[Project 297] Week 29

09.20.10
Day 195: Dreams Do Come True

Spent the entire day in a land of tomorrow, of adventure and of fantasy. We originally planned to visit Disneyland on a weekend. But according to Franz's officemate, it wasn't the best idea coz it could get crowded during weekends. Good thing we took her advice. Didn't have to wait in line for most of the attractions. Hihi.

We first tried Buzz Lightyear's Astro Blasters ride. It's an interactive ride where you go on a space mission to defeat Evil Emperor Zurg and his minions. Using a hand-held laser blaster, you shoot lit targets and rack up points. I reached level 5 so that makes me a Ranger 1st Class. Hehe. It was a lot of fun, we should've ridden the ride over and over!

Saw some people entering the Space Mountain: Ghost Galaxy so we decided to check it out. The staff warned us that it's a rollercoaster ride and I never thought it could get that thrilling. It is a wild rollercoaster ride through a galaxy filled with ghostly images and skull-shaped nebulae. For me, it was scarier than Enchanted Kingdom's Space Shuttle because the track was barely visible and I didn't know what to expect. We plunged in a series of tight turns and sudden bumps; Felt a little lightheaded when we got off.

Chose to get on a slower and gentler ride. It's A Small World is a boat ride through a collection of singing dolls representing kids from around the world. The colorful display was pretty amazing. There was even a small bahay kubo with dolls singing, "Kay liit lang ng mundo, ang mundo natin..." Left this ride with a warm fuzzy feeling inside. Ahihi.

We then jumped into Winnie the Pooh's hunny pot and joined him (her?) on his (her?) many adventures. Sorry, I'm still a bit confused with its sexuality. Haha. It is another slow-moving ride with a story to tell. Really didn't understand the story coz I was busy taking pictures of the sculpted figures, which all turned out blurry. Haha.

Watched Mickey's PhilharMagic, which is a 4D film filled with a whirlwind of magic and music. The film revolves around Donald Duck trying on Mickey's Sorcerer's Hat, the magical instruments coming to life, Donald losing the hat and passing through scenes from The Little Mermaid, Peter Pan, Aladdin, etc. while trying to get it back. The effects and the surround sound feature of the theater made it all the more engaging.

Attended an awards show called "The Golden Mickeys" where golden Mickeys are awarded for different categories. The dialogues among Bebe, Mickey and Minnie are in Chinese. Though there's a screen on the right side of the stage showing English subtitles, I really didn't care about what they were talking about. Hehe. The show featured performances from Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Goofy, Pluto, Woody, Jessie, Quasimodo, Tarzan, General Li, Mulan, Lilo, Stitch, Sebastian, Belle, and the Beast. Whew, that was quite a list.

It started to drizzle so we rode a raft and rushed to Tarzan's Treehouse. It's a walking tour past scenes from Tarzan's life. From the time Kala adopted him to the time he lived with Jane. It started to rain real hard and we got stuck in Adventureland. Had to purchase raincoats so we could continue walking. At $45 HKD, it wasn't a welcome expense. Boo.

Headed back to the Main Street to do some shopping. Had I not given myself a shot of tranquilizer, I could've gone crazy with all the Mickey Mouse stuff around me! Haha. With no signs of the rain letting up, we decided to call it a day. Don't think the parade and the fireworks would still push through because of the bad weather. Major major bummer. But it was a super fun day nonetheless! :)

More pictures here!

"Gusto kong magpunta sa Disney
Magwi-wish ako kay Genie
Para maka-jam si Mickey
Sa Disney, Disney, Disney!"
--- Disney, Tanya Markova

09.21.10
Day 196: Back To The Grind

We'll be back in Manila in couple of hours. Tomorrow I'll be back to the grind, tackling this crazy thing they call work. Why are vacations always TOO short?!

More pictures here!

