If the year 2008 were an academic course, what grade would I get?

First, let’s have a look back to whatever resolutions I said I would do, and whether I got to do them or not.

1. Regarding tennis, I was unable to do the 10 hours a month quota, until the remaining one-third of the year. In total, I played 121.5 hours of tennis for 2008—an amount to beat for next year.

2. All the stuff about chips and pastries and when to eat them were fail.

3. I am more affable this year that I thought I’m turning into an extravert. (No, I’m not).

4. I did not overanalyze most things, but ironically, on the things where analyzing mattered, it turned out my analyzing wasn’t enough even if I thought it was.

The year 2008 had me thinking about a lot of things—realizations that needed reinforcing—some of which I realized on my own while the others have been shared to me, all within 2008 (in no particular chronological order):

1. Drink vitamins DAILY—even if it’s just ascorbic acid. I may not look it but my resistance to germs had been shaky ever since I began to lose weight. I need the supplement…and the psychological effects it brings that make me think an orange pill can render me invincible for the day.

2. Having fun is all good but too much of it can sometimes make you forget some important, basic things in life. One should always have a good bird’s eye view of the whole situation so as not to lose oneself.

3. Must you choose to cover something up, make sure that the context you plan to lie for is worth it and is far greater in significance than the one you are planning to lie to.

4. In a collectivistic culture, “Me. Myself and I” will almost always still be associated with “Others and the Rest”. Therefore, if you say something like, “I don’t care what they think”, apparently does not always work because those who care about you (in whatever ways) give a damn about what people will say about you, because you carry or reflect some part of who they are…and they care about what people think about them. That leaves you with taking an individualistic stance (owning up to your beliefs) and at the same time being a collectivist as well (being considerate of others). Sounds like a stalemate, doesn’t it?

5. True friends not only think of their own convenience, but will also go an extra mile for you—and you don’t even need to ask it from them…they just know.

6. You make your own destiny, the world does not make it for you.

7. Forgiving others versus forgiving oneself—both can be challenging depending on the type of person you are dealing with, the type of person you are and the values that you adhere to.

8. The most academically intelligent people don’t always make the best decisions once they are faced with the course called Real Life. I strongly believe that learning is not just about what course lessons have been retained in one’s mind and its equivalent grade, but equally important are the interpersonal dynamics that a person goes through in the journey of learning.

I never imagined these thoughts would sound so profound when placed in writing. Or maybe that’s the age talking, LOL! So, what’s my grade…?

Uno na lang—pass or fail naman ang buhay, eh! (DLSU grading system, ha.)

Here’s to a positive 2009! May all of you have…

"That's what you get for having an MS in your name!"

THAT was what R told me a couple of days ago, after I randomly vented out the anxiety of gradually being sort of "in-charge" of the Peer-group-youth paper and how it felt wrong not to feel stressed about it.

It's not like I want to back out (yeah, like stubborn me would do that) but the pressures of producing grade A paper worth publishing by the 7th of next month can get to me. I have encountered two arguments that should supposedly make this task simple. First, the deadline, which is still days away--so why worry? Second, I have two other members to slavedrive, I mean, help me. It shouldn't be hard.

My rebuttal for those two would go something like this. First, this is not just some course requirement that we can wing in a day and still get above decent grade. This is for a PUBLICATION, where even experienced writers can get rejected and where a noob like myself have experienced many, MANY times. The thing is, it's not just about writing but actually thinking of WHAT to write and PLANNING how to make that happen...and that takes time. Second, I have the best group members in P-chan and N-kun, but they do have other lives too, the former being the medstudent (who I think trully deserves this school break) and the latter an incredibly serious grad student who's about to take the comps and do a thesis proposal. Those clearly spell out how much they can contribute in the long run, not because they are inefficient but because I really understand where their priorities are coming from.

So that leaves me with recruiting a new member (she has an M.S. also, maybe that should help : ) that needs orientation about the whole thing; I have no access to the school's online journal articles because I assume part-timers only get a full term's access, possibly delaying the actual writing until school opens. Wah, Google Scholar, please don't fail me now.

I'm going to meet my team now, and hopefully I don't lose my voice--this sore throat just became a tad bit nastier. Maybe my M.S. can work some magic around this whole thing, too.

12 Days of Christmas List: 12 Random Thoughts from 12 Random Christmas Prompts

1. Wishlist. Technically, these are things that I don’t really need but I wouldn’t mind getting, but wouldn’t kill me if I don’t have it. Usually, a list like this goes up to 12 things, but apparently, mine gets only to about half, in no particular order:

Tennis Racquet: An effective placebo during bad hitting days.

Fujitsu or Asus Laptop: Just because people say that a prof is fit to have one.

Barricades: To reduce wear and tear of my new tennis shoes. And because the name sounds cool.


Nintendo Wii: For the interactivity factor in gaming—and with proper planning, I can make a psychological study and incorporate the Wii in it.

FM Modulator: Simply to play MP3s when I drive since All-Neu only plays audio cd.

An Alaskan Malamute and/or a Siberian Husky: The sheer cuteness is enough to make me hug everybody.

Pierre-Auguste Renoir 1841-1919: A Dream of Harmony (Basic Series): Eyecandy, technique and relaxation.

2. Godparents. Back when I was younger, it’s tradition to go collect gifts from godparents, and other older adult relatives. One particular memory that I really like was visiting an uncle and he would bring out a box full of 1-peso coins and all the kids will take turns grabbing all the coins we can get at only one time using both hands. Another is that my other aunts and uncles would ask kids a color—green, brown, orange, red or purple. Most kids would choose orange or red, the bright ones. I would choose purple and this leaves the adults shaking their heads—that’s because that’s equivalent to PhP100. Hey, I can’t help it if that’s really my favorite color, right?

3. Godchildren. The point where one is identified as no longer young is when s/he stops collecting gifts from godparents. Another sign is s/he instead is the one being approached by the kids of the new generation, the new batch who will continue the tradition. I found it a little hard to get used to this, since for a long time, I was usually treated as “the kid” (being the youngest in line in both sides of my family). The moment the tables have turned, I was like a deer-in-headlights. Choosing gifts for children is such a challenge for me—and yes, even when I decided to get them stuffed toys, I ended up wanting the gift for myself.

4. Christmas Songs. The first time I encountered “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring” by Johann Sebastian Bach, it was from the soundtrack of Neon Genesis Evangelion. The violin was so awesome that it instantly became one of my favorites after “Air”. Recently, I found out that it’s also considered as a Christmas song—I’ve heard three renditions already and I don’t think I’ll get tired listening to it again and again.

