reminiscing...

My elementary school (Gr. 5-6):

Rizal Park (in front of the school), where I used to play:


St Peter at the Cathedral, where I used to make tambay during mass:

Fast Food outlets, which were not yet present when I studied there:

Aggao Na Cagayan

Pics taken during the June 27-29 Aggao Na Cagayan trade/products (agri-ind) fair:



Sts. Peter and Paul Cathedral...

Our Lady of Piat...

Pacquiao Wagi Na Naman!

Isang malugod na pagpupugay para kay Manny Pacquiao at siya'y nanalo sa laban niya kay David Diaz sa pamamagitan ng pagpapatumba sa loob ng ika-9 na round! Sa panalong iyon ng WBC lightweight na kampeonato ay naging kauna-unahang Pinoy at Asyano si Pacquiao na nakakamit ng titulo sa 4 na magkakaibang timbang/dibisyon sa boksing.

Napanood ko ang laban sa telebisyon at kahanga-hanga ang ipinakita ni Manny na bilis, tibay at galing. Tunay ngang bayani si Pacman at lubos pang magiging dakila kung ibabahagi nga niya ang parte ng kaniyang napalanunan bilang tulong sa mga nasalanta ng bagyong Frank.

flying again...

I got the chance to ride an airplane again recently. Like I've said previously in this blog, I find flying to be unnatural. I really don't think man was intended to fly. I've heard the arguments before, that air travel is quite safe, but then again if any accidents happen the passenger is quite helpless and cannot do anything to save himself.

Feeling the thrust from the engines and the burst of speed prior to takeoff evokes uneasiness in me and in most passengers, and the same goes when the plane is touching down while waiting for the plane's tires to hit the runway.
Looking out during the windows during flight, one can't help but also be overwhelmed. Just look at the following photos and imagine the height/distance from the ground:



I admit it looks beautiful. Although I am not really afraid of flying or of heights per se, I guess I've never gotten used to the feeling and the fact that I am thousands of feet in the air inside a hollow metal contraption.


This picture was taken on my way back to Manila...

This time I was seated in the middle of the plane, near the wing. In that seat, the plane's movements are even more pronounced and even the noises the plane is making seem louder. I guess one just has to bear it in order to travel fast.

The real advantage of flying is covering huge distances in shorter time. What with recent maritime disasters and more air carriers in the market, more and more people are flying. A lot of carriers are also going for numbers by lowering their fares and just recently came up with discounts/deals especially on round-trip travel. After all is said, I am still very willing to travel by air if it really saves time and money. :-)

The Bourne Legacy

The Bourne Legacy features the same Jason Bourne of the three bestselling novels by Robert Ludlum. Ludlum's estate has acceded to using Bourne again, this time by novelist Eric Van Lustbader. The events of the Bourne Legacy occur some years after The Bourne Identity. I have not actually read Ludlum's Bourne books but I have seen the 3 movies. The movies, however, allegedly have almost no congruence with the books.

Bourne is no longer a CIA operative and lives as David Webb, a professor of Eastern Studies. When someone suddenly attempts to assasinate him and frame him for the murders of his two closest confidants, the Bourne identity reasserts itself. Events quickly unfold and lead Bourne to run for his life as well as look for the true culprits. A certain twist in the story leads to the explanation why this book was entitled as such. The novel has all the classic espionage thriller stuff and is a good read.

Lustbader writes in a straightforward way. The action and suspense is kept at a continuous pace. He stops at intervals such that one is not too overwhelmed with events taking place. Lustbader is a bestsellimg novelist on his own right (The Ninja, Black Heart, to name a few) but I have not read him before. He proves his mettle in using Ludlum's Bourne in a way that does not actually copy Ludlum but nevertheless makes the new Bourne still much like the previous one.

I rate this book 4 out 5 stars. Lustbader has written another Bourne novel, The Bourne Betrayal, released last year. It has also become a bestseller and is something to look forward to.

book launch

I attended the book launch of Ambeth R. Ocampo's 2008 edition of Rizal Without The Overcoat. Initially published in 1990, the award-winning and best-selling book has already undergone several printings and 3 previous editions. Ocampo has written several books on our national heroes and is presently the Chaiman of the National Historical Institute. The venue of the launch was PowerBooks at Greenbelt and the event started past 6 pm.


