A Little Fun in the Sun

Monday, March 31, 2008

My friend Vangie came home with her family for a three-week visit here. She migrated to Chicago in January last year to work there as a registered nurse. Her family followed her there by April. 

I’ve been spending my past two Sabbaths at their former church just to be with them all. We’ve formed this clique (which I coined the D4) with Joy and ate Marissa through our puppet and outreach ministry for kids beginning 2006. This coming Sabbath, April 5, I will be there yet again to spend one last Sabbath and weekend with them. (Vangie’s family will go back to Chicago on April 9; they arrived here March 14.)

Yesterday, Vangie treated all 16 of us out at 8 Waves Waterpark. 16 = the D4 (me, Joy, and ate Marissa); Vangie’s husband Vic; three kids (Ian, Via, and Lei); sister Wennie and husband Alvin plus two kids and their helper; Vangie’s mom and dad; Vic’s nephew; and ate Marissa’s auntie-in-law. It was a spur-of-the-moment kind of outing, right after the funeral of their nephew’s one year and 10 months old son. That may sound callous, however, they really didn’t know the child at all–never met him. 

Here are our pictures yesterday. I’m only in a few since I took most of them. I think I need to get a tripod next. I’ve posted just a few here. The rest are on Multiply (Click THIS to view our 8 Waves photos.)

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Bug Bitten

Now that I finally have my Nikon D80, I think the photography has taken a bite of me–and it’s beginning to sink its teeth in deeper and deeper . . . .  

Click THIS to view my photos on Multiply. 

Twist and Shout

Last year around August, I posted a brief blog about my fear of one day accidentally killing myself. (Click THIS to read the post.) That fear may not be too far from becoming a reality the way I keep getting myself hurt unintentionally. Yesterday, I was with friends at 8 Waves Waterpark in San Rafael, Bulacan. I had fun. I had a great time with them. But I think I would’ve enjoyed myself more had I not twisted my left ankle before we even entered the resort. 

How did I twist it? Hah. Good question! Here’s how: I was just standing beside my friend’s Toyota Revo in the parking lot waiting for all our 18 pax to get ready to start walking towards the entrance. I was standing still just talking with the friends who were all set to go in. And then it happened! It just twisted. Right out of the blue, it twisted! And I, of course, made a loud ouch sound.

Was I ever in pain! I think my nerve got stuck somewhere because the pain was pretty bad. But I was able to walk around still. I could still bear it–having twisted this ankle so many more times than I could remember, I guess I kind of got used to it already–the pain, that is. 

So I sort of hobbled along all day, barely able to swim. At least the water sort of relieved the pressure from it. However, I think it would’ve been best to just have rested it since it was pretty swollen when we got back that evening. 

I was advised to put slightly roasted (?) ginger on my ankle and then wrap it up with something. I tried it. I guess it works! It reduced the swelling. And it feels good, too! It feels hotter than Bengay.

Before twisting my foot yesterday, I was torn between going to Silang, Cavite to join my friend’s wedding coverage or to meet up with Pastor Jing at the CLC and talk about some serious matters with him. (Not that I’m any good with my new Nikon D80 yet. Just that I want to practice some and get a few tips from him and the other photographers who’ll be there too.) I ended up staying home all day. My foot needed the rest. Well, at least I did get some work done still. And my former boss and former officemate both visited me at home this afternoon since I was getting them to do a project for me. 

Right now, my foot still hurts a little bit–certain angles at least. I think I’m going to have to stay home a few more days. Ooh. It better get back to normal by Thursday. My friends (Joy and ate Marissa) and I are planning to accompany our Balikbayan friend (Vangie) to Divisoria for a bit of shopping on that day. I’m hoping the ginger will do the trick! Hehehe. 

Eureka! . . . I FINALLY Got It!

Thursday, March 27, 2008

Finally, finally, finally!!!

Woohoo!

I am just overwhelmed with J-O-Y that after about five entire weeks of waiting, I finally have my brand new, first hand Nikon D80 DSLR now!

(Click THIS and THIS to read my previous posts about it.)

I have been quite busy since last February so the waiting didn’t actually seem too long to me. But this afternoon, when Wilbert buzzed me that the balikbayan box he sent from Japan already arrived at their home, my EQ (emotional quotient) just gave way! Hehehe. 

Straight-away I just had to go to their house to get my camera. In all my excitement, I forgot that my uncle’s Isuzu Crosswind Sportivo had number coding today! Mwahaha. It’s a good thing the few policemen and MMDAs that I drove by to get to Wilbert’s Philippine house were all preoccupied. I was able to go there and then back home again without getting caught once.

At Wilbert’s house, I opened my brand new black and gray Lowepro Slingshot AW 200 bag and found my Nikon D80 kit spread throughout the bag. I found the D80 manual last, being discreetly hidden from my view and groping hands and fingers, deeply snuggled in with the bag’s "patented All Weather Cover" (said to protect the equipment from weather, sand, and dust).  My enthusiasm died down a bit when I found everything in the manual written in Japanese!

Hahaha. Why did I even think it would be in English when it came from Japan and is intended for Japanese customers?! Hahaha. Well, they could’ve at least made the manual in several languages, with English always being there consistently (the way Olympus makes theirs). Good thing I still have the English Nikon D80 manual that Pastor Jing lent and that the CLC Media Center owns (they bought a Nikon D80 DSLR last month). That’s what I’m reading tonight. I think I’ll have it photocopied, too. I want something handy though I already have a softcopy version in PDF format.

