The Real Treasures

Our Bantayan Island Adventure

2009-09-19T01:31:00.000-07:00

Bantayan Island is located north of Cebu Province. From the heart of Cebu City, its about two and a-half hour bus ride going to the port of Hagnaya for less than 100pesos. Then another one hour travel via a ferry boat to the port of Bantanyan for less than 150pesos.

When we went there last June 2009, we stayed at Playa Estrella Beach Resort located at Barangay Santa Fe which is only about 5 minutes ride via a tricycle from the port.

Unlike any other popular island beaches in the Visayas like Panglao Bohol and Boracay, Bantayan Island has still under-developed beaches so its still not so over crowded and commercialized which makes the place a perfect place to relax, meditate and enjoy the clean blue waters and great powdery white sands.

Other well-known places in Bantayan that is only a walking distance from Playa Estrella is the Sugar Beach Resort, Budyong Beach Resort and the Ugtong Cave.

She

2009-06-26T01:45:00.000-07:00

She - Elvis Costello

She
by Elvis Costello

She May be the face I can't forget.
A trace of pleasure or regret
May be my treasure or the price I have to pay.
She may be the song that summer sings.
May be the chill that autumn brings.
May be a hundred different things
Within the measure of a day.

She May be the beauty or the beast.
May be the famine or the feast.
May turn each day into a heaven or a hell.
She may be the mirror of my dreams.
A smile reflected in a stream
She may not be what she may seem
Inside her shell

She who always seems so happy in a crowd.
Whose eyes can be so private and so proud
No one's allowed to see them when they cry.
She may be the love that cannot hope to last
May come to me from shadows of the past.
That I'll remember till the day I die

She May be the reason I survive
The why and wherefore I'm alive
The one I'll care for through the rough and ready years
Me I'll take her laughter and her tears
And make them all my souvenirs
For where she goes I've got to be
The meaning of my life is

She, she, she

I Have Fallen In Love With The Same Woman Three Times

2009-06-26T00:38:00.000-07:00

I Have Fallen In Love - Jose Mari Chan

I Have Fallen In Love With The Same Woman Three Times

A bit of History

This is actually a very romantic poem written by one of the brilliant Philippine Senator - Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino, Jr. for his wife President Corazon "Cory" Aquino. He was exiled in the United States during the time of the Philippine Martial under President Ferdinand Marcos.

Sweet melodies were composed by the legendary composer and song writer in the Philippines - Jose Mari Chan during the early '90s in his album "Constant Change" which also produced the all time hit songs like "Beautiful Girl", "Constant Change", and "Perfect Christmas".

You can sign-up an account at imeem to fully listen this song.

by Jose Mari Chan

I have fallen in love
with the same woman three times;
In a day spanning 19 years
of tearful joys..and joyful tears.

I loved her first when she was young,
enchanting and vibrant, eternally new..
she was brilliant, fragrant,
and cool as the morning dew.

I fell in love with her the second time;
when first she bore her child and mine
always by my side, the source of my strength,
helping to turn the tide..

But there were candles to burn
the world was my concern;
while our home was her domain..
and the people were mine
while the children were hers to maintain;

So it was in those eighteen years and a day..
’till I was detained; forced in prison to stay.

Suddenly she’s our sole support;
source of comfort,
our wellspring of Hope..
on her shoulders felt the burden of Life..

I fell in love again,
with the same woman the third time.
Looming from the battle,
her courage will never fade

Amidst the hardships she has remained,
undaunted and unafraid..
she is calm and composed,
she is God’s lovely maid..

Kinabuhi Mo, Kinabuhi Ko

2009-05-04T17:46:00.000-07:00

Kinabuhi Mo, Kinabuhi ko - Himig Heswita
Notation] Kinabuhi Mo, Kinabuhi Ko Notation] Kinabuhi Mo, Kinabuhi Ko api_user_11797_Paring Bolanon Words and music by Arnold Zamora

Publish at Scribd or explore others: School Work music culture

Kalig-on Sa Pagto-o

2009-05-04T17:29:00.000-07:00

kalig-on sa pagto-o - Himig Heswita
Ang si kinsa nga naminaw sa mga Pulong sa Ginoo,
Ipamatuod sa buhat sa kinabuhe mo
Kay sama ka gayud sa usa ka tawong maalamon
nga nagatukod sa iyang balay sa usa ka dakung bato.

Bisan sa kusog nga unos ug walay hunong nga ulan
Hangin nga makusog magpabilin kini nga dili matarug.
Sama unta niini ang kalig-on sa pagtoo sa kada tawo.
Pangayoon ta kini nga grasya gikan Niya.

Apan ang tawo'ng naminaw sa mga pulong sa Ginoo
Ug walay ipamatuod diha sa iyang mga buhat.
Sama siya sa tawong nagtukod ug balay sa yutang huyang.
Sa kusog nga ulang pagabanlason ug sa hagin pagatumpagon

pulong ni Kristo ug buhat mo ang haligi sa pagtoo.
Ampingi kini'ng grasya nga ginasa Niya sa kinabuhi mo.

Koda
kini nga grasya gikan Niya!

From What Church Are You?

2009-04-04T23:22:00.000-07:00

I've been asked this question sometimes by my friends whenever we come into a topic about faith, God or religion. "By the way, what is your religion?" - this is the type of question I common hear when someone is really trying to asked "From what Christian denomination are you?" or "From what Church are you?".