5. Divisoria. One should experience shopping in Divisoria during mid-December, with the whole package of great bargains AND the hassles of vehicular and human traffic. Even just once. When I went there with my mom a couple of weeks ago, the streets were swarmed with people and if not for the safety concerns, I would’ve photographed the whole scene.

6. Santa Claus. There’s this Filipino dubbed Italian movie that was shown on cable some nights back. The scene showed that there is more than one Santa Claus that delivers toys to kids. I was intrigued by the idea ^_^. Anyway, I distinctly remember three gifts that I received from Santa Claus on separate Christmases—a set of colored pencils, a bike and a volleyball. No one really told me that Santa Claus wasn’t real, only that when I became “old enough”, I was informed that Santa Claus does not cater to my wishes anymore. The parents took over from there.

7. Traffic. This is the reason why I’m too lazy to bring a car anywhere a few days before Christmas. And a reason how commuting can be less of a hassle since I can go for alternative routes, or maybe walk and burn calories in the process.

8. Climate. I love the coolness during December. Unlike many others, I prefer less sun, less heat and humidity, and more of the chill and occasional light drizzle here and there.

9. Gift Giving. Usually, people give gifts to their loved ones. I learned to give gifts to security guards and janitors. It’s one of the things that my parents used to do when I was still studying in grade school and high school, and when they used to work. They would also give gifts to security and maintenance people, mostly ordinary, usable objects and nothing fancy nor expensive. Now, I do the same but since Uni is rather big, I’m only able to give to select individuals that I get to meet frequently—usually in SportsCom, Hepalane entrance and Engate.

10. Home Alone. I’m referring to the movie. No matter how many times I watch this, I don’t get tired of it. Surprisingly, I also still laugh at the slapstick humor and there are still scenes that get me even at the tiniest bit (i.e., the pigeon scene/finale in the sequel).

11. Home Decorations. We used to have a 7-foot Christmas tree that never failed to annoy my brother to hell. It had a stubborn stand that only with the finest touch will it stand tall; otherwise, it ends up as the leaning Christmas tree. I was too young to help at the time and they won’t let me anyway. Eventually, I was allowed to help when I got older and I took over handling the stand, which also challenged me—but it’s not like I’d let that get me, right?

12. Chocolates. I only eat chocolate candies between December 25 to January 1. It started a couple of years ago for me to see if I can do it—no one put me up to it and I don’t get a prize for keeping up with the deal. Today, I already consumed a couple of bite size Crunch and half a pack of Lindt chocolates. I’m making room for Ferrero Rocher and Meiji’s Macadamia nuts.

There, instant list! Hehe. Now that I’ve got these out, time to return to formal, academic writing. Tomorrow, it’s youth research all over again.

Christmas 2008

I heard the bells on Christmas Day
Their old, familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet
The words repeat
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

MERRY CHRISTMAS, EVERYONE!!! =3

A Series of Not-So Unfortunate Events

The people I’m supposed to meet are getting sick on me. T_T As a result, plans change. Of course, I don’t blame them (who wants to get sick, anyway?) but it just amazes me that it happened in two consecutive days.

12.19.08

Quiaps was supposed to play tennis with me at Rizal yesterday. After a couple of reply-less text messages and unreachable phone calls, part of me wondered if I should bring extra cash (my wallet silently wept at the thought). The moment I parked in school, I got a text message that got me thinking of Plan B: Quiaps had a nasty headache that rendered her unable to get up.

See, Plan A went like this: Quiaps and I take turns doing drills, then we have lunch afterwards and then I go back to school to do some minor tasks while she heads back home to prepare for an afternoon function. Plan B on the other hand, was relatively simple: Break in your new shoes whatever the cost. “facepalms* And so I did, even if I’m by myself.

12.20.08

I’m supposed to meet up with Greys’ family today and finally see baby Aidan after a long time. If I remember correctly, the last time I saw him, he’s still inside Greys…so, um, yeah—technically, I haven’t seen him. Again, after a couple of reply-less text messages and unreachable phone calls, part of me wondered if I should’ve gone with my tennifriends and played at Rizal today. About an hour before noon, Greys told me that the hubby and the baby are both sick. So much for lunch out with college friends. >_<

After a bit of rationalizing, I suppose it wasn’t that bad that things didn’t go according to plan. For one, I was able to do my errands at school and help out P and T sort surveys (really, guys—if I wasn’t so tired and craving for a bed, I’d help out more) and I was able to get the books T lent me, which I both finished by today. Also, waking up at 9am was a welcome change—I’m still recharging from yesterday and I doubt I’d be able to play well today. At least now, I can finally start doing the thing that I need to do before time runs out. So, it’s all good, no time wasted really.

Indeed, from these events I see that our “…experiences do affect each other, and the other affect the next…” – even for just a bit.

And the winner is...

The Pika-mobile wins with a score of 7 against 4 (my vote included).

Most said that it's the cuteness factor and the made-up look. I dare add that it could also be the gender neutrality factor--it's more kiddy than girly, which the Kitty apparently is.

My vote goes with the Kitty-mobile. Despite the deceivingly girly exterior, a Ferrari is still a Ferrari, regardless of how it's made up.

Unless the design changes into Barbie graffiti, then I'm all for the Pika mobile. =P

FORCED CHOICE

With the permission from the medstudent-who-turned-blue, I am presenting this forced choice question for the readers of my blog:

Assuming these are real, WHICH CAR WILL YOU PICK?

No, you can't abstain and reason out that you don't drive or cannot afford a driver, nor claim that you will just take advantage of being bipedal and use other means of transportation.

Car A (Top) - Let's call the the Pika-mobile. The design is that of Pikachu from the anime Pokemon. Honestly, I've O.C.-ed myself out trying to figure out the make of this car. My search has brought me to two candidates--the Toyota Ist or the Cherry. I'm also considering a Kia Picanto but it has not been cited in the websites that I looked at.

Car B (Bottom) - For the lack of better name, let's call it the Kitty-mobile. Basically, it's an airbrushed art of Hello Kitty. Its muffler, by the way, is also shaped as Hello Kitty--so in case you are caught smoke-belching, hopefully, the arresting officer will find it cute and cut you some slack. If I'm not mistaken, this is a Ferrari Testarossa.

