What now?

It's a valid question. After all, now that I've placed my project 365 - year 3 elsewhere, this blog will cease to be updated on a regular basis. Unless I can come up with an idea that will keep this active, it may just be stagnant.

One idea that comes to mind... and it still retains it's title's purpose is to make this a literal photos and memory repository... just not in a project 365 manner. Maybe I can use it to  store more pictures... at least, until I notice that the blog's performance might be degrading.

Still deciding...

No picture today... okay, maybe at least one.

But it's not officially a Year 3. As I said before, I'll be doing a separate blog for that - so I don't overly tax any one site. That said, I could simply continue taking shots on a daily basis and  later play catch up in said blog. I could also, so as not to waste this particular space, use this now as a photoblog still... but one not totally dedicated to a photo a day anymore.

So this is the official announcement... this site will still remain as a photo blog... but not one dedicated to another project 365.

Day 366 Apr 08, 2012

And so Year II ends!

That's right... year two is done. With 366 entries in this particular photoblog (to compensate for the leap year), I've been able to document how my year went. Was it easier the 2nd time around? Not really... I faced different challenges as compared to the first time I did this. for example, I had not considered possible incompatibilities with Blackberry secured pictures... thus not able to use some shots in my earlier days of this 2nd batch. I also met similar challenges like updating my photoblog in near time schedules (as opposed to my batch processing practice every weekend - a necessary practice when I get too busy to publish things regularly).

Will I do it a third time around? Whew,,, let me chew on that for a while. Not because I find it hard to do... but I feel like a need to rest for at least a few days... it's not a question of 'will I'? More a question of 'When will I'? The answer to that will be known soon enough.

BTW - that's an e-comic I'm reading with my iPad. Whether it will eventually replace my paper-based comis remains to be seen. As of now I'd say 'no way' - but who knows? If this photoblog has taught me anything, its the fact that anything can happen within the days of a year.

This picture was taken by Bernice, by the way.

Oh yeah... Happy Easter everyone!

Day 365 Apr 07, 2012

Barbie posing:

I guess it's only fitting that the second to the last picture - the one I will officially take for this photoblog, will be about Barbie. After all, in this journey we call life (I think those are lyrics somewhere), she's been side-by-side with me in most (if not all) steps I've taken... more so when there are seeming milestones.

I definitely love my wife... and am glad she is my partner. This is not to say that even married as we are for 17 years, there are days when we argue - but for the most part, we get over such humps. She can be a nag at times... and even when she is well meaning, there are some rough spots that I tend to gloss over - as I'm sure the same is true with her viewpoint of me.

But we are one in making sure our kids get the best education (both in school and out) that we can afford to give or pay for. Wow... 17 years - why that means we'll be close to celebrating our 20th anniversary. That has to be cool... no matter how you look at it.

Day 364 Apr 06, 2012

Way of the Cross:

Being Good Friday, our family wanted to do something solemn... something that would remind us of Christ's passion on the cross, and that would be doing the 'Way of the Cross'.

A few things to share about this activity. First point: this is the first time we are doing this as a family. You see, in previous years, I felt that if we did this, the kids (most specially a very young Bernice) would not understand - and thus, not appreciate what we would be doing. Now, however... being of sounder mind and spirit, it would be easier to understand... and hopefully, appreciate why we are doing this.

Second point: we arrived in time to see people leaving from the Seven Last Words... and this meant their bookstore was open - this allowed me to buy a prayer book... without which we would be hard pressed to do the Way of the Cross without a guide.

Third point: the book we got was a soft cover version - and its fonts were ridiculously small for Barbie and me to read (and yes, I forgot my glasses) - which meant that the kids had to lead the entire thing... thus making htem understand what we were doing a whole lot better.

Fourth point: this is an Opus Dei backed chapel - one where being conservative (including dressing conservatively) is followed. Being thus, Barbie and Bernice were almost not allowed to enter due to the fat that they had sleeveless blouses on. Luckily, Barbie was able to persuade the guard that we would not stay too long and were just there for the Way of the Cross.