Ocampo gave a short lecture, "Rizal in pictures". He showed several old pictures of Rizal that he also uses in his lectures at Ateneo and UP. Ocampo lectures well and the audience was quite attentive. I had the feeling that I was back in college listening to a well-liked and popular professor. He painted Rizal in different light from the serious one we are accustomed to in history books. Among things that he learned from his research through the years, and that he mentoned in his lecture, is that Rizal was around `5'2", did not have a good singing voice, probably did hashish, had very good physique, and really liked to pose or have his picture taken.


After the talk, Ocampo signed books and was signing my copy in the above photo.

tedbits...
...Dairy Queen has a new Blizzard that is KitKat-based. It comes in chocolate, strawberry and mocha flavors. I just wanted to try strawberry in a 9oz. cup but I blurted out 16oz. It actually tasted okay but 16oz is too much of a good thing.

modus operandi

Habang naghihintay ako kaninang hapon ng bus, may nakita ako sa di kalayuan sa aking kinatatayuan na lalaking "nabangga". Modus operandi pala iyon ng isang gala na lalaki. May dala siyang pagkain sa isang styrofoam at tatawid ng kalsada habang may papadaan na kotse. Babagal yung kotse upang padaanin yung lalaki. Kapag nakadaan na ang tumawid na lalaki ay siyempre bibilis na ng takbo ang kotse. Mabilis ang mga susunod na pangyayari. Sa puntong iyon ay biglang babalik ang lalaki at babangga sa sasakyan, titilapon ang kaniyang pagkain, matutumba siya at magpapagulung-gulong sa kalsada. Dahil sa sinadya ng lalaki ang lahat ay wala naman siya talagang malubhang galos. Pagkalabas ng drayber ay lalapit ang lalaki dito at hihingi siya ng pera para sa "pinsala" sa kaniya at para sa natapong pagkain.

Kanina ay ganoon ang nakita ko. Yun nga lang, huli ng drayber ang ginawa ng lalaki at pinagalitan niya ito. Walang nagawa ang lalaki habang galit na sinisigawan siya ng drayber tungkol sa pagkaing kumalat sa tagiliran ng kaniyang kotse. Binigyan yata ng piso ng drayber ang lalaki at umalis na lang. Sa sama ng loob ng lalaki ay tinapon na lang niya ang piso. May mga ibang tao ring nakapanood ng mga pangyayari at ayon sa iba ay dati pa iyon ginagawa nung mismong lalaki na iyon ang ganoong modus. Nagpapalipat-lipat lang siya ng lugar/kalsada na pinupuntahan.

The Sacred Bones

Published in 2007, The Sacred Bones is Michael Byrne's first novel. It is a religious thriller much as The Da Vinci Code was, and combines history, religion and politics for a unique and entertaining read. The novel focuses on ancient remains found in Jerusalem that evidence subsequently strongly shows were that of Jesus Christ. The story is set mainly in Jerusalem and Rome/The Vatican and features the complex interplay of faith, politics, religion and conspiracy theories. Among the featured characters in the story, there is no actual hero/heroine. There are some loose ends after the novel, but I guess the resolution of the story is fair enough considering the topic it delved into. (It is reminiscent of The Christ Commission by Og Mandino published in the early 80s.) The novel in itself is not as heretical as one might think, the explanations in the book were actually well thought of and conveyed. I'd rate this book 3.5 stars (out of 5).

bagyo

Dumaan at nanalanta si bagyong Frank sa Pilipinas at sa ngayon ay nag-iwan na ng 86 patay at mahigit 700 nawawala. Matagal-tagal at halos mahigit sa isang taon na rin ng huling may diretsong dumaan na bagyo sa Maynila at nagdulot ng pagbaha, blackout at pagkasira ng mga ari-arian. Bumaha sa may amin at lagpas bangketa ang tubig, halos umabot na papasok sa loob ng bahay. Siguradong mas malalim ang inabot ng baha sa ibang (mababang) lugar. Nawalan din ng kuryente ng matagal at kani-kanina lang nagkaroon ulit. Sa panahon ngayon na tila lumalakas na ang mga bagyo (di lang dito sa Pilipinas kundi sa buong mundo, dulot ng pandaigdigang pag-iinit) ay kailangang pagibayuhin ang pag-iingat...

