Day

A Flight Stewardess

Welcome to Boston

Welcome to Boston; View from the hotel room...MIT a short walk away; inviting fluffy bed

Sleepy and Tired

Sleepy and tired.

And I Will Walk 500 Miles....

Well, it's more like a thousand.

4 mountaineers do their share to raise awareness regarding environment concerns. This lenten week, they will stretch the limits of their endurance and patience as they walk from Manila to Bicol, starting from Luneta on April 8 Saturday. They plan to reach Naga City on April 12. Read more about it at the UTREK multiply site.

And Today Is...?

Finally, na-install na yung DSL sa bahay namin! Weird thing about the installation is, the guy installing was just a man of few words. He didn't even speak a word when he came into the room. He just saw the laptop, the phone, and he headed straight for the laptop and started installing away. He started to speak only when I asked him, "anong password dyan?" Hehe. Turns out he was harassed and still had 3 more houses to go to. Oh well, so okay, I forgive him coming in at 4pm although we already agreed that he'd come in at 9am. Fine fine. :) I managed to do some laundry and watch TV while waiting for him anyway.

Some more pictures from the Bora frisbee tournament: starring bday boy Bok from Toda






And finally, uploaded some pics from the wedding.

"Some" lang ha, and most of these pics were from my dad's camera, and these are slightly blurred. We got the photos from the official photographer, but there were more than thousand photos stored in 8 CDs, and we have to go through them and pick 150-200 shots. Wala na ito. Ang dami. I was on the 2nd CD and I got really sleepy na. :) Anyway, hopefully we'd find time in the future to finish what needs to be finished (like arrange all those pictures, thank you notes, home improvement stuff, legal stuff, etc). :) Just click on the picture to go to the flickr photo slideshow.

Don't Call Me Names

Well, there I was searching Google how to go about "renaming" myself after the wedding. Do I use a dash to hyphenate my surname/s? Use only the new surname? Or for reasons of familiarity, still use the old one? And then I found this interesting article by Rosella Melanson.

Saying your name can be a political act....Do I honour the laws and customs that, until recently, dictated that a man and a woman who marry become the man, and the woman becomes 'civilly dead'? Or do I keep my name because ... because it's my name, dammit.' (emphasis mine)

Yep, it's my name. Dammit. =)

It's actually a witty article that doesn't really take sides, it just presents a different view as compared to what we're used to. Did you know that "in Quebec and France, birth names are the only legal names for official documents; socially, married women can adopt any name but they must sign their birth name"? (It must be a dream to live there). And there's Lucy Stone, an American from the 1800s who by the simple act of keeping her name, gave birth to the Lucy Stone League and the Name Freedom movement. 'My name is the symbol of my identity and must not be lost', she had said.

And...moving on, did you know there are men who actually changed their surnames to merge their surnames with that of their wives? Very interesting....

Boracay & Frisbee

This was one of those trips wherein I wasn't sure if I wanted to go. Bora, for me, is a romantic and relaxing place, and I remember what I felt last time I was there with him. Expectations are the root of all conflicts, thus there was conflict when I was expecting him to be romantic and he wasn't. So this time, I made sure not to expect that kind of romance.

Because this trip isn't about romance. It's about frisbee. It's the Asian Beach Ultimate Tournament, held once again at the pristine white beach of Boracay. Once again, the Boracay Dragons won. There were a lot of eye candy...the sun, the sand, the booze, the company...what more can you ask for?

P.S. -- even if we didn't win big time, go TODA pa rin! hehe.


Some more bora pics:

• From my camera: my fotopic
• From pikol: pikol's blog
• From claire: claire's zoto

And since this is my blog, some "couple" pics. :)

o diba ang sweet namin? haha.
Candid shot from Claire's camera, taken while waiting for food to arrive.

a much better shot. syempre scripted sya, pero what the heck. :)
Photo by Claire. Styling by JB & Claire.

A really cool shot. Photo & Styling by JB Sanchez.