Game! Pick, pick, pick! ^-^

I AM GOING TO GLOAT

Manikin presents the drawing that defines how the grounded theorist has outdone herself:

This drawing actually reminded me of my experience writing the discussion chapter of my Master’s thesis—I have no idea how I was able to come up with something this good (considering I haven’t done any art for a long time, let alone use a coloring medium). It felt great to get my hands dirty and be reacquainted with my drawing tools—my ever-dependable Colleen colored pencils (the medium that I was confident to use), my HB and 2B clutch pencils, my kneaded and rubber erasers, my brush thingy, my Uni fine point signpens, and of course, my Canson sketchpad. It is also because of this drawing that I’ve convinced myself that French curves cooperate with me more than rulers.

Of course, I had a lot of bloopers. For one, I forgot that when I used to draw, I draft the outline in scratch paper first before using the sketchpad-I completely skipped that part, and wasted two pages of sketchpad. Then, it took a while for me to realize how the human anatomy works and just how simple foreshortening really is; I forgot that 3 layers of colors will render the area un-erasable, hence, my plan to cheat on the highlights was foiled and that I misplaced my mechanical eraser. Nonetheless, it was a really nice experience to be able to draw again, and simply to know if I can pull “it” off.

However, despite this air of awesomeness I feel about myself, I also can’t help but feel a bit melancholy about the drawing. Fact is, this was a gift art and it will never be “portfolio-ed” along with the others I made. It was a wee bit sad to see the part of my desk bare where the drawing used to be. Thank goodness for Xerox machines and scanners! It will never be the same, but somehow the digital image of this drawing will join my other originals.

And so, while I recharge for the next project (whenever that will be), I shall enjoy this moment.

Time Out.

I don’t feel like working. Today, I simply wing it by rationalizing why I dismissed them early—since the kids will not have a free day for two interview requirements due next week, then why not plan what they will do when they are dismissed earlier than usual? Of course, it’s not like they will actually do that (yeah, right) but that somehow gives me insurance that they will get it if they don't come to class prepared next week.

I want to go home and draw. Or even check exams. Anything but be “not working” when I’m suppose to work. Let me clarify that: I’m teaching a laboratory course and part of that includes answering activity manuals. When students do that, I am left with nothing to do. Although I’m reassured by a colleague that that is the way it is, I can’t help sometimes but think that it look like I don’t do anything in class but talk to random colleagues who happen to be there during lab time. If only they know how checking their work is like. -_-

Actually, I wasn’t feeling this bummed out earlier. Sure, I do intend to dismiss them early but I did plan to do something productive which never really came to be. I think it has something to do with the almost smooth-but-not-quite-on-the-way-to-school-driving bit. Not only is All Neu showing signs that indeed something is wrong with the idling servo, but the stupid stick shift decided to go to third gear instead of first just when I was about to accelerate from a halt. That stalled the car for a bit which then somehow foiled my smooth overtaking of an idiot who must’ve thought it’s okay to run really slow on the leftmost lane of the road. Although I am thankful that nothing morbid happened, that definitely affected my mood for the day.

So much for being the noble prof today. *looks at watch* Gah, one more hour until second lab class.

WHOA.

Today, after a very long time, I have been re-exposed to a massive dose of shonen anime. After tennis this morning, mechafetish, ghostlightning, along with ghost’s waifu sat together with me as I got initiated in the following series that the guys thought as some of the greatest anime there is. By the way, as the current state of my neural conduction is kind of, um, idle (or as my kids would say, “sabaw!”), this will simply reflect a rundown of the titles I got a glimpse of and not really a review. No, I wasn’t O.C. about the spelling and writing the complete titles. For the last 5 hours or so, I watched the initial episodes of Monster, MS Gundam 08th Team, Gurren Laggan, MS Igloo 2 and Project A-ko (I hope I did not forget anything). Most of them won me over (especially GL!) sans Project A-ko. I’ll post reactions about these titles when I have more time.

As we talked about more titles, I actually realized that I’m not as hardcore anime/manga fan as I thought I was. I’ve heard a lot of titles in the past but never really got around to watching them. This got me thinking to come up with a general list of what titles I actually completed watching/reading and those that I mostly saw/read but never really finished. Hopefully, I’ll be able to do that this month, since I’m also curious just how much JPOP I’ve immersed myself into.

*Yawn* I need sleep and a sprinkle of shojoness. >_<

Writeshop Day 2

Today wasn’t much of a nosebleed compared to yesterday, maybe because I was able to go through the remaining activities pretty easily. Of course, there were lapses on my paper that still need revising; I suppose I had a hard time yesterday because it basically reflected my dilemma about the Introduction section even before I submitted it. Seriously, I was at a lost on how to collapse my entire literature review and choose which are relevant or not. Now, I know better.

What’s groundbreaking today is that we all have our journal article outlines and it’s somehow etched in stone—WE WILL PUBLISH THIS and Doc B is looking forward to seeing our names printed in ISI journals. Doc SM kidded that since Doc B did the workshop for free, it would be a shame on our part if we never publish. I’m excited to work on my paper (yeah, yeah, the Peer Group Youth research, too…) but at the same time, I get a bit anxious thinking that maybe I can tweak it some more so that I won’t be selling my ENTIRE thesis into just one publication. It would be great if I can squeeze out maybe 3 articles from my thesis and more importantly, I get around to actually doing it.

And there’s the youth research paper. The department just made a commitment to Doc B that we will turn in 7 papers from each group by January of next year. That means crunch time during December.

Yeah, baby.

Writeshop Day 1

So the highly anticipated writeshop finally arrived and the department was very honored to have Doc B as speaker. He was gracious enough to do the writeshop for free and personally, I would not pass a chance to learn something from this man.

*GEEK MODE ON*

It's been a really long time since I attended a serious lecture of Doc B so I forgot how engaging he was during discussion that the next thing I knew was..."Oh, sh!t! I didn't get to take notes!"

Among the JTRAPS, only R, P and I attended; P and I were getting into the whole journal publication thing most of the time, where quantitative sounded Greek to me (I'm a quali person) while P had the need to hold onto something concrete when qualitative was being discussed (he's a quanti person) while R was rather subtly restless since she's not into research at all.

The actual workshop for today was a minor nosebleed, but NOSEBLEED nonetheless. Simply put, the challenge was to consistently promote our research contribution while establishing a good write up flow with a target of 4,000 words maximum. No, it is not that easy.