Earlier, I had some difficulty putting the strap on properly. I think the reason was that I was shaking with hunger by then. I decided to feed my "pythons" first, thinking I’d have an easier time understanding the manual after a full meal.

I was right. Eating helped. And I was able to breeze through putting the strap on.

The next miniature obstacle I had was in attaching the kit lens to the camera body. Haha. Blame that on my fear of ruining my brand new 50,000-peso "toy." It was only after I got that in properly that I read the part in the manual that the battery needs to be charged fully first before first use. That’s about two hours and 15 minutes of charging time.

Right now I’m just waiting for the battery to finish charging so I could test my new toy a bit and start shooting away.

Now I’m thankful my new Nikon D80 finally arrived and safely, too. And, I intend on having another one-on-one thanksgiving session with God later tonight. But, I’m also thinking I’m going have to get a tripod, a flash, and lenses next. Oh, boy . . .  

And, after all that, I’m going to have to get my very own car to tag all those things along safely, plus my laptop, too. Oh, boy . . .  I guess I better start praying again now . . .  Hehe.

Like my laptop, I dedicate my new DSLR to God and pray that He would always empower me to use it for His honor and glory. 

Amen. (Shall we pray by twos now? ) 

If and Only If . . .

If I could sing and were videogenic, I’d join this contest in a flash. But, heck, reality bites hard. So, I’ll content myself with watching entries turned in by more musically gifted individuals. (Click THIS to watch entries to the contest.) . . . I’ll content myself with singing along with them in the privacy of my own bedroom, too. Then later, I’ll also sing it in the bathroom and everywhere else I go (Hehe. Last song syndrome.). 

If I could play my flute as well as I used to I could play it along with Marie’s original version. But, I’m years behind in practice so that’s a dead end, too.

If my guitar were in tune, I could at least strum out the song. I know how to play the chords involved (G, A, D, C basically). But, it’s out of tune. And, I don’t know how to tune it.

If I could play secular songs as well as I could play religious songs on my harmonica, I could just play it on that. But, then I can’t. Another dead end. 

Hmmm. Maybe I’ll just get someone else to sing and play for me. And just direct or produce the video. That’s an option. I wonder when the contest ends though. Well, if I could do all this in spite of my hectic schedule now and before the contest ends, then that would be awesome!  But, again, the operative word is IF. Oh, and come to think of it, how would we divide the prize? Hmmm.

I guess for now that brings me back to being content with just watching other people’s entries. Haha. (This is me taking a break from all the serious thinking I’ve been doing lately. . . . Break is over now.)

Could’ve Been . . .

Wednesday, March 26, 2008

This could have been great for occassional mobile users. Key words: COULD HAVE BEEN. Why is it not as cool as it could have been? . . .  The USB modem it comes with costs too much. (FOUR THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED PHILIPPINE PESOS!)

Smart BRO PREPAID, the newest Smart Bro broadband internet service that allows you to surf the net anywhere there’s a PC! Absolutely no Monthly Service Fee since it’s prepaid!

The Smart BRO USB modem is a small, palm-sized device that you can carry with you wherever you go.  And anytime you need to surf, just plug it into the USB port of your PC, and you’ll get connected in a flash.  Total initial payment is P4500 with FREE P30 broadband load.  Broadband Internet use is P10 for every 30 minutes.

The Sweetest Day in All Seven

Friday, March 14, 2008

The sun is setting on another day, Friday–the day of preparation as the Bible calls it. I heave a sigh of relief. Now, I can finally rest from all my worldly cares. Temporarily at least. I will voluntarily stop all my thought processes on all things non-spiritual until the sun sets again tomorrow, Saturday. 

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PLDT: Faking It Bad!

I tested our previous DSL connection with PLDT last September 22, 2007 using PLDT’s very own bandwidth tester (it’s at the PLDT website).  Below is the result I got from them.

The actual bandwidth that we were getting from PLDT was even slower than their prescribed speed for a dial-up connection!

Tsk, tsk! Need I say it again?

PLDT sucks!!!

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Class Picture

Web Design Fundamentals. I took this introductory class at the Philippine Center for Creative Imaging (PCCI) last January 10, 2008. The picture above is our class picture. The guy at the rightmost side is Datu Arellano, the instructor. 

I enjoyed my class. And I craved for more knowledge. I did plan to take Fast Track to HTML last February but I had a conflict of schedule. I hope I will be able to take it soon.

Just sharing. 

Typing, typing, zzzzzzz . . .

My strength is zapped this early in the day. I already did my laundry and cleaned up our bathroom from top to bottom and side to side. And I still have numerous things to do until the sun sets down this day. Oh, boy . . . .

We do have a househelp. But I generally prefer doing my laundry myself. Also, I clean up the bathroom myself, too, because seeing the result of our househelp’s bathroom-cleaning will only dismay me and perhaps even give me a heart attack. Suffice it to say, it’s below my cleanliness standards. 

I’m going to take a break now. To eat. To bathe. And then, I’m going to get right back to work again. There’s just way too many things to do these days. And yes, there’s not enough time to do them all at the same time with the same amount of vigor and quality.

I can’t even finish my personal website now. There’s just no time for that right now, too.

I’m thankful it’s Friday. However, Sabbath is only hours away from ending once it starts. I wish Sabbath would be extended even just this once so I extend my rest as well. 

This particular blog has taken me minutes longer than my usual. I’m falling asleep here even as I type. Yesterday I slept at around 4:00 A.M. to finish the brochure I was making. My part in it? The concept and text. My colleague does the design.

Well, I better eat lunch now. My pythons are starving! Plus, my young coconut juice with meat is waiting for me, too!