Taytay Bulls

My Historic First Live PBA Game

2011-12-01T05:55:00.001+08:00

In the movie Baseball: A Film by Ken Burns, Billy crystal narrated how he saw his first Yankee game. He shared how he had goosebumps as he entered the tunnel leading out to the stands and seeing the glorious green expanse of the baseball field...finally getting to see his idols Mantle, Berra, and Ford. I reminds me of a similar feeling when my dad brought me to my first professional sports game.

Favorite Podcast: Tropical Banter

2011-09-15T20:39:00.002+08:00

One of the podcasts I listen to regularly is Tropical Banter with Tirso Ripoll and Basti Artadi. If the name sounds familiar to you then you know your Pinoy rock music. These guys are rock legends and it's awesome that they have a regular podcast. What makes this podcast great is it's spontaneous: no scripts. The conversation is so natural that it's as if you were sitting at a bar and these two

Rugby World Cup 2011

2011-09-10T01:42:00.001+08:00

And the rugby world cup has kicked off! Even the bananas are in on the action. For the next two weeks, all the rugby mad nations will converge in New Zealand. I hope the Philippines can qualify soon. Our chances are actually better here than in football...much fewer countries participate in international rugby. In the meantime, I will be cheering for the Wallabies!

Melbourne CBD: of Trams and Hook Turns

2011-07-11T21:51:00.006+08:00

I just felt like posting another picture of the Melbourne CBD. I must have taken a dozen photos of the trams there. This is something that really distinguishes the city over Sydney (which has only buses, aside from trains and ferries. It was also interesting to see a"calesa" with two manong drivers. The trams are really attractive to look at especially the older ones. But there's one big

Bike Share in Melbourne

2011-07-09T21:15:00.000+08:00

I found the Bike Share in Melbourne to be one of the coolest things about the city. It's hard not to notice them because they're only 10 minutes away from each other. The design of the racks is also attractive so I'd like to give credit to Melbourne for hiring such great graphic designers (The Melbourne logo, not the one shown here, is comparable to the iconic "Welcome to Las Vegas" logo). I did

The Staples to Naples Rally

2011-06-28T20:47:00.000+08:00

I had a friend who joined this rally in 2006. The annual event required you to drive in a cheap (around 100-200 pounds) car, drive it from England through to France, Switzerland, and end in Naples, Italy. He and his mates went in an '93 Audi (for 150 pounds!?!). There were 5 of them in the car and I just can't imagine how hard it is to sit in a packed car while driving 1,000 kilometers a day for

What is Aussie Football?

2011-06-22T21:42:00.000+08:00

I find it hard to join in on the conversation when people are talking about stuff I know nothing about. A favorite topic of conversation in the office kitchen is football. I always thought I could hold my own in sports talk, but this one? Nah...I don't think I can wing my way through Australian football. So to at least bring myself to an "acceptable" level of Aussie football knowledge, I made

The Apple iPad Keyboard

2011-06-15T21:48:00.000+08:00

This is the first post that I am writing from an iPad. Early this week, we finally took the plunge and got ourselves an iPad keyboard from Apple. I'm a classic impulsive buyer but I did my best research with this one: I took the time to read two reviews and watch three video-reviews on youtube of three different brands(I was in a hurry!). In the end, I did what most "sophisticated buyers" do: I

EURO ROCK: The TV Program that "Showed" Us New Wave

2011-06-07T21:56:00.001+08:00

EURO ROCK. Do you guys remember this? In the early eighties (1984?), my cousins and I would be stuck on the television every Saturday afternoon for thirty minutes to get our weekly fix of new wave. The thing was, new wave was not popular enough for the TV stations to pickup so no new wave videos for pinoy teens. The show didn't confine itself to new wave...it is probaby more accurate to show

A Great Accessory for Dads: the Ergo carrier

2011-06-03T13:21:00.000+08:00

Thousand of young Australian couples have put off having babies. When we went to parenting class, the typical age profile for first time parents was more like between 30 to 40 years old. There must be a thousand reasons but I can tell you about one: young dads just don't want to give up videogames. How can you play God of War or Call of Duty: Modern Warfare when you got both hands tied up

The Price of Bananas...Has Gone Bananas!

