Day 351 Mar 24, 2012

14th Celebration:

Bernice turned 14 today, and we just thought of a little get together with family who could make it (which means mostly from Barbie's side, as my side of the family is rather far... as in Batangas far).

We ordered some pizza (El Buono over-sized 24" in diameter), made some pasta, got some KFCs (a bucket of 15 pcs) and some drinks. That was more than enough for all of us... in fact, we even had some spaghetti for take home by some of our guests

As for the simplicity of said party, our celebrator (Bernice) did not really mind its seeming frugal manner as she had already treated her friends the day before. This, then, was a purely family focused celebration.

If you're wondering where I was in this occasion, I was actually taking the shot - besides, as I said, it was a purely family affair... done at our place, so Barbie and I were not at our party best. Far from it, as we were still in the process of doing the necessary preparations for this 'late afternoon to evening' gathering. Ben, also not in the picture, was the one who cooked the spaghetti. 

So Happy Birthday Bernice! We all love you. 

Day 350 Mar 23, 2012

Rare gathering:

This is a picture of my friends/ sometime gaming group members - yup... these people were (or should I still use the word 'are'?) gamers. For most of us, gaming is what we were doing and this is how we met each other.

This particular Friday evening, we all got together - at least, those of us who could make it (others could not) to share dinner with JP - who would be around only until his daughter's graduation. The reunion was timed for dinner and we all ate at North Park, Makati Avenue. In between we would play catch up with each other's lives. It was great to see them... and hopefully, we'll be able to repeat this practice soon.

On another note... wow! 350th entry for this Photo blog... hard to consider that this started 350 days ago - and I'm just talking about year 2. Obviously if we include year 1, we would have to add 365 to the day 350. Meanwhile... thiws milestone means I just have 16 (leap year) days before this project (Year 2) ends. Whew... and just like after I did year one, I will revisit the year that was.

Day 349 Mar 22, 2012

New Comics:

If I were to look for certain constants in my life, based on the pictures this past year (and last year as well), I would have to say that comics would appear on a semi-regular basis. Then again, it shouldn't be surprising to ma - or anyone who knows me, that the hobby I have been enjoying for nearly 5 decades now, would prominently figure in my life.

I enjoy reading them... as I've surely said before. If not... well, its quite obvious, with all the pics I've posted regarding them. After all, I do collect them on a regular basis - hence it will not be more surprising if I so not show another batch of new acquisitions within the month... more so when one considers that I normally purchase these on a weekly basis. After all, they are marketed by spreading the titles across the 4-weeks of a month... this assures that there will always be comics coming out each and every week.

My collections are not limited to just one company (the way I used to just stick to Marvel, until DC came up with an interesting title (New Teen Titans) by a creative team made of ex-Marvel talents. Nowadays, aside from Marvel and DC, I dabble in a few IDWs (Rocketeer), Dynamite (Vampirella) and maybe even Dark Horse. These independents come up with great titles.stories that are hard to ignore. It is also indicative of the industry's health that such independents have the capacity to thrive. Soooo... expect that this will not be the last entry showing comics... not if I know me, and assuming there are no other, more interesting pics to show. After all, I'm willing to bump off comics pics for such unique shots. 

Day 348 Mar 21, 2012

Forced perspective?

If you take a passing glance at the picture, you'd think that the projection screen is one gigantic piece... specially when taking into consideration the seeming size of Fiel in the background.

Well it just so happens that the projector screen is large... but not that large. The room is approximately 10 feet high - and from there you can probably extrapolate the screen's size.

This is called a forced perspective... the situation of manipulating the picture's perspective to make a subject look either larger or smaller. I practiced this little perspective trick with this shot... and yes, it can fool anyone at a glance, until you look at the ceiling and see the vanishing point lines as clues to the room's actual dimensions - and the relative location of the screen vs. Fiel. Now... if the room had a simple line-less ceiling... it would be an easier illusion to uphold.

As it is... this picture also makes one think that its a black and white shot. Nope... its colored. Of course, that's hard to notice since most items are grayish.

Day 347 Mar 20, 2012

Waffle time!

This mouth-watering item, happens to be a White Hat Strawberry with Almonds Waffle - a dish I had to try out when I saw it. But this was all accidental, mind you.

You see, I brought Bernice to Fully Booked, at Bonifacio High Street - to pass the time before we went to fetch Barbie at work. As we had been hanging around for the better part of an hour already, I wanted to go to Starbucks for some coffee.

