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Showing posts from May, 2005

Dr. Punongbayan: Scientist and Hero

I’d like to thank Dr. Raymundo Punongbayan for being a great scientist. He’s name is forever associated to lahar, Mt. Pinatubo, and earthquakes. More importantly, he was a mentor to so many people, even to kids who needed answers about that fateful volcanic eruption in the early 90’s. He was a role model to budding scientists: he was very generous in sharing his knowledge; he was passionate about his craft; and he was an expert in his field (he was recognized worldwide). Plus, his job was the most exciting professions I’ve encountered. Most importantly, he died doing what he loved. In short, this geology professor, who I never met personally, but have seen countless times on television, inspired me to pursue the field less traveled. He gave a face to the word SCIENTIST. And he was a HERO. His legacy will live on in the hearts and minds of the young scientists, who as kids, watched him talking about volcanoes on national television. His accomplishments will forever challenge us to st

Seeing things from a different perspective

The doctor said I won’t be able to see properly for the next six to eight hours. I should bring a companion who could help me go home because I would have difficulty seeing. Internet sites said that people who underwent the procedure couldn’t drive home, and had to arrange their transportation before hand. I should just keep activities to a minimum, and rest the day off… Yesterday, I had an eye exam to check my retinas. The doctor dilated my pupils using eyedrops… the drops effectively reduced my reading capacity to zilch, but distant objects remained clear. In short, I was far-sighted for about eight hours. What did the world look like through dilated pupils? During the first few hours, I felt like I stepped into a dreamy, surreal world: the sharp contrasts between bright and dark reminded me of the final scenes in LOTR: Return of the King . I could not distinguish white from silver, or even from yellow. The dullest greens burst as if they were neon signs. Yellow fla

Finally, I finished the LOTR trilogy

I was formerly intimidated by this book… primarily because it was too long. But now, I’m proud to announce that I’m done! Hurrah! Plus, I’m so hooked with the story, like everyone else, that I “found” my elf-name… it’s Orelinde (which was of, course, picked out at random).

Review: Kingdom of Heaven (2005)

I love this movie… Thank you Dial and Jill for watching it with me! : ) It’s just quite creepy watching Orlando Bloom as a knight in Jerusalem… on a set that looks a lot like Minas Tirith (though the colors had a tinge of brown instead of bright white) wielding a sword (not a bow and some arrows) against Saladin’s men (with shields that remind me of those used by orcs). Ridley Scott again presented a great story. I enjoyed watching it a lot! : )

I finally entered the blog age

Blog… ano ba yan? Online diary? That was my question when my siblings were introducing me to the concept. But when friendster started this new feature, I decided to give it a go and find out what blogs are. So, what really are blogs?