What does a church really mean to you? A church is a place for Christian worship right? Or, it could mean a group of Christian believers or its a Christian denomination. But today I was so amazed to find out another view about what church is from one of Bridget Willard quotes:

Church isn’t where you meet.
Church isn’t a building.
Church is what you do.
Church is who you are.
Church is the human outworking of the person of Jesus Christ.
Let’s not go to Church,
let’s be the Church.

"Be the Church!" is what she said. For her a church is not just a building, its not just a body of believers with a common faith, but for Bridget Willard, you can be the Church and for me, I think she is right. According to her, a church is who you are and what you do. With this, I think she meant that we are to act according to what we believed in or according to our faith. Just as what Jesus taught us in Matthew 5:16:

In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.

Jesus tells us to do good and be an example of a man of faith so that whoever sees your good examples will do the same and will also praise our Father in heaven.

It's that simple.

But is it that simple to follow?

How to be good?

First, you have to have the will to do good. Always have the aggressiveness inside you to do good. With this, in whatever you do, you will become conscious that what you decide to do must be something good. If not, your conscience will tell you that what you did is not right.

Second, start doing good on your own little ways. A little good deed you gave unto others might be a very huge help for them.

Lastly, keep asking God to help you in doing good. We have to accept that we cannot be successful in anything we do without the help from our Almighty God.

Who Am I - Chords and Lyrics

2009-04-04T22:13:00.001-07:00

Who Am I (Acapella) - Christian Artists


Verse 1:
       F             C               Dm    
Who am I, that the Lord of all the earth
        C              Bb
Would care to know my name
 Bb
Would care to feel my hurt

Verse 2:
       F             C                  Dm
Who am I, that the bright and morning stars
        C                  Bb
Would choose to light the way
 Bb
For my ever wandering heart
       Bb            C
Not because of who I am
       Dm                   C
But because of what You've done
      Dm                  C
Not because of what I've done
      Bb                C
But because of who You are

Chorus:
F        C              Dm
I am a flower quickly fading
       C               Bb
Here today and gone tomorrow
   C                   Bb
A wave tossed in the ocean
    C            F
A vapor in the wind
            C                 Dm
Still You hear me when I'm calling
            C                 Bb
Lord, You catch me when I'm falling
            C            Bb
And you've told me who I am
       F
I am Yours

American Idol Season 8 says goodbye to Alexis

2009-03-19T17:33:00.000-07:00

American Idol Alexis
American Idol Season 8 says goodbye to Alexis Grace yesterday. Together with her at the bottom 3 was Allison Iraheta and Michael Sarver. I was certain that Allison would not be voted out yet because she is an amazing performer with a very amazing talent. But between Alexis and Michael, I was hoping that Alexis will be safe but she wasn't. I don't appreciate Michael's performances so much. I like Alexis voice quality more than Michael, although there are times that Alexis couldn't hit some notes perfectly.

But America has already voted and they chose Michael to stay in the competition. I guess it was meant to be that way so that in the next elimination round, they wouldn't have a hard time deciding who to eliminate. For me the two weakest link in the remaining 10 contestants of American Idol Season 8 are Michael and Scott. If you eliminate these two, you wouldn't know then who to eliminate.

Although Alexis was out now, I'm still happy that my idols Megan Joy and Danny Gokey are still there.

American Idol: Season 8

2009-03-18T21:58:00.000-07:00

This is my take for last night's Americal Idol Top 11 performance:

Danny Gokey: "Jesus, Take The Wheel"

performance was just ok, not bad, but not also great.

but this man has really got the talent!

he's on the top of my list

Kris Allen: "To Make You Feel My Love"

great ballad song!

you can't even recognize that the song he was singing was originally a country music.

he made the song his own!

Lil Rounds: "Independence Day"

another performance that was just ok, not bad, but not also great.

Alexis Grace: "Jolene"

i think the performance was wow!

this is the type of voice that could sing a wide variety of music genre

Allison Iraheta: "Blame It On Your Heart"

she is a certified singer! a certified rocker! and now, a certified country music singer too!

man! she has it all!

Anoop Desai: "You Are Always On My Mind"

he made the song very cool!

i know this man has what it takes to be on the top of this competition even if simon says the other way around before.

he is one of my bet

Adam Lambert: "Ring Of Fire"

i haven't heard this song before

it sounds weird but its cool

it shows that he can make a song complicated and can sing it

Megan Joy: "Walkin' After Midnight"

this girl is my number 1 bet!

superb! unique voice quality and style of her own although sometimes I think her style doesn't for a contest like this.

Matt Giraud: "So Small"

this guy can perform much better than this

Scott MacInture: "Wild Angels"

there are some part of this guy's vocal range/quality that i don't like

if there is someone i would vote out from this contest, i will vote him out first.

Michael Sarver: "Ain't Goin' Down"

im not impressed with a performance like this.

he is not taking the stage

i would vote out this guy next to Macinture.

It's a Holiday

2009-02-23T19:41:00.000-08:00

It's a non-working holiday here in Cebu City today. But still, here I am in the office trying to do some work. It's not that I am a workaholic guy but I love being here at the office since I can use a computer in here and have an internet access. I do have a computer at home but it needs some repairs. Some capacitors in my motherboard are already busted that's why my computer will just suddenly reset. I can't afford to buy a new one so I'm trying my best to write in this blog hoping that the traffic will increase so I can earn from Google AdSense that appears in my site.

