Litratong Pinoy: Proteksyon

Maypagka-delikado ang larong paintball. Kapag hindi maingat ang mga manlalaro maaaring magdulot ito ng di kanais-nais na pinsala. Kaya nama'y mahigpit ang patakaran kapag naglalaro ng paintball - kailangang suot-suot lagi ang maskara o helmet para maingatan ang mukha lalo na ang mga mata.

Malaking tulog din ang pagsuot ng makapal na damit na magbibigay ng sapat na proteksyon sa ating sarili at upang hindi masyadong masaktan sa larong ito.
Minalas ang isa sa mga kaibigan ko habang naglalaro kami at ito ang isang halimbawa kung paano ka masaktan sa larong paintball... Tiyak na mabubulag kung sinumang tamaan niyan sa mata!
At siyempre, para sa mga kalalakihan, huwag niyong kaligtaan na proteksyonan ang inyong... pagkalalake :)

Bluetooth Headset "Discovery"

I've been eyeing this bluetooth headset for quite some time, maybe 6 months before I finally got it. I've been using the Plantronics Discovery 925 for a little over a month now and I must say I am very happy with it.

Design-wise, it is cool in every way from the hairpin-like shape to the built-in charger case. It also comes in a bunch of other colors - gold, cerise, white and purple. I got the black one because it matched with my cellphone.

I found the device extremely easy to pair with my phone and very effortless to use, one touch is all it takes to answer calls. It is also extremely light-weight, the longest time I've had it on nonstop was 6 hours and it was still comfortable. It doesn't slide or fall off your ear either :)

Sound-wise, it delivers pretty well that the person I talk to on the other end don't even know that I'm using a bluetooth headset because it's that clear! Well, provided you're not too far away from your cellphone :)
Best of all, the charge lasts for days and days since the headset is housed with a charger so I just throw the whole thing in my bag and I'm set.

The Ugly Truth

I've been waiting to watch this movie since I saw the trailer a month ago. I thought it would be a romantic chick flick, boy, I was sorely disappointed...

This movie was funny alright but to the extent that it had to be crass and vulgar. The actors constantly used crude language and frankly the sex theme was too played-out it was trashy. It certainly deserved its R-rating because as a viewer I was kind of uncomfortable watching it. I also thought the plot was poorly developed and they had to bury that flaw in coarse sexual humor, it was just bad taste...

Don't waste your time and money or insult your intelligence by watching this junk. If you do insist on it, don't say I didn't warn you! :)

PhotoHunt: Utensils

Plastic utensils at a Christmas party two years ago. We can't really avoid using plastic especially for big gatherings - it's just much more convenient and easier than having to take care of hundreds of forks/knives/spoons when the party is over.

I wish we could all come up with a better idea for minimizing our plastic utensil usage (including styrofoam plates, bowls and cups) and keeping those things out of our landfills. If everyone could maybe bring their own utensils or reuse them... but then again, it's just our wasteful human nature not to...

See more PhotoHunt entries here.

Dog Portraits

It's been a while since I've taken pictures of the family pet. Dogs in particular are very hard to photograph because they move around a lot. Jake is an exceptionally hyperactive dog but with a really happy disposition - I swear, this dog smiles...

He likes to ride in the car with us when we go places and stick his head out of the window.
My brother kinda butchered his hair though, he cut it really uneven...
Jakey brings so much joy to our family, he likes being showered with affection and food. He doesn't really enjoy dog food that much but he loves watermelon, bananas, milk and carrots :)
Sometimes I swear he even thinks he's human and is especially fond of my mom. He follows her everywhere, gets excited whenever she's around and whimpers when he gets tied onto a leash.
Having a dog really takes the stress out of everyday life, I find that a few minutes of petting him lifts my mood.

Litratong Pinoy: Nakakakilabot

Nakakakilabot pagmasdan ang nayuping school bus na ito dulot ng Bagyong David noong 1979 sa Roseau, Dominica. Mabuti nalang at walang nasa loob ng bus nang mangyari ang insidenteng ito.

Ang puno at ang bus ay naiwang tagapagpaalala ng malakas na bagyo...

Camping Weekend

Warning: This is a picture-heavy post.

Went camping last weekend with a bunch of my friends. It was nice to get away from the busyness of work and the city for a while.

It rained really hard when we got there, it was a real bummer pitching tents... But it was bright and sunny the next day and it stayed that way until the end of the trip. Here's a group shot of all of us...