I'd be lying if I say that I didn't enjoy this session. I enjoy this kind of stuff even if I am a bit slow in coming up with what I should write, compared with the others in the department. And if we have to actually write a manuscript, my Zen Stone Plus is ready for action with Gundam 00 and Macross Frontier mp3s as thinking music! Tomorrow's Day 2--let's see what's in store for the Green Psychologists.

Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind

Last week, one of my tennifriends, Mechafetish highly recommended that I check out Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind. I reminded myself that I always wanted to see the movie with all the raves that I’ve heard about so I thought of downloading it or maybe borrowing a copy (Quiapo utterly failed me in this). That is until I saw 7 volumes of Nausicaä graphic novels in front of me courtesy of said tennifriend. At the back of my mind, I could almost feel Kashima, Klein and Clark (2007) glaring at me and telling me that I should read them first.

Several id-superego bargaining and five days later, I have met and journeyed with Nausicaä and gained another perspective of what strong, women protagonists could be. I’m not exactly sure how one is suppose to feel after knowing the story but for some reason, I felt that there were some basic premises in the plot that were relatively simple, to mention some: Let’s try not to kill each other. Actions yield to certain consequences. I am by no means saying that the essence of Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind is reduced to something rudimentary. I actually feel that its essence is embedded in this incredibly well thought of make-believe world that one just can’t dismiss it as something mediocre, or childish for that matter, but could even be interpreted in a higher level that could cater to anyone. It just rubbed off to me as uniquely simple and it is why I appreciated it more. As I’ve said—it’s genius.

Now, let’s talk about the lead, Nausicaä. I really like her. I’ve always liked strong woman characters and it’s so refreshing to see a different side of the type of characters I’m much in favor of. Despite the skillfulness as a warrior and the mystical ability to bond with non-human creatures, what moved me were the glimpses of her frailties and vulnerabilities—that the situation can get to her. Nevertheless, she goes back to warrior mode, not gung-ho and all but responsibly calm and collected. I don’t know but for me, that just makes her all the more human and I guess that makes her character more believable, relatable even.

It’s unfortunate that I would end this piece with dissonance, that despite how I find Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind to be really good, it can’t seem to top Spirited Away in my book. Maybe because the latter was a movie and the visual and aural cues added to the excitement. This is not to say, though, that I don’t recommend this piece—I do. Read it; appreciate it, for it’s a lot more than just flying insects and good versus evil.


EDIT: *Two hours later thanks to Quicksilverscreen* I just saw the movie and I want a copy. Even if there are clear differences between the anime and the manga, I think they complement each other and both deserve the praise from their fans. Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind is officially on my fave anime list.

What can idle time do to two psychology junior faculty members

…when a meeting ends early and there’s a couple of extra hours available?

1. They propose that they will work by either checking papers or make preparations for the coming week.
2. But not before talking about cellular phones and how the Dictionary works…or not work, in my case.
3. And not until one shares the audio functions of his new cellular phone and starts playing the mp3 opening and ending theme songs of then popular kid shows Maskman (IN FILIPINO!!! IN FILIPINO!!! O.M.G. *goosebumps*) and Bioman (in Japanese).

Thus marked the beginning of nostalgia when P and I began talking about 80’s cartoons, sentai series (refer to item 3), Filipino super heroes and the psychology behind them. No, we did not get any work done, in case you were wondering.

First, a disclaimer – the notions presented here were brought about by random observations of the available TV shows we know to the best of what we can recall about it. The arguments below are far from stable and clearly open for discussion. I do admit that at the end of the discourse, I was tempted to read about the history of our “variables” and really make a solid comparison.

So, we talked about Bioman and Maskman and we noticed that the trend of “5 people”—a team, tends to be a central theme in these shows. Hence, it’s a reflection of the collectivistic culture on Non-westerners. I stopped for a moment and thought about Voltes V and almost agreed when, playing devil’s advocate as usual, I raised the issue of Daimos, Shaider, Masked Rider Black and Ultraman. Also, what about the Uncanny X-Men or Justice League? They are a team, aren’t they so why single out superheroes that just happened to originate from the other side of the globe and label them as such? P said that despite forming team, the X-men and JL still have core stories centralized in them. Individually, they are able to convey their personal stories, about who they are, unlike their Japanese counterparts who give us simple glimpses of who they are but it’s the team’s identity that matter more. Thus, the theory of individualistic nature for the former and collectivistic for the latter came to be. Well, X-men did have the “accept-who-we-are” premise in the beginning and I remember Voltes V has a couple of family ties issue. Ultraman did have a team backing him up...I must admit I'm not very sure about my own counterargument as of this time ^^;.

Anyway, another thing that we talked about was how our local superheroes and maybe some of the non-Westerners as well get their superpowers from something else, like it’s some kind of divine intervention and rather unintentional. Darna and Captain Barbell initially came to mind. P mentioned that Darna is our local rendition of Wonder Woman but unlike Wonder Woman who is born into royalty, Darna is your ordinary girl who was fortunate enough to be given powers. It is the same with Captain Barbell. Now, because I’m accustomed to making even the mundane things go through “reliability testing”, I just *had* to look for another local super hero to see if the description fits. I looked up Panday and true enough, the power of his weapon of choice came from something else of which he didn’t ask for nor initially possess. This is opposite to the likes of Batman, Superman or even Elektra.

So the conclusion in my opinion is, this entire entry is full of loopholes and really vulnerable for rebuttals, which is why it will remain unedited and raw as it is. And if someone out there can come up with something that I can tweak and conceptualize as “Rationale” and “Theoretical or Practical Significance of the Study”, I swear I will attempt to make a research proposal with funding and finish it in a term.

And next time, start and finish a meeting ON TIME. ^_^

WriteShop

Thesis article - DONE. *fistpumps*

One more to go! Peer group, you're NEXT.

Art Attacked! The Beginnings…

Recently, I had the urge to browse over my portfolio and reminisce the times when I still draw. I remember that a Lion King coloring book opened the doors of art for me. An idea that went in my head as I looked at the pictures was, “Could I draw these…?” It was then that I began “copying” the pictures. I can’t really remember the exact steps I took nor was I expecting that something decent would come out of it. After all, back in 6th grade Art Class, my templates hardly got displayed on the bulletin board (although, I made it ONCE with a copied picture of Bart Simpson). I had no basic formal training in drawing so even if someone asked me “how” I managed to draw the main casts of The Lion King, I wouldn’t know what to answer. For me, I just copied them.