2011-05-29T17:33:00.001+08:00

As you can see from the price tag, bananas are more precious than gold these days. This price seems more apt for the year 2050! Not that we didn't see it coming: we did foresee a fruit shortage after Queensland was devastated with massive flooding half a year ago. But I didn't expect the price of bananas to go this high (it was $2.98 per kilo before the great flood). Which is a shame because I

Movie: Inside Job

2011-05-26T21:05:00.001+08:00

I used to read the Wall Street Journal which was handed out for free in business school school. This was ten years back. The world was just beginning to recover from the Asian Financial Crisis and the mood was upbeat.From this newspaper I first began to read of financial jargon like "hedge funds" and names like "Alan Greenspan", "Warren Buffet", "Berkshire Hathaway", "George Soros", "Merril

Aussie speak: Maccas

2011-05-18T06:31:00.009+08:00

In every corner of the world, McDonalds has been given a unique nickname. I only know three though: Mickey-D's in the US. Macdo in the Philippines. And Maccas in Australia. Aussies just like to shorten just about everything. 'Supa Centa' (super center) and Whacka (Whacker) are two of my favorites because they're brand names. Supa Centa is a store while Whacka is a gadget in car washes where you

Living in the City: Garbage Collection

2011-05-10T21:43:00.008+08:00

While walking to work, I saw this garbage truck in action. What's interesting about this particular truck is there's only one guy doing the work: the driver.Once a week, homeowners are required to wheel out their bins in front of their property for collection. The "wheelie" bins are all issued by the council and have colored lids. Red- regular household wasteYellow - recyclable waste (cartons,

Classic PBA Game : U-Tex and Toyota (1980 First Conference)

2011-05-09T20:16:00.003+08:00

I was crazy about the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) when I was growing up. The first game that I really paid attention to turned out to be one of the greatest PBA games ever...That was Game 5 of the 1980 First Conference featuring U-tex and Toyota. Playing for U-Tex were Bogs Adornado, Lim Eng Beng, Fritz Gaston (a rookie that year from Ateneo), Jimmy Noblezada, and Dave Regullano.

Elvis Costello and the Imposters

2011-04-18T19:54:00.006+08:00

Elvis Costello is one artist that I will keep watching each time he visits my city. I saw him for the first time two years ago when he performed at the Enmore Theatre. He went solo that time but I was so happy to have finally seen my hero live.He sang all my favorite songs like "Olivers Army", "Alison", "Veronica" and "What's So Funny Bout (Peace, Love and Understanding)" as well as songs I've

GoGet: Why Own When You Can Share?

2011-04-15T05:21:00.004+08:00

Every morning, when I walk to work, I walk past a parking slot that has been painted a bright green with the words "CARSHARE". It was something curious for me because it was free while all the other non-painted slots were always taken. As I found out later, these slots were marked by the city council to reserve them for carsharing vehicles. Its own way of encouraging people to "share" cars

Bike Lanes in Sydney

2011-04-08T10:49:00.005+08:00

When I was a kid, I used to marvel at news clips of China because of the number of bikes in the city. In some clips of Beijing, I couldnt even see any cars! Back then, and I hope you would forgive my naivete, I though it was a sign of backwardness. In the eighties, issues such as climate change were not the main focus in people's consciousness. Progress was equated with cars and tall buildings...

iPhone Apps : Seize the Day

2011-04-04T10:53:00.004+08:00

"Seize the day boys, pick the rosebuds while ye may". Everyone knows where that came from :) Anyway, i've been looking for an app to manage my "To do" list and I think I've found the right one. Seize The Day is a free app which you can download off iTunes. It's easy to enter new tasks this app. I like the reminder function which is easy to set and which appears on my screen just like the normal

Gmail motion: What Will They Think of Next?

