My First Attempt on Photoshop

Only seven (7) days to go before my birthday. Since I am planning to buy my  first camera, I figured out I need to learn a new skill. Yes - Photoshop!

Here it is, my first attempt to learn it. (sorinaman! oo na! ikaw na magaling :-) I still have a long way to go though.

I tried to recreate the "magazine" effect. The left picture is the original photo. The right is the "photoshoped" version. I need a mentor. I still have a lot to learn. We'll take it one day at a time. ^_^V

Photocredit: Sweetpea.

Break a Leg

Two days ago, I went to Quiapo to visit a famed camera shop that was said to be offering the best deals for cameras. You see, it's my birthday next week and even though I did not have the money yet, I wanted to check on the best camera deals around. I took the train from Anonas to Recto and from Recto, I transfered to line 1 from D. Jose to Carriedo.

In the D. Jose station platform, the next train was approaching. When the train doors opened, the train car was full, but this certain girl insisted herself inside but couldn't do so. After a few seconds, the warning buzzer activated and the train door started closing. Since she cannot get her self in, she stepped back. When she stepped back, her right foot got caught and was trapped between the  platform edge and the side of the  train.

Since I was the closest person to her, I held her back to prevent her further fall. I yelled at the guard  to stop the train. I gently pulled her back to untangle her trapped leg. In a matter of a split second, suddenly, everyone was trying to help including the guards. Realizing that she's already safe, I quietly stepped back and allowed the people to do the rest of the rescue.

She probably won't remember me. I probably won't remember her either. I just felt really happy that nothing bad happened to her and that I did what I could.

You know, looking back, I realized that maybe angels are not those mythical naked babies with wings. Maybe, angels are those special kindness in our hearts that do not expect anything in return.

Birthday Wish

My birthday is coming up and my wish for this year is to buy self a new Nikon D90. My love for photos started when I got intrigued with people having photographic memory.  Photos are frozen memories. I want to remember everything. Since memory is not my strength,  the best camera I can buy will surely be a lifelong  investment.

It has been six months since I first dreamed of a Nikon D90 for my birthday. My birthday is ten (10) days from now. I have saved some money but honestly, it is not even close to the purchase price of my camera.

I can take more time and buy my camera after my birthday, but that would have already killed the excitement. To tell you the truth, sometimes I am tempted to buy the downgraded cheaper version of my camera which is the D5000, but that is not the camera that I want.

Being in the right time at the right place creates magic and enchantment. That's I what I want. That's what I need. I want to create that one magical enchanted experience. My birthday. My camera. My moment.

I know. I just can't afford my camera right now -- but I'm still waiting for a miracle.

Death of Fish

I just so happened to have maintained a small community of fish. A mix of sword-tails, mollies, janitor fish and kataba. That's all in the past tense now because right at this moment - they are all dead.  At the rate of one (1) casualty fish per day, they all...slowly... perished. Something killed all of my fish. I don't know what, but I did everything I can to save them. I bought all fish meds, did water changes, turned on all oxygen sources. I did what I can and by golly I'll do it again.

I don't know why I care so much about these fish. Fish don't show emotions. Fish are never loyal. They are "atheists" so to speak. They are just there for display. They are just trying to survive, just trying to get along.

Maybe it's because of ownership - the feeling that they "belong" to me. Maybe it's because I want to play god - I want them to depend on me just like how we depend on God.

Could it be that I was partly to blame for their death? If so - I killed them. God killed them.

On Direction

 It's about direction, not necessarily speed.

Wind is often described by two characteristics: wind speed and wind direction. Wind speed is the velocity attained by a mass of air traveling horizontally through the atmosphere. Wind speed is often measured with an anemometer in kilometers per hour (kmph), miles per hour (mph), knots, or meters per second (mps)  Wind direction is measured as the direction from where a wind comes from. For example, a southerly wind comes from the south and blows to the north. Direction is measured by an instrument called a wind vane. Both of these instruments are positioned in the atmospheric environment at a standard distance of 10 meters above the ground surface.

