Last Thursday and Friday, I attended my first management planning with the top guns of the company (letting it settle in quite nicely that I'm very much in the director role) as we collaboratively discussed what the best plan of actions would be moving forward for 2014.
Not that I'm allowed to divulge anything from that session, so I'll just talk about the vague details of that trip. Our destination was in Rosario, Batangas, the location of a farm owned by the family of our CEO. It was a massive space and was a 3-hour drive from Makati. Upon our arrival, the place was gorgeous. The air was clean, there were dogs, chickens and some deer or two, and not to mention a big spacious living area where we held our round-table discussions.
All in all as we identified the issues, attempted to find their root causes and come up with solutions, we did indeed have some fun here and there. Sadly though, we weren't able to play Star Trek Catan since we were behind schedule. Maybe next time.
In any case, having been part of that made me appreciate that the group was firm in the goals we wanted to reach, and everyone was imparting suggestions to help each and every department grow, which I think is a great takeaway from all this.
Looking forward to the year ahead for our company.
Showing posts with label travel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label travel. Show all posts
on Sunday, June 30, 2013
(My apologies for the late post, but I never managed to finish typing up this entry before I came back to the hustle and bustle of coming back.)
Finally, the feature presentation! Our final destination and the entire reason for our Canada trip (going through all the trouble of procuring a single entry Canadian Visa) was to visit Winnipeg, Manitoba, where the Asuncion family migrated to back in August 2008. After nearly 5 years, this will be the first time that our entire family has come to visit them, so it was truly an experience to look forward to. Our flight was at around 8 in the morning, and were already in the airport at around 7-ish. The flight took roughly 4 hours, adding an hour to the clock due to timezone discrepancy of around an hour.
Upon our arrival, dad was taking pictures as we descended the escalators to the baggage claim area before we spotted some familiar faces hiding near the Tim Horton's nearby! Running, hugging, glomping and general greetings were exchanged when the entire Asuncion family came out to greet us, along with Ate Joan's boyfriend JR. After some obligatory pictures and more hugs, we made our way to their humble abode some 20-30 minutes away from the airport. Much of the reason why they all came out to meet with us as mostly because we needed all the space we could afford. With three cars, however, that didn't pose much of a problem.
What greeted us when we arrived was a welcome message that read: Bienvenue Monsods! I already expected this to happen, but it was endearing and it affirmed that we were actually there! We took some time to relax, let our feet rest and just chill for a while after all the travelling. For us cousins, we each end up with our own little partners from childhood, mostly because we were the ones who became so tight-knit. So I spent most of my time with Jostin, who had a grand lair in the basement that was just so awesome I wish I took a picture of it!
To unwind, he and I broke our his Rockband set, did I Spy with the drum adapter before proceeding to play some Rock Band 2 songs while our siblings went out. After a while, we joined my parents and his mom (my godmother) to see the sights and visit The Forks, the only "tourist spot" in Winnipeg, according to Jostin. Loved the bonding time with him, catching up with our age-old Xhevix conceptualzation for a while and spending the rest of the time enjoying their Netflix subscription and finish the first 2 seasons of Sherlock (Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman) and some random episodes of Doctor Who.
Of course, as a big group, we went to various malls and restaurants, and engaged in several fun activities, which I'll break down below!
Sunday, June 9, marked my parents' 29th Wedding Anniversary. We all came up with an itinerary for them, and our first stop was making reservations at Montana's Grill. The food was delicious, and my parents initially offered to pay for dinner, but in the end, we ended up surprising them by paying the bill instead! We capped off the day proceeding to go play Five-Pin Bowling. Separating into a boys vs girls groups of 5, we played two games, and I must say, it was a lot of fun! The alleys resembled the usual ten-pin bowling lanes, but this just had five, a smaller ball and a points system to cap it all off. My first game was a sweet success, but I couldn't boast the same for the second one though, haha!
One of the more memorable shopping escapades we went to was to a little place called Kildonan Place. Much of the reason we headed off there was to scout for the HMV branch that had a stock of the Eleventh Doctor's Sonic Screwdriver. And yeah, my uncle got it for me so it was a very, very sweet deal! Funny thing was, I only had one remark. "I need a screwdriver for my screwdriver!" Yeah, I needed an actual one to pop in the batteries before I could play Doctor. But once that was set it was such a dream.
Quite often, we spent late nights staying up and watching movies (this was mostly due to my cousin Joan and her boyfriend JR), so Jostin and I couldn't sleep right away even if we wanted to since that would have meant commandeering the PS3 and Netflix. So there was a little Cabin in the Woods with splashes of old cartoon shows like Dexter's Laboratory and Samurai Jack to keep us entertained!
For another fun activity we headed off to a little place called Lazer Runner where we engaged in a rowdy game of Laser Tag! We were a big group of 15 or thereabouts, so we started off a convoy to head out to where the place was (which was outside the main city) where we met up with a few more of my cousin's friends. We played three various games - a Regular one to warm up, a Vampire and Eliminator game. Sad to say I wasn't in the best of ways at the start of it all since I literally ran into a wall trying to escape being aimed at, and let's not forget that running causes tripping every now and again. So bumps and aches followed, but it was a hell of a lot of fun!
My family and I were even around to attend my cousin Jostin's graduation! He's finished 2 years of Digital Arts at Red River College, so he received a certificate for it. This spring, he'll be pursuing another year where he'll focus on 3D work. Really proud of him too!
As my sister and I were flying back to Manila early, Thursday was our last day in Winnipeg. It was decided that we'd spend the last day (Thursday), throwing a barbecue over at my cousin Jaimee and her boyfriend Josh's house, where we met Josh's side of the family. Jostin and I ended up babysitting Josh's nephews, playing through Guitar Hero down in the basement and had a nice Father's Day presentation once evening had settled in. We presented the dads with cards and little gifts, and they were more than amused, which was the overall point of it. It ended with a cousin sleepover, since we needed to head to the airport for an early morning flight.
The morning after, I realized that I never got my passport from my mom, so she and Uncle Joey had to drive back to the house to get it, and we were worried that they wouldn't be able to make it in time the flight was leaving. But they managed to get back, so my sister and I flew off to Toronto, and spent the next 11 hours at the terminal for an evening flight back to Manila.
It was a crazy adventure, but I am grateful for everything that's happened. I'll post pictures soon enough, so do sit tight!
Finally, the feature presentation! Our final destination and the entire reason for our Canada trip (going through all the trouble of procuring a single entry Canadian Visa) was to visit Winnipeg, Manitoba, where the Asuncion family migrated to back in August 2008. After nearly 5 years, this will be the first time that our entire family has come to visit them, so it was truly an experience to look forward to. Our flight was at around 8 in the morning, and were already in the airport at around 7-ish. The flight took roughly 4 hours, adding an hour to the clock due to timezone discrepancy of around an hour.
Upon our arrival, dad was taking pictures as we descended the escalators to the baggage claim area before we spotted some familiar faces hiding near the Tim Horton's nearby! Running, hugging, glomping and general greetings were exchanged when the entire Asuncion family came out to greet us, along with Ate Joan's boyfriend JR. After some obligatory pictures and more hugs, we made our way to their humble abode some 20-30 minutes away from the airport. Much of the reason why they all came out to meet with us as mostly because we needed all the space we could afford. With three cars, however, that didn't pose much of a problem.
What greeted us when we arrived was a welcome message that read: Bienvenue Monsods! I already expected this to happen, but it was endearing and it affirmed that we were actually there! We took some time to relax, let our feet rest and just chill for a while after all the travelling. For us cousins, we each end up with our own little partners from childhood, mostly because we were the ones who became so tight-knit. So I spent most of my time with Jostin, who had a grand lair in the basement that was just so awesome I wish I took a picture of it!
To unwind, he and I broke our his Rockband set, did I Spy with the drum adapter before proceeding to play some Rock Band 2 songs while our siblings went out. After a while, we joined my parents and his mom (my godmother) to see the sights and visit The Forks, the only "tourist spot" in Winnipeg, according to Jostin. Loved the bonding time with him, catching up with our age-old Xhevix conceptualzation for a while and spending the rest of the time enjoying their Netflix subscription and finish the first 2 seasons of Sherlock (Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman) and some random episodes of Doctor Who.
