april's first weekend

travelers and fliers

going around historic intramuros

visit to mike's university of sto. tomas

taking it slow in serendra piazza

holy week 2012

Last 2010, Mike and I satisfied our curiosity and flew to Batanes, the northernmost province of the country. A combination of photo shoot opportunity and the chance to embrace local tourism, we knew we had to pass on the thirst for travel and learning to the girls.

So the family had started a little tradition to go out of town when the time and budget would allow. Last year, we took Annika and Angela for a few days to Singapore during the Holy Week. Understandably so, since that's the only time of the year when Mike can leave work and really focus on some serious family get-together.

This year, we will just take it slow in the national capital region and highlight the Holy Week with a Visita Iglesia in a number of churches of pre-war Intramuros. Guide map to be printed in a while.

On the side, while Mike wants to shop for golf accessories and apparel for Annika, Angela's main purpose is to shop till she finds the book of the boy band, One Direction. I just want to point out to the girls some swanky boutiques within Makati and let them enjoy the absence of trisikads within the business district. But on top of it all, I will savor the time of us four camping and cramping it inside one hotel room.

It will be fun and I promise to be sloppy and not mind whatever it is that shall not be perfect, according to my standards. Holy Week and time away from home with the family, as it is, is perfect enough.

at the shooting range

rule number 1

treat a gun like it's always loaded

if only. i could have.

If only I didn't forget my password, I could have updated this blog a long time ago.

If only this blogger didn't establish a convoluted system to update interfaces, I swear could have really updated this blog a long time ago.

If only I didn't get busy up to here with other things, I could have sat down and organized my thoughts and experiences into an entry.

Had it not been for Rafael, a classmate from way back in kindergarten, who reminded me about his reading online to be able to stay informed about acquaintances, I actually would still be staying away.

But I am back! And I think that's good.

writing off the year

regrets of the past three hundred sixty-five days

make way to resolutions for the coming year

start the clock

put on the show

a few breakthroughs

captured in paper

Photo courtesy of Mike Mendoza

living the story book life

How do you expect kids to listen to their parents when
Tarzan lives half naked,
Cinderella comes home at midnight,
Pinocchio lies all the time,
Aladdin is the king of thieves,
Batman drives at 200 mph,
Sleeping Beauty is lazy,
and Snow White lives with 7 guys.

We shouldn't be surprised when kids misbehave,
they get it from their story book!

- Copied from somewhere in the net

summer in singapore

waitin' and laughin' and posin' and bondin'

the four women in mike's life

with the maaaaaaaaaan!

the tourists.. on foot

shooting the shooter

I almost always prefer being behind the camera

than in front of it. Except when Mike is taking the shot.

the ant philosophy

Over the years I've been teaching children about a simple but powerful concept - the ant philosophy. I think everybody should study ants. They have an amazing four-part philosophy, and the first part is: ants never quit. That's a good philosophy. If they're headed somewhere and you try to stop them; they'll look for another way. They'll climb over, they'll climb under, they'll climb around. They keep looking for another way. What a neat philosophy, to never quit looking for a way to get where you're supposed to go.

Second, ants think winter all summer. That's an important perspective. You can't be so naive as to think summer will last forever. So ants are gathering in their winter food in the middle of summer. An ancient story says, "Don't build your house on the sand in the summer." Why do we need that advice? Because it is important to be realistic. In the summer, you've got to think storm. You've got to think rocks as you enjoy the sand and sun. Think ahead.

The third part of the ant philosophy is that ants think summer all winter. That is so important. During the winter, ants remind themselves, "This won't last long; we'll soon be out of here." And the first warm day, the ants are out. If it turns cold again, they'll dive back down, but then they come out the first warm day. They can't wait to get out.

And here's the last part of the ant philosophy. How much will an ant gather during the summer to prepare for the winter? All he possibly can. What an incredible philosophy, the "all-you-possibly-can" philosophy.

Lessons from the ant: never give up, look ahead, stay positive and do all you can.

By Jim Rohn

back to disney's magic

I See the Light
From Tangled

All those days
Watching from the windows
All those years
Outside looking in
All that time
Never even knowing
Just how blind I’ve been

Now I’m here
Blinking in the starlight
Now I’m here
Suddenly I see
Standing here
It’s oh, so clear
I’m where I’m meant to be

And at last, I see the light
And it’s like the fog has lifted
And at last, I see the light
And it’s like the sky is new
And it’s warm and real and bright
And the world has somehow shifted
All at once
Everything looks different
Now that I see you

All those days
Chasing down a daydream
All those years
Living in a blur
All that time
Never truly seeing
Things the way they were
Now she’s here
Shining in the starlight
Now she’s here
Suddenly I know
If she’s here
It’s crystal clear
I’m where I’m meant to go

And at last, I see the light
And it’s like the fog has lifted
And at last, I see the light
And it’s like the sky is new

And it’s warm and real and bright
And the world has somehow shifted
All at once
Everything is different
Now that I see you
Now that I see you