It's about direction, not necessarily speed.



http://www.physicalgeography.net/fundamentals/7n.html

Pedagogy

I passed by the grades school corridors and found a bulletin board dedicated to teaching students how to study. I just wish my teachers taught this to me when was in grade school . I would have been a better student.

1. Manage your time.

2. Study Actively

3. Make a Study Outline

4. Consider ways of studying

5. Stop when you feel confident.

Climbing Mt. Pulag

"It's very important in life that we keep on challenging ourselves. It is very important to keep on adding value to ourselves. It's very important to keep on sharpening the saw. When the going gets tough, the tough gets going. "

It was the fifth of December last year when Sweet Pea and I endeavored  to climb the highest mountain in Luzon. We saved our allowances for a month and joined Travel Factor for an expedition of a lifetime.

Major jump-off: Ambangeg, Kabayan, Benguet

Level and days required: Level 3, 3-5 days
Specs: Major Climb, Difficulty 3/9, Trail class 3

Mt. Pulag is the second highest mountain in the Philippines, the highest being Mt. Apo. It is considered to be the playground of the gods.

Preparing our backpacks with mountaineering essentials, tent, food, camping gear...

 

Meet up at a certain bus station in Cubao. Destination... Baguio.

In Baguio, a chartered jeep was waiting for us to bring us to the  Ranger Station, another three hour journey in winding roads of the mountain province.

In the DENR Protected Area Station, climbers get to be oriented on the history of Mt. Pulag, the do's and don'ts, and what to do in times of emergencies.

If you get to the summit of Mt. Pulag, you get to leave something at the "memory lane" corner of the ranger station. The Ranger Station is another three hours of uphill rough roads from the DENR Protected Area Office...

The trek begins.

Camp two. Setting up our tent.

Off to the peak! Checking on our night gears. We have to trek at night to get to the peak before sun rise. At this point, we had very little clue what to expect.

It was extremely cold. There was literally ice on our wet jackets. It was -3 degrees and I am not kidding you.

Summit oh yes, 1.5 KM nalang! wooohoo..

We are very thankful to Chips Delight. We don't know what it is made out of,  but it gave us the extra boost we needed. Hungry, tired, sleepy... Chips Delight saved us. We would not have made it without Chips Delight. Only Chips Delight will do! Now, Chips Delight send us more of that stuff! :)

Tay, Ma, Ryan (my brother) Anje (my sister) WE MADE IT at the TOP of Mt. Pulag! This climb is dedicated to my family.

Finally, we reached the peak before sun rise.  Here you see, the sun is about to rise above the clouds. It an astonishing sight.

There there... breath-taking. This is life. I live for this kind of things - the beauty and drama. Of course you have to make sacrifices if you want to reach the top. More than 14 hours of travel time by bus, jeep, and by foot is no-joke.

This is my favorite photo. I didn't even know I have taken this very unique pic until I've reviewed my photo folder again days after.

Look at the clouds. We are above the clouds, like a sea of cotton candy. I fancy swimming/flying in there!

The trail back to camp was still astounding! I never expected the  grassland trail to be golden as this.

As a proof you made it to the summit, you get to leave your picture at the Ranger station's memory lane.

Bucket List:
1. Climb a mountain.-DONE!
2. xxx

Happy Birthday Sweet Pea

September 25, 2010

Dear Sweet Pea,

Happy Birthday!

I know, it rained on your birthday and a lot of our friends were not able to come to the little party we prepared. We got stranded in Espana for hours, the streets were all flooded. But all is well that ends well, we were able to pull it off anyway together with Vincent, Anje, Ace, and Angel, (we already know who our true friends are *wink).