09.22.10
Day 197: Full Moon

Theme: Bilog Ang Mundo.
There's nothing like the brilliance of a full moon on a cloudless night. Took this shot while I was walking down our street. The street lights weren't working so I only had the moon to light my way. Unfortunately, that's the farthest my lens could reach. With the moon looking just like a blob of bright light. Boohoo.

09.23.10
Day 198: Donut Buy

Theme: Bilog Ang Mundo.
I just slept all day and wasn't able to eat anything for lunch or dinner. Just bought this donut from the MRT station and this would be my first bite for the day. Hmm, wonder what our free food for tonight would be.

09.24.10
Day 199: Bucketful Of Sunshine

A bucket of plush toys for my inaanak! Sophie, pwede arbor nung Mickey? Wehe. :P

09.25.10
Day 200: Sophie's World

Attended Sophie's Christening at Christ the King. We almost didn't make it because of the traffic. (Fine, because I woke up late too. Hehe.) Was able to catch the candle lighting part of the ceremony. Better late than later, right? Hehe. The reception followed at Buma Seafood Restaurant in Tiendesitas. I so love the mini fondant cake that they gave out as souvenir! Yummy! =P~

Dearest Sophie, welcome to the Christian world! Sending hugs and kisses your way! XOXO! (Highschool?!) Nyaha.

09.26.10
Day 201: Gumballs

Theme: Bilog Ang Mundo.
And it started raining gumballs...

[Project 297] Week 28

09.13.10
Day 188: Do I Look Weird?

Theme: Weird.
They say toys are for kids. And I beg to disagree. Coz at my age, I still enjoy buying toys. Action figures in particular. Not to be played with but to be displayed in a shelf and looked at.

I love my Pinky Street collection. I have my Super Mario Brothers, my Simpsons family, and of course Mickey Mouse and his Disney friends. I also have action figures that aren't famous characters, which I buy either because they look really cute or really weird. Like these two weird-looking kids. Good thing I dunno anyone who look like them. Hmm... On second thought, I think I do. Nyaha.

09.14.10
Day 189: A Good Kill

I kill mosquitoes using an electric racket. I especially love the little sparks and the loud cracking noise they make before they explode and turn to dust.

While trying to get some sleep, I saw this mosquito flying low across my monitor. It is one of those striped mosquitoes believed to be Dengue carriers. The racket wasn't within reach so I relied on my Jedi-like reflexes for the kill. Pak! Now i'm gonna get my racket, pick this tiny little devil and drop it to its electrifying death. Burn, you @#$%&*!

Derick, this kill is for you! Hehe. ;)

09.15.10
Day 190: Weird Taste

Theme: Weird.
When I posted what I had for breakfast a couple of weeks ago, many commented on how weird it was, or I was for that matter.

I bet you've tried dipping your fries in vanilla sundae and drowning your pizza with ranch dressing. That's kinda weird but it tastes good, right? Try butter and sugar sandwich, cheese and sugar sandwich, peanut butter and butter sandwich, and peanut butter and banana sandwich. How about mixing Coke with Sprite and Royal with Sprite? I've yet to try Rootbeer with Sprite but I think it will go well together too. I eat corned beef, tocino, longganisa, chicken and ginisang ampalaya with mayo. But I don't like to spread mayo on bread.

Who you calling weird?!

09.16.10
Day 191: All Packed Up

After having second thoughts about pushing through with this trip because of the hostage crisis that left eight Hong Kong nationals dead... All my bags are packed and I'm ready to go! ^_^

09.17.10
Day 192: Hong Kong Misadventure

Wasn't able to get some decent sleep. Stocked up on the ZZZs while on the road, while waiting at the airport and on the plane.

We landed at around 6:30pm, ten minutes earlier than the ETA. To get to our hotel, the instruction was to ride an A21 bus coz it'll stop right in front of Burlington. Pretty simple. When a bus stopped in front of the A21 signboard, we immediately grabbed our bags and hopped on. It was too late when we realized that it was an A22 bus. Toink.