What am I trying to point at with all these points? Lets just say the Lord works in mysterious ways, and he helped us make sure we were able to practice this this Holy Week. There could have been any one reason why we could not continue with our plan... this was the fourth church/chapel we visited - the first three were too occupied or had not parking. Yet when you think about it... had we gone in to the first three, we would not have had the proper guide.book. Amazing, yes?

Day 363 Apr 05, 2012

Dubai-bound:

With exception to Barbie, the rest of the Buenabora clan in this picture are all heading for the airport, where they will catch a plane ride to China, en route to Dubai.

For Ben and Mommy, it will not be their first visit. For Dict, Tonette and Jude, it will be their first trip there - a month's vacation (to say the least), and a reunion with the rest of the family who are living there.

For Jude specially, this is a necessary trip, so he could see his mom (Bea) again. This time, in better circumstances - and hopefully, where he can familiarize himself with and bond/get close to his mom. Last they met was during Dad's funeral... this time, I hope they both enjoy things better - and Bea will definitely have a longer time with Jude. I know it will be hard for them at the end of a month (or three) to separate again, but Jude really needs to recognize his real mom.

Day 362 Apr 04, 2012

Old friends, new friends:

By this, I mean Raul (a.k.a. Batchie) and Fiel - after all, these two go all the way back since High School (Norte Dame)... and as we were sharing a mug of Hot Chocolate in Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf in Greenbelt 3, I could not help but be entertained with the stories that these two shared with each other - and with me.

You see, until today, I have only been friends with Raul in Facebook. Fiel, of course, is a colleague and friend for some years now... and lately we've been partnered with each other - specially when the need to conduct PM Estimating is concerned.

The day - and our get together, did not end until Raul asked us to get a few of some books he wanted to get rid of (for lack of space in his condo), and we were just happy to get some... in fact, I got quite a few hard bounds... even if I, too, am contemplating on the need for more bookshelves.

As for a part two... we will definitely plan for this. Meanwhile, we continue keeping in touch on an almost daily basis via FB (of course).

Day 361 Apr 03, 2012

Latest batch:

Yup... did I say the last time I showed comics in my photoblog that that wouldn't be the last time? Well, I was just being a realist... after all, when these babies arrive every week, I'd be bound to show a batch or two a month (at least)... so I wasn't exaggerating.

After all, each batch is a different combination, and the stand out for this batch would have to be the A vs. X issue 0 - a nice prelude to the 12-issue maxi-series pitting the Avengers vs. the X-men. This will surely galvanize the Marvel fans (if it hasn't yet). Noteworthy issues as well are the FF, Avengers and Aquaman. The rest weren't bad issues either, so what I'm saying is that in this particular batch, there was no poor title.

That said, with just about less than 10 days before this photoblog ends, I'm not saying I won't have another entry with a 'next batch'. But I will try to shoot for diversification where I can.

Day 360 Apr 02, 2012

Brian in action:

This was a training not in our schedule, and I'm just lucky I was able to jump in and help Brian (who jumped in too) conduct this Coaching conduct.

How I got here is a story in itself... I was at the Fort, accompanying Barbie to a meeting with the intent of bringing her back to her office (as I said, I had no scheduled training planned), and so, I was just in t-shirt, shorts and topsiders when I received Malou's call.

Needless to say, I agreed - informed Barbie about the sudden change in schedule and drove home to change before driving to Cybergate in Boni to handle my portion of the Coaching conduct.

While waiting, I observed Brian - something I (for whatever reason) had not done in the past, and found myself admiring the guy's capability to gain rapport with the class. Everyone was attentive and literally eating everything he was dishing out. Had I been a lesser experienced trainer, I might have had performance issues following Brian. Of couse, in trainings such as this, I normally bring my DSLR... in fact, it just hit me that this day, I actually had four cameras with me... the DSLR, my iPad's built in camera, my Blackberry's built in camera as well... and lastly, my Nokia phone's camera. So I really had no excuse to say I could not take a shot due to my not having a camera.