I was pretty glad that I did not buy that watch that I was supposed to give you as present. I was glad I secretly learned that it was not your type. So, instead, we spent the money on a shopping spree. You got to choose your gift(s) and we both enjoyed the experience. On your special day, someone also gave you  very lucky charm bracelets that are suppose to keep you very lucky for as long as they can. Remember that it is very important that you do not let anyone wear those but you. The lady whom the bracelets were bought from performed secret rituals to summon the lucky spirits to be in those bracelets :)

There's just one thing I don't like about birthdays, and that is - we have to get older. I kinda wish we don't have to get older so we can live together forever. But if birthdays mean we have to get old, It would be my pleasure to grow old with you. heart heart xoxo. Rah.

TapsiTurvy

When I woke up this morning and saw kitchen appliances, plate stacks and other food servers crowding our house, I felt sad. I instantly knew what it meant: My dad's Tapsi Diner has folded.

The business was not that bad, really. It was managed by my ever so industrious sister. The place was conveniently  located on a busy road near a school.  The food was made out of secret ingredients and spices making diners come back for more. The service was fast and friendly. It was my dad's latest business endeavor, but before it can even hit its first year, it had to fold because of swelling cost of running it.

I felt sad for my dad and my sister who really pulled a lot of resources and effort to keep it alive. One problem was the location. Because it was in Antipolo, far from where we live, it was hard to keep an eye on. But most of all, I think there's a lot of improvement needed on the  logistics and accounting side of the business.
  

 

 This was the diner's set up, Silog diner inside and outside there was a cart that serves dim sum and burgers.

(pardon the faulty date)

Panda and Sweet Pea just enjoying the food.

The diner serves home cooked style tasty meals.

The best seller of all, the famous longsilog.

Every business has a life span, but while the diner did not last very long,  we sure learned a lot about the in and outs of the food business.

Meet My New Pet

Our house is like a small zoo. We have a dog, rabbit, hamster, love birds, gold fish, arowana, etc. 0_0

Meet my new pet, his name is Steve. 

I think he's such a pussy! His favorite song? - I Want to Break Free by Queen, and I'm Coming Out by Diana Ross. For Christ's sake, he should face his fears! Most of us crucify ourselves between two thieves - regret for the past, and the fear of the future. 

Bird Poop

Weeks ago Sweet Pea and I got home and stumbled upon this - a pigeon. Not only did the pigeon make tambay (naks sosi) at the apartment,  it also brought us something -- a message probably?  No it's bird poop.

Look Boo, it is a good sign!

I told Sweet Pea, Hon... we are very lucky. This is a sign of good omen. I saw something like this in the movie Under the Tuscan Sun. This is a sign of good things to come. We got water and some crackers and left it under the table where the bird can see it. We hid from a distance and watched the bird made tuka the crackers and water. We even tried to scare the bird away so that it will fly out of the apartment so that it can join its friends, but no, it stayed, and made tambay for the night.  Days after that incident, we tried our luck by purchasing some lotto scratch cards and, believe it or not, we won a series of 20 to 300 pesos. That money we won - I always keep it in my wallet. I always refer to it as "my lucky peso bills." I even wrote the date and that fact on the bill itself! That's just one of the things that lucky bird brought.. I believe in luck. Luck can be acquired and can be created.  I don't believe in bad luck, though. I think there is no such thing as bad luck - only lost opportunities.

Now tell us Mr. pigeon,  what kind of present did you bring us?

Justice for the Victims of the Bar Salubong Bombing.

My father, my sister, sweet pea and I visited Raissa at PGH last Saturday. We brought her white roses and an  inspirational book entitled "Blessing in Disguise." Earlier last Thursday, Sweet Pea and I also visited Rainer our friend who was also one of the victims. We also planned of visiting JoKat but we were informed that she was not yet in a stable condition.

I really admire Raissa's  spirit - her condition is not easy. As you must have known, both of her legs had to be amputated because of that senseless bombing that happened while they were cheering for the barristers on the last day of the bar exams. We did not stay long. When we got there, it was almost past visiting hours. We knew that it had been a long day for her and that she also needed time to rest. She appreciated our visit and bid our farewells. As we left her room, I silently prayed that may Raissa, Ram, JoKat and all of the victims of this malevolent senseless incident get the justice they deserve.