Unfortunately, said Starbucks was full and had no available table for Bernice and me, so we opted to look at the store right beside Starbucks - aside from the fact that it was a yogurt store, it was hardly occupied - thus allowing us to choose where to sit. Well... while Bernice had a sundae, I spied waffles - and since I rarely ate waffles (as compared to sundaes) I did not hesitate in ordering a waffle of my choice.

How was it? It was great... the picture shows it to be delectable, and it really is.

Day 346 Mar 19, 2012

99

Down time:

What do I do when I'm waiting for my turn at the facilitator's role? Why read anything I bring with me, naturally... in this case, its the book of Grant Morrison regarding his explaining the influence that comic books have on us - how this pop culture teaches us about our being human.

I've just recently started this book so I was (as of this picture) in chapter one... the one about Superman. So far it explains how Grant sees Superman, and how his being Superman and Clark Kent was somehow needed in the time the character was introduced.

So I guess, I'm up for some historical tidbits, and I should be able to enjoy the read as I go along. If the camera is slightly off its focus, well... that's the dilemma of having the camera shoot me with a timer. I focus on where I will be - then make the camera count down and hope for the best, as I won't be able to refocus. Still... it is a relatively clear picture, so I'm not complaining.

Oh yeah... as far as milestones go, this being a leap year, I've opted top have 366 pics - hence since I'm at 346, this means this is just a 20 day countdown.

Day 345 Mar 18, 2012

Cuenca birthday visit:

Every March, I make it a practice to visit my mom and sister; plus my other sister and her family, in Cuenca, Batangas. I time this to coincide with Tizza's and my birthday - plus Bernice's birthday as well... so it can be considered a triple celebration. With Gerry along, it becomes four celebrants for March.

As always, Tizza, Bing, Li and mama cook up a lot of food - and I always fail to taste everything... there's just too many options, with not enough stomach space. Besides, I don't really want to eat too much food as I'm watching my weight (though at times it seems like I'm watching it grow).

This picture shows Fred and Li in the process of getting food. It almost looks like they're getting the same dish as a prelude to a tug of war for the piece. Of course, the reality is that Li was helping Fred... as I said, food was aplenty, so definitely no grabbing and arguing ensued. Aside from the two, you can make out (clockwise from left) Mommy (Barbie's mom), Ben, my dad, and a bit further off... Patty and Gerry. Then there's an unrecognizable head behind that of Bryce, then Bernice and finally Clorian. Yup, you read right... my dad did show up to have lunch with us... a first, far as I can tell... though he had to leave early. Still, it was nice to have him there.

As usual, I looked forward to some strong Barako coffee right after lunch - in fact, I had two cups. This ensured I was not sleepy on the way back. Next visit will be timed with Bing's and Patty's birthday... that would be in August.

Day 344 Mar 17, 2012

Crane?

I'm not quite sure what kind of bird this is - but it does look like a small crane... except for the fact that cranes have longer necks, right?

The funny part is, I had not planned to take a picture of any bird - at least, I was not looking forward to doing such - and yet... when this white creature landed on that stump (if that is what you refer it as), and when I saw this opportunity, I decided to take the shot - not bothering to change my lens... fearful of the possibility that it would fly off as sudden as its arrival.

Well I'm glad it decided to stay a while - as it turns out, I could have changed lens with minutes to spare. I mean, it was literally resting there, while probably looking at its surroundings for possible food.

This bird is obviously a migratory visitor - one I hope to see more often of, as well as other species. I mean, this is hopefully not a rare occasion - and rather the start of nature giving us something great to look at - even if they just happen ot be passing through.

Day 343 Mar 16, 2012

New wine:

I bought this a few days ago, with the hopes of trying it out in my birthday. Unfortunately, there was so much happening within the family; plus the fact that I've got classes running in the next day (today) that I could not really open a bottle and enjoy it.

Well tonight being a Friday evening, and with Ben arriving (along with mommy, Jude and yaya), I felt it was a better night to open said wine for Barbie and Ben to taste. What's on the picture is a marang wine - marang being some sort of fruit, belonging to the jack fruit family. That said, as we were taking this wine chilled, I could not help but notice that its sweetness hides a potent alcoholic drink.

Maybe the potency could be attributed to the fact that since its sweet, its easy to drink and therefore makes for a headier wine (in other words, people can tend to take it faster - hence get drunk faster. Thus, don't let the size fool you.