Mga isinasagawa kong paalala/importanteng bagay tuwing may bagyo:
1. Ang (AM)radyo ay mahalagang bagay na pagkukunan ng balita at impormasyon sa kasagaran ng bagyo. Kailangang meron nito ang bawa't tahanan kahit na maliit lang.
2. Kadalasan ay nawawalan ng kuryente at kailangan ay laging may nakahanda na baterya para sa flashlight at radyo. Mainam mag-imbak ng mga baterya dahil minsan ay hindi kaagad bumabalik ang kuryente pagkatapos ng bagyo.
3. Matipid na ilaw ang hatid ng kandila, ngunit kailangang pag-ingatan at maari ring maging sanhi ng sunog. Ang flashlight ay siguraduhing gumagana at nasa lugar na madaling mahanap pag madilim.
4. Ang malinis na inumin ay mahalaga para makaiwas sa sakit. Importante mag-imbak nito at ng tubig na panlinis dahil nawawalan minsan ng tubig, o kaya'y nagiging madumi ito, tuwing may bagyo.
5. Halos lahat ng tindahan ay nagsasara, o kaya'y walang mapuntahang tindahan dahil sa baha, kung kaya't ang pag-iimbak ng kaunting simpleng pagkain tulad ng biskwit, noodles at itlog ay malaking tulong pampatawid-gutom.
6. Siguraduhing puno ang baterya ng mga celfone. I-charge ang mga ito habang may kuryente pa. Importanteng linya ng komunikasyon ito oras na may sakuna. Alamin din ang mga importanteng numero na maaring tawagan sa oras ng sakuna.
7. Kapag nawalang ng kuryente ay siguraduhing nakapatay ang mga kagamitan para maiwasan ang pagputok o pagkasira nito pag bumalik na ang elektrisidad. Kung saka-sakaling bumaha ay siguraduhing ang mga kable at kagamitan ay mailipat din upang hindi mabasa.
8. Ang paghahanda ng mga simpleng gamot para sa mga karaniwang karamdaman at gamit para sa pangunang lunas ay malaking tulong kung may magkasakit o masaktan habang bumabagyo.
9. Ugaliing silip-silipin ang mga iba't-ibang bahagi ng bahay habang bumabagyo. Huwag maging kampante at ang mga simpleng tulo ng tubig ay mauwi sa pagkasira at biglaang buhos ng ulan sa loob ng bahay. Bantayan ang tubig-baha at pati na mga puno sa labas ng bahay na maaaring mapatumba ng malakas na hangin.
10. Huwag lumabas kung hindi naman talaga kinakailangan. Manatili na lang sa loob ng bahay sa kasagaran ng bagyo upang makaiwas sa aksidente dala ng malakas na bugso ng hangin at makaiwas din samga akit na dulot ng tubig-baha.

Trinity

I've always been partial to DC. Their stories have simply been well-written and their events ground-breaking...

In 1985, the DC Universe had the Crisis on Infinite Earths wherein Barry Allen (The Flash) died. Years later, DC came out with Identity Crisis, a sort of earth-shaking prequel to 2005's hit Infinite Crisis. Infinite Crisis came 20 years after the original Crisis and was sort of a reversal of the previous one. Next came 52, a year-long weekly series that chronicled the events following Infinite Crisis. (DC's Big 3 (Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman) took time off during 52.) Countdown to Final Crisis then took place, which was also a year-long weekly series leading to the events of the current Final Crisis.

Trinity is also a year-long weekly series which started this June 2008. It features DC's first and foremost triumvirate of heroes: Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman. To quote DC: "It's not JUST that they were first (though that factors in)… but it is because on a cosmic level they matter (and we'd argue that even taking other company's players into the mix—no three characters have mattered more to the foundation of what we've ALL built on than these three!)… And in TRINITY we'll see WHY they are still the most important three people in the DC Universe!"
It is definitely something to watch out for!