I heard a lot of success stories about earning from Google AdSense through blogs. But I think I don't have luck with Google Ads. I started this blog July of last year and its already 7 months but I don't earn much yet. I have already written some 20+ articles already but maybe they are not that exciting and informative that is why it is only attracting few numbers of visitors. I know I am not a good writer and I am not a good speaker either but I will just try my best in here trying to write any articles that would pop-up in my mind. But, at second thought, I also would like to maintain a certain theme on my articles and that is - getting the reader know about the goodness and mercies of God. That is what I am trying to offer to the reader of my blog.

I also love boxing that is why sometimes I write some articles about boxing. And believe me, my article about Manny Pacquiao versus Oscar Dela Hoya draws the maximum number of visitors in my site... And it increases my Google AdSense a little bit too! :) How I wish that the number of visitors during that Pacquiao versus Dela Hoya fight would be my traffic everyday.

So if it's your first time to visit my blog, feel free to scan the other articles I wrote and who knows you will learn something from it. Just drop a comment if you feel like dropping a comment. :) God bless!

A date at Khrua Thai

2009-02-15T00:03:00.000-08:00

Where did you spend your date last valentine's day? Me? We had a very delicious dinner at Khrua Thai. It was our second visit at the Khrua Thai restaurant of SM City Cebu and I tell you, their food and services are really great! If you love spicy foods then make it your destination the next time you'll have a dinner date with your family of with your friends. I love spicy foods so much that is why maybe I love the foods at Khrua Thai Restaurant. But don't worry if you are not into spicy foods, they too have non-spicy dishes of course and I bet, they'll be very delicious too. Most of their food servings are good for two to three persons already so make sure you order just enough.

I could not exactly recall the name of the dishes we ordered but let me just describe them to you. But anyway, they have a wide variety of dishes to choose from and they labeled their best sellers and chef recommended menus. We ordered a delicious platter of Spicy rice with pork, a very delicious and spicy chicken and this one I wouldn't forget... under vegetables, we tried to ordered the Morning Glory. I think it was labeled as one of their best seller if not chef recommended. We tried to ask their friendly waiter what is it for the translation of below the name is in thai language. The waiter said that it is a ginisang kangkong. I look at my beautiful date and she smiled at me and I we both were thinking the same thing. Hey, we didn't come here to eat ginisang kangkong for we can eat that anytime we want at home. :) So we searched the menu again for another vegetable dish and the waiter explained... "Maam, Sir, it doesn't taste just an ordinary kangkong, it's also delicious and most customers love it too!". My wife and I were convinced to give it a try and I tell you, it really is great! It's a healthy delicious dish. It got red beans on it and I recommend you also try it someday.

I tried to savor the taste of their Morning Glory so that I will try to cook it at home too. If I'll be ask to rate Khrua Thai SM for their food and services, I will give a perfect 10 to them. I love their foods and they served well considering that it was a busy night when we were there.

Pacquiao vs Hatton

2009-02-11T16:47:00.000-08:00

So here I am again writing an article about one of my favorite sport - boxing. The two fighters, Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao and Ricky "The Hitman" Hatton, are set to fight on May 2, 2009.

Although I have not heard much about Hatton before until his fight with Mayweather Jr. last 2007 but I believed that Pacman vs The Hitman fight is a very exciting match. Hatton is a well talented boxer, he was one of the few fighters I have seen that could penetrate easily with Mayweather's defense tactics. He is also a knock-out artist having an almost perfect record of 45 Wins, 1 Loss and 32 Knockouts.

On the other hand, our boxing idol and hero here in the Philippines, Manny "The Pacman" Pacquiao has a record of 48 Wins, 3 Losses, 2 Draws and 37 Knockouts. Pacman has already proven his skills as one of the best if not the number one Pound-for-Pound boxer in the world by beating some known tough opponents like Marco Antonio Barrera, Juan Manuel Marquez, Erik Morales, Oscar Larios, David Diaz and most recently the Golden Boy himself Oscar De La Hoya.

So who do you think will win this fight? Will it be Pacquiao who has the speed and the punching power? Or will it be Hatton who is also a fast and a brawler type of fighter? ... In my own opinion, I think Pacquiao will win this fight. I may be wrong in my observation of Hatton's style for I have not seen much of his fights. But if Hatton will not change his style, I think the fight will not go a distance.

Software Programming and Life

2009-02-05T21:20:00.000-08:00

There was a time while I was writing a code for a certain module that was assigned to me, I got stuck on a certain bug for a while. The problem was that there was a certain instance that my program won't display the result that I expected. I inspected the code but I just couldn't see the line that caused the problem. After a while, being irritated with myself for not seeing the bug, I tried to open my same code from another IDE (Integrated Development Environment) window and right there and then, I saw the problematic line of the code.

Then I think to myself, opening the code from another IDE has no sense at all! But I solved the problem by doing it. But you know, in real life? What I was doing is not that silly after all. There are problems in life that we need to view from a different perspective in order to see the cause of the problem and find the solution. I may not have a specific example of a problem right now that can be solved by viewing from a different perspective but I hope this can help someone who has that kind of problem.

If you are right now facing a problem in your life and have been bothered by it already for quite awhile now and could not find a solution, you may want to try my approach, see it from a different view or angle or perspective and who knows, you might find the answer right away.

Allow me to share further... The best perspective that you can choose if you are so burdened right now is to choose God perspective. Try to talk to God and tell Him of all your worries and He will open up your eyes from His perspective and let you see the right solution.