Preparing for breakfast - we had nasi goreng, champorado, scrambled eggs, cereal, fruit, turkey bacon, veggie patties, chicken adobo, hot chocolate... and the list goes on :)

My favorite time - nap time :)

Went out later the next day for a hike on a really cool trail. Of course, Mr. Photographer had to bring his gear...
My friend's daughter - Justine. She stuck with me through 90% of the hike and told me all about her trip to Disneyland, going in detail about all the rides she went to.
Some wildflowers that were on the trail.
And finally, after about a 40-minute hike, we reached our destination...
I didn't get in because the water was so cold. It did look really inviting though... (That's my brother with the weird pose, btw.)
The baby of the group went in but only for about 5 minutes. Then she had to bundle back into warm clothes. Here she is with Ate Jean...
Cool (dead?) tree on the way back.
And you know how I am with my flowers...
I was eating a grass stalk so she curiously asked me if she could try it too. Kids really do try to imitate everything you do. The walking stick idea she got from watching her dad.
More wildflowers...


And wild 'shrooms.
Back to the campsite and picture taking. Thank goodness for tripods and self-timers :)
Getting ready for our midnight barbeque and s'mores...
Ella and Jemn goofing around. I don't know why Jemuel was smelling the Growers...
Yummy bistek and leftover adobo in the other pot...
I swear the bistek sauce on top of white rice could've made a complete meal but I also got extra-large helpings of Jufran-infused spaghetti.
Smokin' cold...
Corn, burgers and hotdogs on the grill... We slept around 2 a.m. just talking, eating, playing Taboo, charades, telling each other scary stories. It was a lot of fun.
The next day we are still eating the same thing - we had to finish the perishables in the cooler coz nobody wanted to bring food back home. Justine again with Kuya Mark who is visiting from California...
Nobody brought sauerkraut and I forgot to put ketchup. Otherwise, this would've been an awesome hotdog...
Leftover corn...
Playing ninja. We also played patintero and volleyball, some canoed and went boating in the lake...
Here's Justine and Kuya Rydee swimming...
She really loves the water...

All in all, a great weekend with friends and family, we're going camping again in 2 weeks - I can't wait!

PhotoHunt: Rocks

Dominica is known for having one of the most pristine tropical rain forests in the Caribbean Islands. Last year, we were able to take a short hike to Trafalgar Falls - which are actually twin falls - The Father Falls and The Mother Falls, which is the photo below.

Look how huge these rock boulders are compared to a normal-sized man.
The rocks are also kinda slippery because of moss growth and the forceful water current.
See more PhotoHunt entries here.

10 Things About Me

I got tagged by utotmopink so here goes...

Things you may or may not know about me:

1. We moved around a lot while I was growing up. I've lived in Naga, Legaspi, Daet, Aklan, Bacolod and New York. Interestingly enough, I've never lived in Manila.

2. Although English is my first language (I only learned Tagalog when I started going to school at age 4), I am able to communicate in Bicolano, Cebuano, Ilonggo, Aklanon and Spanish (I took it as a foreign language class for two semesters in college).

3. I am the eldest of 4 children, I have 3 younger brothers.

4. I play the piano, guitar and some violin and clarinet - but the last two I hardly touch anymore.

5. I have a short attention span. If you see me nodding and smiling after 10 minutes, I'm not really listening to you.

6. Up until I was 6 or so I was predominantly left-handed, until my dad decided I wouldn't succeed in life if that was the case (just kidding) and forced me to use my right hand. So now I am right handed but still with right-brained tendencies, which makes me a little messed up inside.

7. I am a gadget geek - the internet, cool stuff and technology in general fascinate me. I read Gizmodo and Engadget daily.

8. Even though my grandfather (my dad's dad) was a Cantonese immigrant, my family has not retained any Chinese heritage nor practice any of the many customary traditions. We know nothing of the language or culture but I don't think we missed out.

9. I am lactose intolerant. Like 90% of other Asians out there. But despite that, I will still not give up my dairy products.

10. I love to travel but I hate long plane rides. If only I could snap my fingers and instantly be where I want to be... :)

The Rules of this Tag are:

- Tell your readers 10 things about you that they may or may not know, but are true.

- Tag 10 people, and be sure to let them know they've been tagged.

- Don't forget to link back to the blogger who tagged you.

I am tagging:

jennys-corner.com
chocolateword.net
newlysqueezed.blogspot.com
badudets.com
bu-ge.com
itsnotalwaysaboutme.blogspot.com
simplyrachel.onewickedsoul.com
luckgoesalongway.blogspot.com
vanitychild.blogspot.com
i.luved.net

Litratong Pinoy: Tuyo

Tag-lamig nang kami'y bumisita sa Grand Canyon ngunit halatang tuyo na tuyo pa rin ang lugar na ito - parang isang desierto...

Marahil dahil sa kawalan ng ulan iniisip ng iba na hindi puedeng mamuhay sa isang desierto ngunit maraming nagtatagal na mga hayop at halaman na nananatili dito katulad nalang ng mga cacti.
Kakaiba ang mga halaman na namumuhay dito - lalo na ang mga cacti - dahil sa klima at kawalan ng saganang tubig. Espesyal ang pagka-likha ng mga ito upang makapag-ipon ng halumigmig at tubig sa kanilang kapaligiran.