As the picture shows, this wine is of 2012 vintage... really new stuff, and I wonder if I should get a couple and just let it age. As always, I took the shot before partaking of the wine - not because I was worried I won't have a shot of the wine later (as I've a spare bottle waiting), but that I may not have great control fo my faculties later, to justify a great (or for that matter, a clear) shot.

Day 342 Mar 15, 2012

My Birthday!

Yes, it is my natal day... 51 years ago, I arrived into this world - thus starting a journey filled with a lot of mixed activities. I've had ups and downs... that's for sure. Lessons were learned - and are still being imparted.

I've yet to say I am truly wise, and am wise enough to know that day will never come, for as I live, I learn - and as I learn, I learn to live better. I've great friends, and a greater family.

As for this pic, yeah... I picked up my birthday cake - courtesy of Bryce, who used his extra allowance to get this and hand carry it from I don't know where... so that I could have it to share and enjoy with everyone else (thanks kuya!). I may be hamming it up in this picture - but the glee is genuine. Oh yeah... Bernice took this shot - a great pic, if I day so myself. I posted it on my FB wall, and am getting greetings ans likes.

Day 341 Mar 14, 2012

Cake!

Bernice got me this little cake for my birthday - a day early, but still welcome. I believe she even had this ordered through a classmate. The message above the cake is heart warming, as its something I try to be with my kids.

This is why when I saw it... before even considering taking a bite of this cake, I opted to have a picture taken - after all, I may not have my cake and eat it too... but I;ll make damn sure I still get to keep some kind of reminder of said cake.

Thank you, Bernice. Oh yeah, before I forget... Happy Birthday to my sister, Tizza!

Day 340 Mar 13, 2012

Late Lunch:

I fetched Barbie slightly early from work - and we went straight to the Shang mall to do a few things... first and foremost (as this picture suggests) was to get a relatively late lunch at our favorite Greek place 'Cibo'. Anyone who's been there will recognize the mural on the wall, and I was lucky enough to capture it as Barbie's background.

So what did we order? Simple... the usual salad we both like... and one other item I can vaguely recall - as it was not really a favorite of mine.

For this picture, I  opted to go without a flash, so I could see the backdrop lighting effect - and how it casts shadows over the rough wall. Of course, I was having some difficulty in balancing the lights/brightness of the background - thus rendering Barbie a lot darker than she really is.

Day 339 Mar 12, 2012

Toyota Global City:

This is relatively a new location as far as Toyota service centers go. It's a whole lot closer to where I normally work - be it at McKinley or at Boni, this is much easier to get to as compared to the Makati Bel Air Service Center.

I came in here to inquire about free schedules to have the Altis go through a regular service milestone check, and ended up having it done right there and then. This picture shows the customer lounge inside Toyota Global City... and the nice thing about it was the movies they were showing that day - as can be seen in the picture, I was watching Green Lantern, and later... they showed X-men (the first movie). I also brought some comics to read - and although it was not working this particular day, the place was supposed to have WiFi.

 Suffice to say, I liked the service, convenience and quality of the work. I'll most likely be servicing the Altis here from now on. Nothing against the Makati branch, but its just hard to go to, and its got too many customers.  Over in this service center (Global City), I felt attended to... which is a very big plus factor to me.

Day 338 Mar 11, 2012

Blake Andre:

Lhyn gave birth to Blake a few days ago, but it was only now that we were able to visit both of them in Capitol Medical (in Quezon City). Brian, by this time, had not yet seen pictures of his son online (as of this time, Brian has still to fly into the Philippines from Dubai), and was anxious to see any picture of Blake.

That said, I brought my camera (and zoom lens) to take pictures of Blake - and its a good thing I did bring the zoom lens, as it allowed me to take this close up of Blake (several close ups actually). It was nice to see many people 'liking' this particular picture in FB... I know they were liking the fact that it showed Blake... but it was a picture I took that made this possible. So yeah, I'm proud of this shot.

Day 337 Mar 10, 2012

Bacardi in Better Living:

Mon opted to host this particular Bacardi Night... and this particular evening was almost not pushing through - and yet, where there is a will, there is a way, and for some reason, this Bacardi night - even when we decided to postpone it, kept coming back to us and making us reconsider our decision.

I'm glad we pushed through with it - as everyone enjoyed the evening. We had great food, great sounds, great conversations and naturally... great drinks. We came up with a rule of thumb to have at least 8 people to make the night enjoyable - to make the effort worth it. Looking at the people at the picture, I see six people - plus Mon, Kosh and myself... making it a good enough size. I was thinking that this evening would end early - I was surprised that 'us' stragglers, had left the place of Mon around 1pm. Goes to show that time flies when we're definitely having fun.

