THAT JOYFUL OCCASION

I wanted to entitle this “The Wedding” but realized I already used that HERE. I thought of using “Dale Weds Aya” instead, but it sounded a little too dry. So, I ultimately decided to use “That Joyful Occasion”. Simply because... it was!

the handsome Groom

the beautiful Bride

Dale Satur & Malaya Manalang

I would like to tell a thousand stories about this day, but my mind is crapped out at the moment. So I’ll just tell you two things:

ONE, the event was EPIC! It was very dreamy that I felt like being part of a fairy tale story, watching the main characters swaying from one moment to another, so deeply in love, enjoying every second of their day.

And TWO, I was so haggard on this day due to the following reasons:

CONFESSIONS OF A DRAW-SOMETHING-A-HOLIC

 

Recently, I have been addicted to this mobile game called Draw Something. My roommate Jap said he had never seen me this addicted to a game since Plants Vs Zombies. I bet his comment was actually more directed to my crazy eyes. “You weren’t like this with Temple Run,” he quipped, and I didn’t even bother to object. Hehe

I have been trying to figure out the reason behind the addiction until I realized it was the activity itself. I missed being in touch with my creative side. Maybe the absence of dancing for the past four months is a huge factor. But anyway, I’m happy I get to create mini-obra maestras through this game. Not to mention the growing fanbase I am now gaining: my friends Princess, Lesele, and Jenina. Lol. I could only hope to remain grounded. I really don’t want this newfound fame to mess with my head. LOL

Here, let me share my art gallery

Kimchilandia Chronicles: Day 3 – EVERLAND

Kimchilandia Chronicles – Chronological recounting of Lonewulf’s great Korean adventure.

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Monday, 12 March 2012

It was Day 3 of our trip and we were scheduled to go to EVERLAND!

Arigato, Shortstride, and Lonewulf --> Happiness

Korevia # 4 When in Korea, it would be a sin not to visit Everland. Everland is a huuuuge amusement park that features not only the usual theme park rides but also some animal shows, exhibits, and restaurants. They even have a separate water resort (with indoor diving pools!) called the Caribbean Bay.  --- Everland is owned by Samsung (surprise!). Yes, that mobile giant that is currently the second largest mobile producer in the world. Apparently, it has businesses in different industries in Korea

By the way, Everland is not in Seoul. It is in Yongin, a city located south of Seoul.

THE GUY WHO WROTE MY HIGH SCHOOL HYMN

"...and fit all thy sons with wings, to lend us flight in the sowing of our gifts..."

A couple of months ago, Philippine Science High School Southern Mindanao Campus alumni batch 2001 (batchname: Prodigy) who are based here in the Metro organized a gathering of PSHS SMC alumni from Pioneers down to batch 2002, which is my batch (batchname: Gods). The event was called HOHOL: Hang-Out Hang-Out Lang (yes that's how corny nerds can get), and it was a simple gathering and reminiscing of HS memories held in a bar in Madison Square, which is by the way co-owned by one of our seniors.

The night was really fun and very nostalgic. Most people have matured and become even more gorgeous. But anyway, the reason why I am writing this post and bringing up HOHOL is that there was a question in a trivia game we played that night which struck me now as I heard a very recent news. The question went like this: Who wrote the Philippine Science High School Hymn? We were all dumbfounded. For years we've been singing the hymn and even until now my housemates and I sing both the English and Filipino version when we're bored, but never has it crossed our minds to ask who wrote the song. Anyway, cheater me used my 3G to google the answer. *grin* It was Mario Taguiwalo.

Now, I really knew nothing else about this person until this morning, when I read about his passing away last Sunday. Jessica Zafra (a famous writer and columnist, see jessicarulestheuniverse.com, who is also an alumna of Pisay) wrote a pleasant tribute to Mario Taguiwalo. Apparently, the guy was part of the pioneer batch of Pisay Diliman. He was an excellent educator, a prominent think-tank of the government. He was also an ex-undersecretary of health, and many other different things, including being an actor. Yes, he appeared in films like Gangland, Unfaithful Wife, and even Shake, Rattle, and Roll. What an amazing person! If you want to read Jessica's tribute, click this link, or visit her blog.


To the guy who wrote my high school hymn, may you rest peacefully in Heaven. :)

THREE ITEMS

Can I just express my disappointment? I just learned that I failed only one exam in the proficiency tests in MS Finance. /*Trivia: To get in the program, one would need to submit complete documents, pass the Graduate Program Admission Test or GPAT, get through the interview (for some), and pass the proficiency tests in Accounting, Algebra, Calculus, Statistics, and Mathematics of Finance*/ I failed the Accounting part. :(

It's quite acceptable though as I never took Accounting lessons in college. Not even as an elective. :( However, I have a few knowledge on the subject due to my role in my previous job, which involves analysis of financial statements. But that was not enough to let me pass the exam. And what's more depressing is the fact that I was 3 correct items short from passing the test. Three friggin' items! How unlucky.