Patience is a Virtue: It really is

2009-02-03T23:57:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, me and my beautiful wife went to Hyundai Showroom A.S. Fortuna, Cebu to get our brand new Hyundai i10! Yep! That is right. We have waited patiently and God gave us a brand new car!

In my previous post, I have posted we were looking for a car and we were just looking for a second hand car that is right for our budget that time. We found a very nice Honda Civic 2003 model and test drive it to South Hills Subdivision at Tisa, Labangon and the car still runs like brand new! We got so excited to buy the car but it is still too expensive that it would hurt our budget alot. Restless nights of praying and weighing my wife and I had spent together, but the message of the Lord is for us to be patient and wait for the right time.

I think it was around mid last year that we signed-up in a Hyundai display at Ayala Center Cebu. I think they were showing a Hyundai i30 that time when we passed by and curiously asked about its price even if we know we can't afford it. So a dealer entertained our inquiries and asked us to fill-up a form for them to contact us if ever they have promos.

And then... Last week while waiting for God's sign whether to buy the very nice second-hand car we just inquired, we received a text message from a Hyundai dealer telling us that they have a promo for their i10 models. We believed it was the sign that we have been waiting from God. God made it all right for us and just as if we were dreaming... Today we woke up and there's the beautiful Hyundai i10 parked in our garage.

All Praises and Thanks Giving be to the Lord our God of all creations!

Patience Is A Virtue

2009-01-26T16:28:00.000-08:00

Today I feel exactly like the 3 year old boy of brother bo(Read his full story here). Me and my wife had a hard time deciding whether we have to avail a car through car loan and enjoy the luxury of having a car but be on a tight budget or to be always on a rush while taking the long route to work every morning but enjoy having the feeling of being in control with our budget. So when I pray asking from God to bless us with a car, I pray like the little boy of brother bo. I want it now, I want it tomorrow, I want it next week. I can't wait for next month or in the middle of the year or next year.

Yesterday, my wife and I went to test-drive a very nice sedan car and have decided that we would pay the down payment later this afternoon. So last night, we prayed and we prayed differently this time... We asked for his wisdom and guidance whether our decision is in accordance with His plans for us... Until this morning when I opened the internet, I read this article of Bo Sanchez - "How to have an abundant 2009, and I think this is how God confirms with our decision... that we just have to wait patiently for the right time.

Sometimes, "We want a specific prayer answered now. But God knows things we don’t know. And He delays the answer to our prayer because He wants the answer to be bigger and better. That’s why His timetable is different from ours.".

Sinulog 2009

2009-01-18T23:24:00.000-08:00

My wife and I had a great time yesterday watching the Sinulog 2009 grand parade. As I recall it right, yesterday was my third time to ever stand right beside the street for some hours to watch the grand Sinulog parade. The last time I did was when I was still in college for we required to guard the street in our ROTC. Last year's Sinulog festival, my wife and I just watch the parade for awhile then we headed to SM mall to watch a movie.

This year's Sinulog, we had a chance to have a glimpse of the preparations made by the some contingents and some guest performers at the Abellana Grand Stand (Cebu City Sports Complex) a night before the parade. There we have seen the efforts of Lanao del Norte contingents as they prepared for their parade dance steps. I appreciate the efforts and sacrifices they gave just to join this celebration. In my own opinion, I think that Lanao del Norte although a Muslim dominated area in the Philippines, wants to convey the message that "their God and our God are one" so joining in this religious parade is not an issue at all.

Here is the result of Sinulog 2009 grand parade:
Sinulog-Based (SB) category
First Place : Tangub City, Misamis Occidental’s Sinanduloy Cultural Troupe
Second Place : Don Sergio Osmeña Sr. Memorial National High School (NHS)
Third Place : Silaw Culture and Arts of Carcar City NHS
Fourth Place : Siloy sa Alcoy
Fifth Place : Pakol Festival of Sta. Catalina

Free Interpretation (FI) category
First Place : Tribu Buyoganon of Abuyog, Leyte
Second Place : Lumad Basakanon
Third Place : Municipality of Carmen
Fourth Place : Lanao del Norte
Fifth Place : Karatong Festival of Dulag, Leyte

Our Bohol Adventures

2008-12-14T16:28:00.000-08:00

Last weekend, my wife and I went for an adventure in Bohol to celebrate our first wedding anniversary. It was a great experience to think that we only spent less than two days in Bohol and I also think that its a lot cheaper than getting a tour package for two. Here is the secret... A week before our trip, I searched online for beautiful resorts in Panglao. Panglao is an Island in Bohol with beautiful white sand beaches and crystal clear water. Its probably one of the most beautiful beaches in the Philippines - and the whole world. I looked for resorts with a beautiful beach front, nice rooms and accommodation but cheaper in price. Thanks to these two sites, they helped me alot www.bohol.ph and www.tripadvisor.com. The first site has narrowed down my search for well-known resorts found at the Panglao Island and the second site gave me recent reviews and costumer ratings of the resorts that I tried to consider. And before I forgot, I found these blogs blogalag and Panglao - A travel report by Mike very informative too.

There were lots of resorts to choose from, Bohol Beach Club, Amarela, Dumaluan Beach Resort, Alona Kew, Ananyana Beach Resort, Alona Palm Beach Resort, Amorita Resort, Eskaya Beach Resort & Spa and Isis Bunglalows. But, I found the resort that really fit exactly to what I was looking for and I believed my wife would love it too. The Lost Horizon Resort. I visited their picture gallery and their rooms looks very nice! And it got a very nice view of the beach too! And most of all, the price is just right for our budget!

