A Chick's Story

This was originally posted in my old Photography Blog: Samurai of Light.  The tree where this nest was found has already been cut down.  It's a sad thought that I wouldn't be spotting a similar kind of nest anytime soon.  If ever I do see one again in the future, I promise to leave it alone.  I'm posting this again here to commemorate one of my greatest finds ever.  

A CHICK'S STORY

On the start of the month, we noticed a small bird building a nest on the tree that's closest to our house. We left it undisturbed so that it would push through with its plans of laying the eggs there and rearing its young. 

This picture shows how the nest looked a week ago (May 2008). It got bigger and bigger as the days progressed and as strong winds challenged to rattle it off the tree's branch. Our constant peeks and glances must have contributed to that as well.  Although we didn't touch it or anything, it must have despised the extra attention.  At one point, I even tried feeding it earthworms!

In this next picture, I was able to capture one of the parents.  It's the closest I could get to the nest without scaring them off.  And I was only able to take a shot like this with the help of my new lens the Sigma 80-200mm Telephoto lens.  ^^

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Cheer Up! Somebody is looking after you.

THE LIVING DEAD

When we talk about the living dead we usually refer to zombies or people who have died but have somehow managed to rise from the dead and roam among the living.  While they are literally dead they roam with a specific goal in mind, mostly to search for fresh human flesh to consume, as depicted in most fictional stories.  My question now is, what do you call the living who are more dead than the dead.  Does that make sense to you?  They are those who are stuck in a routine, they eat the same food, they don't want to try anything new, they are apprehensive to leave the comforts of their home, they lack goals, and probably most revealing of all is the fact that they're afraid to die and try to do everything in their powers to stay alive despite living a life that most would consider dead.  Have you encountered people like this in your life?

THE UNCLE WHO LOVED LECHON

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Fly for FREE with AIRPHIL Express

Reposting this Airline promo from Airphil Express!  I think I'd be able to avail of one next year *fingers-crossed*  It's always nice to fly for FREE!

AIRPHIL EXPRESS FLY FREE PROGRAM

Your next adventure is on us!

Start collecting your Airphil Express Boarding Passes and exchange them for tickets to your next dream adventure!

10 Domestic Boarding Passes entitle you to One FREE Domestic Ticket(one way) to any Domestic APX destination of your choice.

10 International Boarding Passes entitle you to One FREE International Ticket (one way) to any International APX destination of your choice.

AIRPHIL EXPRESS FLY FREE PROGRAM

Your next adventure is on us!

Start collecting your Airphil Express Boarding Passes and exchange them for tickets to your next dream adventure!

10 Domestic Boarding Passes entitle you to One FREE Domestic Ticket(one way) to any Domestic APX destination of your choice.

10 International Boarding Passes entitle you to One FREE International Ticket (one way) to any International APX destination of your choice.

Continue reading for the Terms and Conditions and on How to Redeem your FREE ticket!

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Il Volo: Taking Flight!

Back in 2009, I featured Gianluca Ginoble in a blog post.  Back then, he was just one of the contestants in an Italian singing contest.  Now, joining two other impressive tenors from the same contest, Pierre Barone and Ignazio Boschetto, together they formed the trio called Il Volo!

Here they are singing O Sole Mio at their guest appearance in American Idol.



"il Volo" means "flight" in Italian.  Let us help these kids' careers take flight by supporting their music and buying their album.  You can get it here for a cheap price.

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Durian Flavored Lenguas de Gato

Durian Lenguas de Gato

A good friend was kind enough to send me two tubs of these super yummy Durian-flavored Lenguas de Gato.  Another classic confection that has been given a makeover to stand out from the rest.  You might think that you'll hesitate to try this confection if you don't like Durian but you really don't have to worry.  The Durian taste is very light.  It just adds the right amount of fragrance to add a new twist to this all time favorite.  And check out how thin these Lenguas de Gato are!  I wonder how the pastry chef was able to pull this off.

So thin and crispy! Only in Davao City

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Zubuchon: Cebu Lechon At Its Best?

