My Mom had been busy these days as we are preparing for the surprise birthday party for my Dad's 60th birthday (side note: I am hoping that my Dad doesn't discover this blog so as not to discover the surprise party... :D). I was busy going over some old photos, cards, and memorabilia when I noticed this "album" with the Sakura Color cover. If my memory serves me right, this was a brand of film being used when I was still in my preschool years. In today's age of high-tech and multiple-feature cameras, DSLR's, and everything digital, it is nice to remember the good old days where film was the medium for most, if not all cameras. Nice to remember those days where my mom would remind me not to open the camera's film compartment so as not to "expose" the film inside. Oh well.. how fast time flies...
After a great afternoon bonding with my high school girl friends, I went home and noticed that the nearby nail spa had a promo for foot spa and pedicure. Being the usual foot-spa addict that I am, I availed of the promo. When I was being asked what's my preferred color for the nail polish, I just blurted out "Red.. Bright Red!". I don't know what got into me and I chose that color. I am not usually the type of girl who goes for red for my nail polish. Usually, I go for the more subtle pearl pink or pearl white or beige. I only choose red for special occassions like Christmas and my birthday. Oh well.. perhaps, sometimes, it's okay to break the monotony of things. Besides, looking at my toes, it doesn't look that bad. Good luck to me come Friday next week - the day I usually wear sandals in the office! :D
I was about to eat dinner when our viand this evening caught my attention. It was crispy, newly-fried lumpiang shanghai or fried spring rolls. For those who are not familiar with the said dish, it is ground pork seasoned with some soy sauce, salt, pepper, chopped onions and garlic. The seasoned meat is then wrapped in a locally-made wrapper (unfortunately, aside from water and flour, I don't know what else constitutes it), then deep-fried to a golden color. It is nice to look at the newly-fried rolls from the sides. They look like folded sheets of golden papers. Of course, these golden rolls are better eaten than just viewed as subjects for photography. :-D
I was looking over our veranda this evening, trying to look for a good subject for my Project 365 entry for today. I suddenly saw this red vintage car. According to my brother it's a Mini Cooper, whose owner is also a resident here in the building. Cute car. Vintage yet it has this high, cool factor. And strangely funny, it reminds me of Mr. Bean. Hopefully, the owner doesn't look like him. :-D
I was thinking of what photo to take for my project 365, when I saw my son gazing closely at the lighted scented candle on top of our table. I remembered my younger days when we lit candles at school while singing this song...
Today is the day where people (especially those in love), "paint the town red". It seems that everywhere I go, I see the color red. Even my seatmate at work wore a red blouse! But of all the red things that appear during Valentine's, I really adore those red roses. I guess any girl or woman wouldn't mind being given roses, especially on Valentine's. We might deny it, but deep within, we ladies cannot deny the fact that we are flattered if we receive roses (aminin!!). Even my Mom, at her age (she's in her 50's), loves it when my Dad gives her roses not only during Valentine's but even on special occassions. Words such as a "I-Love-You" is sweet, but it becomes sweeter when expressed with roses. :-)
Found this quote written on one of the notebooks being sold in Papelmeroti. I liked the quote so much, I had to buy the notebook (even if I had no use for it as of the moment). Oh well...
Several things happened today which could all be related to time. First, I was a buzzer beater in my one-day Natural Editing class. The class was scheduled at 2PM. I arrived at 1:57PM. Thank God, the instructor was still wrapping up the discussion for the class before ours. I still had time to breathe and setup my stuff, but not eat. Yes, it was only then that I realized I haven't eaten lunch yet due to a late breakfast at 10AM. Second, an officemate sent me text message requesting me to send him 300 worth of eLoad (yup.. eLoading is one of my "rakets" in the office.. :-D) to be paid on Monday. Since I was still in class when the message got in, I wasn't able to see and respond right away. I was able to read the message about 9:30PM (message got in at around 4PM). Sheesh, 5hrs late. Thank God, my officemate is very patient and still waited for me. Third, my brother joked (not sure though if it's half-meant) that he still has feelings for his ex-Gf, even if he's in a new relationship now. Knowing my brother well, I told him that perhaps, he hasn't completely moved on. Perhaps, even if they have separated ways several months ago, time hasn't completed yet his closure process. Oh well... everything revolves around time... *sigh*...