Day 359 Apr 01, 2012

Blake Baptized:

The newest member of the Buenaobra clan got baptized - Blake Andre became a Roman Catholic in Our Lady of Lourdes this 1st of April, which also happens to be Palm Sunday of the holy Week - and yes, its also April Fool's, but that's another discussion for another day.

We all attended Blake's Christening - and Bryce even became a godfather to his cousin. Guess, Lhyn really liked Bryce's personality and God-centered viewpoint.

As for me, as usual, I was the unofficial photographer for this event. If you'll notice the angle of the shot, I wanted to have a unique perspective, so I went up the balcony of the church and took most of my shots from there. In hindsight, I could have gone elsewhere to really get the actual baptism... but I wasn't too worried, as there were others taking pictures as well - so its not as if I'll show a different perspective had I been on the ground floor.

From the church, we went to Max's Chicken in the Shang to celebrate. I took pictures in between eating, and I hope Brian and Lhyn like the shots... and yes, I did learn something - specifically about placement and positioning for 'better' shots.

Day 358 Mar 31, 2012

Earth Hour:

Every last Saturday of March is the world-wide celebration of Earth Hour celebration. This year, that makes it the 31st, and as you can see in this LCD of Starbucks, there are announcements left and right with the hope of making sure people volunteer an our - from 8:30 to 9:30pm - to have a lights out moment in solidarity with everyone else to show we are aware and serious about conserving energy.

Well this particular year, we were not really able to practice Earth Hour - although, when you think about it... we actually did. How so? Simple... we were watching a movie - Hunger Games, and though we did not intend for this to coincide with Earth Hour, we were able to get tickets for the 7:40pm showing. Doing some mental math, I thought, we'd be inside the theater for the most part of Earth Hour... but would come out and still see it happening around the Greenhills theater. Unfortunately, the movie lasted longer than expected - so by the time we went out, all lights were on. Oh well... at least, all lights were off while we were watching the movie - thus actually practicing Earth Hour.

Then again, should we not want to experience the one hour lights off - watching a movie would be the best reason to go around Earth Hour and still be able to say you were practicing it (while watching the movie). As I was going into the movie... I chose not to bring the DSLR - so I used my Blackberry to take this picture.

Day 357 Mar 30, 2012

Breakfast for three:

Though we're not in the picture, Barbie and I are ably represented by our Starbucks breakfast, while Bernice is left to smile into the camera. No occasion, really... just the fact that it being a Friday, Barbie need not go to work, and being a month-end, I had to go to Makati to get my paycheck. Hence our finding ourselves here in Starbucks Greenbelt 1.

I used my DSLR for this, deciding to use the ambient lighting, which was more than enough to get a nice shot without having too little or too bright a light... more so the latter when you think that we're right beside the window - and had it not been for a partly cloudy day, such glaring effect might ruin this shot.

As for my breakfast - the french toasts were heavy... and I did not need to place the syrup supplied with it. The toast size not withstanding, I would have wanted it to be a bit more saucy - as in possibly marinaded longer in the milk and egg mixture. I should know because I have cooked these way back when I was a teen. What can I say, I've got impeccable taste.

After this, the plan would be to try going to S&R and hope the lines aren't insanely long... other than that, the day is relatively flexible - and I plan to enjoy it.

Day 356 Mar 29, 2012

Turkish Delights:

This is me discovering this delicatessen - a little something brought back for us by Brian. It's know by its more familiar 'Turkish Delights' label... or Lukum by the Turkish and/or Arabic people.

My first impression when taking it? Its got a powedery cover - much like our local espasol, so eating it can be a bot of a powdery mess... just saying. But unlike the espasol that has a bland taste as only ground root crops tend to have, these lukum come in different and for the most part, sweet flavor.