On the brighter side though, there is a re-take next month. And I would only need to take Accounting this time. Plus, UP College of Business Administration offers review sessions before the re-take. I would just need to pay for the "workshop" for P4000, which by the way is the reason why I'm here in Diliman instead of being in the office. And then, I'll just show up in the review classes, which have 10 3-hour sessions, and most of which fell on weeknights. Oh yeah! Imagine the adventure I'll be having in my MRT trips, and bus and jeepney queues. And those are after I become drained from daily office work. Yay!

Three friggin' items!



But seriously, I'm glad I passed the other four. I just saved meself P4000, and the additional effort in preparing for the re-exam. Thank you, God! :)

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By the way, from now on I'd be seeing more of this...

And this...

Kimchilandia Chronicles: Day 2 – THE SEOUL CITY BUS TOUR THAT WAS NOT

Kimchilandia Chronicles – Chronological recounting of Lonewulf’s great Korean adventure.

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Sunday, 11 March 2012

Day 2 was allotted for Seoul City Bus Tour.

Korevia # 2 – If you want to optimize the appreciation of Seoul, you better board the Seoul City Tour Bus. It travels in a circuit that links the best places to see in the city like the great palaces (Gyeongbokgung, Changgyeonggung, etc.), N Seoul Tower, markets (Dongdaemun, Namdaemun, Insadong), Korean War Memorial Hall, and many more. What’s best about the tour is that you can purchase a one-day pass for 10,000-12,000 KRW and you can tour the city in your own pace. Meaning, you can get off in a particular attraction and stay for as long as you want, then just board the next scheduled bus.  Tip: The bus tours are not operational on Mondays. So make sure to plot your itinerary properly. Also, if you are serious about the palace tours, research about the tour schedules as English tours are only conducted in certain hours.

Sad to say though, as the title suggests, we were not able to do this activity. We were too exhausted (Go, go, muscle pains!) from the activities the previous day. Plus, factor in the lack of rest since we all came from work the day before that. So our ending: Photoshoot around Hwaseong Fortress.

GIL PAOLO BERNARDINO

Welcome to Earthland, Paolo!

The lenten season revealed to be a memorable time for us as my Aunt Nene, who lives in Parañaque, gave birth to his second son on Holy Tuesday. It was a healthy, good-looking baby boy named Gil Paolo.

FOR A WHILE I WAS BLUE(D)

Epistaxis. That was the only proper response to my two-day workshop that ate half of my two weekends in March. The topic was Financial Risk Management in Practice.

It was a ruthless14-hour discourse, which despite the difficulty of the topics, was very informative. Hence, it was worthwhile.

 

RADIO 911

A few days back, I bought a new pair of headphones for my old mobile Sony Ericsson W395, and I was glad that I did since I am again able to listen to the radio. This was one the drawbacks of iPhone, it doesn't feature a radio tuner. And you know, radio can be a very good solace in times of great office stress. *grin*

So anyway, I was really glad to have again my morning and afternoon doses of my favorite radio station, Jam 88.3. Of course, it's the only station I tune in to, and the only one in the metro that actually has sensible jocks and radio shows.

I noticed there were a lot of changes...

Kimchilandia Chronicles: DAY 1 (ANNEX) - SNOWBOARDING 101

Kimchilandia Chronicles – Chronological recounting of Lonewulf’s great Korean adventure.

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SNOWBOARDING 101 for LONEWULF, SHORTSTRIDE, and ARIGATO 

Jisan Forest Ski Resort, Yongin, Gyeonggi, South Korea

10 March 2012

Lonewulf, Shortstride, and Arigato

The Slopes

Lovin' the cold

To complement a previous entry about our Day 1 in Korea, I am posting these pictures of our snowboarding adventure in Jisan Forest Ski Resort. Please have a journey through the pictures below. By the way, note that it is our first time (ever) to try this sport so be easy on the "fallen" shots. :)

Happiness - We'll definitely come back next winter

Read on.

Kimchilandia Chronicles: DAY 1 – ARRIVAL + SNOWBOARDING + MYEONGDONG DINNER

Kimchilandia Chronicles – Chronological recounting of Lonewulf’s great Korean adventure.
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Lonewulf, Shortstride*, and Arigato*

For the next few entries, allow me to recount my experiences in South Korea. I’m doing this for three reasons: (1) I was extremely awed by the beauty of this country and its culture, thus my strong urge to write about it; (2) I want to provide as much tips and other info as I can to those who are also interested to visit Korea; and, (3) That weeklong vacation we spent overseas was one of the greatest experiences of my life, and looking at our pictures never fails to make me smile (or laugh at times). =)

Okay, so let me start by recalling our Day 1 activities.

PART I – ARRIVAL

Friday, 9^th of March 2012. Straight from our respective offices, Shortstride, Arigato, and I dashed to our respective homes to get our respective baggage, and went straight to the airport, all giddy about the coming adventure. Four hours after take-off from Manila, with less sleep, we treaded on Korean turf for the first time in Incheon International Airport. YAY!

cute toilet bowl for kids - airport washroom