2011-04-01T14:12:00.003+08:00

Saw this link on my Gmail page today. Are you guys going to try it? :)

Online shopping: AVENT spare parts

2011-04-01T10:17:00.004+08:00

We've been looking for spare parts for the AVENT electric breast pump that our cousin gifted us last month but none of the Pharmacies or Groceries had them. We finally got lucky by buying it online. BPM Childcare keeps them in stock and in two days, they got the parts to us! We'll definitely keep looking here for hard-to-find AVENT parts.

How to Protect Your Precious Comic Books

2011-03-22T11:55:00.012+08:00

Back when I was collecting comic books in the early 80's, FILBARS (my favorite comic book store), did not sell accessories to help me protect my collection. This has certainly reduced the value of my collection and I have no hope at all to sell them at their listed prices. Now that I have gone back to this hobby, I've made the move to protect my assets. I now have the necessary packaging to

The PlayTV is Superb!

2011-03-22T08:07:00.007+08:00

I bought a PlayTV bundled with my PS3 console last month. Aside from the great joy that I get from playing NBA 2k11, the PlayTV has been the real clincher. We love it very much because we can finally catch all these shows we've been missing (we don't have cable). Sony hit a home run with this product because along with the kick-ass gaming experience, you've also got a great entertainment system

Baby Accessory: The Perfect Playmat

2011-03-18T07:45:00.005+08:00

It took us a while before we found the right playmat for our baby. We've always wanted to let her play on the floor, to help her develop her reflexes and strength, but the mats and throws we used previously seemed to irritate her skin. She just didn't seem to enjoy being on the floor with them. The Tiny Love Super Mat from Baby Zone Superstore was a good find. Baby likes it. She's got her

Kindle works on the iPhone and iPad

2011-03-17T06:43:00.007+08:00

Just like everybody else, I was skeptical of e-books as a medium. After all, books have always been on paper. Besides, the LCD screen looked like it could be harmful to my eyes. My wife told me about the Kindle app on the iPad and iPhone and I thought of giving them a go. I downloaded a free Sherlock Holmes book but never got around to reading it.I really wanted to read Stieg Larrson's Milleniium

NBA 2K11 : Head and Shoulders Above the Competition

2011-03-16T07:02:00.005+08:00

I wasn't a part of the PS2 generation. During my pursuit of a higher education, I had opted not to get a console in those years. I decided that I would just play games on my PC where I discovered Civilization II, III, and IV (which by the way are all excellent!). NBA 2k11 was too hard to ignore though. Friends were posting about it and saw some videos on Facebook. The graphics really intrigued me

Taytay in the early 80's

2011-03-15T08:06:00.005+08:00

Taytay is only 12 kilometers from the Greenhills Shopping Center. But in the early 80's, it already took us more than an hour to get there on normal days. Normally we would start at Ortigas extension at Taytay then pass Junction, Rosario, Marikina river bridge, Meralco, EDSA, then reach Greenhills.The problem was that the volume of cars coming from Rizal was increasing while Rosario was still one

Power Outages Galore in Rizal and Metro Manila

2009-10-08T19:34:00.002+08:00

Below is an explanation for the power outages today in Metro Manila and Rizal... TRANSMISSION TROUBLE CAUSES POWER OUTAGES TODAY October 8, 2009 as of 3.pm. Customers in certain parts of the Meralco franchise, mostly in the eastern part, are experiencing at least three hours of power outages today (Oct. 8), as the company implements manual load dropping (MLD) due to the technical trouble at

A cool panoramic 3D view of Cory Aquino's funeral

2009-08-07T20:57:00.001+08:00

3D VR Panoramic shot of the Aquino funeral cortege as it passes Quirino Stationclick here

Ninoy's letter to His Eldest Daughter in 1973

2009-08-07T20:42:00.002+08:00

Forwarded by a brod to me...A sample of Ninoy Aquino's writing. A letter addressed to his eldest daughter Ballsy.August 18, 1973FortBonifacioMakati, RizalMs. Maria Elena C. Aquino25 Times St. Quezon CityMy dearest Ballsy,I write you this letter with tears in my eyes and as if steel fingers are crushing my heart because I wanted so much to be with you as you celebrate your legal emancipation. Now