I don't know if they happen to be done this way all the time (it is my first taste of it remember?), but based on my first impression, it is good. Sort of like a fruity flavored orange jelly - it you've tasted those... but not just orange, and instead of the usual sugar coating... as I said, more like confectionery (powdery) sugar is used. Personally, its good, and I have it on good authority that it goes great with Turkish coffee - which I still need to look for.

This is another Instagram picture... and yes, it also covers my picture as part of my photoblog - the last one being about 10 pictures ago. Yes, I know... not too far off - but this is a 'first' event. I mean, think of it... 51 years before I even got to taste these things.

Day 355 Mar 28, 2012

Brian's in town:

Fresh from Dubai, Brian planed it to spend a few days (literally about 2 weeks) with his wife and newly born baby.

Since he's just arrived, and Ben fetched him, they went here first, so Brian could rest a bit. While resting, he logs into our WiFi and takes a few winks. This picture is when Brian was logging into Buffy's Domain (yes, that's what I named our WiFi domain), while Jude just got used to his presence and did not feel that intimidated with the 'stranger' in our home.

If the picture quality is a bit grainy, this is because I used Instagram for this (via my iPad), so I had to work with a lesser megapixel camera, and possibly an even lower pixelation via Instagram too. I don't know if there is a way to tweak the picture quality for a better quality shot - at least, as of this time, I am not yet aware of such a technique.

Day 354 Mar 27, 2012

Waiting in J&J parking:

Seeing as this week is a relatively free week for me (no work assigned to me), I find myself fetching Barbie from work, then driving home.

Along the way, we talk... maybe do the groceries, maybe stop by some place to have a snack - or early dinner... this latter option being when either of us has something to do before going home.

Now, as I wait... I either read a book or a few comic books, maybe even read an ebook with my iPad - or simply play games in said iPad as well. Maybe if the wait is rather long (due to Barbie's unanticipated meeting with her boss - thus unable to leave as intended... hence my waiting this way as well... anyway, yes... if the wait is really long, I might do just all of the things I mentioned earlier.

Once again, I used my Blackberry camera for this... talk about getting bored huh?

Day 353 Mar 26, 2012

Aircon cleaning:

This is how our black car looks with all its wirings from the dashboard exposed... a necessary move to reach the car's aircon, so it can be cleaned.

Apparently, this is one of the more labor intense aircon cleaning models - not just because of where the aircon is hidden, but also because of the fact that since this is an automatic model, the dahsboard is a bit more complicated to take out - as its got so many components that are individually screwed. I mean, I was... for the most part, observing how things were being done - and I have to say I ran out of patience while waiting for this to be done. I just had to leave the shop (which was quite close to my place) so I could have lunch and rest a bit. Yeah... since this entire week is a free week, I'm starting to catch up with pending stuff that needs to be done - this was one of them... and by no means is this done. The car also needs an oil change and to be registered... preferably before Ben leaves for Dubai.

This shot was taken using my Blackberry smart phone's camera. After all, I did not want to wait out in the open toting my DSLR or my iPad.

Day 352 Mar 25, 2012

Chatime:

Looks like this is getting to be a habit - the enjoying of Chatime drinks that is. Whenever I find myself in Greenhills, we (that is, Barbie and I... and normally, with Bernice as well as this instance connotes) would decide to get some Chatime milk tea.

In our case, we normally gravitate towards the red bean variety - a best seller, if their ads are to be believed... and I personally like it because their red beans remind me of hopia... or in some way, halo halo (no surprise as it happens to be the same red beans in the halo halo - and most probably the same as well when it comes to certain hopia variety.

But what is also great about this is that we can opt to have it less sweeter (my preference) and it always comes in a refreshingly cold temperature... a definite plus factor in this hot summer season. I tried taking thsi picture with and without a flash... for some reason, I prefer the non-flash option... it looks fuller, as the flash option lessens some inherent shadows and or reflections.