Told the person sitting right next to us that we got on the wrong bus and that we're headed to Tsim Sha Tsui. Asked where we could get off but she wasn't able to give us a clear answer. She told our problem to her family and began discussing it among themselves. It seemed like we're getting farther and farther away from our destination. Lagot na.

When the bus stopped at Park Island, all four of them were talking really loud. Panic mode kung panic mode. We later realized that they were talking to us. Haha. Apparently, they saw a line of taxis and were instructing us to ride one. We've no plans of burning cash for a cab but we got off anyway.

Asked a guard for directions and he told us that we could ride a bus to Kwai Fong and from there we could take the MTR to Tsim Sha Tsui. Whew, sana pala nag-MTR na lang kami from the airport. Nyaha.

09.18.10
Day 193: Explore Hong Kong

Our first stop was the Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery - a Buddhist temple located in Sha Tin. To reach the temple, we had to climb 431 steep steps lined with a variety of golden statues. Was kinda creeped out with the thought of them coming to life at night. Hehe. But I kinda enjoyed spotting some statues with funny looking faces and weird poses. One looked like Pipoy, one was a little conservative and one was openly gay. Hehe. When we reached the temple, it was worth all the effort. Everything was designed with such intricate details. The walls inside the temple were covered with around 12,000+ little golden buddhas from floor to ceiling. And it is interesting to note that no two Buddhas are the same. On our way down, there was a couple of Buddhist monks standing by the foot of the stairs. Hmm, so they could come to life even when the sun is still up. Hehe.

Next stop was the Avenue of Stars at Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade. It is an attraction similar to the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Except for Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan and Jet Li, all the other names were unknown to me. :/

We then looked for the Clock Tower, one of the famous landmarks in Hong Kong. First noticed the colorful lanterns displayed on a pool of water. Later realized that we were already at the clock tower. Sayang, could've taken a better shot of the tower with its reflection on the reflecting pool. Ala Taj Mahal. But the lanterns were pretty cute and photogenic too so who's complaining? Hehe.

Jumped on a ferry going to Central to start our quest for Noah's Ark. Aside from the giant replica of the ark, there's also a museum and a park inside. Watched a short film about the Great Flood as recorded in the Bible. How God punished the people for worshiping worldly gods and how He saved those who believed in Him through Noah. Another film was about climate change and the possibility of another Great Flood in our time.

The ark was really an impressive sight. But I was more amused with the collection of various ark figurines displayed in one of the exhibit halls. Taking photos was prohibited but when I saw this Precious Moments themed figurine, I just had to take its picture! See how cute it is?

Last stop: The Peak. There was a long queue when we arrived at The Peak Tram. Good thing it was fast moving. They say it is a scenic ride but we sat on the wrong side of the tram. All I saw were walls, walls and more walls. Hehe. Went straight to Madame Tussauds, which houses wax statues of famous personalities. The wax figures looked unbelievably real. I may not see Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt and Johnny Depp in person, but their wax counterparts were good enough for me.

We then climbed the Sky Terrace, which is the highest viewing platform in Hong Kong. The wind was blowing hard that it seemed like my eyeballs were getting blown away too. I swear, I was always looking straight at the camera but whenever I preview the picture, my eyes are always kinda looking somewhere else. Haha.

More pictures here.

09.19.10
Day 194: Explore Hong Kong II

Went to Ngong Ping, which is located in Lantau Island. To reach the island, we rode a cable car from Tung Chung station. I first wanted to get the crystal cabin that's equipped with a glass bottom to experience the ride with a bird's eye-view. But because of the price difference, we later decided against it. Got the standard cabin instead, which was actually a good choice since most of what we saw were just mountain tops.

Ngong Ping village is a cultural themed village. The structures, the activities, everything boasts of the area's rich culture. I love the architectural design of the temple. Even the roof and the columns were teeming with details.