Aside from the above, I was able to draw Mufasa, Sarabi, Scar, Rafiki, Zazu, the 3 hyenas and young Simba and Nala together. I was 14 when I did these and it’s been generally non-stop, despite occasional dormancy, drawing from then on. Eventually I got into anime, manga and Joe Madureira illustrated Uncanny X-men comic books, a comic creation workshop by Whilce Portacio and sprinkled with some Renoir and Michaelangelo (because they just look sooo preeeety!) that basically shaped my artistic inclinations.

I have not drawn, not even *sketched* anything in over two years (laboratory manual illustrations don’t count) and these were the last. Perhaps the reason being my right hand is currently focused more on properly gripping and swinging a tennis racquet rather than keeping it steady as I sketch or ink a material. I miss drawing. I want to draw another portrait (Argh! Zizou, you were supposed to be next after Depp!).

Being able to draw is sometimes related with being creative. I would probably pride myself in this…if only it were true. Sure, I can draw, rather, copy things but ask me to draw something from scratch, I don’t think I can translate my idea into paper…or maybe I could but it would be a struggle. Half-baked creativity, anyone? LOL! In the mean time, I’ll just stare at Voltes V—I didn’t know what came over me and attempted to draw a robot. Fortunately, the mecha designs of yesteryears are a lot easier compared to today’s. Let’s volt in!!! (Seriously, anyone who can give the actual Japanese translation of that? ~_^ )

Practice what you preach

Today, I CONTENT ANALYZED my blog entries and the results are the labels that you see on the right side panel of the screen. I could've O.C.-ly gone further and do a full blown grounded theory analysis (I was actually tempted to operationalize my categories) but I have a life and need to continue doing other pertinent tasks.

I AM applying what I learned from school though. LOL!!!

Must...RESIST...!!!

I DON'T NEED A RACQUET THAT COSTS TEN THOUSAND PESOS.

Even if it is the Head Flexpoint Radical MP. On Paylite.

I DON'T need that kind of racquet.
I DON'T even play competitive tennis.
I DON'T need a new racquet for that matter.

Sigh. What I need is to GET PUMPED in writing two research papers, revising three syllabi, checking *looks at lab papers* A LOT of lab papers, reviewing biopsychology and getting published--single authorship.

Repeat bold and italicized mantra to self.

Random

JPOP: Out of curiosity, I watched Macross Frontier. Even if the Macross saga received raves ever since, I was never a fan of it—simply because singing female pop idols facilitating a space battle just isn’t my cup of tea. Sure, they make GREAT background music during the fight scenes and that’s exactly what I had to—pretend that it’s just BGM. I guess I’d take it more seriously if it’s just the mecha (maybe that’s why I’m more interested in Macross Zero…), but the equation of Macross is always Mecha + Music so if I can’t live with one, I guess I’ll never be a Macross fan. Anyway, the fight scenes in the last episode of MF were incredible (again, I am speaking as if the essence of the pop idols’ singing is irrelevant to the plot and is merely BGM to pump the fight scenes), and dare I say BETTER than Gundam. INCREDIBLE ANIMATION—so good that it’s enough to make one wonder what it’s like to fly one of those Valkyrie thingies ^o^. The plot is relatively simple and if I cared a little, I might’ve taken the effort to fully understand what it’s about—but definitely not head-splitting like Gundam (or Evangelion—head AND soul-splitting!). What else…there’s a love triangle here—the lead pilot dude and the two female pop idols. Surprisingly, I don’t hate the triangle (but I don’t favor any either). It’s open ended as to who ends up with whom but I don’t really care…I was amused that the creators actually have a rationale in making the lead guy very androgynous (typical “bishounen”)—smart of them to say he came from a Kabuki-oriented family, there goes your excuse! LOL! Conclusion...YAY for GUNDAM 00 Season 2! ^___^

RESEARCH: Of course, marathoning MF through online streaming meant that my PC will be occupied for a long time so I took this opportunity to go through my Youth Research literature. I ACTUALLY TOOK NOTES AND WENT THROUGH 15 OF MY 19 RRL!!! Now THAT is mixing business with pleasure. Unfortunately, I’m not yet done. The last ones were incredibly high in content that I have to decide how to go about the note taking. I will finish it this week. Yeah! *fistpumps*

SNIPERS: If I recall correctly, I have a thing for characters who play snipers (or anything long-ranging shooting skill—including in basketball where I’d choose a 3-point shot over a slam dunk any day). I just have a teeny weeny bit of a complaint…WHY THE HELL DO THEY ALWAYS GET KILLED?!?!? It happened in G00, FMP and MF! Darn it.

YUMMY: I remember Vivi (who’s in NZ now) always likened my types of guys in the looks department as “boylets”. Well, I doubt THIS DUDE will be classified as one. Yay, someone finally joined Eric Bana in the rugged look category—go Diego Buñuel! I won’t tell your mother you went to *bleep!* ^o^.

In Current News…

TENNIS: I finally broke the strings of my racquet. I had it replaced the same day, accompanied by some uneasy feelings of what happened in Toby’s Megamall. I purchased two things separately using two different credit cards because the attendant told me that only I swipe per card is allowed in establishments. I haven’t heard of this rule but instead of asking the cashier, I simply did what she suggested. On hindsight, I thought I felt kind of duped…and stupid. I mean, when I was eating at Sushiya, I asked the manager if that rule apply to them, and they said no. I even had my mother call me up to ask her…the OC-ness really hit me and I hated the feeling that I wasn’t assertive enough to ask. I mean, it wouldn’t hurt and it wouldn’t really cost me anything. Of course, I allowed myself to become paranoid and thought that it could be a scam or something. Argh. Why was it that I didn’t see them rare 4 pieces Slazenger tennis balls were available and on sale. Lesson learned: ASK, IT WONT’ HURT. On other news, I intend to break in the new strings…I experimented on the tension, I wonder what 60kg feels like.

RESEARCH: Last week was the brainstorming of our Department collaborated research on Youth Development. I’m glad I went but on the side, I felt a little disappointed at myself that these guys came up with really good theoretical frameworks which made mine look preschool-ish in comparison. It then came with a feeling that I can’t seem to feel the expertise I supposedly have achieved now that I have a Master’s Degree in Human Development Psychology. I teach, but the expertise I gain is that of teaching—how to wing things and still have the goals attained. I’m beginning to feel that maybe unconsciously I’m getting bored with my current state because it’s so monotonous that I can even risk not preparing for work because I know how to handle it when it all comes down to the actual thing. Maybe this is a sign that I need something new…something more challenging. Something that will motivate me to move.