Of course, as a big group, we went to various malls and restaurants, and engaged in several fun activities, which I'll break down below!
Sunday, June 9, marked my parents' 29th Wedding Anniversary. We all came up with an itinerary for them, and our first stop was making reservations at Montana's Grill. The food was delicious, and my parents initially offered to pay for dinner, but in the end, we ended up surprising them by paying the bill instead! We capped off the day proceeding to go play Five-Pin Bowling. Separating into a boys vs girls groups of 5, we played two games, and I must say, it was a lot of fun! The alleys resembled the usual ten-pin bowling lanes, but this just had five, a smaller ball and a points system to cap it all off. My first game was a sweet success, but I couldn't boast the same for the second one though, haha!
One of the more memorable shopping escapades we went to was to a little place called Kildonan Place. Much of the reason we headed off there was to scout for the HMV branch that had a stock of the Eleventh Doctor's Sonic Screwdriver. And yeah, my uncle got it for me so it was a very, very sweet deal! Funny thing was, I only had one remark. "I need a screwdriver for my screwdriver!" Yeah, I needed an actual one to pop in the batteries before I could play Doctor. But once that was set it was such a dream.
Quite often, we spent late nights staying up and watching movies (this was mostly due to my cousin Joan and her boyfriend JR), so Jostin and I couldn't sleep right away even if we wanted to since that would have meant commandeering the PS3 and Netflix. So there was a little Cabin in the Woods with splashes of old cartoon shows like Dexter's Laboratory and Samurai Jack to keep us entertained!
For another fun activity we headed off to a little place called Lazer Runner where we engaged in a rowdy game of Laser Tag! We were a big group of 15 or thereabouts, so we started off a convoy to head out to where the place was (which was outside the main city) where we met up with a few more of my cousin's friends. We played three various games - a Regular one to warm up, a Vampire and Eliminator game. Sad to say I wasn't in the best of ways at the start of it all since I literally ran into a wall trying to escape being aimed at, and let's not forget that running causes tripping every now and again. So bumps and aches followed, but it was a hell of a lot of fun!
My family and I were even around to attend my cousin Jostin's graduation! He's finished 2 years of Digital Arts at Red River College, so he received a certificate for it. This spring, he'll be pursuing another year where he'll focus on 3D work. Really proud of him too!
As my sister and I were flying back to Manila early, Thursday was our last day in Winnipeg. It was decided that we'd spend the last day (Thursday), throwing a barbecue over at my cousin Jaimee and her boyfriend Josh's house, where we met Josh's side of the family. Jostin and I ended up babysitting Josh's nephews, playing through Guitar Hero down in the basement and had a nice Father's Day presentation once evening had settled in. We presented the dads with cards and little gifts, and they were more than amused, which was the overall point of it. It ended with a cousin sleepover, since we needed to head to the airport for an early morning flight.
The morning after, I realized that I never got my passport from my mom, so she and Uncle Joey had to drive back to the house to get it, and we were worried that they wouldn't be able to make it in time the flight was leaving. But they managed to get back, so my sister and I flew off to Toronto, and spent the next 11 hours at the terminal for an evening flight back to Manila.
It was a crazy adventure, but I am grateful for everything that's happened. I'll post pictures soon enough, so do sit tight!
on Saturday, June 15, 2013
Our second full day in Canada had us making like tourists! With the Day Passes dad purchased the day before, we took a series of buses and subway trains to Downtown, locating the Toronto branch of my brother's company. After some frequent map consulting, we finally managed to locate it. We waited a few minutes before he came down before we went about on our way again. After some exploring, we bumped into a couple of elderly Taiwanese and their grandchildren who asked us to take a picture of them, and they kindly offered to take a picture of us in return.
Quite close to this, we spotted the restaurant we had reservations for later that evening: Marche restaurant which I'll talk about a bit more later. We did a bit more walking around before realizing that it was high time for lunch, and so we stopped at a building where a food court was located. Welcome to the First Canadian Place. After ordering separate meals (with a lot to choose from anyway), another of Mom'sold officemates, Tita Louie, met up with us. Ironically, we were dining in her building, which was crazy because she mentioned that she reported that she'd be leaving for a doctor's appointment to meet with us. Whoops!
She took us underground travel from building to building. There were a lot of people here, which explained the complete lack of any up in the streets or so my dad had observed. She took us to a huge bargain store called Honest Ed's, where I found myself a nice red bowtie! It was a neat place full of clothes, tools, knickknacks and food! We spent the rest of the afternoon taking a Streetcar to see more of the sites before finally retracing our steps back to Marche for dinner.
The interesting thing about this particular restaurant was it had various stalls for different cuisines! Their system had a cash card that would total up everything you ordered so you'd pay for any drinks you order and meals for that matter when you were done eating. After looking around the place, I finally settled on trying out a Smoked Salmon Savory Crepe, with cheese and mixed greens and a pesto sauce. And might I say, it was delicious! We stayed there for about three hours since several others of Mom's officemates joined us, so trip down memory lane took a long while that my siblings and I dozed off for a while, haha!
We were finally brought back to our hotel to prepare for our early morning flight to Winnipeg, which I'll talk about in my next post!
Again, pictures to follow.
Quite close to this, we spotted the restaurant we had reservations for later that evening: Marche restaurant which I'll talk about a bit more later. We did a bit more walking around before realizing that it was high time for lunch, and so we stopped at a building where a food court was located. Welcome to the First Canadian Place. After ordering separate meals (with a lot to choose from anyway), another of Mom'sold officemates, Tita Louie, met up with us. Ironically, we were dining in her building, which was crazy because she mentioned that she reported that she'd be leaving for a doctor's appointment to meet with us. Whoops!
She took us underground travel from building to building. There were a lot of people here, which explained the complete lack of any up in the streets or so my dad had observed. She took us to a huge bargain store called Honest Ed's, where I found myself a nice red bowtie! It was a neat place full of clothes, tools, knickknacks and food! We spent the rest of the afternoon taking a Streetcar to see more of the sites before finally retracing our steps back to Marche for dinner.
The interesting thing about this particular restaurant was it had various stalls for different cuisines! Their system had a cash card that would total up everything you ordered so you'd pay for any drinks you order and meals for that matter when you were done eating. After looking around the place, I finally settled on trying out a Smoked Salmon Savory Crepe, with cheese and mixed greens and a pesto sauce. And might I say, it was delicious! We stayed there for about three hours since several others of Mom's officemates joined us, so trip down memory lane took a long while that my siblings and I dozed off for a while, haha!
We were finally brought back to our hotel to prepare for our early morning flight to Winnipeg, which I'll talk about in my next post!
Again, pictures to follow.
So here I am in Toronto Pearson with my sister. We had an early morning flight from Winnipeg that arrived at around 11 in the morning, and a scheduled flight home to Manila later this evening at 10 in the evening. So in the meantime, we're being hermits somewhere or another to help time move a bit faster for the 11 hour layover period.
I've been delaying any posts of the latter parts of our family vacation here in Canada mostly because I was trying to make the most of the limited time to spend with the family and relatives. While my parents and brother will be spending another extra week in Canada, it's back to regular programming for me and my sister, having to go back to work.
Hopefully I can use this time to catch up on backlogged posts, while it's still somewhat fresh in my mind, but as I have a few other activities to carry out, fingers crossed at least the time spent becomes productive.
I'll leave it here for now, but you're sure to expect more free-flowing posts about my trip in the coming days if not hours. See you soon Manila!
I've been delaying any posts of the latter parts of our family vacation here in Canada mostly because I was trying to make the most of the limited time to spend with the family and relatives. While my parents and brother will be spending another extra week in Canada, it's back to regular programming for me and my sister, having to go back to work.
Hopefully I can use this time to catch up on backlogged posts, while it's still somewhat fresh in my mind, but as I have a few other activities to carry out, fingers crossed at least the time spent becomes productive.
I'll leave it here for now, but you're sure to expect more free-flowing posts about my trip in the coming days if not hours. See you soon Manila!
on Friday, June 7, 2013
Let this blog entry be a little reminder for myself before my trip ends up half-forgotten at the back of my mind at the end of everything. I believe this will be a great way to chronicle the trip and expound on some of the details I may end up overlooking later on when I type up an abridged version sorta like my US trip.