Toilet in the park

2009-08-06T20:20:00.001+08:00

Found this Fancy toilet while walking in a park in sydney. Didn't check if there was tissue paper

Go Negosyo Book Launch: 21 Steps on How to Start Your Own Business

2009-07-16T21:12:00.003+08:00

Book Launch"21Steps on How to Start Your Own Business "JULY 22, 2009 6:00 PMand booksigning with Go Negosyo mentors and entrepreneursNational Bookstore Archaeology Wing Powerplant Mall, RockwellAttire: casual Please wear your GoNegosyo shirt.PROGRAM FLOWMessage by Joey ConcepcionInterview with Authors: Dean Pax Lapid and Ping SottoTalk/short message by Go Negosyo trustees and partnersInterview

Pisay the Movie!

2009-07-16T06:44:00.002+08:00

Pisay the movie will have special screenings at the CCP. Please see the sked below.I recommend this movie for the wives, husbands, boyfriends, girlfriends, friends, parents, etc... of all Pisay alumni. It might help you understand their neuroses.PISAY by Auraeus Solito (Cinemalaya 2007)19 July/Sun, 10:00AM at CCP Silangan Hall25 July/Sat, 12:45PM at Bulwagang Alagad Ng Sining (CCP MKP Hall)No

Mommy Thai Returns!

2009-06-11T15:28:00.004+08:00

Click to read a related article from "Ivan About Town"I didn't visit UP regularly at one time. But once, I visited a joint which was recommended by a friend. It was along Katipunan avenue in front of Balara. A small shack and I didn't remember any sign announcing its name.Once inside, I saw an old lady wearing a "daster". Just like my lola's :) It seemed like an ordinary place until you notice

Maxim Comedy Night - Maxim Philippines June 13 2009

2009-06-10T23:24:00.003+08:00

Maxim Hot Comedy NightLaughs, Ladies, and Lingerie Host: MAXIM Philippines Type: Party - Bar Night Network: Philippines Date: Saturday, June 13, 2009 Time: 9:00pm - 11:00pm Location: Fiamma Street: Jupiter Street DescriptionJoin us on Saturday, June 13 at Fiamma bar, Makati for a night of laughs, lovely ladies, and lingerie.The luscious--not to mention red-hot--Daiana Menezes is celebrating

Second Handers

2009-06-08T21:11:00.015+08:00

One of my all time favorite fiction novels is "The Fountainhead" by Ayn Rand. I must have read this book four times! I even saw the movie starring Gary Cooper.The story talks about an architect called Howard Roark. An architect who refused to follow what the crowd wanted. Choosing instead to make designs that fit the personality of his clients and the function of the structures being ordered from

A case for Bayani Fernando

2009-06-07T00:19:00.001+08:00

From Ms. Solita Monsod's column in the inquirer today, June 6.Get RealFernando’s out-of-sight acesBy Solita Collas-MonsodPhilippine Daily InquirerFirst Posted 02:12:00 06/06/2009I don’t blame MMDA Chairman Bayani Fernando for being pissed at his party for seemingly excluding him, a loyal party member, from its list of “presidentiables.” Surely, however, he should have known better than to expect

Transformational Leadership

2009-06-05T10:43:00.006+08:00

Link to Team Bayani homepageTwo days ago I had the fortune of being invited to a small breakfast meeting with MMDA (Metro Manila Development Authority) Chairman Bayani Fernando. I came into that breakfast meeting as a “sold man”. I went out determined to help spread the word about his leadership.I grew up two towns away from Marikina and the difference is just startling. How can this city change

Countdown to 2010: An ANC Leadership Forum”

2009-06-02T21:11:00.009+08:00

I hope ANC won't mind :) ... Round 2. Live telecast on ANC on June 5 at 7PM. Replay: June 6. 6PM. Saturday. Studio 23. June 7. 10:15 PM. Sunday. Channel 2. ABS-CBN