Today I got home to an early Valentine's gift from my son, Zion. It's a very heart-warming school art project which showed a heart on front, and an I-Love-You message at the back. I know their nursery teacher helped them in creating it, but imagining my 4-year old exert his effort (it's a lot, knowing how my son can be so lazy in writing long texts) in preparing this project makes my heart overflow with love and pride. It may sound shallow, but I was really touched by his art project. Oh well.. there goes some "mommythoughts"! :-)
Today is an improvement of yesterday. Though my throat is still a bit painful, at least the fever has subsided. Today, my mom and I started our canvassing for the giveaways for my Dad's secret 60th birthday party (thank God my Dad's not an internet addict or else he might ruin the surprise of his own party). We are actually planning to give out shot glasses with a Thank-You sticker, so we have started scouting for cute shot glasses. One of the glasses we are considering is the one in the picture. Personally, I go for this one. Aside from it's thick and sturdy-looking make, the bottom of the glass is also attractive - shaped just like a flower. I know the celebrant is a man and the flower-bottom design might look ackward, but I don't think people will notice it. :-)
Zion got a post-Christmas gift from one of his godmothers today. It was a card memory game. I read the instructions on how to play it, and got a bit confused (sheeesh! might be a sign that age is catching up on me). To my surprise, Zion was able to understand how the game should be played. His grandmother (my mom) just explained the directions twice, and he was able to play the game right away. Kids nowadays!! :-)
Today I got the NSO birth certificate which I ordered via phone. I need a copy of Zion's birth certificate for his enrollment in his new school. Having this kind of service is very convenient especially for a working mom like me. I don't need to wait in line at an NSO branch (which could be very tiring and tedious, given the number of people there). Though the charge was a bit dear (at Php 330), the convenience of having the certificate delivered at my doorstep was worth the price. I hope that more public documents can be ordered from these kind of services. :-)
Don't be fooled by the post title. This post is anything, but violent. I was trying out a tip by another fellow GT Project 365er (thanks Sis TypeV for this) regarding Macro and Infinity shots, when I suddenly discovered the "ability" of my camera to focus / shift focus from objects in the foreground to objects in the background. I know! This should be a common knowledge for any midlevel or advanced camera user. Hey! Cut me some slack. From the start, I know I'm a newbie, and I have a LOT to learn about the "capabilities" of my camera. So things like focus and sharpness are some ideas that I'm still in the process of grasping and learning. For my experiment today, I had to use Zion's stuff toys - Mickey and Donald - as guinea pigs to try this idea of focusing combined with the tips from sis TypeV. No war between Mickey and Donald! Just a small experiment done by a newbie. :-)
Happy 1st month to my fellow Girltalk Project 365ers! For my post today, this is my kit lens - my 18-55mm Nikon lens that came with . Wondering how I took this shot without my ever-reliable kit lens? An officemate lent me his prime lens (can't remember if it is a 50mm...hmmm..) to give me an idea how the shots would look like using a different lens. I must admit that I like the photos I got using his prime lens. Hmm.. now should I save up for that prime lens, or should I go for my initial target - the 55-200mm lens? Hmm.. let me save up for it first! :-)
I can't say much about my picture for today. I was thinking of which thing at home I could use for today's shot, when Zion passed by and started brandishing poor Bumblebee. Why poor Bumblebee? Zion definitely loves his toy robot. He loves it too much that he plays with the robot almost everyday. It has only been 2 months since Zion got Bumblebee as a Christmas gift, but from the scratches on the robot's face and body, it looks like Bumblebee has been with him for 2 years! Poor robot! I hope to see him intact (Bumblebee, that is) for another 2 months.