The pictures will follow, but for now here's what happened so far:
We awoke to breakfast at the hotel, before preparing for the travels of the day. We were picked up by my mom's former officemates Tito Abet and Tita Ena, who brought us to Niagara Falls. Weather forecast said there was 60% chance of rain, and on the long drive over there from Mississauga all the way to Niagara Falls, rain hath no fury. It poured down pretty much how it would back in Manila, which was a pretty unwelcoming gesture from nature considering we were planning to see the Falls.
Upon our arrival, rain was still coming down, but only got stronger, causing us to get limited time outside exposed to the elements, admiring the Falls on Canada's side. This perpetually cancelled our Maid of the Mist voyage, and instead went to see the Flower Clock and have lunch at the Swiss Chalet. This was soon followed by a trip to the Outlet, were my dad and I managed to get shoes for ourselves! I got myself a pair of Raintrek shoes from the Adidas Outlet Store. :)
Afterwards, we headed downtown to see the CN Tower, but with the weather pretty much the same, the fog covered much of the view from afar. Nevertheless, we still managed to head in and have a look around, passing by Rogers Centre before heading off to Union Station, a Grand Central equivalent from New York. From there, we headed off to the Toronto Eaton Centre, a mall of shorts to look around some more shops and off to the Urban Eatery below, a food court of sorts for dinner before heading back to the hotel.
Overall, it was an eventful first full day in Toronto. The weather was cold and the rain most unwelcoming, but here's to hoping the day ahead will yield more interesting sites! :)
EDIT: Outtake shots from our first full day in Canada added!
The pictures will follow, but for now here's what happened so far:
We awoke to breakfast at the hotel, before preparing for the travels of the day. We were picked up by my mom's former officemates Tito Abet and Tita Ena, who brought us to Niagara Falls. Weather forecast said there was 60% chance of rain, and on the long drive over there from Mississauga all the way to Niagara Falls, rain hath no fury. It poured down pretty much how it would back in Manila, which was a pretty unwelcoming gesture from nature considering we were planning to see the Falls.
Upon our arrival, rain was still coming down, but only got stronger, causing us to get limited time outside exposed to the elements, admiring the Falls on Canada's side. This perpetually cancelled our Maid of the Mist voyage, and instead went to see the Flower Clock and have lunch at the Swiss Chalet. This was soon followed by a trip to the Outlet, were my dad and I managed to get shoes for ourselves! I got myself a pair of Raintrek shoes from the Adidas Outlet Store. :)
Overall, it was an eventful first full day in Toronto. The weather was cold and the rain most unwelcoming, but here's to hoping the day ahead will yield more interesting sites! :)
EDIT: Outtake shots from our first full day in Canada added!
on Monday, June 3, 2013
So after many, many, many months of procrastinating, here's part 2! This tackles the second half of our US Trip last August, and I wanted to get his done and out of the way considering we have another upcoming trip to Canada in a few days and I didn't want them to clash. Besides, the longer it takes for me to delay this, the more I'll forget to type anything decent to owe the experience any justice at all.
My family's second half of the vacation had us leaving the busy city of New York City to the very hot place that was the country' capital, Washington D.C.! But that includes a side-trip (at least for me and my folks) to New Jersey while my siblings opted to stay an extra day in New York for their own personal reasons.
My internet was acting up so I'll have to upload the rest of the pictures another day.
14. Atlantic City, New Jersey
Atlantic City! This was where the firsts started, though technically not my first casino area since Las Vegas during one of our previous US trips. And before you ask, NO I didn't end up gambling, but I do remember spotting an American Idol game. My parents had some friends in New Jersey, and we stayed with one of them for an evening before they helpfully dropped us off at the train station to take the Amtrak in Pennsylvania to Washington where we'd be reuniting with my siblings.
15. Lincoln Memorial, Washington D.C.
The capital city was hot, but the travel there was worthwhile with the Old Town Trolley service that was the nice, rustic equivalent of bustling New York's HOHO (Hop On-Hop Off) tour buses. One of our first stops off the trolley was visiting the Lincoln Memorial. And boy was it a beaut! Considering we've seen this on many different occasions in the movies is a big fulfillment on its own.
16. US Capitol, Washington D.C.
The drop-off point of the trolley at the US Capitol was on the other side of the entrance of the inside tour, so we found ourselves making the LONG trek around. And in that heat? I was just depressed that I had to empty out my canister due to security protocol of touring the Capitol. The cool part though was that there was an awesome room we were in that could bounce off sound (even whispers) off the floor from one side of the room to another.
Oh, and did I mention that the area we toured was underground? Check out this high ceiling!
17. White House, Washington D.C.
The iconic White House beyond the perimeter was about as close as we could get to the structure, but that didn't really stop us from getting any pictures taken!
18. American Art Museum, Washington D.C.
A gaming exhibit is always a grand adventure, so we were able to head in and have a quick look around. Funnily enough, there were several exhibits that let you play some games. Pacman, Super Mario Brothers, Flower and Monkey Island to name a few.
19. Smithsonian Air and Space Museum, Washington D.C.
If you've seen Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian and Transformers 2, then you'll recognize the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum. The museum space itself is pretty big, considering the amount of exhibits you'd find there. I wanted to go on the Flight Simulator but I couldn't coax anyone to go with me, so I settled for taking a little tour around instead. Funnily enough, Dad found this picture of one of the Philippine Airlines plane models.
20. Smithsonian Museum of Natural History, Washington D.C.
Another of the featured museums in the Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian. This one played up my alley much better since I enjoyed looking at wildlife, getting lost a bit to venture around and learn about some thing or another.
My family's second half of the vacation had us leaving the busy city of New York City to the very hot place that was the country' capital, Washington D.C.! But that includes a side-trip (at least for me and my folks) to New Jersey while my siblings opted to stay an extra day in New York for their own personal reasons.
My internet was acting up so I'll have to upload the rest of the pictures another day.
14. Atlantic City, New Jersey
Atlantic City! This was where the firsts started, though technically not my first casino area since Las Vegas during one of our previous US trips. And before you ask, NO I didn't end up gambling, but I do remember spotting an American Idol game. My parents had some friends in New Jersey, and we stayed with one of them for an evening before they helpfully dropped us off at the train station to take the Amtrak in Pennsylvania to Washington where we'd be reuniting with my siblings.
15. Lincoln Memorial, Washington D.C.
The capital city was hot, but the travel there was worthwhile with the Old Town Trolley service that was the nice, rustic equivalent of bustling New York's HOHO (Hop On-Hop Off) tour buses. One of our first stops off the trolley was visiting the Lincoln Memorial. And boy was it a beaut! Considering we've seen this on many different occasions in the movies is a big fulfillment on its own.
16. US Capitol, Washington D.C.
The drop-off point of the trolley at the US Capitol was on the other side of the entrance of the inside tour, so we found ourselves making the LONG trek around. And in that heat? I was just depressed that I had to empty out my canister due to security protocol of touring the Capitol. The cool part though was that there was an awesome room we were in that could bounce off sound (even whispers) off the floor from one side of the room to another.
Oh, and did I mention that the area we toured was underground? Check out this high ceiling!
17. White House, Washington D.C.
The iconic White House beyond the perimeter was about as close as we could get to the structure, but that didn't really stop us from getting any pictures taken!
18. American Art Museum, Washington D.C.
A gaming exhibit is always a grand adventure, so we were able to head in and have a quick look around. Funnily enough, there were several exhibits that let you play some games. Pacman, Super Mario Brothers, Flower and Monkey Island to name a few.
19. Smithsonian Air and Space Museum, Washington D.C.
If you've seen Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian and Transformers 2, then you'll recognize the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum. The museum space itself is pretty big, considering the amount of exhibits you'd find there. I wanted to go on the Flight Simulator but I couldn't coax anyone to go with me, so I settled for taking a little tour around instead. Funnily enough, Dad found this picture of one of the Philippine Airlines plane models.