So I sent an email to Lost Horizon to make a reservation for a Modern Deluxe room and luckily, I got one! I also bought a ticket for Cebu - Tabilaran(the capital city of Bohol) exactly one week before our scheduled departure. We could have saved if we availed the promo of the fast craft shipping lines... but I only bought a one-way ticket. We plan to buy our ticket for Tagbilaran - Cebu when we arrived there so we can choose the right schedule to maximized our stay in Bohol.

My wife and I were so excited as we boarded Weesam Express at around 1:30pm, Saturday. When we arrived at the port of Tagbilaran City at around 3:30pm, we then bought a ticket for our way back to Cebu for the next day. The only boat that will leave Bohol at around 6pm is the SuperCat. From the port of Tagbilaran, you won't have a problem on how to get to Panglao for there are some Taxi cabs and lots of Van for hire waiting outside the port. But in our case, we only took a tricycle first going to Bohol Quality (one of the famous mall in Bohol) in order to buy some chips, juice and bottled water. And from Bohol Quality, we waited for a Taxi cab to take us to Lost Horizon Resort in Panglao. But while waiting for a taxi, a tricycle approached us and offered us to take us to Panglao at a very lower price (less than half the price offered to us by the Van for hire at the port). So we decided to take the tricycle driver's offer and realized that taking a tricycle going to Lost Horizon is more fun cause you will enjoy watching the different views along the way. The tricycle driver also serves as our tour guide! He pointed to us the way to other famous beaches in Panglao like the Dumaluan Beach Reach resort and the Bohol Beach Club. It was a 30minute ride full of fun and thrill then we arrived at the very front gate of Lost Horizon Resort.

Lost Horizon - Modern Standard Room (Looks closely the same with Modern Deluxe)

Our Modern Deluxe room at Lost Horizon is exactly as beautiful as you can see in their website. It has a mini bar, a very nice bed, and a Sony Bravia flat screen tv hanging on the wall. We strolled along the very fine white sands of Alona Beach until we finally decided to take a dipped at the clear waters. For our dinner that day, we have a lot of restaurants to choose from and the prices for their foods are somewhat the same. We chose to dine at Roderick and Vivien Restaurant. We have a very romantic candle light dinner by the bay of Alona Beach and loved their foods especially the Marlin Fish Kinilaw that we ordered.

Alona Beach Front - Tawala, Panglao, Bohol

We had a Mango Shake at Alona Tropical

The following day, I contracted with a person named Jun for a tour at Chocolate Hills (one of the Seven Wonders of the World) and to some other tourist spots found in Bohol. His asking price started at P2000 mine is P1700 (I know that the common price for a tour in Bohol from tour agencies is P2500) until we finally meet at P1800. So Jun contacted the driver and my wife packed our things for check-out. Again just like the driver of the tricycle, the driver of the car we contracted is our official tour guide. We have our lunch at the Loboc River floating restaurant and we stopped by at the different wonders of Bohol especially the Chocolate Hills.

Chocolate Hills - A view from Carmen Peak

After our tour, we still have time left for shopping at the Island City Mall in Tagbilaran then we headed back to the pier to catch up with the last trip of SuperCat going back to Cebu. It was really a fun filled experience and we made it on our own! My wife enjoyed a lot on our first wedding anniversary celebration. We thank God so much that He was and is all the time with us during our adventure and most especially on the blessings He has showered upon our relationship as married couples.

Dinner at Hukad sa Golden Cowrie

2008-12-09T01:22:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was my beloved wife's birthday. We spend here birthday celebration at Hukad, a Golden Cowrie restaurant branch located at Ayala Center Terraces. Golden Cowrie is known for its great tasty Filipino foods. When we arrived there at around 7:30pm, we were asked to wait because the restaurant was so full. We thought of transferring to Bigby's Cafe and Restaurant but we decided to just wait cause were also waiting for my brother in-law to arrive anyway. They have an usher outside with a walkie-talkie entertaining us and the other customers who are waiting. She called for a waiter using her walkie-talkie to gave us the menu. We ordered their Crispy Pata, Baked Scallops, Bicol Express and Chicken Halang-Halang. It was funny since we did not know that their "Chicken Halang-Halang" is like a 'ginataang manok' (chicken cooked with a coconut milk) so as result, we have two dishes that is cooked with coconut milk. We also did not realized that we were ordering two hot and spicy foods! But anyway, we had a great dinner and my wife enjoyed here birthday.

Crispy Pata, Bicol Express, Chicken Halang-Halang and some Baked Scallops

I liked the Baked Scallops alot! Very yummy! The Crispy Pata just taste moderate, its not too tasty. I was also expecting the Bicol Express to be very hot and very spicy but its not hot and spicy at all (I love very hot and spicy foods). Good thing their Chicken Halang-Halang is "halang" (spicy/hot) but not so much. The place is nice specially if your table is the one that is overlooking the cool landscape of Ayala Terraces. Overall rating where 10 is the highest and 1 is the lowest, I would give it 7. But I have to gave a separate rating for their quality of service... its more than 10!

