Some Scenes This Winter

Scenes shot from the balcony...

 

Critter in the Trees

Outside the window...

Gmail Teahouse Theme Screenshots

view of my Gmail account with the Teahouse theme, blurred the

details of my inbox of course

I used the Teahouse theme for my Gmail account in the past few months.  And I noticed how it changes scenes and how the fox character changes locations or activities in the design depending on what time of day it was.  It's fun trying to check out what might be the latest setting for the time I open my email.  So much so that I took to taking screenshots of each changed scene that I catch.  Lol.

fox feeding the birds in his garden

fox in his kitchen

fox watering his bonsai in the garden

fox in the kitchen and food on the garden table

fox watering his garden

Happy Holidays

Snoopy and Woodstock

and "Oh Christmas Tree"

lovely

Happy holidays!

My List of Overrated Films

The following big-ticket films disappointed me and made me wonder at all the fuss.  Will update this post every time I find another film overrated.

1.  Eclipse and all its sequels.
Just when I thought it's done with a part two, here comes a part 3.  Gah.

2.  Shutter Island (by Martin Scorsese)

3.  Inception (by Chris Nolan)
Tried to make its story seem smart but isn't really smart at all.  At least The Matrix movies got it right. lol.

4.  The Departed (by Martin Scorsese)
You'd be better off watching the original Hong Kong version Infernal Affairs, anytime.  And this won an Oscar? *shakes head*

5.  Hugo (by Martin Scorsese)
Attempted to resemble an artsy fartsy French film but story failed to engage the audience.  Too dull.  Felt sorry for the kid who was watching it beside me.  Glad I didn't have to pay to see it (saw it for free care of rewards points from card), but appreciated the cinema history lesson.  Liked the little dogs though. :P

6.  Mystic River (by Clint Eastwood)
No more Clint Eastwood films for me from then on.

7.  Star Wars prequels.
Should have stopped at the 3rd installment of Star Wars.

8.  An Education (by Lone Scherfig)

9.  Atonement (by Joe Wright)

10.  The Notebook (by Nick Cassavetes)

11. vintage drama movies starring Leonardo di Caprio
No thanks.  lol.


For now, it's safe to say that if a film is by Clint Eastwood or Martin Scorsese, count me out of going to see it. hehe.

Putting Things in Perspective

Just putting things in perspective....some words from Bill Gates to members of the Harvard community:

"I hope you will reflect on what you’ve done with your talent and energy. I hope you will judge yourselves not on your professional accomplishments alone, but also on how well you work to address the world’s deepest inequities, on how well you treat people a world away who have nothing in common with you but their humanity."

I might add: ....and not just how well you treat people a world away, but also within your immediate environment.  Hehe!


Referenced from a Businesweek article online about 'idolizing' Bill Gates instead of Steve Jobs, a good read: http://www.businessweek.com/management/idolize-bill-gates-not-steve-jobs-11012011.html

Skip This Book

Have you ever bought or read a certain sci-fi/thriller/suspense book and wished you hadn't done either?  That it was just hype and that it didn't live up to it?  Well, I just recently did and hope others would steer clear of this book -- The Passage by Justin Cronin.  You can perhaps borrow it, but I wouldn't recommend buying it.

The story seemed too long or prolonged.  It read like one long, winding and somewhat badly edited movie with no clear direction.

I can't believe I actually finished reading it.  Lol.  The first part seemed okay.  However, I was expecting an ending, like a loose ends tied ending.  But didn't get it.  Why?  'Cause turns out the book is the first of a trilogy.

And then I find out eventually that the author collaborated with Ridley Scott, and that it's the first novel out of a supposed trilogy.  No wonder then.  It was deliberately written with the possibility of having it made into a movie/s.  Talk about hype and commercialization.

You can bet am not gonna bother with the sequels.  And I say this right after I finished reading it and put down the book, and without having known at the time that it's the first of a trilogy or that it's a collaboration with Ridley Scott.

Oh well.

Good Read

That's the cover of the non-fiction novel Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer.  It's the author's personal account of a tragic climb by a few groups of climbers to the summit of Everest on May 10, 1996, where, by the end, at least 8 people died.  And the author was one of the survivors.

my shot of the outside of Mandala Book Shop

I bought the book at the Mandala Book Shop in Pokhara in Nepal prior to our trek, but only got to read it about two months later.  This version is the British publication of the non-fiction, by the publishing house MacMillan.  There's a newer version printed in the U.S., with more photos.

I just finished reading the book last night.  And man, what a read.  Had a hard time putting the book down.  Some passages also are kind of creepy --

Autumn Collage

some of my shots this autumn... testing Picasa's collage feature.. hehe!

Happy Halloween!

Some pics taken while and about this October..

interesting home window treatment.. frankenstein.

shopwindow

carved pumpkins

Afternoon Window Pics

Just some pics I shot from the window this cool and sunny autumn day...

 

towards the right

somewhat center

 at the left

My Nepal Trek Gear - A Review

Some months back I posted a blog of the gear I planned on wearing and using during my Nepal Himalaya trek.  This time, I'm blogging about some points regarding these gear/apparel after the trip because such info might also be useful to some.

Note that I'm also a photography enthusiast so I also brought some photography gear with me, and the trek was done during the monsoon season.