My Odessa

Dati-rati'y madalas din akong maglathala ng kaunti tungkol sa mga nabibili kong CD at paborito kong mga mangaawit o kaya'y banda. Matagal-tagal na rin akong hindi bumibili ng CD dahil sa wala naman akong masyadong nagugustuhan na album. Noong ToyCon 2008 ay may narinig/napanood akong banda (na puro babae) na napabilib ako sa kanilang husay tumugtog at magtanghal. Ito nga ay ang bandang My Odessa. Sa katunayan ay karamihan ng mga nasa ToyCon noon ay humanga sa bandang ito at pagkatapos noon ay maraming komento, litrato at video ang lumabas sa internet tungkol sa kanila. Isa na dito ang kasama sa namahala sa ToyCon na si Azrael, na sa kaniyang blog ay nagsulat tungkol sa kanila. (Naglagay din siya ng mga video clip doon at maari niyong mapanood ang ilang mga pagtatanghal ng My Odessa). Sa kadahilanang pagkamangha at paghanga ko sa galing ng My Odessa sa pagtugtog (ng Sweet Child O' Mine, Black Dog, Moby Dick, at Highway Star), at bilang pagtangkilik at pagsuporta na rin sa OPM at mga bandang pinoy, ay naghanap at bumili ako ng CD nila.

Ang kanilang CD ay mura at P199 lamang, at sulit dahil may 10 orihinal na kanta. Sa Odyssey ko natagpuan ang CD (oo nga naman, sa Odyssey matatagpuan ang Odessa :-p ).

Sina Andrea Buan, Marianne Buan, at Mary Ann Guisingmadali ang bumubuo ng My Odessa. Si Ana ay sa gitara, Paige sa bass, at Sid sa drums. Kabilang sila sa Viva Artists Agency, Inc. at pinamamahalaan din ni Nonoy Tan. Bukod sa galing nila sa pagtugtog ng kanilang mga instrumento ay nakakabilib na sila ang may gawa/katha ng lahat ng kanta sa album. Mailalathala raw sila sa Fudge Magazine sa July at malamang may matatagpuang pang karagdagang impormasyon doon tungkol sa kanila.


Ang mga kanta sa kanilang (2008) album ay:
Baroque (3:58); Goodbye Na Lang (3:36); Bakit Nagkaganito (4:23); Let Me Stay(5:10); Agos (3:57); Together We'll Fly (3:56); Numb (4:20); Now That You're Gone (3:32); Harlequin (4:40); Sleepless (4:18).

Ang aking mga puna:
Ang mga kanta ay lahat halos rock ang dating at astig ang tunog, pero pop ang mga lyrics. Tungkol sa pag-ibig at pagkabigo dito ang paksa ng karamihan ng mga kanta. Bata pa sila at malamang batay sa kanilang mga (limitadong) karanasan ang nilalaman ng mga kanta kung kaya't mas nababagay ang album sa kababaihan. Kung tutuusin din naman kasi ay mga tagahangang tinedyer na babae ang malamang na target na tagapakinig ng banda. Bagaman lahat sila ay kumakanta ay medyo hindi pa hasa ang mga indibidwal na boses nila . Marahil ay naghahanap pa rin sila ng kanilang identidad sa ngayon. Malaki siguro ang impluwensiya ng Viva sa pagpili ng mga kanta (na isinama sa album) upang mas madali sila maibenta at sumikat kahit papaano sa malawakang tagapakinig. Maganda sana siguro kung naglagay din sila ng covers ng ilang OPM na ginawan nila ng bersyong rock. Nakakabilib na sa kanilang edad at angking talento ay nakagawa na sila ng album. Sana ay ipagpatuloy pa nila ang pagsasanay, pagtugtog at pagtanghal para lalo silang gumaling at magtagal sila. Ang hatol/rating ko sa kauna-unahang album nila na ito ay 3/5. Inaasahan kong mas bubuti sila at mas lalawak ang kanilang paksain (sa mga kanta) kung saka-sakaling maglabas sila ng ikalawang album sa hinaharap.

10 Reasons Why The Celtics Are The NBA World Champions:

1. Boston's Big 3 came up "BIG" - Hot shooting Ray Allen, Defensive Player of the Year Kevin Garnett, and Finals MVP Paul Pierce put up big all-around numbers in terms of points, rebounds and assists. Their presence was the driving force in both the Celtics' defense and offense. They also played well together, as well as fed of each others' hunger for the NBA championship.

2. Kobe Bryant could not do it all - This season's MVP, no matter how good he is, is not a one-man team. He could have carried the team on his shoulders if he really wanted to. As he said, though, that would not have been good for the team. In a 7 game series also, it would have been impossible for him to sustain it throughout the series. His desire and resolve were apparent, but he could not do it alone.