 It will probably take a long time before I can get over the trauma of that bombing incident. Although I wasn't there at the site, I know a lot of the victims and could have been victims of that tragic day. For this, I vowed not to participate in any school activity that involves crowds forever. I think I should get counseling on this. Times like these, I also get reminded that there is really more to life than what meets the eye.  Life is too short -- there's so much we can appreciate in  life - every bit of it, no matter what, no matter how hard it gets.


*pic from raissa's tweeter.

Barbaric Acts

I pray for all the victims of that tragic day. Some of them are my close friends.

Stop this kind of senseless violence. Whoever knows the suspects who did this tragedy please turn him or them in. Let justice be served. For the perpetrators - even if you guys do not get caught, crime does not pay. You will have your day. Mamamatay din kayo, 'ina niyo.

***





44 hurt in Bar exams blast
Manila Bulletin
Manila Bulletin - Sunday, September 26

The last day of the Bar examinations at the De La Salle University (DLSU) on Taft Avenue, Manila literally ended with a loud bang yesterday after a late afternoon explosion that wounded at least 44 people, mostly students, police said.

The Manila Police District (MPD) identified 18 of the wounded, all students, taken to the Ospital ng Maynila (OsMa) and the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) but also said the total number of victims may go beyond 44. The OsMa admitted victims Joanna Katrina Ledda, Arvin Francis Rosales, Philip Edwin Teelo, Gennilyn Ong, Cyril Ferrer, Kathleen Samba, Azenith Gonzalvo, Jamell Ann Marie, and Renald Sudla. PGH records, as of 8:30 p.m., identified victims taken to the hospital as Raissa Laurel, Diana Espiritu, Claudine Abrogena, Datu Mohammad Abdul, Generson Mercado, Milanes Rainier, Eunice Abdon, Diane Camita, and Donelle Quilates. As of press time at 11 p.m. yesterday, the MPD continued to monitor more reports of victims of the blast since they had been admitted in separate hospitals - OsMa, PGH, Manila Doctors Hospital, and Manila Medical Center. MPD officer-in-charge Chief Supt. Roberto Rongavilla said it is not yet clear if the explosion, which occurred between 5 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. shortly after the Bar exams ended, was caused by either an improvised bomb or pyrotechnics. But witnesses on the scene claimed that it was an explosion and not just a ruckus that happened in front of the DLSU. ''We were not sure at first if it is an explosive or a drum that we heard at first. You can't tell the difference then because of the boisterous students from different universities. But the cheer suddenly turned into screams of panic,'' said a Bar examinee who was across the street from DLSU when the explosion happened.

Better Than Bliss

Better Than Bliss was a song Joyce and I wrote circa 2005. It became our favorite composition to play whenever we get to be invited to perform. The song tries to describe how it feels to be in love, but eventually concedes that such feeling is indescribable -"... it's better than bliss... I don't know what it is..." then finally,  the immediate longing physical nearness - "boy i miss your kiss." The melody was meant to be soft but upbeat. This video was taken at Bella Bar in Greenhills almost a year ago. Bogs on the shaker, Bey (my childhood friend) on the classical guitar named "Sunshine", Rah on the yellow Yamaha guitar named "Mango", my brother Ryan on the beatbox, and Joyce on vocals.




Better Than Bliss
by Rah and Joyce Nobleza

I
My eyes are roamin' out the room to find
a special someone out there meant for me
as I gaze at your smilin' face, so real
no words can express the way I feel

Chorus
Can you know, that your touch
saves me from being lonely
can you hear, my heart
beating you're my one and only
it's better than bliss
I don't know what it is
it's better than bliss
boy I miss your kiss.

II
Days and nights are cold
when you're not with me
still I remain so faithful, can't you see
come caress my body longing for you
no one else can love me the way you do

Refrain
I know you're there 'so far 'need you to be here
there is no other place that I rather be...

Chorus
Can you know, that your touch
saves me from being lonely
can you hear, my heart
beating you're my one and only
it's better than bliss
I don't know what it is
it's better than bliss
boy I miss, boy I miss your kiss

 Refrain
You have a way of telling me I'm the one
And that goes the same for me
And that I can't deny...