20. Smithsonian Museum of Natural History, Washington D.C.
Another of the featured museums in the Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian. This one played up my alley much better since I enjoyed looking at wildlife, getting lost a bit to venture around and learn about some thing or another.
on Wednesday, October 31, 2012
I haven't been a good blogger since my trip to the US. Of course, there were a lot of issues that surrounded the lack of posts - the near immediate return to work days later, the need to upload the mass of pictures taken to Facebook, and reviving roleplaying with Kai. So to make up for it, I've decided to just wrap up the trip into two posts and hope that it counts for a good recollection piece looking back. Some memorable pictures surely to be included below!
All in all, my family and I went to four states and a few more cities.
San Diego and San Francisco in California, New York, New Jersey and the capital city of the United States, Washington D.C. It was a mix of old, renewed experiences of familiar places and new, breathtaking experiences of uncharted territory and sorta familiar places alike. So let's start the show and tell!
This entry captures the first part of our trip, focusing on our New York leg. Part two will have some outtakes from our brief New Jersey stop, Washington and San Francisco!
1. In-n-Out Burger, San Diego
Our midnight snack on the LONG drive from Los Angeles to San Diego. Dad wasn't able to join the flight with us, so it was just my siblings and my mom who arrived. My uncle Patrick and auntie Rose picked us up at LAX, and the drive was epically long.
2. Times Square, Midtown Manhattan, New York
My last trip to New York was a good 8 years ago back in summer 2004. At the time, I went with my uncle Patrick and cousin Troy, who at the time had graduated from college. Back then, my fondest memory of this place in New York was buying tickets to see the Broadway show of the timeless 'Phantom of the Opera'! We watched it at the Majestic Theater, and without fail, the broadway was absolutely magical and breathtaking! Now if only I could have watched The Boy from Oz....
3. Bethesda Fountain, Central Park, New York
The iconic fountain; a backdrop in a lot of movies shot in New York City. The first time I saw this 8 years ago, it was as breathtaking as I remember it to be~ Considering we live across Central Park, navigating to this fountain wasn't so much an issue as it was a true adventure just getting there.
4. Empire State Building, Midtown Manhattan, New York
My first trip to New York didn't put us in the luxury of having tours. We made like anti-tourists and took the subway to directly go to places we wanted to see, completely missing out on seeing the Empire State altogether. This time around however, we got the opportunity to see it during our Hop On-Hop Off tours around Downtown.
5. Flat Iron Building, Midtown Manhattan, New York
The iconic building where I always remember the Daily Bugle from the Spider-Man movies. A fantastic sight both point forward and from the side.
6. Statue of Liberty, Liberty Island, New York
Always a majestic view, and another icon of the great city on the East Coast. This trip was my first time touching down on Liberty Island to see Lady Liberty up close, so it was a real treat to actually appreciate and learn a little more about her and her significance in terms of symbolism and construction.
7. Bow Bridge, Central Park, New York
8. Imagine Mosaic, Central Park, New York
Truth be told, I've heard about this, seen this in pictures, but it was indeed my first time seeing this "in the flesh" near Strawberry Fields in the midst of the vast Central Park. :) Hard to imagine hoe much of an impact this mosaic is, and not many people know that it's actually to fuss over and take a picture by!
9. The London, West Midtown Manhattan, New York
GORDON RAMSAY'S RESTAURANT! First learned about this during an episode of the 12-Michelin star chef's 'Kitchen Nightmares US'. So it was an absolute MUST to go and find this place no matter what and just have a picture outside it! And by some awesome circumstance, I found it! The London Bar, which also houses other restaurants of the 12-Michelin Star superchef: Gordon Ramsay at the London and Maze by Gordon Ramsay at the London. Hopefully someday I'll be able to sit down at one of these restaurants and have a bite to eat. Someday.
10. Nintendo World, Midtown Manhattan, New York
Seated in the midst of Rockefeller Center lies a two-story wonderland that is Nintendo World! From Pokemon to Super Mario Bros to Zelda and the like, it's an AWESOME store that sells merchandise and gadgetry of Nintendo happiness.
11. FAO Schwarz, Midtown Manhattan, New York
Ever remember Home Alone and that Big Piano in the toy store in New York? Well... THIS was the place! It's HUGE and full of toys of all sorts, including a Muppet workshop, sweets and candies, and stuffed animals, figurines and merchandise of all sorts! Toys, toys, TOYS!
12. Castle's Exterior Apartment, Soho, New York
Exterior used for Richard Castle's apartment in the ABC TV series, "Castle". :) It was a special side trip I took with my good HS friend Rina, bringing us all the way down to Soho. Definitely worth the trip, though I was at one point unsure if it was the place. But from some fun angle, I confirmed it. :)
13. Belvedere Castle, Central Park, New York
Location indicated in the Richard Castle penned "Heat Rises" in the middle of Central Park. One of the last places my friend Rina and I went to spending the latter half of the day together. While having full intentions of locating it, we actually stumbled across it by accident since we were almost getting lost and I wasn't going to ask for directions when the adventure of finding it was still there. Fun thing to note about Belvedere Castle is that it's actually used as a weather station of sorts, so the forecasts come from here, though it's more catered to the skies over Central Park, rendering some weather forecasts irrelevant in other areas of New York City. Go figure.
See you all in part 2!
All in all, my family and I went to four states and a few more cities.
San Diego and San Francisco in California, New York, New Jersey and the capital city of the United States, Washington D.C. It was a mix of old, renewed experiences of familiar places and new, breathtaking experiences of uncharted territory and sorta familiar places alike. So let's start the show and tell!
This entry captures the first part of our trip, focusing on our New York leg. Part two will have some outtakes from our brief New Jersey stop, Washington and San Francisco!
1. In-n-Out Burger, San Diego
Our midnight snack on the LONG drive from Los Angeles to San Diego. Dad wasn't able to join the flight with us, so it was just my siblings and my mom who arrived. My uncle Patrick and auntie Rose picked us up at LAX, and the drive was epically long.
2. Times Square, Midtown Manhattan, New York
3. Bethesda Fountain, Central Park, New York
The iconic fountain; a backdrop in a lot of movies shot in New York City. The first time I saw this 8 years ago, it was as breathtaking as I remember it to be~ Considering we live across Central Park, navigating to this fountain wasn't so much an issue as it was a true adventure just getting there.
4. Empire State Building, Midtown Manhattan, New York
My first trip to New York didn't put us in the luxury of having tours. We made like anti-tourists and took the subway to directly go to places we wanted to see, completely missing out on seeing the Empire State altogether. This time around however, we got the opportunity to see it during our Hop On-Hop Off tours around Downtown.
5. Flat Iron Building, Midtown Manhattan, New York
The iconic building where I always remember the Daily Bugle from the Spider-Man movies. A fantastic sight both point forward and from the side.
6. Statue of Liberty, Liberty Island, New York
7. Bow Bridge, Central Park, New York
8. Imagine Mosaic, Central Park, New York
Truth be told, I've heard about this, seen this in pictures, but it was indeed my first time seeing this "in the flesh" near Strawberry Fields in the midst of the vast Central Park. :) Hard to imagine hoe much of an impact this mosaic is, and not many people know that it's actually to fuss over and take a picture by!
9. The London, West Midtown Manhattan, New York
GORDON RAMSAY'S RESTAURANT! First learned about this during an episode of the 12-Michelin star chef's 'Kitchen Nightmares US'. So it was an absolute MUST to go and find this place no matter what and just have a picture outside it! And by some awesome circumstance, I found it! The London Bar, which also houses other restaurants of the 12-Michelin Star superchef: Gordon Ramsay at the London and Maze by Gordon Ramsay at the London. Hopefully someday I'll be able to sit down at one of these restaurants and have a bite to eat. Someday.
10. Nintendo World, Midtown Manhattan, New York
Seated in the midst of Rockefeller Center lies a two-story wonderland that is Nintendo World! From Pokemon to Super Mario Bros to Zelda and the like, it's an AWESOME store that sells merchandise and gadgetry of Nintendo happiness.
11. FAO Schwarz, Midtown Manhattan, New York
Ever remember Home Alone and that Big Piano in the toy store in New York? Well... THIS was the place! It's HUGE and full of toys of all sorts, including a Muppet workshop, sweets and candies, and stuffed animals, figurines and merchandise of all sorts! Toys, toys, TOYS!