3. Gasol and Odom did not show up - The Lakers' big men had meager output almost all throughout the Finals. They missed shots and passes, and fared poorly in defense. They were also outrebounded by Boston's big men. They were not an efficient part of the triangle offense and were unable to support their main man Kobe.

4. The rest of the Lakers starters were also mediocre - Fisher and "Space Cadet" Radmanovic only showed flashes of brilliance. Fisher might be a veteran but he has also become slower and could not keep up with Boston's faster guards. Radmanovic also lacked aggressiveness.

5. The Lakers Bench were a non-factor - The Bench Mob failed miserably. Whereas they showed energy from the bench in previous playoff series', they made more errors and were unable to contribute in the Finals. Vujacic, Farmar, Walton and Turiaf were exceptional during the season and early in the Playoffs but did not seem focused against Boston. This goes to show their youth and lack of experience in such a big stage as the Finals.

6. Boston's bench was better - Mostly veterans, the Boston bench showed experience, poise and mental toughness. Brown, Cassell, House and Posey contributed when it mattered the most, especially when Boston was trailing. The younger bench players like Powe and Allen also showed energy especially on defense.

7. Rivers outcoached Jackson - Doc Rivers simply had Jackson's number and was able to adjust and outplay Kobe and the triangle offense of the Lakers. He also focused on his players' defensive skills and was able to one their teamwork in order to limit the Lakers' firepower. Not to take anything against Jackson's coaching, but Rivers simply had better talent to start with.

8. Homecourt is really an advantage - With the Celtics having homecourt advantage all throughout the series, they were able to draw upon the energy of the hometown crowd. If only the Lakers could have won Game 4 in their own homecourt, they would have had momentum and a better chance at beating the Celtics at the Garden.

9. Bynum? - He would have probably made a difference had he been able to play because he would have been a presence inside the paint, would have contributed to more rebounds, and would have drawn defenders to free up outside shooters. Unfortunately, that is something we will never know. It is something to look forward to next season if the Lakers again reach deep into the Playoffs.

10. The Celtics were the better team - On paper, the Celtics were better. They had the better season record and averages. Simply put, the Lakers were stifled by the Celtics' defense. As the saying goes, they were able to turn it into offense at the opposite end. The Lakers were not able to match the intensity of the Celtics. The Celtics also took advantage of The Lakers youth, inexperience, errors, and lack of cohesiveness down the stretch.

Congratulations to the Boston Celtics on their 17th NBA Championship!

Next sports event to watch: Wimbledon, starting June 23. Will Federer be able to redeem himself in his humiliating French Open loss by winning a 6th consecutive Wimbledon title?

The Incredible Hulk

The Incredible Hulk is the sequel to 2003's The Hulk. In the new movie, Bruce Banner is searching for a cure to his Hulk problem and is constantly trying to keep his anger in check. Betty Ross and General Ross are still central to the story. The Abomination is his new antagonist here and a segment in the film shows a beginning (potential) enemy in a possible 3rd movie/sequel. The new Hulk is a darker shade of green, as compared to the first one, but is more in touch with his human/Banner side. Edward Norton looks more Banner-like than Eric Bana. Great CGI animation and fight scenes, especially those set in the backdrop of downtown New York.

Stan Lee again has his usual cameo appearance. Lou Ferrigno (the TV Hulk) likewise shows up briefly. Tony Stark appears in the end, hinting at the Avengers (movie) in the future. Rated PG13, the movie proves a better sequel than most and surely deserves it's box office success.

tedbits...
...I was up very late yesterday, up to near dawn, because I watched Tiger Woods' playoff match against Rocco Mediate in the U.S. (Golf) Open. I now understand golf better, especially the words/terms peculiar to golf. It was a great match, legendary even, as Woods forced sudden death after 18 holes. The extra hole proved to be Mediate's downfall, as Tiger Woods went on to win his 14th Major!...
...My Odessa, the (girl) band I saw at the ToyCon, turns out to be part of Viva Recording. They are all teenagers and they already have a CD with 10 tracks. I tried looking for a copy in Glorietta/Greenbelt but they did not have it. They will be featured in Fudge Magazine this coming July.