Day 336 Mar 09, 2012

 Bubbles' profile:

For some reason, I find it hard to get a great picture of Bubbles - its not that she's a difficult subject, its more likely that since she's predominantly white, its easy to lose focus when taking her picture. Even this picture - as close-up a shot as it can be, seems a bit blurry, yet it does show a good profile of Bubbbles, so I don't mind posting this.

I, for one, like how the face is clear - yet her left ear (the one closer to the camera) is a bit blurry. You could say that this picture is a bit artistic with its tight focus. Well, even if it was still not my intent to get this effect, I welcome it none the less... and yet, it also reminds me that I've yet to fully master my camera's capabilities - or of photography basics (or advanced topics) for that matter.

Day 335 Mar 08, 2012

Pigeons:

A few months ago, I was worried that the management of Piazza was neglecting the pigeons that got used to flying around - and I was sure these pigeons would fly away if they would find an alternate place that fed them.

Well I'm glad to say that apparently, management made arrangements to care for the pigeons - and there is now one person (the same one actually) feeding the pigeons in the afternoon. That said, the birds are now back with a vengeance, and swooping around - and their population has once again grown... not yet the same as what it was, but getting there. Personally, I like this shot, as one of the pigeons was really looking at me - even striking a pose, while its companions were busy eating. Cool, huh?

Day 334 Mar 07, 2012

Fiel's treat:

The man turned 50 a day ago, but naturally, he spent his day the way he wanted to (not working), thus he was not physically present to treat anyone.

Well today was a different story - Fiel brought us to Dencio's at the Piazza, and we just ordered a few food (others had eaten earlier, so were full), and we just had a nice lunch. Lucky for me, I was not part of the early eaters - so I enjoyed Fiel's treat... calamares, crispy pata, sinigang na baboy and chop suey. Needless to say, I was really full (and rather sleepy during my lecture - should've gotten coffee after the heavy lunch).

Day 333 Mar 06, 2012

Premium steak!

Whenever I go to Dillinger's in Greenbelt 3, I end up eating this particular steak - the porterhouse, medium well. Now... whenever I go to Dillinger's its normally with Rudy and John, for dinner - prior to our going elsewhere to watch some bands performing.

Today though, this is lunchtime, and though Rudy isn't around, John was the one who invited me (in an impromptu manner at that), because Ivy - a mutual friend, had these certificates worth Php2,000 - expiring this particular day; for any food and drinks of Dillinger's (where does she get these?). So, as you can see - if we did not take advantage of this, it would simply expire. Knowing how good the food in Dillinger's was, John and I could not... out of our clear conscience, waste this opportunity.

Needless to say, the three of us got stuffed... and I do thank Ivy. Hope she does get something like this again - and hope she remembers how helpful we are in helping her out in such dire need.

Day 332 Mar 05, 2012

Frazetta's Collected Works:

I've been a fan of Frank Frazetta ever since - well, ever since I saw his paintings in some magazines. Frank, after all, represented one of several famous fantasy painters, and it never hurt that his paintings had skimpily clad females , or muscle-bound barbarians, against monsters or aliens.

His colors were dynamic and at the same time dark. His images showed promises of great adventures... quests, or battles against great odds. If he painted villains, they were formidable looking. Had I been older and living in the U.S., I would have tried to commission Frazetta to do a painting for me, just to own an 'original Frazetta'. Lucky for me, these two volumes were printed. Now I can enjoy his works (comics and some sketch work), and my library is much richer for it.

Day 331 Mar 04, 2012

Ahem...

Before you think this is a fetish of mine, the reason I'm within this shop's vicinity is because Bernice needs a new set of undergarments - so Barbie accompanied her to this place in the Podium (who's name eludes me right now), so they could get some garments while the place is on sale.

I was, on the other hand, just sitting at the coffee shop just outside the shop, enjoying a carrot cake and coffee, while using the iPad and, yes, taking some pictures left and right. It just so happens that this is the most colorful picture of all, and the most meaningful for the day - after all, if Bernice did not need new under garments, we wouldn't even be in this building.

Now... as for this being a fetish... I do love to see such sexy garments - specially on heavenly bodies - its why I enjoyed Playboy specials focusing on lingerie - and Victoria's secret catalogs.

Day 330 Mar 03, 2012

Buffy's Domain is launched:

No its not a new company... the idea behind the creation of Buffy's Domain, was simply the need to come up with a virtual location I could address - as opposed to the more widely generic Bacood, Sta. Mesa, and as a favor to a friend who seems to think checking into Bacood, Sta Mesa might be too uncouth.