I had to take Zion to the doctor today. He was complaining about his painful throat and he was having a high fever (reached as much as 40 deg) early morning. We had to take him to his pedia as he was unable to eat breakfast, and had only soup for lunch. Fortunately, according to his pedia, he was only having sore throat. He was given antibiotic for his sore throat, paracetamol for his fever, and mefenamic acid in syrup for the pain he's having. As his mom, I am hoping he'll get better soon.
As I've mentioned in my most recent post before this, (i.e. Mickey's Magic Glass), my aunt from the US arrived a few days ago. Being the thoughtful aunt that she is, she brought a little something for everybody. To me and my brother, she brought a whole (read: BIG) pack of Kisses Chocolates. Two things my aunt does not know, (1) I am currently on a diet and (2) I soooo love Kisses chocolates. Diet and my love for Kisses chocolates... hmmm.. may not be the perfect combination. But I guess 1 or 2 pcs in a day won't really hurt. Besides, I still manage to maintain my No-Rice-At-Night diet.. Tsk.. tsk.. Excuses.. excuses.. All for the Kisses! :-)
I am glad that my son enjoyed the pasalubong from Cebu I got for him. It was toy ukelele. Cebu is definitely known for it's high-quality guitars. But since the bigger (and more pricey) guitars were a bit inconvenient and impractical to take home as a souvenir gift for my 4-year old Zion, I just decided to bring home a "replica" of the original. Luckily, he enjoyed the ukelele. He feels like a rockstar while strumming the strings of his uke.
On our flight back to Manila last Monday, we were fortunate enough to ride a Boeing 747 plane from Philippine Airlines. I think there were a lot of people onboard the plane as the crowds built up on the waiting area as early as 4:45PM (our flight to Manila was scheduled at 5:35PM). The plane's features include individual "television"/monitors installed in each of the seat. At first, I thought it was only used during the long international flights wherein several movies are shown during the trip. It was only in this flight that I've learned that the "television" have games installed in them. I remember being able to play Bejewelled, Bookworm, and even Sudoku onboard! I hope I get to ride these kinds of plane if ever I will be going on an international trip. :-)
On our second day in Cebu, we were able to visit a lot of tourist spots. I was a bit sad because we were not able to visit the beaches of Cebu, but I guess the local attractions in the city were as amazing as their water counterparts. One of these land attractions is TOPS located at the town of Lahug in Cebu City. I guess it is one of the highest places in Cebu, as it gives a very good view of Cebu City, the island of Mactan, and Olango. Within the place is a "shaded picnic area" wherein visitors can stay in case it rains or when the sun gets too hot. Because of its circular shape and its stone-built walls, the area is a very good spot for a photoshoot. On this area alone, my brother and I were able to take at least 20 different shots. Above is a sample of those shots we took. :-)
While doing the grocery about 2-3 weeks ago, I happened to pass by the stationery section and saw this pile of notebooks with fancy design covers. I really had no use for a new notebook, but the cute design and colors on this notebook surely got my attention. Last Saturday, as I was preparing for my basic-photography class, I was looking for a notebook in case I need to take down some important lectures. I found this notebook lying on my desk. At first, I was quite hesitant to use it. Sayang naman kasi. But the heck! It was meant for note-taking so sige na nga! :-)
During those moments when I get angry at him, my son Zion runs to one corner of our bed - the Comfort Corner. This is the corner wherein I or his nanny stacks all his pillows and stuff toys after he wakes up in the morning or from his afternoon naps. Whenever I get angry at him, he runs to this corner, hugs one of his pillows or stuff toys while sobbing. And as his mom, once I see him snugged and snobbing in this corner, my anger and infuriation slowly slips away, as my "mommy side" takes over.