JPOP: Thanks to Ohmer’s dvd, I saw the spinoff movie of Deathnote (L: Change the World). It was okay; it’s not something I would buy nor download but it was nice to see L and his eccentric ways. The whole idea of the antagonists were simply flawed and really, had they further developed the idea of why there is a need to use bioterrorism on people and not just “because we are overpopulated and abuse nature” (a big “HUH?”), it would’ve really made the film more exciting. And much as I like seeing L, he doesn’t seem to be so much himself in this movie…I mean, I missed his shrewdness in the first two films (as well as portrayed in the manga) and in here, he’s…not as proactive as I want him to be ^^(). But there were ‘Awww…” moments for sure =3

Omigosh, omigosh, OMIGOSH!!!

I will go back to work. I just need to get this out. I was just randomly looking for some German songs (based on hits) then stumbled upon Herbert Groenemeyer and then turned out he sang something for the 2006 World Cup!!!

This video is made of WIN!!! In the last few seconds, it showed some greats in football, the likes of Maradona, Pele, Zidane and Ronaldo.

Yay!!! Zizou's included!!! ^____^ I know I talk a lot about tennis but football is definitely one of my favorite sports. I may not have the patience to watch a game of every season of every European League but definitely, the most beautiful sport in the world! And hey, it was because of football that I started blogging anyway ^_~.

Tennis Tales: An Open Letter

Dear Service,

Serve, I’m going to start with you. I’ve been trying to understand you for so long it’s starting to get me frustrated. At first I thought I get you, then the next, it’s like we’ve never seen each other in the eye. The same thing goes with Toss—why is it going for the 12 o’clock sound so simple and yet I can’t do it consistently? Yes, reach the peak of the toss. Argh! And Snap—it’s like all of a sudden, my wrist becomes incapable of bending. Also, let’s not get started with Flat Serve—I mean, it looks so freakin’ easy and yet wrist insists on doing a spin.

Serve, I NEED to get you—CONSISTENTLY. You’re the only elusive aspect of the sport that’s keeping me from playing a serious game with the people in the tennis court.

- - - - -

Dear Forehand,

You’re weird. There are times that I feel you (and you look good when I do) but recently, I’m bugged by how you seem to look off (but coach said you’re not). Do remember that the sweet spot IS your best friend, not the racquet frame. And I will have a quiet talk with Semi-Continental grip—we’ve been getting it on lately and I think there’s a need to sort out things as to where we stand.

I look forward to our next meeting. Hopefully I can make you go down (the line) deeper ; ).

- - - - -

Dear Volley,

I say we are getting reacquainted, after getting used to switching grips for forehand and backhand volleys. Semi-continental and I are still working on Serve but somehow, I’m glad things are working out between the two of you. I hope to you use more of you soon. So far, I’m comfortable coming on to the net—if only I get the opportune time to meet up with Approach Shot.

I’ve always been comfy with you. Let’s try to keep it that way.

- - - - -

Dear Single-Handed Backhand,

I’m so happy to have formally met you and have somehow given justice executing you. I do miss your sibling, Double-Handed, and the extra control it brought along. But ever since we’ve worked together, it feels at home—even if I don’t brush up as I should or I do the backswing late. I’m yet to really feel how to use you on high bouncing balls but so far, we’re good.

Yeah, we’re good. Can’t wait to put more power on you.

- - - - -

Dear Footwork,

Remember when you stopped being flatfooted? Well, now is another time to remember others things. First, stop doing the open stance during Forehand—it’s f***ng it up. Second, right leg stays BEHIND when hitting forehands—stop acting like the right half of my leg has a separation anxiety when my left leg goes forward. Third, it’s okay to—no, actually, you SHOULD halt/break/pause before doing an approach shot and running shot.

You were hardly criticized that you sucked. Don’t start now.

- - - - -

Dear Running Shot,

I.Love.You. <3>

Destination Davao: Ready, Steady, GO!!! (Part 6 of 6)

In conclusion of the Destination Davao series, I present the last bit of detail of the big kids’ adventure. Six days passed by quickly and business and pleasure definitely merged in the process. Now it was time to head back.

I’ve always wanted to take a picture of Mt. Apo but throughout the trip, the view didn’t seem to cooperate. On the last day, I decided to go with what was there and took a couple of snap shots from our hostel’s balcony. I can’t just leave Davao without a mountain pic.

Here we were during and after breakfast. Do we look exhausted? ^^()

And here doing personal economics (Quiaps, 2008) to see just how much harder we need to work to earn back whatever we spent.

And here’s trying to pass as durian endorsers. Did we do a good job? LOL!!! This was on the way to the airport and because we really need to buy pasalubong, we stopped by here. If you’re wondering why there are very little pictures, well, it’s probably because exhaustion finally caught up with us. Upon arrival to Manila, we bid our farewells—not exactly dramatic because it’s a school day the next day. We would see each other again (and eventually get our USBs infected with viruses because of the pic uploading in the department computer).

So that’s Davao, my first local, airborne trip (yeah, yeah—so what if I know now that you don’t really need a passport for this kind of thing. I was a noob at local flights, ‘ayt!) I’m really glad I got to go and I’m looking forward to the next PAP Convention. ^_^ Oh, wait…that means we have to get our youth research to a higher level! D’oh! ^o^

Very special thanks to: Samah, Tweena, Patwik, Weeia, and Antwone for the pics!


FIN.

Destination Davao: Ready, Steady, GO!!! (Part 5 of ?)

After embracing land, we now turn to the sea. Based on my calculations, the island hopping destination was a one hour boat ride from the city port. It was through R’s friend, B, that this island hopping adventure came to be. Again, my apologies, as I have forgotten the specific names of the islands we hopped on ^^(). Er, let’s just see the pics.

This is us on the way to the island. Everyone who went to the jungle the day before looked pretty decent, right? (I admit, I was kind of sleepy ^^)

And we are at it again—posin’ time! There must be something about the sun, sea, breeze and FIVE cameras.

Since it did take a while to get to the first stop, T, A, R and S (wahaha, T-A-R-S!!! XD…hmmm, could be S-T-A-R or…RATS!!!! Okay, I’ll stop now…) decided to re-enact when Jack Sparrow became a girl and three pirate-wannabe-psychology-professors caught her (er, him?) using water bottles as weapons. Ahrrr, ma’teee!