12. Castle's Exterior Apartment, Soho, New York
Exterior used for Richard Castle's apartment in the ABC TV series, "Castle". :) It was a special side trip I took with my good HS friend Rina, bringing us all the way down to Soho. Definitely worth the trip, though I was at one point unsure if it was the place. But from some fun angle, I confirmed it. :)
13. Belvedere Castle, Central Park, New York
Location indicated in the Richard Castle penned "Heat Rises" in the middle of Central Park. One of the last places my friend Rina and I went to spending the latter half of the day together. While having full intentions of locating it, we actually stumbled across it by accident since we were almost getting lost and I wasn't going to ask for directions when the adventure of finding it was still there. Fun thing to note about Belvedere Castle is that it's actually used as a weather station of sorts, so the forecasts come from here, though it's more catered to the skies over Central Park, rendering some weather forecasts irrelevant in other areas of New York City. Go figure.
on Friday, August 10, 2012
So this might well be my first quick post to serve as some sorta teaser on the places we saw in (the official) day 1 in our New York Leg of our vacation! So picture heavy with just a bit of descriptions, so to speak. I'll probably make a more detailed travel post when I have more free time. But just so there's a bit of explanation to the (awesome) vantage point of these pictures (except for Lady Liberty), these were taken from the top deck of the Hop-On-Hop-Off Tour bus we took along Downtown and Uptown.
Times Square. Not as awesome as when you see it at night, but still a great sight nevertheless. Of course I didn't include all the other amenities like the Broadway signs (iconic of Times Square) since this tower was the best symbol representing it. That and my camera takes sloppy pictures at night.
The Empire State Building. I like the outcome of this shot that's off to the side a bit! It shows you a really awesome depth of the building. :D And that's all she wrote.
The Flat Iron Building. You know, the one that looks like a big iron? I always enjoyed seeing this building. 8 years ago and until now.
The Statue of Liberty. This time around my family and I had the great privilege of cruising over to Liberty Island where we could get this fantastic vantage point of her.
And finally, Brooklyn and Brooklyn Bridge from Manhattan Bridge. This was during our Night Tour!
So that's it for day 1. Will probably put up another post from yesterday's trip where we visited some parts of Central Park.
So that's it for day 1. Will probably put up another post from yesterday's trip where we visited some parts of Central Park.
on Sunday, August 5, 2012
*It is to be noted that I typed this entry on the plane, but I was only able to post this when I finally got net for my netbook.
This time around, all of us are now working. I'm currently on probationary status where I work for 6 months until November, but I was most fortunate to have accumulated compensation leaves from doing hours of overtime work for the past 3 months that allowed me to file for a leave that would last just a bit over 2 weeks.
Granted, I love my job. And if there would be any proof of that, it would be the positive evaluation I received just yesterday... if we still have not crossed the International Date Line. Taking a break from work for 2 weeks is most welcome, but somehow I couldn't shake off the fact that I still see myself going to work and testing out games from 8:30-5:30. But I don't think that's the point.
What IS the point is that as any year previous to this, our trip to the States is often never 100% full-proof. After all, using said connections of my dad, the tickets we have going to and from the States are non-reserved, or chance tickets meaning we could only get on the plane if there are available seats. With my dad's fairly recent promotion to Flight Purser, he gets the privilege of being able to upgrade our seats.
This is the first time I've ridden Mabuhay class; much more setting at the front of the plane. It's a very luxurious feeling with a fully reclining chair, my personal screen which I can choose what to watch and just the space. airplane food, good as it looks and probably tastes, never settles well with me during air travel.
This is the first time I've gone on a trip longer than a week - and to the States no less - during my relationship with Kai. The separation anxiety hurts, but I know our love is strong enough to make these 2 weeks go by quickly. When I return home, I know she'll be waiting for me to chat with her; as I am with her once that time comes. I love her so dearly, and I'll make sure that the wait is worth it. Doesn't hurt to find a good souvenir for her from New York too.
During my flight thus far, I tuned in to watch 3 movies so far: Rumor Has It (Mark Ruffalo), Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer (Chris Evans) and Australia (Hugh Jackman, Nicole Kidman and David Wenham). I'm deciding if I watch any more movies or crack open my book and continue reading. We do have about 3 more hours of flight time, but I was considering taking a good nap. We'll see.
on Wednesday, August 1, 2012
Midway through last month was the worldwide release of the final book of Eoin Colfer's well-acclaimed series, Artemis Fowl. The Last Guardian, which is the 8th and concluding in its series, was something I had been anticipating, and most of my motivation to finishing The Atlantis Complex several months back. The feeling that sparked me when I finally got my hands on my own copy, which I bought with my own hard earned money, was pretty much the same as when I got my hands on Deathly Hallows of the Harry Potter series - this was the end.
When I had bought the last book last July 16, I was starting on the third of the Nikki Heat novels, Heat Rises. I decided to put it on hold to give me time to finish the AF series because I owed it that much. This way, I had enough excuse to take my Nikki Heat novel with me during our US trip this Friday. Sadly we won't be there until September 11 when Frozen Heat is released in stores. But for now, reading on!
Something that caught me by surprise while Kai and I were looking for a book to give to my nephew Tristan in Fully Booked last Friday! This graphic novel of the second book, The Arctic Incident, was a welcome surprise. Ironic, really, how I was leafing through the graphic novel of the first and ended up swiping up the second without really looking. Oh well, I'll return for the first graphic novel in time. But this is surely part of my reading list after Heat Rises.
But with a heavy heart, I summon the little kid in me who has since been a faithful follower of Artemis Fowl the Second, Butler and Holly Short on this one last adventure, if just to put my heart at ease. And without fail, the finale was something I never expected. Much as Deathly Hallows brought tears to my eyes, this pretty much amounted the same result.
I finally finished reading it last night, and I have nothing but kudos and praise to the great Eoin Colfer. Thank you for bringing Artemis Fowl into the world. Without Arty, I wouldn't be half the imaginative roleplayer I am today. Without Holly, I wouldn't be half as persistent to do absolutely everything in my power to see things through.
When I had bought the last book last July 16, I was starting on the third of the Nikki Heat novels, Heat Rises. I decided to put it on hold to give me time to finish the AF series because I owed it that much. This way, I had enough excuse to take my Nikki Heat novel with me during our US trip this Friday. Sadly we won't be there until September 11 when Frozen Heat is released in stores. But for now, reading on!
Something that caught me by surprise while Kai and I were looking for a book to give to my nephew Tristan in Fully Booked last Friday! This graphic novel of the second book, The Arctic Incident, was a welcome surprise. Ironic, really, how I was leafing through the graphic novel of the first and ended up swiping up the second without really looking. Oh well, I'll return for the first graphic novel in time. But this is surely part of my reading list after Heat Rises.
on Thursday, July 19, 2012
So next month my family and I will be embarking on a trip to the US. What's different is that this time around we'll be spending it travelling to the East Coast rather than spending or entire vacation in San Diego, where all is familiar and most of our relatives reside. Part of our itinerary is to go to New York, New Jersey and Washington. Since I'll be bringing my little netbook along for the ride, I'll probably be posting some reports of my trip as they pass if fatigue has not plagued me from all the walking I foresee.
on Thursday, April 12, 2012
So I just came from Makati about an hour and a half ago; back from a contract signing, sealing my fate with Anino Games for the next 32 months, approximately. Starting May 2! :D Here's fingers crossed that things sail smoothly in that span of time and regularization comes sooner than expected.
Anyway, I tried a new way home, as suggested by my dad just before he dropped me off at TriNoma to go to Makati. A P36 bus ride from Ayala to Fairview. The clincher was that it was just one ride compared to my usual MRT-Jeep route, plus it was air-conditioned! Who could say no to that really? xD
Of course, since I took the MRT rout going to Makati, I passed by SM Makati and more so the ever-familiar Toy Kingdom with the Gashapons. Deciding to try my luck, I ended up with a new one; Kamen Rider W's Trigger Magnum. Now it's just the Cyclone USB missing from the full set!