First entered the Monkey's Tale Theater. It was a funny film about greed, gluttony and friendship. Good thing the characters didn't have any dialogues and their actions were enough to tell the story.

We then followed Buddha's path to enlightenment in Walking with Buddha where we followed the life of Siddhartha Gautama. The interior of the place was very nice. Too bad cameras weren't allowed. :(

Walked at the Piazza, which is some sort of a link to all the tourist attractions in Ngong Ping. The Giant Buddha is situated atop Ngong Ping plateau. Braved the 268 steps to reach the platform where the Buddha is seated. When we reached the top, there were six devas surrounding the Buddha. Here's a 7th deva offering a mango passion fruit juice. Hehe. From the top we saw the Po Lin Monastery, which was our next destination.

Just like the 10,000 Buddhas monastery, it also has a colorful exterior and interior. If only I could capture every detail on my lens. Hehe.

According to Franz's officemate, we could find Jollibee at Central. It is where we went for our late-lunch-slash-early-dinner. Hehe. Felt like I was back in Manila. I could hear a lot of Tagalog. No need to struggle when placing my order in the counter. Hehe. I was craving for Chicken Joy and Jollibee spaghetti. The chicken tastes the same. But the spaghetti was a bit bland. It didn't taste like Jollibee's spaghetti. It just tasted like our neighbor's birthday spaghetti. Hehe.

We then met up with my parents at Sham Shui Po. There weren't much to buy there and they were already closing their stalls so we decided to go to Mong Kok instead where we walked and shopped to our hearts content till our feet hurt.

More pictures here.

[Project 297] Week 27

09.06.10
Day 181: Ambigram

Theme: Upside Down.
You could turn me upside down and inside out. Strip me to the bone if you must. But I won't be phased. I'd still be me.

09.07.10
Day 182: Bakit Baliktad Magbasa Ng Libro Ang Mga Pilipino?

Theme: Upside Down.
We are all proud to be Pinoy everytime Pacquiao beats the hell out of his opponents, everytime a Filipino athlete bags a medal or lands a good spot in any competition. But how many of us refused to be identified as a Filipino after the bloody hostage drama that took place in Manila? How many of us said, "Nakakahiya maging Pilipino" or "Ayoko ng maging Pilipino" after watching the news? As Bob Ong puts it, "Sila ang mga taong de-perdible ang pagka-mamamayan, ikinakabit at tinatanggal, depende sa ihip ng hangin." And more than the bashing of other nationalities, it is us being ashamed to be Filipinos that hurts our country the most.

09.08.10
Day 183: The Thing That Sleeps

Theme: Upside Down.
First morning after working night shift. While most people are getting out of bed, I'm just getting in it. And that very much sounded like a Train song. Hehe. It's difficult to get some shuteye especially when the sun is up. But thanks to my eye mask I could sleep all day long, albeit as Mike Enriquez. Err, The Thing. Hehe.

09.09.10
Day 184: Reflection

Theme: Upside Down.
New World Hotel's reflection in Greenbelt 5's breeding ground for mosquitoes. Hehe.

09.10.10
Day 185: To Die Is Rest

Goodbye to a mentor and a dear friend. Thank you for everything you've taught me, for believing in me, and most especially for the friendship. I know that you're now wrapped in the loving arms of our Creator. And I'm sure all the angels will love you as much as we did. We'll miss you. Rest in peace.

As I'm writing this entry, there's a whiff of flowers in the air. Drew, I know it's you. Hanggang ganyan lang ha? Wag mo akong gugulatin. Hehe.