Pacquiao versus Dela Hoya Fight

2008-12-07T16:46:00.000-08:00

It turned out I was wrong. First, I was wrong about the link I gave. It was supposed to lead you to the GMA channel of WebTVTube not ABS-CBN. Next, I was wrong about the starting time, I thought that the fight will be aired at 8am, it started at 10:30am and 'The Dream Match' already started at around 12:30PM and ended at around 3PM because of too many commercials inserted by the GMA network.

Lastly, I was wrong on my analysis that Dela Hoya will dominate the fight, it was Pacquiao all through out. The key factor of it all is Pacquiao's speed plus his improved accuracy of punches. Yes, I have observed a great improvement of Manny's accuracy. Undoubtedly, Manny Pacquiao can throw more punches than any other known boxing fighters today in various combinations. This is one of his greatest asset aside from the strength that his punches. Before, not much of those punches thrown will land on his opponent, but yesterday's fight was totally different. His punching accuracy has increased beating the legend Oscar Dela Hoya.

What I like most in this dream match is the humility that Dela Hoya has shown after he was beaten and the respect Pacquiao has shown after he won. No matter how Dela Hoya has bragged about defeating Pacquiao before the match, he readily admitted how good a fighter Pacquiao was after the fight. And to Pacquiao, no matter how he badly beaten Dela Hoya, he told him that he is still his idol no matter what happened in the fight.

Watch Pacquiao versus Dela Hoya Online

2008-12-06T01:58:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow December 7, 2008 at 8am(Philippine time) or December 6, 2008 9pm(US time) is the dream match of Manny (Pacman) Pacquiao versus Oscar (The Golden Boy) Dela Hoya. Don't miss the fight! Watch this dream match of Pacquiao and Dela Hoya online at WebTVtube.com

I am a big fan of Manny Pacquiao and in all of his fights, I am always almost certain that he will win. But this time, I am not. I think Dela Hoya has got more of the advantage than my boxing idol Pacquiao, but this is only my point of view. For me, the only advantage that Pacquiao have over Dela Hoya is his speed. But on the other aspects in boxing, most of it favors to Dela Hoya.

Reach - This is the biggest advantage of Dela Hoya against Pacquiao. They said that Pacquiao will go first for the body to slow down Dela Hoya. But to do this, Manny has to get inside Oscar's defenses. Oscar's jab will definitely keep The Pacman away.

Tactics - Definitely, Dela Hoya has more of this than Pacquiao.

Strength - I say they are equal. You may say that I am wrong but I firmly believed that they both have comparable strengths. Take note that although Manny has badly beaten David Diaz but Manny wasn't able to put Diaz into sleep at the canvas. Why? Because Manny is up against a bigger fighter and so with Dela Hoya now. But you look at Dela Hoya. This man has already send several fighters on the canvas at a higher weight class. So do you think he can't do it against Manny?

Stamina - Probably Manny Pacquiao has alot of this but Oscar Dela Hoya has also enough of this to last 12 rounds he has been into this weight class before already.

Age - In this factor, I would say they're just equal. Manny is younger than Dela Hoya. But Dela Hoya has got the experience too.

How about you? what do think about this fight?

Watch TV Online for Free

2008-10-20T20:41:00.000-07:00

I have tried to search the internet using these keywords "Watch TV Online", "Watch TV Online for Free", "Free Online TV", "Online TV", "Online TV websites", "Free Online TV websites" and so on but it just frustrate me. Most of the websites that tops on my search using these keywords are not useful to me at all. Most of them are full of ads and it makes it really hard to navigate the page. Until one of my friend created a site that makes you watch TV online for "FREE". I was so amazed by his idea! And I said really??? You can really do that??? He did! And here's the site, its called WebTVTube.

The site is awesome! Its very simple yet very effective. The links and the overall design are very direct to the point, if you want to watch a particular TV channel, just click it and it shows. What I like most in WebTVTube is that it has Philippines Channels like ABS-CBN and GMA! With this I can now watch ABS-CBN News and GMA News without rushing home after work. I can now watch Boxing matches aired on local Philippines Channels especially Pacquiao Fights online!

See it to believed. Just click this link WebTVTube and enjoy watching your favorite TV program online. If you have comments about the site I mentioned, you can post your comments here and I can relay them to the developer of the site for improvements.

Google Chrome Offline Installer

2008-09-02T21:50:00.000-07:00

I am sure many of you would like to try the newest and the hottest web browser - Google Chrome. I have already posted an article about how to install Google Chrome Online. This time, if you would like to install Google Chrome offline, do not download the installer from anywhere else, make sure you get your offline installer of Google Chrome from google itself. Here is the link.

Download and install this offline installer and enjoy Googling with your new Google Chrome browser!

Google Chrome

2008-09-02T21:48:00.000-07:00

I just had my Google Chrome installed in my Windows XP machine. Here are the steps to install Google Chrome into your pc:

Go to http://www.google.com/chrome and click the button "Download Google Chrome"

Read the Google Chrome Terms of Service then click "Accept and Install" button.
ChromeSetup.exe will then be downloaded into your pc.

Double click ChromeSetup.exe to in Google Chrome.
Note: Your internet connection must be up to install Google Chrome.

Google Chrome will then do the following tasks:
- Import bookmarks, passwords, and other settings from your current browser.
- Add Google Chrome shortcuts to your desktop, quick launch bar, and Start menu.
You then click to "Start Google Chrome" button to complete these tasks.

You will then be prompted to close your current browser in order to import the current settings of your browser to Google Chrome.
Click "Continue" button to continue.