Hopefully next time I'll be lucky to get that one.
Fingers crossed.
Anyway, I tried a new way home, as suggested by my dad just before he dropped me off at TriNoma to go to Makati. A P36 bus ride from Ayala to Fairview. The clincher was that it was just one ride compared to my usual MRT-Jeep route, plus it was air-conditioned! Who could say no to that really? xDOf course, since I took the MRT rout going to Makati, I passed by SM Makati and more so the ever-familiar Toy Kingdom with the Gashapons. Deciding to try my luck, I ended up with a new one; Kamen Rider W's Trigger Magnum. Now it's just the Cyclone USB missing from the full set!
Hopefully next time I'll be lucky to get that one.
Fingers crossed.
on Thursday, March 1, 2012
This entry is long overdue, so might as well lay it out now before Finals Week and final requirements start to settle in and make me panic and delay this post even further.
That being said, I will withhold any birthday greetings I've missed until the end of this post. You know, for coherence sake.
Anywho, this post details, at least to some extent, the events that took place in my trip to Naga last February 11-12 (Saturday and Sunday for those too lazy to check a calendar or remember). In summary it was a great experience!!! ....at the expense of setbacks along the way. So of course you need to know the facts, so I'll lay it down for you.
The day before (February 10) I was actually with Kai. As a change of pace from the usual itinerary, I suggested that we have dinner at a different restaurant. We settled with eating at Dencio's and sharing large sizzling plate of Krispy Sisig was a nice, simple way to spend the evening together. Of course, that entailed a long drive heading home, not to mention taking Kai home. Of course the parents asked where I was, considering I had early morning plans the following day and I haven't packed. Literally. xD Got home at around 11, did some speed packing, triple checking I had all the necessary equipment to demo our game to our audience the following day before hitting the sack for 4 hours.
Day 1: The day started early, having woken up at 2 in the morning to make last minute preparations, double checking my bag if I had everything before leaving with my mom to pick up Rina and get dropped off at McDonald's, Katipunan by around 3 in the morning. This was the time we'd be meeting with Ma'am Didith, our thesis adviser, who'd be picking us up. I realized that McDo didn't serve breakfast yet so Rina and I settled for ordering from the McCafe instead (she got black tea and a choco chip cookie, while I got peppermint tear and an ensaymada). So Ma'am Didith came, we ate our stuff before leaving to pick up Ma'am Jess at around quarter to 4. Traffic was scarce, as expected early in the day as we headed to NAIA 3 terminal. Our flight was scheduled for 6:40 in the morning, but it pays to be early.
This was my first time flying with Cebu Pacific. And surprisingly or not, the pressure got to my ears since I wasn't chewing on any candy to keep my ears unclogged. The consequence of that was even yawning didn't help pop my ears so I was semi-deaf even after we landed. We got to Naga at around 8-ish. The airport could have been better, but domestic flights are ones I don't expect too much from. Claiming baggage was self-service there, unlike ones that had conveyor belts and the like. But anywho, a shuttle from the hotel we were going to stay at for the evening (Crown Hotel) was already there waiting for us to take us to the main city. Once we got there, we checked in to our own rooms! It had aircon, a warm shower and free wifi! Simple hotel but with the right amenities. I was pleased. x)
So after we got settled in, we prepared to head off to our brother school, Ateneo de Naga University via two tricycles (Ma'am Didith and Rina in one, me and Ma'am Jess in the other). Since we were bringing our laptops and such it was too much of a squeeze to cram into just one, after all. What was funny about this trip was the tricycle Ma'am Jess and I took got ahead of the other, and so we got to the school first. We were dropped off just in front of the gates, and we saw them get dropped off across the street. What was funny was they didn't notice us at all and were looking in the other direction anticipating our arrival. My shouts fell on deaf ears until they finally noticed. Ma'am Jess and I laughed.
As we entered the campus, the guard was asking us where we were headed, and the conversation went something like this:
Guard: Saan po sila? [Where are you going?]
Ma'am Didith: Sa workshop po. [To the workshop]
Me: -spots a flyer of said workshop and points at it- This one.
Ma'am Didith: Ah, dito po. [Ah, here.]
Guard: Aattend po kayo? [Will you be attending?]
Ma'am Didith: No we're presenting.
Guard: Aaah! Sige po, tuloy lang po kayo. [Ah! Okay, you may proceed.] :D
Well, all you need to know was that it was a funny conversation. We navigated our way to the venue of the workshop that led us through the campus' restaurant to the amphitheater where we settled down. We surprisingly started on time, commencing with a series of talks among the four of us, with reasonable breaks in between. When lunch time rolled around, we shared a table with the Computer Studies head Dr. Allan Sioson and Ateneo de Naga University's president, Father Jun Viray. After lunch, Ma'am Didith suggested that I demo'ed our game to Father Jun. I did so, and was pleasantly surprised at the feedback. It was not surprisingly fun, after all. And so the rest of the afternoon came with more talks, until it ended with mine, resulting in grabbing volunteers from the audience. Who knew that the big O notation helped stimulate CS students? xD
The day ended with an early dinner at Bob Marlin, where there was a spread of Crispy Pata, Blue Marlin, Pusit, Laing, Bicol Express, Garlic and Plain Rice, and an array of drinks among the four of us, Sir Allan and other students and faculty from the school. It was a nice experience and one definitely worth the trip!
Day 2: Our day of departure. We had a complimentary breakfast at the affiliate restaurant to the hotel early in the morning at around 6. We were set to be driven back to the airport for our flight, only to find out that the bad weather subsequently cancelled the flights. Of course, rescheduling it to the following day was a definite NO because (1) we had plans for the latter half of the day, (2) there was no way we'd be able to last since there was classes the next day.
So what did we end up doing? We rented a cab that would drive us all the way back to Manila, resulting in one of the best impromptu road trips I've ever been on! It was full of random quips and story telling, jokes and overall matters-of-fact that just ended up in dozens of laughs strewn all over the place. Of course, considering the long hours that had to be put behind us, we did have to stop some time for lunch, so while passing Gumaca, we stopped by Jollibee to order some food for take out, which we nommed and eventually survived on, stacking on top of the several stop-overs. Overall, it accumulated to an 8-hour drive on the road until we finally touched down in Ateneo de Manila. We made it with some hours to spare before the event we wanted to catch up to, but it was well worth the trip. :D
That being said, I will withhold any birthday greetings I've missed until the end of this post. You know, for coherence sake.
Anywho, this post details, at least to some extent, the events that took place in my trip to Naga last February 11-12 (Saturday and Sunday for those too lazy to check a calendar or remember). In summary it was a great experience!!! ....at the expense of setbacks along the way. So of course you need to know the facts, so I'll lay it down for you.
The day before (February 10) I was actually with Kai. As a change of pace from the usual itinerary, I suggested that we have dinner at a different restaurant. We settled with eating at Dencio's and sharing large sizzling plate of Krispy Sisig was a nice, simple way to spend the evening together. Of course, that entailed a long drive heading home, not to mention taking Kai home. Of course the parents asked where I was, considering I had early morning plans the following day and I haven't packed. Literally. xD Got home at around 11, did some speed packing, triple checking I had all the necessary equipment to demo our game to our audience the following day before hitting the sack for 4 hours.
Day 1: The day started early, having woken up at 2 in the morning to make last minute preparations, double checking my bag if I had everything before leaving with my mom to pick up Rina and get dropped off at McDonald's, Katipunan by around 3 in the morning. This was the time we'd be meeting with Ma'am Didith, our thesis adviser, who'd be picking us up. I realized that McDo didn't serve breakfast yet so Rina and I settled for ordering from the McCafe instead (she got black tea and a choco chip cookie, while I got peppermint tear and an ensaymada). So Ma'am Didith came, we ate our stuff before leaving to pick up Ma'am Jess at around quarter to 4. Traffic was scarce, as expected early in the day as we headed to NAIA 3 terminal. Our flight was scheduled for 6:40 in the morning, but it pays to be early.
