Back at last...

The current month has been the busiest for me. It is my big 3-0 month and came with that are a couple of get together with friends, some of town trips and an out of the country trip to watch WICKED. 


Sharing with you memories of my big 30 celebration... 

Dinner with friends in Dumaguete on my birthday!

Dinner with Cebu friends. Sorry for not being able to invite everyone. This was a surprise from a friend from work. 

I decided to visit Singapore. It has been a decade since my last visit and the overnight trip I scheduled was barely enough time to check out everything new in SG. 

PLANKING at the Universal Studios

Thanks AJ for coming along and for the gift. *wink

Sci-fi City's new Transformer ride is a must try.

And finally I watched WICKED. The experience is beyond words. I simply loved it. And yes, I sang along with the cast. You don't get fined in Singapore for singing out of tune.

Thank you everyone for being a part of my life. It has been one turbulent ride, but who cares? Let us all keep rocking...

Happy Holidays!!!

From one of the counter's in Gabby's Bistro. The Parol added a very traditional and solemn touch.

This post is created to wish everyone the best of the Holidays. May Peace and Love reign among all of us! Sharing with you the places I have been to, the stuff I have been eating and some other ideas in case you find yourself in Dumaguete where I spent my Christmas break. Be back in two days Dumsville. See you!

Christmas Mass at the Redemptorist. I have been hearing mass here since I was a kid with Mama. 

Gabby's Bistro. 

Never miss the treats from Sans Rivals. Cravings only satisfied in Dumaguete

Finally a 24 hour coffee shop for locals and tourists in Dumaguete. Kofficcino, not sure how it's spelled but it is across Qualfone. 

Source of Joy. Two of the six puppies from my beautiful Labrador Retriever, Quila.... 

And finally, our department decided to share some love this season. Instead of spending our Christmas Party funds, we will be using it to buy underwears for Sendong victims in Dumaguete. 

HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE! Hoping for your love and support in the coming year. The best in life to all of us in 2012.

My Grown Up Christmas List

Difficult times require hope and resilience.

I know that the Dumaguetenos will see this difficult situation through. A few months from now, we will all look back at Sendong and realize how it made our Christmas more meaningful. Let us continue to help each other and keep praying. 

Dumaguete + Sendong + Holidays = Hope and Optimism

Today, December 17, 2011 is a very challenging day for the City of Gentle People. Typhoon Sendong decided to drop by and left everybody in a very tough situation. 

 

Our once clean, well-maintained boulevard is filled with murky mud water. 

No lives should have been sacrificed for the Dumaguete City officials to learn the value of disaster preparedness. while this is nobody's fault, I am looking forward to the results of their discussion and see what they can do for the Dumaguetenos in this very difficult situation. I have always bragged about the peaceful community I came from, but I am not happy about the complacency of the local government and its  inability to prepare for extreme situations like this. 

Raised like every Dumagueteno, I am about second chances, but this has happened on my birthday on February 7, 2009 and we seem to have not improved but in fact have lost more lives this time around. 

To the people in the current provincial and city administration, show us your worth, and try to make this situation as painless as possible for every Gentle Person in Dumaguete. We deserve better!

To my friends from other places, please offer a prayer for my city. 

Photos grabbed from :

http://www.facebook.com/luigiborromeo

One Fire Day...

Thanks to my friend Neil Ang, I am able to cross out one more item in my bucket list as he took to me my first firing experience at the Sibulan Shooting Range just hours before my scheduled departure for Cebu on Monday. 

We brought three guns, I believe two were 45 caliber pistols and a 9MM glock. I could be wrong with the names so just click on the pictures below for your reference. 

The experience was just amazing. I was first given instructions on how to properly hold the gun before trying to fire it myself. I was literally shaking and it took more than a handful fires before I got the confidence to be left alone to load the gun and fire it without trembling. Thanks to Mac, the expert firing resident at the range who taught me everything to make sure I had a wonderful but safe experience. 

After a few shots using the 9mm glock, I moved on to the 45 caliber pistol. I had an instant love affair with the 45 caliber pistol. I loved firing it. 

That's Mac giving us an analysis of how the shot went. 

the firing range


I am particular proud of my first shot... See image below. My firing coach, Mr. Ang and Mac told I did well for a beginner. 

The hole close to the center, right chest was my first shot. BOW!

Here is the expert doing it.... 

Yes, those holes are Neil's head shots and a bull's eye right there. 

Let me move on to the part where I say thank you. Yes, thanks Neil for the experience. I definitely look forward to doing this again. 

EARTHQUAKE

I was in the middle of a meeting in the 6^th floor of our office building, when the floor started to shake.

This is exactly where I was during the quake, 6 floors up.

I thought it was my officemate shaking my chair but everyone started reacting and feeling the movement and that was when I realized there was indeed an Earthquake.

News say it was a 6.2 magnitude earthquake which hit Sipalay, Negros Occidental and aftershocks in Dumaguete City and from where I was Cebu. No reported injuries or damage. Thank God!

Earthquakes are a common occurrence, rumbling below Earth's surface thousands of times every day. But major earthquakes are less common. Here are some things to do to prepare for an earthquake and what to do once the ground starts shaking.

Have an earthquake readiness plan.

Consult a professional to learn how to make your home sturdier, such as bolting bookcases to wall studs, installing strong latches on cupboards, and strapping the water heater to wall studs.

Locate a place in each room of the house that you can go to in case of an earthquake. It should be a spot where nothing is likely to fall on you.

Keep a supply of canned food, an up-to-date first aid kit, 3 gallons (11.4 liters) of water per person, dust masks and goggles, and a working battery-operated radio and flashlights.

Know how to turn off your gas and water mains.

If Shaking Begins

Drop down; take cover under a desk or table and hold on.

Stay indoors until the shaking stops and you're sure it's safe to exit.

Stay away from bookcases or furniture that can fall on you.

Stay away from windows. In a high-rise building, expect the fire alarms and sprinklers to go off during a quake.

If you are in bed, hold on and stay there, protecting your head with a pillow.

If you are outdoors, find a clear spot away from buildings, trees, and power lines. Drop to the ground.

If you are in a car, slow down and drive to a clear place. Stay in the car until the shaking stops.

Here are some links for more information on this morning’s quake:

http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/326444/62-earthquake-hits-negros-occidental

http://volcano.phivolcs.dost.gov.ph/update_SOEPD/EQLatest.html

Keep safe everyone! God Bless!