And thats it! You now have your most advanced browser up and running! Here is my screen shot of Google Chrome.

Enjoy using Google Chrome!

Workout at Fitness First: On the 7th day

2008-08-29T03:51:00.000-07:00

I've been monitoring my weight since my first workout at Fitness First Gym Ayala. Today is day 7 since I started my workout and I have observed a little decrease of my waistline (thank God!) although my weight is still struggling to decrease. On my first and second day, I was 203lbs before the workout then become 202lbs after every workout. On the third day, my weight had increased to 205lbs before the workout and became 1lbs lesser after the workout. I have skipped a day then when I went back to the gym, I was 203lbs again before the workout. Then yesterday, I haved not eaten my dinner when I went to the gym. It was already 7pm when I got out from the office so I hurried myself to the gym in order for my to be able to workout for about 2 hours since the gym will close at 10pm sharp. When I checked my weight, I was 201lbs probably because I have not eaten dinner. I tell you its really hard working out when your stomach is empty. But I still manage to workout for 2 hours and after that my weight fall to exactly 200lbs.

I'll be going to the gym again today right after I post this article to my blog. But, but, but, before I'll go to the gym, I still have to eat letchon for dinner here in our office since its the last friday of the month. :) I'll just make sure not to eat alot. hehehehe...

Lastly, I have good news for today. Just a few minutes ago, I signed my transfer of position from Network Engineer to Software Engineer. This is a dream come true for me! I should write another blog article for this. And, today I also received two movie passes given by our company president because I was one of the nominated employee for (oppss... sorry I forgot what award was that) hehehehe... but I it has something to do about job performance. Just a little token of appreciation for performing well in our job. But I guess everybody in our team deserves to be nominated too cause we are all doing our best to put our product to edge.

I am an Analytical Thinker

2008-08-28T22:45:00.000-07:00

IPersonic told me that I am a reserved and quiet person. They got it totally right!

They say that I am motivated through curiosity thats why I would often like to get to the bottom of things. (I'll give them +10 for this.) I want to know what holds the world together deep down inside. (I always want to know.) I do not really need much more to be happy because I am a modest person. (Hmmm... got to open a thesaurus and look for the synonym of the word modest. Ah! plain, simple, unassuming... another correct.) They say that many mathematicians, philosophers and scientists are Analytical Thinkers. (I'm dreaming to be one of them.) I can quickly and comprehensively grasp patterns, principles and structures. (I say... its true. My fundamental knowledge in programming is C. In my current job, I wrote and modify programs in PHP, Perl, Java Scripts, Shell Scripts, and etc. just by looking at patterns on those languages and relate it to C then write the code.)

They also say that I like to work alone. (If given a chance to work alone, I would like to. But you accomplish less in working alone, that's why I still prefer to work and can comfortably work with a team.) I am open for and interested in new information. (Very open and very interested.)

Now this is interesting, they say that I have little interest in everyday concerns. (Maybe yes, maybe no. It depends on what "everyday concerns" refers to.) I am always a little like an "absent-minded professor" whose home and workplace are chaotic. (Waaaaa! To my dear students, please comment on this! hehehehe... But I admit and guilty of this, that my room before... it is very very chaotic. Good thing that I am married now, I have disciplined myself to keep our room in order.) I only concern myself with banalities such as bodily needs when it becomes absolutely unavoidable. (You know when you are a little over-weight, your legs would create friction in between your pants and eventually creates a window of opportunity for that someone hanging down there to have a glimpse on the outside world. I just have my pants get patched last weekend because I don't have any pants to wear anymore for work.) Other people's impression on me is that I am arrogant or snobby. (Verily, verily, I say unto you, I believed this is true even though I haven't heard anyone telling me that I am like this. But I tell you, I am not what you think I am.)

It takes some time for me to make friends, and when I do, it is mostly friends for life and I only need very few people around me. (Actually, I want to make more friends but its hard cause I am a quite type of person, I am incommunicative and that is why I feel that I am insociable. But I'm trying hard to overcome this. And yes its true, the friends I have right now, they are my friends for life.)

Most of the things they say about me is true, I am therefore an Analytical Thinker. But I disagree on some things that they say about me. Which leads me to think that I am a High-breed type of Analytical Thinker. I am definitely a romantic type of guy and would definitely not forget our wedding anniversary. :)

If you want to take this type of personality test, go click this link.

Workout at Fitness First

2008-08-27T02:51:00.000-07:00

I'm so lucky that I have a wife who cared for me so much. Last week, she signed me up for the Fitness First - Granton promo. This promo allows you to workout in any Fitness First Gym for one month for only P599! Wow! I could not believed it when my wife first told me this cause I know Fitness First is one of the most high-end gyms around and P599 could probably be only 1/4 the price. So I went to the Fitness First Gym at Ayala Center and verify if its really true. Luckily, they have a very accommodating staff and they toured me around the gym and the promo is really true. I was really amazed with the facilities that they have for it was my first time to enter into a gym that can be considered world-class.

So last Saturday morning, I started my fitness work-out. I didn't get a trainor/trainer for its very expensive. I cannot afford to have one. And besides, I already have experienced working-out before... long long time ago... that was about 10 years ago. Long time enough right? Luckily, I can still recall some of my work-out routines.