ToyCon 2008

The 7th Philippine Toys, Hobbies and Collectibles Convention 2008 is from June 14-15, 2008 at the SM Megatrade Hall 2-3 5th Level Building B. I went today and I got my money's (P80 entrance fee) worth!

The event was made possible through Collectibles Unlimited, with the help of Megatrade Hall, GMA 7, and Globe. Val of GMA/QTV covered the event (she was the 1st winner of MTK in QTV) and she was very pretty. :-)


There were a lot of exhibitors and a lot of things to see. It's a good thing that I am already an adult because I would have gone crazy if I went there as a child, what with all the great toys in one place! There was a great variety of things on sale: toys, action figures, comics, cds and dvds, shirts, books/graphic novels, accessories, etc. There were a lot of items for kids but there were also some (collectibles) for those only with money to spend. Here are some pictures...
Doomsday figurine about a foot tall:


X-Men figures:


Michael Jordan, Batman, and Joker life-sized busts:


Batman life-sized figure:


Some bands also performed as intermission numbers. There was this girl band that played and they were awesome. I think their name was My Odessa and they just had a lead guitarist, a bassist, and a drummer. The bassist was cute and the drummer was pretty, they alternated as lead vocalist. They really rocked the ToyCon because they played extremely well individually and as a group. I was not able to take a picture of them performing but their drummer is on the right and the bassist is on the left in this pic:


The highlight of the day was the individual Cosplay, or "costume play", competition.
There were more than 150 contestants and they paraded individually onstage. There were kids as well as adults who competed and not only teenagers. Some had elaborate costumes and looked really their part. The hall was crowded and everybody was taking pictures of the cosplayers.
Mario of the hit video game:


Wonder Woman, still fully clothed:


Manny Pacquiao, one of the well-applauded contestants:


Chun-Li of Street Fighter fame, and Subzero of Mortal Kombat, behind her:


The Incredible Hulk:


There were a lot of anime characters which I did not recognize, like this one:


This young kid dressed as Yoda and was a hit because he was "life-sized":


Iron Man was also there:


The Joker (The Dark Knight version of Heath Ledger):


"Feeling" Superman! This guy drew a lot of laughs when he went onstage:


I did not wait anymore for the announcement of the winners. For sure this guy won an award. "Sauron" stood tall over everybody else:


Alodia is a model/gamer/cosplayer who was one of the hosts during the competition. She was really a standout and everybody was taking pictures of her. Here's the reason why (WOW!):


I had a great time. I did not buy anything though, because I'm sort of saving.
:-p

Ohana

Ohana means "family" in Hawaiian. That is probably what Ohana Hawaiian BBQ at the 2nd floor of SM Megamall Bldg A wants you to feel when you dine there, that it is a place "Where Life Is A Feast".

The store is not that big and it was the first time I encountered or saw it as far as I can recall. I could not resist trying out something new so I ended up having lunch there. You place your orders and pay at the counter after which they will deliver your food in a few minutes. Since the dining area extends to the hallways, I preferred to dine outside because the inside of the store understandably smelled of bbq smoke.



I was a bit impressed that they had my order ready quickly. I tried their bbq combo (chicken and pork) with Hawaiian rice (instead of plain rice). The siding was macaroni salad. I also ordered a watermelon smoothie. The barbecues were thinly sliced, did not come on a stick, and tasted good especially when dipped in the accompanying sauce. The rice was also good and complemented the dish well. I also liked their salad. The smoothie was a revelation because it was really tasty, plus there were green jelly bits that offsets the overall sweetness of the drink.

Ohana also serves barbecued Mahi-Mahi and a Lu'Au (everything bbq combo), other sandwiches (burgers), desserts, and coffee. The prices are okay and the serving sizes are adequate to fill you up. It something to return to or to try when you're tired of the usual fastfood stuff.

...btw, Gilbert Arenas/ Agent Zero will visit the Philippines this July for a promotional tour with Adidas.

Friday the 13th

Today is Friday the 13th! I don't exactly believe that this day is unlucky though...