Anthony Bourdain with Zubuchon

Zubuchon Cebu Lechon logo

When Anthony Bourdain finally decided to come to the Philippines and do and episode for his show No Reservations, he proclaimed Cebu Lechon as the "Best Pig Ever!"  When a culinary legend like him endorses something as the best, then you better give it a try as well.  While the Cebu Lechon he ate wasn't readily available in the market before, thanks to Market Manila, retails shops have opened in strategic locations in Cebu city.  The first stall opened at the Banilad Town Center and another one can found at the domestic pre-departure lounge of the Cebu International Airport.

Banilad Town Center - home of Zubuchon Cebu Lechon

So when my badminton buddies decided to fly over to Cebu for a series of friendly games against the Cebu team first weekend of April, I made sure to put this pig on my list!  

Zubuchon Cebu Lechon - Unconventional Lechon Skin

Just look at that ei! Doesn't that make you wanna sing "Isn't it lovely, Isn't it wonderful..." with matching head bobbing just like that of Stevie Wonder! Read on to know the final food scouts verdict!

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Groceries

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Image Model for Coron, Philippines

In an unexpected twist of fate, Sun Jun became an image model for the city of Coron!  A friend said that she saw my picture in this site more than a year ago!  It made me wonder how long the site had been using my picture to promote Coron in their webpage - without my permission that is!  They obviously just grabbed my picture from my Coron Philippines post.

Well, who wouldn't want to be an image model right? And for such a lovely place such as Coron, I really wouldn't mind being the face of Coron in their promotions.  This site however, is not the official website of the city of Coron as well.  Regardless, the moment I knew they were using my picture, I emailed them to convey my dismay and frustration and asked them to remove my picture from their site if they weren't willing to pay for the picture.  Yes, you read that right, I officially peddled my shirtless picture for a very small fee.  If anyone is interested in more illicit pictures, let me know! I'll give you a good price. hahaha (^o^)/

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Forever Young

Quite a unique ad that simply captured the expression on my mind for some time now, that I just had to post it here so I can easily go back to it in time, if I want to.  Unlike status updates in Facebook, blog posts are easier to find, read, and relive.  That's one reason why I don't think I'll ever give up this blog. 

The quote I've been thinking about was "There's no need to rush.  You and I will be young forever."

Watch the video after the jump.

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Ray Ban Wayfarer Sunglasses

Watch these videos!  There's something about them that's so alluring.  Catch the second video after the jump!

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A Picture Paints a Thousand Words

The picture above was taken in New Delhi, India.  I was on the bus when I noticed this guy riding his scooter with a cool mask on.  I snapped the photo and was glad to see that the guy I wanted to capture was in focus.  Technically, I liked the picture because I was successfully able to use the auto-tracking auto focus feature of my Lumix LX5.  This feature allows you to keep moving subjects in focus while you compose your shots.  I never realized the full potential of this picture until I snapped this specific photo.  This fact alone made this photo great for me.  However, posting it in Facebook revealed a much more intriguing concept that made this photo even greater.  Read on to know the full story.

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Running Your First 10K

Last July 3 was the Yamaha Run for Heroes at the Bonifacio Global City.  On why it's called a run for heroes, I have absolutely no idea.  Any how, I got sponsored again and this time around, I challenged my ankles, knees, and legs on running the 10k.  Another step closer to the ultimate goal of running a full marathon.  (By the way, registration for the Singapore Marathon has already started but plane fares and the registration fee on its own is quite hefty so I might just have to postpone my plans for another year - we'll see...)  Technically, this wasn't my first 10k as I was able to accomplish the feat twice before at my training ground.  Read on the learn a few tips on how I managed to survive my first 10k.

Surviving my first 10k wasn't as easy as I hoped it would be.  The organizers chose a race route that had so many uphills!  Midway through the race I was losing energy fast and was beginning to question myself.  For a moment, I cursed the organizers for choosing such a route!  I also insisted that the race route was bogus and that it was definitely more than 10k!  In the end, I still survived and I'm very happy to have overcame all the obstacles - more mental than physical really.  Here are a few pointers on how I survived and improved my run:

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