Down the Rabbit Hole

Still harvesting lessons from the leadership course I took. My teachers did say that the topics covered during the course are very applicable in our personal lives... (=^.^=) Have you ever experienced having people tell you that your weird idea is so out-of-this-world that isn't feasible? In class, we were given an issue that we needed to find solutions for. All ideas, ranging from bright to stupid, were welcomed. The issue, during the exercise, wasn't something Earth-shattering; we were told to design a table. During the first part of the exercise, we weren't allowed to call the more outrageous ideas impossible, not feasible, difficult, weird, or stupid. Still wondering at how to use this lesson in everyday life, I started noticing the unique. While window-shopping, I got intrigued by the bladeless fan on display; intrigued enough to buy one just to see how it works. Now, cleaning my electric fan is a breeze! Then, while ordering at Burger King, I noticed a...

I only realize how far I've gone based on how long I have to drive to go back home. In the case of my  second trip to the hot air balloon festival , I thought I would have a homeward drive that's as easy as the one I had last year. But this year's trip was more trying. My patience was tested beginning at the parking lot. Because a lot of people went out at around the same time as I did, I had to wait for an hour and a half to get out of the parking lot. stop-and-go traffic in Clark Field, Pampanga Thankfully, I was driving home with high school buddies Mafel and Karen, and Karen's daughter, Kat. They all helped keep my mood in check as I drove at a snail's pace in the parking lot. After escaping the parking lot, the first real challenge set in: driving via the SCTEX and then the NLEX. Being on the freeway was a lot better than being stuck at the parking lot, but my main concern was fighting off the fatigue and drowsiness on the long trip home. Kat, who...

After having so much fun at the 16th Philippine Hot Air Balloon Festival last year, I decided that I'd drive all the way north again this year. My sister didn't go with me to this year's festival, so I rounded up a few friends to join me on the long drive. Since this was my second round at it and because my friends were with me, I wasn't able to concentrate on the exhibits and on the demonstrations. But, I did notice the kites, particularly all those kites that were soaring. Inspired by my friend's daughter's attempts at flying a kite, I got myself my own kite (a small, rainbow-colored delta kite) so I could play too. \ (^_^) / Time flies fast when you're having fun. In my case, I only realized that I had been under the sun for HOURS when the sky started to turn orange! Challenged to get my kite higher in the sky, I had kept trying to catch the perfect wind; when I did, I was so happy... until the kite's string got away too! Embarrassing as it soun...

Frequent customers and baristas at Starbucks have a way of communicating the type of drink the customers want. For the occasional consumer (like me), the lingo is a bit intimidating because of the endless possibilities of combinations to be put in that cup (the size, the consumer still has to decide on). For years, I've kept ordering the Chocolate Frappuccino. Simple and straight off the menu card. One day, I thought that since I wasn't in such a hurry, I could try vamping my favorite drink up a bit. Just a bit . I didn't realize that I was opening myself up for a lot of questions. And another blooper moment. So, I plunged in, "One chocolate chip frappuccino blended creme, but please use soy milk." "What's the size of your drink?", the barista asked. "Venti, please," I replied. My customized drink was well on its way. I prefer soy milk and it's only recently that I learned that the soy milk option is available at ...

Fe: Mang Johnny, Happy Valentine's Day! Mang Johnny: Likewise... Is it likewise or counter-clockwise ? A lot of flower vendors appeared along the UPLB Gate on Valentine's Day. Seeing them there, with lots of bouquets and individual flowers, reminded me of the famous flower market in Manila, Dangwa. However, my favorite flower was markedly absent on Valentine's Day (at least along Lopez Avenue): the blue-violet tulip. I guess it's because the color of the day is red and the flower of the day is the rose.

Ever wonder why coffee shops tend to play jazzy piano tunes while fast food restaurants play pop songs? Or why restaurants that serve turn-of-the-century recipes play vintage music? Or how about the tribal beats being heard all over an island-paradise-inspired restaurant ? Sure, the musical backgrounds are supposed to give the restaurant its ambiance, its atmosphere. The music puts people in the mood to eat. In fact, restaurant operators have gone to get disc jockeys to customize their restaurants' playlists to match with the menus. There's even a pan-Asian television series called "The Kitchen Musical" where music takes center stage. Just like Glee. Do you know, though, that the music being played while you're eating affects the way you taste your food? Researchers from Oxford University, Condiment Junkie, and The Fat Duck Experimental Kitchen in the United Kingdom have found out that by changing the pitch of the music playing while participants were ea...

Tickets to Mamma Mia! (the musical) are perfect gifts on Mothers' Day! If you're going to watch it, I suggest that you bring your Mom with you, especially if your Mom is a baby boomer. In my case, the international tour stopped over in Manila in February, so I didn't see it with my Mom. I did see it with my aunt, though. The full-house during the afternoon show just proved that not only my Mom's generation loved ABBA's songs; the yuppies found them (and the story) appealing too. It's a nice show to watch when bonding with Mom because at its core, the story of Mamma Mia! is about the relationship between a mother and a daughter and the daughter's search for her father. When my aunt was explaining the gist to me before we watched the show, I thought that the spotlight was on the daughter. However, as I was watching the play, I noticed that the daughter drives the story forward but the story really centers around her Mom and the three potential dads. Wh...

Intramuros tour , a set on Flickr. In all her 95 years, this was Lola Bats' first time in Intramuros... and she used to live close by! Looks like she enjoyed the tour.

La Cocina de Tita Moning (part 2) , a set on Flickr. This time, I went to La Cocina de Tita Moning with my aunts, my uncle, and Lola Bats. As during my first time in the restaurant, the food was delicious!

New Year 2012 fireworks in the neighborhood , a set on Flickr. This was my first New Year's Eve alone. I just stepped out of the house and took photos while the neighbors had all the fun with the firecrackers, the fountains, and the rockets. By the end of the revelry, the street resembled a scene straight out of a movie because there's a lot of smoke... one neighbor had let loose the big daddy of allowed firecrackers: an extra-long Judas belt. The explosions were strong enough to send people running away from it.