09.11.10
Day 186: Gloria Maris

Tin just got back from Dubai for a month's vacation. She treated us to a pleasant dinner at Gloria Maris. It's really nice to see old friends again and I really miss hanging out with them. Too bad Roney and Ate Lotis weren't there to join us. Tin, thanks so much for the dinner and the pasalubong! Have a safe trip to Bicol! :)

09.12.10
Day 187: Blizzard Treat

Theme: Upside Down.
My favorite ice cream served upside down! =P~

[Project 297] Week 26

08.30.10
Day 174: Medical Cliché

Theme: Health Is Wealth.
Getting sick can be very expensive. The cost of a check-up plus the cost of medicines plus the cost of hospitalization... You do the math. To a common Juan, these expenses can be quite daunting. So what can Juan do? Simple. Live a healthy lifestyle. Throw away the bad habits like smoking and drinking. Eat right. Exercise regularly. Drink 8 glasses of water a day. And don't forget the vitamins. As the cliché goes, prevention is better than cure. And it's a lot cheaper too. :)

08.31.10
Day 175: Masarap Inumin Lasang Ovaltine

Theme: Health Is Wealth.
"Great things start from small beginnings..."
For breakfast, I had a bowl of banana with nuts and Milo, Stresstabs, Centrum and Cecon. I call this the breakfast of champions. Hehe. Milo everyday, everyday oh-kay. Wait, I think I mixed that up. Nyaha.

09.01.10
Day 176: Rain, Rain, Go Away!

Been raining hard for three nights now. Traffic was choked in many places. It took us 3 hours from Makati to Marikina. ARGH. Kumikitid ba ang kalsada kapag umuulan?! Wehe.

09.02.10
Day 177: Sunshine Buddy

While I was busy doing some overtime work, Franz was busy playing some time-killer games at Timezone. And he was finally able to win this cute solar-powered orange guy from the Prize Cube! Cuteness! Hehe. :)

09.03.10
Day 178: It's so FLUFFFYYY!!!

After months of anticipation, I finally got to watch Despicable Me. It was a cute kiddie movie. There were times though that I almost fell asleep and I have to thank Agnes for keeping me awake. Hehe. I swear, she is the most adorable little girl, EVER! My eyes are totally glued on her every time she's on screen. Watching every twitch of her face, every look in her eyes, every sound she makes... God, I'd adopt her if she were real! She's soooo cute, I'm gonna die! Hehe. The minions were pretty entertaining too. Annoying at times, yes, but mostly entertaining. I wonder who's voicing them. Hehe.

09.04.10
Day 179: These Three Remain

Went to visit Drew with Meds and JM. It was really heart-breaking to see him in such a critical condition. Very far from his usual fun, lively and happy self. His mom told us that he fell into a coma last night. When one of the doctors arrived to check on Drew, her mom broke into tears. And that's something I could hardly bear. Felt a surge of emotions run through me. Feelings of sadness, of pity, of disappointment, of anger. It's just that, his family needs all the help they can get right now and I felt that they're not getting enough help. I dunno, I guess God is yet to touch other people's hearts. The doctor talked to the mom outside the ward. He told her that Drew's condition isn't getting any better and that they just have to wait. I couldn't even begin to imagine how painful that was for her, to hear those words from the doctor's mouth. When even the doctors have given up, I wanna believe that these three remain: Faith, Hope and Love. Faith, not in what the doctor just said, not in what we will to happen, but faith in His plans for Drew and his life.

Dear God, I'm lifting Drew up to You right now. Please lay Your healing hands on him. I also pray for his family, especially for his mom. Please give them the strength that they need and may they find comfort in Your presence.

Drew, hang tough. May lakad pa tayo diba? At sabi mo may ikkwento ka pa samen ni Meds..

09.05.10
Day 180: Orange You Glad?

Theme: Health Is Wealth.
So far, I've been successful at staying away from soda. With the exception of a regular Coke Zero I had last weekend for lunch. Screw fast food chains that don't offer an alternative to softdrinks other than water. Hehe. Nweiz, bought this bottle of orange juice from the supermarket. That's 10 freshly squeezed oranges in a bottle! I know I couldn't eat that much in one sitting. And boy am I glad I could just drink it. :)