This was my first time flying with Cebu Pacific. And surprisingly or not, the pressure got to my ears since I wasn't chewing on any candy to keep my ears unclogged. The consequence of that was even yawning didn't help pop my ears so I was semi-deaf even after we landed. We got to Naga at around 8-ish. The airport could have been better, but domestic flights are ones I don't expect too much from. Claiming baggage was self-service there, unlike ones that had conveyor belts and the like. But anywho, a shuttle from the hotel we were going to stay at for the evening (Crown Hotel) was already there waiting for us to take us to the main city. Once we got there, we checked in to our own rooms! It had aircon, a warm shower and free wifi! Simple hotel but with the right amenities. I was pleased. x)
So after we got settled in, we prepared to head off to our brother school, Ateneo de Naga University via two tricycles (Ma'am Didith and Rina in one, me and Ma'am Jess in the other). Since we were bringing our laptops and such it was too much of a squeeze to cram into just one, after all. What was funny about this trip was the tricycle Ma'am Jess and I took got ahead of the other, and so we got to the school first. We were dropped off just in front of the gates, and we saw them get dropped off across the street. What was funny was they didn't notice us at all and were looking in the other direction anticipating our arrival. My shouts fell on deaf ears until they finally noticed. Ma'am Jess and I laughed.
As we entered the campus, the guard was asking us where we were headed, and the conversation went something like this:
Guard: Saan po sila? [Where are you going?]
Ma'am Didith: Sa workshop po. [To the workshop]
Me: -spots a flyer of said workshop and points at it- This one.
Ma'am Didith: Ah, dito po. [Ah, here.]
Guard: Aattend po kayo? [Will you be attending?]
Ma'am Didith: No we're presenting.
Guard: Aaah! Sige po, tuloy lang po kayo. [Ah! Okay, you may proceed.] :D
Well, all you need to know was that it was a funny conversation. We navigated our way to the venue of the workshop that led us through the campus' restaurant to the amphitheater where we settled down. We surprisingly started on time, commencing with a series of talks among the four of us, with reasonable breaks in between. When lunch time rolled around, we shared a table with the Computer Studies head Dr. Allan Sioson and Ateneo de Naga University's president, Father Jun Viray. After lunch, Ma'am Didith suggested that I demo'ed our game to Father Jun. I did so, and was pleasantly surprised at the feedback. It was not surprisingly fun, after all. And so the rest of the afternoon came with more talks, until it ended with mine, resulting in grabbing volunteers from the audience. Who knew that the big O notation helped stimulate CS students? xD
The day ended with an early dinner at Bob Marlin, where there was a spread of Crispy Pata, Blue Marlin, Pusit, Laing, Bicol Express, Garlic and Plain Rice, and an array of drinks among the four of us, Sir Allan and other students and faculty from the school. It was a nice experience and one definitely worth the trip!
Day 2: Our day of departure. We had a complimentary breakfast at the affiliate restaurant to the hotel early in the morning at around 6. We were set to be driven back to the airport for our flight, only to find out that the bad weather subsequently cancelled the flights. Of course, rescheduling it to the following day was a definite NO because (1) we had plans for the latter half of the day, (2) there was no way we'd be able to last since there was classes the next day.
So what did we end up doing? We rented a cab that would drive us all the way back to Manila, resulting in one of the best impromptu road trips I've ever been on! It was full of random quips and story telling, jokes and overall matters-of-fact that just ended up in dozens of laughs strewn all over the place. Of course, considering the long hours that had to be put behind us, we did have to stop some time for lunch, so while passing Gumaca, we stopped by Jollibee to order some food for take out, which we nommed and eventually survived on, stacking on top of the several stop-overs. Overall, it accumulated to an 8-hour drive on the road until we finally touched down in Ateneo de Manila. We made it with some hours to spare before the event we wanted to catch up to, but it was well worth the trip. :D
on Tuesday, December 27, 2011
So hello! I'm finally back from our Christmas vacation spent with family in Boracay~ It's been a while since I've been on hiatus; if Instagram wasn't so picky I would have already left you all with some pictures from my trip. Haha! But anyway, anyway.
Before we go into the nitty-gritty of my experience, I just wanted to take the opportunity to greet a very special actor/singer dear to my heart:
December 26: Tenimyu Seigaku 2nd cast's Tezuka Kunimitsu, Shirota Yuu
During our last day in Boracay, I decided to do a little sand kanji for my favorite actor Shirotan~ Granted the first kanji should be more compact, but it's not that easy to raise sand, mind you. x) But birthday greetings all the same~
It definitely took some time but it was well worth the effort!
That aside, onto some pictures! Our dad drove us to the airport early in the morning to catch our flight at around 7 in the morning. We managed to all get on the same flight as opposed to taking two separate ones, so all 19 of us rode on the same airplane headed for Caticlan.
Since it was just a small plane, it was a first to actually board the plane on the runway, and get down the same way. The airport (picture on the right)was very accommodating and modern, which was pretty neat considering the last time I came to Boracay was some years ago when I was a wee little child who came last minute. xDD
After that, it was a series of transportation via shuttle, boat and van just to get to the resort, which was all the way in Station 1. But boy was the trip worth it! We stayed at the Boracay terraces Resort, which is technically the last resort along the white sand beach, which was perfect since it was rather secluded.
The afternoon of December 24, I went with a little troupe of hikers down to another resort called Nami, which is owned by my cousin's boss (who I met back during my time at the Global Enterprise Challenge). Here's me and my mom posing by the beachfront sign after looking at the place and having a very refreshing glass of Lemongrass tea
After hearing 9pm mass, we headed off to Epic since our cousin was a guest DJ come Christmas Day (poster below). Of course it was a truly epic experience (no pun intended), but since I'm not one to drink I headed home early.
We made a return trip to the Nami resort for Christmas Day lunch care of my cousin's boss, and below you see a picture of me in front of the entire resort. It was gorgeous, but the steps and elevator brand it as a resort not for the faint of heart. Regardless, the view was to die for~
That evening, since the family was complete and it was raining, we just decided to call in for a Yellow Cab delivery (yeah there's a Yellow Cab in Boracay!) while we watched Shrek Forever After on HBO. Good times and good company especially. :3
The last three pictures mark our last day in Boracay before our return to Manila. It was a truly new experience, celebrating Christmas at the beach, but when you bring together the merriment and company of family there can be no greater experience. This is one to remember, and I'm more than grateful that we got to spend it together as a family. Until the next time, Boracay!
Before we go into the nitty-gritty of my experience, I just wanted to take the opportunity to greet a very special actor/singer dear to my heart:December 26: Tenimyu Seigaku 2nd cast's Tezuka Kunimitsu, Shirota Yuu
During our last day in Boracay, I decided to do a little sand kanji for my favorite actor Shirotan~ Granted the first kanji should be more compact, but it's not that easy to raise sand, mind you. x) But birthday greetings all the same~
It definitely took some time but it was well worth the effort!
That aside, onto some pictures! Our dad drove us to the airport early in the morning to catch our flight at around 7 in the morning. We managed to all get on the same flight as opposed to taking two separate ones, so all 19 of us rode on the same airplane headed for Caticlan.Since it was just a small plane, it was a first to actually board the plane on the runway, and get down the same way. The airport (picture on the right)was very accommodating and modern, which was pretty neat considering the last time I came to Boracay was some years ago when I was a wee little child who came last minute. xDD
After that, it was a series of transportation via shuttle, boat and van just to get to the resort, which was all the way in Station 1. But boy was the trip worth it! We stayed at the Boracay terraces Resort, which is technically the last resort along the white sand beach, which was perfect since it was rather secluded.
Not surprisingly, swimming turned out to be a necessity despite the salty content. The water was cool and the waves that frequented coming our way was just another excuse to have fun in the sun. Sunsets always made it more and more breath-taking, a testament to an experience at the beach.
The afternoon of December 24, I went with a little troupe of hikers down to another resort called Nami, which is owned by my cousin's boss (who I met back during my time at the Global Enterprise Challenge). Here's me and my mom posing by the beachfront sign after looking at the place and having a very refreshing glass of Lemongrass tea
On our way back to our resort, we spotted someone in the distance. And lo and behold, it was my dad! He came up with an ingenious plot to trick my mom into believing that he wouldn't be able to come with us to Boracay this Christmas. He apparently wore a disguise and all but was thwarted by my sister's keen eye. My mom and I ran over to him to give him a big glomp. Uberly pumped to know that he would be able to join us for Christmas after all! For dinner that evening, we headed off to Guily's Island for a buffet and decided to walk along the beachfront. Below is a picture of me and my dad in front of Friday's during out walk~ The second picture is a family picture taken after our dinner.