Chorus
Can you know, that your touch
saves me from being lonely
can you hear my heart
beating you're my one and only
it's better than bliss
I don't know what it is
it's better than bliss
boy I miss your kiss

The Death of Poker

In Facebook, they have a social game called ZyngaPoker. I have been playing it for quite some time now and I can say that I have became really good at it. I'm not bragging. There are probably guys out there who have more chips than me or has a higher rated level, but I can confidently say that I have reached a sort of semi-expertish level. In fact, from just one million chips last month, I now have 45Million chips.

I fell in love with the game of poker the first time I learned to play it. Perhaps, because the game is more like life itself -- the drama of life unfolds with every turn of a card.

Poker is a game of empathy. It is a game of understanding the intent and motives of your opponent so that  you can arrive at correct decisions.  Poker teaches a lot about life. It develops discipline, critical reasoning, management of finances, strategy building,  all are useful not only in life but also to almost any endeavor you want to pursue. In my quest for my first million, I have learned a lot of lessons from poker as in life, which I hope you can learn from, too:

Life is both luck and skill, in the short run, luck prevails, but in the long run skill  triumphs. Don't bluff, but don't be totally honest either. Be patient, composed, and calm. To get better, practice and study. Look for patterns. Never make an important decision when you're tired or have recently consumed alcoholic beverages. Stick to the level of stakes you are comfortable with and while you're at it, you might as well enjoy the game.

Since I have reached this far in "the game." I have no further intentions of pursuing another million chips. The game does not appeal to me anymore. I have done enough for the game, and for this, I am officially retiring. The game must end in one way or another and I must move on.

My skill in this game is a gift - that's true. But I also realized that if I must widen my horizon and find out what other talents I can cultivate - I must learn to let this go. As the saying goes, you can't discover new oceans unless you have the courage to lose sight of the shore.

On Childhood Dreams

I love this video because it shows the power of childhood dreams. Like him, I am also blessed with parents who allowed me to discover my potentials as a kid.

They enrolled me into art classes (although I did not become a professional artist). They enrolled me to chess class (although I became really good at chess strategy and tactics, have yet to win my first medal). They enrolled me to music school to learn the basics of playing the guitar (although I've been to a lot of gigs and have composed a lot of songs, having an album at this point in time seems highly improbable).

But above it all, all these experiences did not come to waste. It shaped me to become who I am now
-- (a cute panda).

The guy in this video is correct. You can't lose either way. It is a win-win situation. "Experience is you get when you don't get what you want."

The highest reward for man's toil is not what he gets for it, but what he becomes by it. -  John Ruskin.

What memory do you want to forget?

None, I want to remember everything.

Ask me anything

what is the purpose of your existence?

Wisdom is the purpose of my existence. I came here in this world to see, learn, and understand. Then, be understood.

Ask me anything

On Courage

“I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.” - Nelson Mandela

“Courage is not the absence of fear but the judgment that something else is more important than fear. The brave may not live forever but the cautious do not live at all. For now you are traveling the road between who you think you are and who you can be.”
-Meg Cabot

On Problems

I woke up last Tuesday feeling down and tired. I felt that I was carrying the problems of the world. But I had no choice, I still went to class with full mastery and understanding of nothing. My head was empty as a coconut.

Alas it's time for class, but the good dean did not conduct his regular stomach churning recitations. Instead, he gave us a lesson on life. He advised us not to worry our life away. But what I loved the most on what he shared to us was his philosophy.

 "There are really no problems - only decisions to be made."

Since that Tuesday night, my understanding of problems has changed. I am no longer afraid of problems.

"When God closes a door, He opens a window. Did you notice that He solves the same problems he gives? You just have to return the problem to the person who gave it to you. Sometimes, you just got to have faith."

"There are really no problems in life, only decisions to be made."

I like it. I guess what brings light to a dark damp and clouded mind is worth repeating.