There were three stops—first was the coral reef area (upper left) where everyone except mC and I went in for a dip. The second stop was in the middle of the sea, where everyone had lunch except me because I got incredibly nauseous and it took every single ounce of whatever concentrated power of will I had so I won't puke. Apparently, I don’t get sea sick when the boat is in motion, but if it halts and the bloody thing slowly sways at rest, I can’t swallow my food. Thankfully, when we began heading for the last stop, I actually re-enjoyed being out in the sea. We passed by a stretch of beaches before arriving at the last stop. Unfortunately, it was high noon and very hot so swimming had to be deferred for some, but for others (*ahem* R and T), conquering the elusive surfboard was top priority.

Now, I didn’t swim but that didn’t prevent me from getting a tan (like I played tennis when I actually didn’t ^^;). After getting some rest, S and I wondered off for photo ops and we ended up trespassing to this really cool smooth, white-sand beach just next to our stop. In the brimming hot afternoon sun, we took photos and posed.

And posed some more! Hahaha, is this emo or what?! LOL!!! Work it, work it!!!

It was fun and photo ops here was so easy, even if the only props were that log and a lone tree stump (that was initially intended as the base for S’ camera using a timer but we ended up using it as a posing pedestal instead). Man, the view here is just magnificent so can’t really blame me for being trigger-happy. ^-^

There were some interesting creatures in the area. If you like picking tiny seashells by the seashore *resists reciting the tongue twister*, well, try doing that when something prickly suddenly wiggles in your hand. Yep, turns out one of the shells I picked was ALIVE and this tiny dude came out. And yes, for a moment, I was tempted to pull it out of the shell to see what it looks like but sadistic mode was off so S and I just tried to get the best picture. Picking it up, putting on the table, click-click, picking it up AGAIN, click-click, it fell off the table on to the sand, we picked it up YET AGAIN, click-click, different angle, click-click…

So basically, yeah, I had a sinking feeling it felt kind of tortured anyways. Later on, I saw a whole bunch of them critters in this beach trash dump. I thought they were cute ^-^ especially this big white shelled one who hid on time before I was able to take a snap shot. Again, I wanted to grab it but it got away. ^^()

Now the starfish(es?) were found by T and R. This was before S and I went wandering off and T brought this really big and bright star fish in the hut where the rest of us were resting. I’m not even sure what’s the story behind this so…maybe they can fill it in?

By around we mid-afternoon, we began heading back. Here’s a couple of group shots before we left…

And here we are on the roof deck, pretending to be pageant delegates…(let’s not get into the details of what pageantry it was).

So I initially thought island hopping was exhausting. Well, maybe the more hardcore ones but this one turned out to be relaxing and worth spending the whole day for. Sans the second stop, I enjoyed every bit of the exploration—especially the ride to and from the island by boat—the wind, wave and speed.

The Davao adventure was coming to an end. This entry and those before it do not give justice to the spectacular panorama that graced us. Perhaps that would be in another entry under a different topic. For now, reality is starting to pull us back, waiting for us in a sphere called Manila. Stay tuned—it might actually end next time.


To Be Continued.

Destination Davao: Ready, Steady, GO!!! (Part 4 of ?)

Our Davao weekend was dedicated to close encounters with nature—and this is the first one, our adventures at Eden Nature Park. I’ll try to let the pictures do the talking.

After this was taken, the food disintegrated. Okay, fine—it was consumed appropriately, as we need all the energy we can get for what awaited us in the next several hours.

We decided to avail the tour package to upstart our nature tripping. Eden Nature Park is quite huge with plenty of things to do (that you usually have to pay for, anything free is rare these days). So, with the most economical choice, we went for the tour package with snack.

These were some of our stops, and unfortunately, I can’t really remember what they’re called exactly. ^^;;

Last time it was the fountain lights, THIS TIME, it’s the pweety, pweety flowers!!! We had a blast here—on top, I think these are daisies (O_o?) and on the bottom pic, it’s actually a wishing well filled with colorful gumamela flowers.

Of course, we just HAD to goof around with motion capture shots—it would’ve been nice if we were actually caught in midair. Really, we weren’t constipated here, or something.

Un-deux-trois-quatre!!! After the snack, this heart-love-nest area is just too good to pass up. For those who know me, this might not be the exact thing you would associate with me, but for the past few days exposed to people with characters of cam-whoreness and pose-whoreness (yes, S and R, I mean you guys), it kind of rubbed off on me.

A little bit of solo pics. The left one is actually taken during the mountain trail adventure, discussed below. The right one is during the tour.

So I mentioned that free things come rarely, but there was one free-of-charge adventure in Eden, and that was the mountain trail. We weren’t really planning on doing this—after all, it was slightly raining when we got to Eden and we were told that it was ‘not advisable’ at the time when we inquired. But because we were so awed with the sceneries during the tour and also because it never really occurred to us that ‘not advisable’ is a diplomatic way of saying “Absolutely-not! You-gotta-be-out-of-your-effin’-minds-wanting-to-plunge-in-the-depths-of-a-slippery-wet-mountain-terrain-on-your-own-in-this-weather!!!” (Hehe, we also FAIL at hip hop.)

Oh well, interpretations are relative. So off we go.

The whole trail adventure turned out really fun, anyways. Of course, with occasional minor and major slips here and there, shortness of breath and an epiphany that Crocs sandals can withstand slippery (sans muddy) trails, I thought it was really worth it. The entire trail seemed to vary in difficulty as one treks along—we noticed this because during the first kilometer or so, we were still lively and taking pictures. But once the slipping started, spiders and other bugs appeared and the trail disappeared coupled with obstructions, we knew that things were getting serious. A specific act I really liked during the trek was how we helped each other out by warning those behind what coming ahead of them (A, being generally in the lead, I salute you for embracing most of the cobwebs and other creatures on the path). It reminded me of ‘bayanihan’, but in a different way.

We found the ‘give up, surrender’ signs along the way to be amusing. US—give up? Are you effin’ kidding?! HAH! We don’t give up. We stick through our guns no matter what! When we make our beds, we lie on it. We went on, thinking of nothing but the finish line, the end of the tunnel, the ultimate goal…keep walking for there is no turning back.