The L.A. Lakers are unlucky enough. Although it is still June 12 in the U.S. where the game was being played, it was already the 13th here as I watched the game. The Lakers blew a 24-point lead early in the game and let the Celtics steal a win in their home court. They are now behind 3-1 and the Celtics have a chance to close it out at the Staples Center in game 5. There has never been a team in the NBA who overcame 3-1 and went on to win the Finals. I guess the Celtics are simply the better team even though the Lakers have the best player.

Anyway, I found out that the exact same book I was talking about in my previous blog entry costs P335 in National Bookstore! I never really thought that there would be quite a discrepancy (385 vs 335 vs 325) among prices in different bookstores. I mean, these are not food or services but items that are exactly the same and from only one publisher. This book is also not a rare one and is just a paperback novel. I think it's best to check out several stores in the future in order to be able to save and also make sure that one is not being ripped off.

If you have bills to pay, the SM Bayad Center is the best place to go to. You can pay all your bills there and the lines are shorter. There are several tellers who simultaneously serve customers such that it won't take one too long to finish paying. Globe payment centers are the worst. They have separate centers for landline and cellphone line accounts, with both having long waiting lines and very slow service. What more, the tellers don't even know how to sum up (even when using a calculator already) and don't focus on their jobs (and instead chat all the way with their co-workers).

I was able to eat again at Cyma and had great Greek-inspired dishes. Saganaki or Flaming Cheese (Cyma Original) is a good appetizer. The waiters shout "Opa!" just as the cheese is set on fire. I tried out their Bifteka or Grilled Wagyu Burger. I had it medium-well and it was very filling. I was not even able to finish the potato siding. That was probably because I also got full with their sugar-free iced tea, which is not at all "watery" and is tasty enough.

The Magicians' Guild

The Magicians' Guild is the first book in Trudi Canavan's The Black Magician Trilogy.
It's an interesting tale of a young poor girl, Sonea, who manifests magic powers and is subsequently sought after by the magicians' guild. The pace of the story is quick and the dialogue keeps the reader hooked. By the end of the story, the trilogy's main antagonist (the black magician) is already known. Sonea's story is continued in the 2nd book The Novice. What's nice about the series is that it's not at all epic in scope and just simply promises to be a good story. I will talk about it some more as I read through the rest of the trilogy.

Araw ng Kalayaan

Ngayon ay ang ika-110 anibersaryo ng Araw ng Kalayaan ng Republika ng Pilipinas! Mabuhay ang Pilipinas! Mabuhay ang mga Pilipino!

Dahil sa patakaran ni PGMA ay walang pasok noong ika-9 ng Hunyo at may pasok ngayong araw na ito. Ipinagdiwang pa rin naman ng maayos ang anibersaryong ito sa iba't-ibang lugar sa Pilipinas at ng mga kababayan natin sa iba't-ibang panig ng buong mundo.

SALE din sa ilang mga tindahan sa mga mall. Ang SM (sa Makati) ay nagkaroon ng dagdag na 10% bawas sa mga presyo simula alas-kuwatro hanggang alas-nuwebe ng gabi para lamang sa mga empleyado ng gubyerno. Kailangan lang ipakita ang kaukulang I.D. Mabuti na lang at dala ko palagi ito at nakakuha ako ng karagdagang diskwento sa binili ko.

Habang naglilibot ay napadaan ako sa A Different Bookstore sa Glorietta 3. Aba, naiiba pala talaga ito! Ang isang librong hinahanap ko ay P385 sa kanila samantalang P325 lang ang parehong librong ito sa Power Books?! Halos 15% ang pagkakaiba ng presyo. Bagaman may 30% diskwento daw sila sa lahat ng libro bilang paghahanda sa paglilipat nila ay hindi na rin ako bumili. (Lilipat sila sa ikatlong palapag ng Glorietta 4.) Sa patuloy kong paglilibot ay nalaman ko ring mas mahal (ang isa pang librong nais kong bilhin) sa Sketchbooks sa Greenbelt 3 kaysa sa Power Books. Sale din sa Sketchbooks (20% bawas) pero malamang hihintayin ko na lang na mag-sale sa Power Books mismo para bilhin ang mga gusto kong libro.

