Afternoon at the Park

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Originally uploaded by joel_s_staana

I spend several hours at the MWSS park near UP. The place was deserted. The sky was overcast. I had time to kill. Perfect opportunity to snap some pictures. I have more in my flicker account.

I like parks. I haven't been in one for a very long time. In fact, it's been a very long while since I found myself free on a weekday afternoon.

Mom's 64th B-day

Mom's 64th B-day
Originally uploaded by joel_s_staana

My mom turned 64 last February 12th. More and more, I feel I should spend more time with my parents. I've always thought of them as invulnerable; but as they age - it becomes painfully apparent that they won't be here forever. That's why I'm looking forward to that house in Tagaytay. Once that's ready, it will provide a good excuse for the whole family to get together and bond.

In this picture are my sister (Jaja), nephews (naughty Jacob and Jonah), and the guy with the flowers is my dad.

Night Light

Night Light
Originally uploaded by joel_s_staana

I have terrible sleeping habits. I find myself staying up until 2 in the morning - even if there is no work to do. It's either I play with the computer, scan the channels, or flip through some photo-mags. It's not a surprise that I feel tired upon waking - around 6am. Grudgingly I crawl out of bed, and prepare for work. After 1 hour of travel, I find myself in the office parking - and the temptation to snooze for 30 to 40 minutes is too much to resist. Again - I feel tired by 6pm, and once home, I take a nap for about an hour. Then dinner, then TV, computer, photo-mags...until 2 in the morning. The it starts all over again. I need to correct this.

SMX Travel Expo 2009

Grace and I went to the SMX Travel Expo yesterday. We wanted to see travel options for next year. This set of dolls at the Russian Travel booth caught my eye. Maybe we can consider Eastern Europe next year.

I'm so excited for vacation next month. Everything is almost set for our European cruise - just waiting on the Egyptian visa. I'm looking forward to taking a lot of photos. Stay tuned!

BTW - this is my first uploaded photo from my brand new Panasonic Lumix 3. It's not as tack-sharp as my Nikon, but it's good enough for casual photo ops. More to come!

Old Age

I suddenly feel old. All the while I was feeling good about this "healthly lifestyle" Grace and I implemented this Christmast break (initiated by Dr. Tam's Miracle Tea). We were eating well, exercising, getting enough rest. I was feeling really good as we went about our run this evening. I've actually made steady progress in stamina, averaging 9-10 rounds around the oval the past few evenings. So I thought about upping the ante. I made a good sprint to cap off my run this evening - and then BAM! I over-extended my knee. I can't put any weight on it. And now I have Salonpas (c/o Mercury Drug) applied. Hehehe. I smell like, feel like, look like an old person.

Old Photos

I dug up this old photo from our house in Robina a couple of days ago. I'm the one with the garden shears. With me are Lambert (with the saw) and Cocoy (with the fork). The submissive dog is Brownie. I can't be sure, but I think this was taken during our senior year in HS. I can't recall why these guys are in my house. It could very well been just one of those spur-of-the-moment things when we all decided to hang out one Saturday afternoon.

"Spur-of-the-moment" - I don't remember having any of those lately. I guess as you grow older, you have less and less of these. Everything needs to be scheduled, confirmed, texted...I miss the old days. I hope I can see some of the guys during the Grand Reunion this January 9th.

Bahay na Bato

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Originally uploaded by joel_s_staana

We visited my sister's house earlier today. It's scheduled to be completed next month. It's a beautiful house - very Filipino. All the materials are recycled from old houses. The ground floor is made of stone, while the upper floor is all wood. The ceilings are pretty high, and there are old-style "ventinillas" (windows for your feet). This is perfect for the Philippine climate. I wish more houses were like this one. The garage is even made to look like a stable. How cool is that?