Um, we didn’t finish the trail. -__-()

But it’s not because we were uber exhausted…well, sure, we were tired and all but c’mon—the rain got heavier! T called for back up and the next thing, we were zooming back to the Day Tour Center via the Tourmobile! (Ahh~ such a nice ride… ; ). We fell a third short of completing the trail but each of us were able to bring bits of memories from that adventure—like I had photos, my uber muddied Adidas and a scar. Now if you think that was the end, you’re mistaken. Much as we are determined individuals, we are also hard-headed, stubborn and really adventurous—so after the mountain trail, off to zip line Skyrider adventure! I’m not good at approximations so according to this, there is about 200-meter distance between the two ends of the zip line across a 60-foot drop. The ride is two-way, with the whole thing lasting for maybe two minutes. It’s PHP 150 and they make you sign a waiver—like they will claim responsibility if you break a nail or something. Climbing to the top of the tower can be exhausting (but hell, we’ve been through harsher conditions than this MINUTES ago, so this was cake walk). After that, it’s zip time!

YEAH, BABY!!! It was scary, exhilarating and relaxing at the same time. When you’re in the middle of the line, the view is simply amazing. And it was rather fast, maybe around third gear if you’re driving a manual (so that’s what, 30-40 kph?). I wouldn’t mind doing this again. ^_^

Next post will be about the island hopping, which happened the very next day. Stay tuned.


To Be Continued.

Destination Davao: Ready, Steady, GO!!! (Part 3 of ?)

After the convention, it was time for some unwinding and sightseeing. It’s funny since after reviewing the massive amount of pictures we got, it looked like the point of going to Davao was about the sightseeing and the convention as a side trip, hehe. This is not in any chronological order, by the way.

People’s Park

This is where we went after the arrival dinner at Penongs. It was P’s idea—well, actually, I learned that way afterwards because at the time, I was just going along wherever everyone’s going. This park is soooo pretty. It’s big, there’s a lot to see, it’s clean and for it’s ambiance, it’s amazingly free-of-entrance-charge! Photo ops everywhere and while it’s not jam-packed, there were a lot of park-goers, combine that with how big the place was, it was a little scary to get separated from your groupies.

Speaking of separations, there were some lessons learned here, too. Like when you’re in a big place like this and you need to go to the rest room, always remember to do the next appropriate thing afterwards (I mean, right after washing your hands), and that is to at least know, and not just assume, where the rest of your groupies are. Next, in retrospect, PMS can be used as a moderating variable in testing relationships and cognitions—you just need to orchestrate the proper context. Finally, synchronized fountains and pretty lights can be mesmerizing and can be addicting to photograph, with possible dire consequences.

Speaking of fountains and lights, see how pretty they are! *___*

And from a different angle…pweeetttyyyy!!!

Before heading back to Bahay Alumni, we decided to take a group shot of whoever we we’re with at the time. See in the first panel, we’re just experimenting and all until we got the hang of it. Then with poses ready, we stood still and SMILE! *snap shots*

Yes, we were smiling while taking pictures of our shadows. Go figure.

Jack’s Ridge

We went here after the convention, right after dinner. It was highly recommended so we thought might as well give it a try. The road to Jack’s Ridge, was quite long. We took a cab and it was a pretty smooth ride, if only there were street lights along the way, it would’ve been less creepy at times. But I bet it would have a different feel when one drives in the morning. I can’t help comparing it to Makiling, maybe it can have street racing potential ^_^. Anyway, reviews say it’s like a cross between Eastwood and Tagaytay.

Well, okay, I’m speaking for myself but I was really looking forward to the sceneries—lights overlooking the city, but there was something about the landscaping that either made the lights-overlooking-the-city photo ops to be difficult or limited. The place was really spacious and you get to really burn some calories going to one place to another. There was an amphitheatre, which was, just that, an empty space that I didn't even bother to take a picture of (hehehe, the school’s mini amphitheatre is more picture-friendly). There was a potential lights-overlooking-the-city spot near the amphitheatre—I thought it was nice, how there were aligned so well; P thought it was some kind of a race track…only later on to be confirmed by T that it was…a cemetery. (Okay…my imagination can get into overdrive so I just had to delete the picture I took of that spot, LOL! The pic above, I'm sure that's cityscape : )

There were nice displays though, and the fact that this elevated area was submerged underwater in the past was fascinating. There were some resto-bars (which I suppose if you’re purpose for going to Jack’s Ridge is for this varied context of a night life, instead of lights-overlooking-the-city-and-other-photo-ops, then it could be a good place) on the area and some coffee shops. We went to Karlo’s Coffee Station to cap the night off. The strawberry short cake and rocky road drink thing I had were great!

This time, Carlo, er, Docta Carlo, tagged along with us ^_~. His appetite never cease to amaze me—had another round of sweets just to accommodate eating with us, awwww. He was such a sport for sticking it through the Jack’s Ridge rendezvous even if the terrain wasn’t exactly Carlo-friendly (if you know him, you’ll know why) and couldn’t join in some of the photo ops (which was fine, IMO, since he didn’t miss much—he just had to wait…SORRY!).

Gap Farm

In lieu of the Philippine Eagle place (WAAAHHHH! I wanted to see the really big birds T_T…enough, jennai—move on…), we went here after the adventure from Eden Nature Park (different post). Another huge place, a park that would probably be a venue for grade school field trips. Beside R is Z, who went with us during the whole day nature trip.

It’s not really an amazing place. Like I said, it’s a big park—the Bayani, Tribo and Animal busts/statues displays are at most mediocre-looking. The place was bare (well, it was past 4PM and it closes by 5) so we have the whole place to ourselves. It could might as well look like there’s practically nothing to do—but no, there was time to squeeze some fun out of posing with the resident inhabitants of Gap Farm. So yup, if you’re looking for a place to test your posing abilities in a seemingly neutral environment, try Gap Farm and see how good you can be.

Banoks and Dampa

This was dinner at Banoks after a day of nature tripping. Banoks is the counterpart of Penongs as they are both barbecue restaurants. Some new characters are in the Banoks picture, beside Z is mC, followed by T2. I honestly don’t remember much of the conversation that went around here but I’m sure mC and T2 had their share of listening to how our nature tripping went. I guess I was too tired by then. ^^;

The picture on the right was taken after our island hopping adventure (different post). We ate at this restaurant near the beach, where you order fresh seafood and they cook it for you. R’s friend B joined us, with her niece, Sop. B was the one who helped out plan the island hopping adventure and recommended the place for dinner. Food was good. (t’hell…? That rhymes!)

Blu Gre

Last major stop of the trip. After the dampa dinner, it’s coffee time and B brought us here. Not bad though, their cakes were good (courtesy of S, yay!). It’s been a long weekend and we’re gearing up for pack up for departure the next day.

Next posts will be about the highlight trips of the Davao get-away—nature tripping and island hopping! Stay tuned.

To Be Continued.