Last Saturday, I was able to attend the Basic Digital Photography classes by Sir Nicolay. The session was light yet very informative. We were only 5 in the group, which makes the session more "personal", as we were able to ask Sir James a lot of questions, and he was able to explain the answers better. For a photo hobbyist like me, I appreciate the way he conducted the class. He explained basic photography terms such as ISO, shutter speed, and aperture in a non-technical way, in a way an ordinary person would understand. He was also generous in giving tips and advice on photography - what makes a good photo, advice on buying cameras and accessories, etc. Hopefully, if my schedule permits, I would enroll in his other classes. :-)
About a few minutes ago, after eating dinner, I helped my 4-year old son with his homework. It involved coloring. I brought out his set of crayons and noticed that there were those colors that are very much used, and those that were obviously untouched. I asked my son's "opinion" as to why he thinks there are those colors that were untouched. I asked him if those colors were ugly or too dark (though I know 2 of the untouched colors were shades of orange). He simply answered, "panget yung colors na yan para sa akin..." (i.e. to me, those colors were ugly / not appealing). Nice to know that my son is starting to have his own choices. It is nice to know that at his young age, he knows what he likes and not. :-)
Due to our "uncommon" family setup, Zion has two daddy figures here at home - my Dad (his grandfather) and my brother (his uncle). Incidentally, my brother is also his Ninong (i.e. godfather). Since their age brackets are much closer, Zion gets his dose of antics from mostly from my brother. And though they get along well, when Zion gets rowdy and out-of-control, it is only my brother who can make him sit still and behave. My brother and I do not always see eye to eye, but I am always thankful to him for being a good uncle and even father-figure to Zion. :-)
As we were heading home today, we dropped by our suking eatery to buy our favorite pancit. While waiting for our order, my cousin bought 1 piece balot and 1 piece penoy. Curiosity got the better of me, so I asked my cousin to buy another penoy. I am an avid balot eater since I was a kid, though eating the sisiw was not really my favorite. However, it is my first time to try penoy. At home, after I ate some pancit, I closely examined the penoy. Hmm.. The penoy is marked with an "X" to differentiate it from the balot. I then cracked the egg.. Hmm.. No sabaw (liquid contents).. I then noticed that the penoy is similar to the typical hard-boiled chicken egg. The albumen (white part) tastes like that of the chicken egg, but the yolk (yellow part), tastes like the yellow part of the balut. Hmm.. Tastes good. Hmm.. I am thinking that I should go for penoy rather than balut.. At least no sisiw will be thrown... :-)
We spent Sunday morning at the Quezon Memorial Circle. Zion was trying to ride his bicycle, while I tried to take a few pictures of him and the nearby surroundings. While looking around, I chanced upon this vintage-looking lamp post. Well, I know it is not that old, but it definitely resembles the older, vintage-loooking lamps located at Luneta Park and Fort Santiago. I was just wondering how the lamp looks like when lighted. Will try to drop by QMC on an early evening to see how it looks. :-)
To break the monotony of not doing anything at work, my officemates and I decided to enlist ourselves in the softskills training provided by our Training Department. Under normal circumstances (defined as hectic days with tight deadlines), we would usually pass up on these training courses. But since we are quite tired of surfing the net (as we are also running out of websites to visit), we made use of this free time by attending the Effective Business Writing softskills training. It's a 2-day training which kicked off today, and will last until Monday. I must say that I had a great time today. The training facilitator was able to get everyone's participation by introducing games and activities which were both fun and educational. To make things better and more exciting, she offered prizes to the game winners and those who were able to recite in class. I was lucky enough to catch a small Toblerone bar by just attempting to rephrase a sentence. Nice! :-)
I have always believed that the real thing is always the best, no matter what its natural deformities or imperfections are. For me, as long as it is in its natural form, real beauty always stands out. This is my personal reflection for my photo today. I found this flower at our center table at home. At first glance, I thought it was a real one. I also thought it was somehow pretty. Since I'm quite near-sighted, I had to give it a closer look. It was only then that I found out that it was made of foam and plastic. Sadly, I got turned-off. Pretty as it may look, nothing compares to the real thing. :-(