The last three pictures mark our last day in Boracay before our return to Manila. It was a truly new experience, celebrating Christmas at the beach, but when you bring together the merriment and company of family there can be no greater experience. This is one to remember, and I'm more than grateful that we got to spend it together as a family. Until the next time, Boracay!
on Sunday, November 13, 2011
Also celebrated last November 9 was mine and Kai's 3RD ANNIVERSARY! Unlike previous years, we didn't meet to celebrate with a glamorous lunch or dinner to save money and pave the way to attend the upcoming convention: UP AME Monogatari that pushed through yesterday. Instead, we met the day after for a budget lunch at KFC, then spent the rest of the day at her house. I slept over due to plans of going to have our driver's licenses renewed to take advantage of my no class day.
Now more about the convention. Not a lot of pictures for sure, but a lot of interesting events, cosplayers seen and unexpected people spotted. For once, Kai and I did characters from different anime: Kai as Ayuzawa Misaki from Maid-sama, and myself as Ootori Kyouya from Ouran High School Host Club. Thankfully, not a lot of people came up and asked for a picture but there were still that handful of fangirls who did.
Of course, as fellow fans of anime and games, we also had pictures taken with several interesting cosplayers, including a Godot and Miles Edgeworth from the Phoenix Wright series and an Undertaker from Kuroshitsuji: Ciel in Wonderland. Other pictures included me being dragged into a group picture with fellow Ouran cosplayers where I had to shift to be a Fujioka Haruhi in a heartbeat since there was already a Kyouya. Hahaha.
Overall, it was tiring but a fun time since we found some interesting company and finds, including a cat hat (>w<) for Kai for her birthday, an interesting bell collar chained to a wristband (that we used to help her not get lost), a live-action Ouran drama DVD, several photocards of Tenimyu actors and a Sebastian mobile strap. Thanks to some connections I managed to find us a ride over to the general area (thanks again Keiko!) after halfway commuting. In essence it was a good experience but we're hoping that things relocate to a place closer to home.
And now, back to reality, back to school, back to some seriousness. Thesis and readings here we come.
Now more about the convention. Not a lot of pictures for sure, but a lot of interesting events, cosplayers seen and unexpected people spotted. For once, Kai and I did characters from different anime: Kai as Ayuzawa Misaki from Maid-sama, and myself as Ootori Kyouya from Ouran High School Host Club. Thankfully, not a lot of people came up and asked for a picture but there were still that handful of fangirls who did.
Of course, as fellow fans of anime and games, we also had pictures taken with several interesting cosplayers, including a Godot and Miles Edgeworth from the Phoenix Wright series and an Undertaker from Kuroshitsuji: Ciel in Wonderland. Other pictures included me being dragged into a group picture with fellow Ouran cosplayers where I had to shift to be a Fujioka Haruhi in a heartbeat since there was already a Kyouya. Hahaha.
Overall, it was tiring but a fun time since we found some interesting company and finds, including a cat hat (>w<) for Kai for her birthday, an interesting bell collar chained to a wristband (that we used to help her not get lost), a live-action Ouran drama DVD, several photocards of Tenimyu actors and a Sebastian mobile strap. Thanks to some connections I managed to find us a ride over to the general area (thanks again Keiko!) after halfway commuting. In essence it was a good experience but we're hoping that things relocate to a place closer to home.
And now, back to reality, back to school, back to some seriousness. Thesis and readings here we come.
on Friday, August 26, 2011
One of few times I commute going to school and it rains when I leave the house. I surely had the mind to call a taxi instead but thought of the waste of money so there.
But today in school we had day 3 of our Improvisation Workshop which is basically the essence of our Game Design CS class. Lots of fun. ~u~
But today in school we had day 3 of our Improvisation Workshop which is basically the essence of our Game Design CS class. Lots of fun. ~u~
on Sunday, May 1, 2011
Hey there! I'm currently here at Changi Airport in Singapore, boarding a flight back to Manila in a few. Since there was free internet access here at the terminal thought I'd take advantage and type up a quick post with 6 minutes left).
I'll probably be getting back to Manila by the afternoon, so hopefully I'll be able to get in touch with Kai by the time I land and arrive at the terminal in Manila. Hahaha.
Don't have time to make a long post, but I will tell you to look out for my posts with pictures of our journey here (at least from the pictures and my memory).
Talk to you all soon!
I'll probably be getting back to Manila by the afternoon, so hopefully I'll be able to get in touch with Kai by the time I land and arrive at the terminal in Manila. Hahaha.
Don't have time to make a long post, but I will tell you to look out for my posts with pictures of our journey here (at least from the pictures and my memory).
Talk to you all soon!
on Friday, April 29, 2011
Morning everyone!
I'm here at the NAIA Terminal with my family, spending waiting time at the Mabuhay Lounge (for passengers in Business Class). Our flight was originally scheduled for 6:15am, but it was delayed by an hour for "servicing" or something of the plane we'll be taking.
Not a problem, considering there's this wicked fast wi-fi connection and a desktop to boot. Hehehe.
So we'll be heading to Singapore this time around! It'll be my first time going there so it'll really be a new experience. I have my digicam ready to take as much pictures as I can (and remind myself to have my mom/dad take a picture with me in it xD) to capture the experience and share some highlight with you all when I'm able to.
So for now, I'll go update a few stuff while waiting for the boarding call, so hope to you again on Sunday!
I'm here at the NAIA Terminal with my family, spending waiting time at the Mabuhay Lounge (for passengers in Business Class). Our flight was originally scheduled for 6:15am, but it was delayed by an hour for "servicing" or something of the plane we'll be taking.
Not a problem, considering there's this wicked fast wi-fi connection and a desktop to boot. Hehehe.
So we'll be heading to Singapore this time around! It'll be my first time going there so it'll really be a new experience. I have my digicam ready to take as much pictures as I can (and remind myself to have my mom/dad take a picture with me in it xD) to capture the experience and share some highlight with you all when I'm able to.
So for now, I'll go update a few stuff while waiting for the boarding call, so hope to you again on Sunday!
on Saturday, April 23, 2011
Now, onto some random tidbits of information.
First is that I haven't really gotten to make decent blog posts both due to my laziness and work-related issues. And since it was the long weekend and much has already happened these past two days I think now would be the best time for such an entry, if only a teaser for things to come.
Two days ago I went with some of my family to Visita Iglesia out in the East part of the country, visiting seven different churches in the Rizal area. Some were quite interesting, if I daresay so myself.
Yesterday I spent the day with Kai, treating her to lunch at our frequent restaurant Teriyaki Boy Katipunan. Afterwards we visited a few churches close by for a mini-Visita Iglesia of our own. Then later on we came over to my place to spend some time waiting for people to come back to her place. Considering we haven't seen each other for more than a week this welcome day together was needed.
Tomorrow's Easter Sunday, and with it comes the traditional Egg Hunting! 8D It'll be loads of fun with candies and prizes galore. I'm looking forward to this more than previous years because Kai will be attending as well.
First is that I haven't really gotten to make decent blog posts both due to my laziness and work-related issues. And since it was the long weekend and much has already happened these past two days I think now would be the best time for such an entry, if only a teaser for things to come.
Two days ago I went with some of my family to Visita Iglesia out in the East part of the country, visiting seven different churches in the Rizal area. Some were quite interesting, if I daresay so myself.
Yesterday I spent the day with Kai, treating her to lunch at our frequent restaurant Teriyaki Boy Katipunan. Afterwards we visited a few churches close by for a mini-Visita Iglesia of our own. Then later on we came over to my place to spend some time waiting for people to come back to her place. Considering we haven't seen each other for more than a week this welcome day together was needed.
Tomorrow's Easter Sunday, and with it comes the traditional Egg Hunting! 8D It'll be loads of fun with candies and prizes galore. I'm looking forward to this more than previous years because Kai will be attending as well.
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