Pauwi naman ay nasakay uli ako sa bus ng UNTV at nakalibre ng pamasahe. :-)

libreng sakay

Pauwi kanina mula sa Ayala ay nakasakay ako sa bus ng UNTV (channel 37 sa libreng TV, channel 19 sa Skycable at channel 99 sa Destiny) na libre. Kaya pala yung TV sa loob ay nakatutok sa UNTV, nung una ay nagtataka ako kung bakit iyon at hindi channel 2 o 7. Bilang paraan ng pag-promote nila sa kanilang istasyon (at katuwang ang ilang organisasyon) ay meron silang libreng sakay. Ito ay 2 beses sa isang araw, mula Lunes hanggang Biyernes, 5:30 ng umaga at ng gabi. May dalawa silang bus (isa ay biyaheng Monumento-Baclaran at ang isa ay Baclaran-Monumento) na sabay na bumabiyahe sa mga oras na iyon. Malaking tulong/tipid na rin kung matiyempuhan mo ang bus nila.

Kung Fu Panda

This is an inredibly entertaining movie. Featuring the voices of Jack Black, Dustin Hoffmann, Angelina Jolie, Lucy Liu, Jackie Chan, to name a few, it is a classic Kung Fu story told in a creative way. Ultimate Kung Fu fanboy (or panda) Po accidentally fulfills a prophecy and realizes his dream of becoming a Kung Fu Master in an innovative way. He subsequently gets to defeat the supreme bad guy and eventually save the day. By the end of the movie, the kids in the cinema were singing along to the movie's "Kung Fu Fighting" as performed by our very own Sam Concepcion.
I watched the movie at the new Cash & Carry cinema. It is kind of small but the seats are comfy and clean. All the handrests are foldable such that any adjacent two seats can instantly become loveseats for couples. There is no CR inside the cinema though.

tedbits...

...The PBB Teen Edition PLUS season is over. Congratulations to the Big Winner Ejay Falcon! It was quite an entertaining season and it provided a glimpse of how teenagers are nowadays...
...I was able to try out Sumo Sam in Shangri-La recently. Their Agedashi Tofu is great. The prices are somewhat high, the servings are quite adequate, and the food is okay...
...Roger Federer again failed in his bid to win his first-ever French Open crown. He is still the world # 1 but Rafael Nadal is undoubtedly the king of clay...
...The NBA Finals is ongoing between the East's #1 Boston Celtics and the West's #1Los Angeles Lakers. My prediction is that the Lakwers will win the championship in 6 games.

Prince Caspian

The Chronicles of Narnia Prince Caspian is the 2nd part to C. S. Lewis' epic adventure. I have not read the books but having seen the first movie, I was very interested in seeing this one. As it turns out, the movie stands well enough on its own.

The four main actors reprise their previous roles as the Kings and Queens of Narnia. They return to Narnia after more than 1300 years (Narnia-time) and help Prince Caspian regain his rightful (Telmarine) crown as well as defend the Narnians. It is a lot more action-packed than the first movie, and a bit darker.

tedbits...

... Nakita ko si Marlou Aquino sa Greenbelt, ang tangkad niya sobra! Nakita ko rin si Nyoy at ang kaniyang (malamang) bagong gf, morena na medyo slim at kasingtangkad niya.
...Sa Cyma sa Greenbelt 2 ay may sugar-free botomless na iced tea at lemonade. Sa mga kinainan ko na ay dito pa lang ako nakakita ng ganoon. Masarap ang kanilang Cyma Chopped Salad, Baby Clams Angel Hair pasta, at Hirine Brizola (grilled pork chops) na 3/4 pulgada ang kapal.
...Sale sa Book Sale ngayong buwan. May karagdagang discount ang mga mumurahing libro nila at ito ay sa lahat ng kanilang mga tindahan.

still catching up...

After a busy 1st quarter, I have been trying to catch up on my reading...


Fantastic Four: Books of Doom by Ed Brubaker collects the 6 comic book issues that chronicle Victor von Doom's rise to power and the sacrifices that he has made to obtain it. Great reading because of the story, showing Doom's origins from his early childhood, his young adulthood, and up to the time he seized control of Latveria. The art is okay and complements the storytelling well.


This is the classic DC miniseries of tempered old heroes against their unbridled young, set in the early 21st century. Absolute Kingdom Come by Mark Waid and Art by Alex Ross celebrates the 10th anniversary of the story with this 340-page slipcased hardcover. Superb story and excellent lifelike art by Ross, it also has a lot of "extras" like sketches, annotations, and promotional images.