These are my planned routines and the routines I've been following since last Saturday:

I always start my work-out with stretching(8 to 10 repetition each)

Neck bending front and sideways and rotation

Arm rotation

Hip bending front and sideways and rotation

Knee rotaion

Ankle rotation

Then I do a 30minute cardio exercise usually with the threadmill at varying seeds

Then to trim my 38 inches waistline, I should not miss the following

Sit-up using the sit-up machine, 3 sets of 15 repetitions

Hanging leg raise 3 sets of 10 repetitions

Curl-up using a curl-up machine, 3 sets of 15 repetitions

Then I alternately do the following set of routines

Set A

Biceps routines

Chest routines

Set B

Back routines

Triceps routines

Shoulders routines

I skipped legs routines for now in my program, but maybe if I could have time, I'll do some leg routines. Weights I put in my program only varies from 10lbs to 15lbs. As you can see, I'm not putting so much weight into my program cause my target is loosing weights. I consider my self as very over-weight but not obese. :) My height is 5'5" and I weigh 205lbs. My target weight at the end of 1 month is 180lbs.

Wish me luck!

Discovery Channel: I Love the World

2008-08-07T20:09:00.000-07:00

I Love the World

(I Love the Whole World)

Download the Official Discovery Channel Video
Download the Official MP3
Watch it from YouTube

I love the mountains,
I love the clear blue skies
I love big bridges
I love when great whites fly
I love the whole world
And all its sights and sounds

Boom tiyaya boom tiyaya boom(2x)

I love the oceans,
I love real dirty things
I love to go fast
I love Egyptian kings
I love the whole world
And all its craziness

Boom tiyaya boom tiyaya boom(2x)

I love tornadoes
I love arachnids
I love hot magma
I love the giant squids
I love the whole world
It's such a brilliant place

Boom tiyaya boom tiyaya boom(until fade)

The Pursuit of Happiness

2008-08-02T21:37:00.000-07:00

This is one of the most if not the most inspiring movie I've ever seen. Its a true to life story of a man named Christopher Gardner. For me the movie does not just tell the story of this one man's life, it also depicts the story of every common people... like me or perhaps like you...

This movie have taught about the right attitude towards realizing dreams. Although most of the time in this movie we see how Chris Gardner sacrificed a lot and struggled so hard in order to get through the hardships in life, but it is where we get the main lessons of the story. We must have to do something to chase our dreams. We must work, love our work and put all our dedications into it, for towards the end, all our efforts will not get unrewarded.

Aside from teaching us about hardwork and dedication, this movie also taught us how to become a good father to our son and never to give up our family no matter what happened. For whats the use of all our success in life if our family or love ones are not there by our side.

The movie has a happy ending. Chris finally got hired as a stockbroker. But I have a secret formula that I want to share with you on how to pursuit happiness... And that is:

You must acknowledge what you have

Be satisfied with what you have

Then worship and thank the Lord for everything that you have

For God will shower His rain of blessings upon those who have a thankful heart.

Live365 Online Radio

2008-07-21T20:05:00.000-07:00

Listening to online christian music at Live365 Online Radio:
1. Open WinAmp Application.
2. With your favorite browser, goto http://www.live365.com
3. Select a station, example Praise Broadcasting
4. Click the Play button.
- from the pop-up window, choose Open with then set the application to Winamp.

So there you have it. :)

Standout

2008-07-21T00:32:00.000-07:00

Making a difference in everything you do should be a natural thing from someone who have faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.

Life's Trials

2008-07-20T18:12:00.000-07:00

Another beautiful old song which I learned to sing when I was still in grade four is "He will carry you". The first stanza of the song goes like this... "There is no problem too big God cannot solve It, there Is no mountain too tall He cannot move it, there is no storm too dark God cannot calm it, there is no sorrow too deep He cannot sooth it. If He carried the weight of the world upon His shoulder, I know my brother that He will carry you..."

Isn't it a very nice song? Isn't it very reassuring? Some songs that expresses the same reassurance are "Footprints in the sand" and "Lift up your hands". These songs are there to remind us that no matter what trials we are facing right now in our lives, be assured that God will lift us up and carry us upon His shoulders. All we need to do is put our trust in Him, learn how to surrender, learn how to submit everything and no matter how tall is the mountain that blocks our way right now, He will move it away from our sight, no matter how wild and dark is the storm that troubles us at this very moment, He will gonna calm it and take away our sorrows and pains.

Just at the Right Time

2008-07-17T21:38:00.000-07:00

Do you know the song, "In His time"?. I feel ashamed to tell you this that I've been singing this song in our church and at home before, but have not felt its meaning. I can say that I have not sing it heartily before because I just realized the meaning of the song few days ago. Maybe because I don't like the melody of the song much. I think that it is a very old song unlike the songs from Don Moen or some Hill Songs or Vineyard Songs, it does not inspire me... Not until last week.

The song just suddenly popped-up in my mind then I realized... His answers to my prayers were all happening just in the right time! Some of my prayers, I've been praying for it for over five years and His answers came just in time when I needed it the most. God really makes all things beautiful for us. We just need to learn how to wait... in His time.

The Real Treasures

2008-07-17T19:39:00.000-07:00

This is my third blog, and this will be alot different from the other two blogs. My first blog "Neuron Dumps" is more about Computer Networks and System Administration. My second blog "Learning From Examples" is more about Computer Programming and System Development.

This third blog "The Real Treasures" will be about "Life in the Spirit"... things that gives life to life or things that makes life worth living. Hope you will enjoy reading the articles that I will be posting in this blog.

Enjoy!