In my case, I also needed to emphasize that my check-ins in Bacood are not related to any check ins at the row of Motels at the very heart of Sta. Mesa - hence the creation of Buffy's Domain.

Why this name? Simple... I'm already using Buffy's domain as the label of our WiFi network... so why not continue using it? This picture is obviously a screen capture - one I'm still in the process of learning - more so since I hardly use the tool.

Oh yeah... as you can see in said screen capture, we had a 'Wine and Cheese' (well actually, a little more than just those) night right here. So Isn't that great? Not only do I get to mention about Buffy's Domain, but I also get to insert a picture of us enjoying said wine; one that I asked Bryce to take using the iPad.

Day 329 Mar 02, 2012

Summer heat:

Summer has definitely come early this year. Even in the confines of our place, the temperature is unbearable - specially if one has just come in from outside (like me). So what do I do about it? Well, in this case, I grab the closest drink I spy - which just happens to be a Coke Zero that I had bought yesterday with the intent to keep me cool as I was driving around the metro for Barbie. One I did not drink because I also got a Gatorade, which I did drink.

To continue with the above discussion... I then filled my glass up with ice (I know some Coke purist friends of mine would balk at the thought of iced Coke - but right now, I don't care), poured the coke... waited for a few seconds, then drank the contents up real fast - bot obviously not before I took this shot.

What was so challenging about just taking this picture? I wanted to concentrate on the forming sweat off the glass. It may hardly be visible at this current picture's size, so I will understand why it will be hard to focus on (at least, not without enlarging the picture). But yeah... I didn't bother with multiple shots... as I said earlier, I wanted to drink this real bad. Boy... I'm wondering how hto this summer will get by April. Hoooo boy.

Day 328 Mar 01, 2012

Concentration:

This is how Barbie shows focus with what she is doing. Don't worry though, its not work related - at least, in this particular case. Nope... what's happening is a game - one of many that's been downloaded into the iPad. If it's not Bejewelled, its most likely Temple Run... the latter will really demand one's attention - I should know because I've played it a lot as well.

Anyway, this was taken as we were having lunch in Greenhills - enroute to a stopover back home first and later an awarding ceremony in Manila which she has to attend to, as for me... I was her driver for the day - seeing as I had no conducts for the entire week.

My plan while waiting for Barbie in said affair? Look for a WiFi station - possibly a coffee shop, and use the iPad, or just play games... or even better, read up on the pile of comics I've bought, but have yet to enjoy.

Day 327 Feb 29, 2012

New stash:

There are weeks when comics arrive in trickles... others in droves. This particular week is an example of the latter... at least, for me. I had recently purchased some issues, only to realize that the next week's supposed batch likewise arrived - thus making me spend a lot. Lucky for me, this particular instance was close to the month-end, and I was able to get these issues (and more) just because I got my pay for the February conducts.

That said, what am I looking forward to? For starters - Aquaman... this time, focusing on Merra and a new artist who's name sounds a lot like a Filipino's. Then there's I Vampire, a decidedly different story - but worth reading. Iron man is another great title these days... perfect combination of story and art magnificence.  The others are likewise interesting... but the three I've mentioned are great issues I would highly recommend to anyone wanting a glimpse of what comics can be when they're good. Lest I forget, another issue that is part of this batch and worth reading is Avengers Academy.

That said, today marks the fact that it is a leap year.... just saying.

Day 326 Feb 28, 2012

Coffee... lots of it.

I'm not sure if this is your typical Starbucks coffee mode of transportation - then again, nothing says it can't be either. Then again, it may very well be just a display... a sort of theme-setting prop, if you will.

I saw this sack beside the barista's... well, for lack of a better term, bar. I liked how it represented coffee sacks; even if this one may well be just a representative of said real sacks (assuming there are real sacks) - still, it was the idea behind the image, that made me think that I should take a picture of this.

You see, I was having breakfast in Starbucks, at the Fort - and while doing this, I was actually enjoying their free WiFi services - and taking the time out to study a set of training materials for the very first time. I opted to go with natural lighting, and just adjusted the picture's lighting - making things look sharper and clearer.

I also removed unnecessary background - cropping a good portion of the picture, to emphasize the subject (which is the sack of course). I wonder though... how would I react if one day, someone buys a sack of coffee and brings it home... and worse, there may be some form of expiration date - that would surely be a riot.