To start off:

1. daypack

in the bus from Pokhara to Nayapul

I used a Deuter Act Trail 28 SL.  Used it all the way from the flight from Manila, to Bangkok, and to Kathmandu and back, and of course while on the trail.

at one of the teahouse stops

Verdict = essential, but when I bought it, I was looking to buy the 24 SL 'cause it's slightly smaller and I didn't want to bring heavy stuff while on the trail so I thought 24 SL might be enough.  However, since I also used the same pack as a carryon bag on the flights to and from Nepal, the 28 SL was the better choice.

Design and Culture Icon

"We don’t have good language to talk about this kind of thing.... In most people’s vocabularies, design means veneer. It’s interior decorating. It’s the fabric of the curtains and the sofa. But to me, nothing could be further from the meaning of design. Design is the fundamental soul of a man-made creation that ends up expressing itself in successive outer layers of the product or service...

.....That is the furthest thing from veneer. It was at the core of the product the day we started. This is what customers pay us for — to sweat all these details so it’s easy and pleasant for them to use our computers. We’re supposed to be really good at this. That doesn’t mean we don’t listen to customers, but it’s hard for them to tell you what they want when they’ve never seen anything remotely like it."

 -- by Steve Jobs

The above was quoted from the New York Times, re Steve Jobs expressing his focus on design in a Fortune magazine article in the year 2000, the year after I graduated with a degree in industrial design.  I couldn't have defined design better myself.  Even back then, while working on my industrial design degree, I was already tracking the comeback of Apple.  And I have entrepreneur uncles who used Macintosh computers in their businesses pre-colorful iMacs.  So about 5 years or so later -- after some messy experiences with Windows PCs and laptops and my non-existent Windows OS reinstall and formatting skills (lol) -- I finally got my own, an iBook running on a PowerPC G4 chip by Motorola (the last of its kind).  

my old Apple iBook G4, at a hotel in Germany

Along with the above info (only emphasized by the Fortune magazine interview), once I got that Mac and used its OS and hardware, I never went back.. hehe!  Best decision I made and money well spent. 

Nepal Himalaya Trek - Some Highlights

my favorite shot from my trip
That's one of the peaks of the Annapurna in the Himalaya,
shot from the bus on the way to Nayapul from
Pokhara for the first day's trek

It's been 1 or 2 weeks now since I got back from my trek in the Himalayas. Things kept me busy on the home front since my return, with family visiting from other countries and us going on another vaca while they were here.  And then finding out that my old laptop keyboard has gone bust the day we got back home.  What's a girl to do?  hehe.

Anyhow, this trek was my first weeks-long trek anywhere.  We took the Annapurna Base Camp (ABC) trek, not the Everest one.  Hearing the name Everest alone sort of makes a newbie trekker like me hesitate to undertake one's first long trek.  Lol.  However, just because the Annapurna Base Camp trek can also be for newbies doesn't mean it's any less challenging.

One thing's for sure, if you're not fond of taking walks or have a pretty serious problem with your knees (I have no knee problem but ended up having to wear knee support to be on the safer side when the right knee started feeling weak/sore... still managed to carry my daypack everyday though) or aren't really into the outdoors, trekking in the Himalayas isn't for you, including this one -- Annapurna or not.  But if you're like the Hong Kong residents who typically walk fast or Westerners (mostly Europeans) we encountered on the trek who are used to hiking and have similar terrains back in their hometowns, it probably would be a breeze for you.  And maybe I'll blog more about this in another post.

This is the itinerary we chose to undertake:
On the way --

Binondo Church

My last shots of Binondo Church before I left Manila, using my Olympus XZ-1 point and shoot:

no effects, cloudy white balance

used art filter mode, dramatic tone (possibly my favorite option from the said mode.. hehe!)

Cat on the Table

just a shot of what's on the table at a hamburger place nearby, where 

I had dinner last week, while waiting for our orders.

coke bottles by the tables

my dinner.. was really hungry after a day out and about.. hehe!

Current Phone

while installing the Skype app

Just got myself a new phone plan, and it came with a free Google Nexus S phone.  It seemed to be the best deal so far with many unlimited features (including unlimited international texting) and the phone was a bonus.  I deliberately avoided choosing plans with Blackberry units or Nokia with Symbian OS (we all know where both are headed I think. hehe! :P ).

Wasn't really planning on an Android phone but needed a new mobile plan asap and it just so happens that the Samsung Google Nexus S is the best with the offer so far, since Apple's iPhone 5 is not yet released (tsk...).  I've been waiting for the iPhone 5 but need a mobile phone service asap so this free Android phone that came with the plan will do for now.  After all it came free when its actual cost is 400-500 USD thereabouts.  Gosh.  hehe!  Wasn't even aware of this model 'til I started looking around in shops for a new mobile phone plan the day before I got it.

So far so good.  Been like bringing a pocket PC with me with this smartphone.  hehe.  I just hate the apps running in the background when you don't need them.  And one big caveat?  My Macbook Pro with Lion OSX (yes I replaced my 5-year-old Mac with the striped feline OS) can't read the thing when I connect it via USB.  Gaaah!!  What's up with that?  :(   So might really switch to an iPhone 5 later once it's available.  Good thing I didn't shell out any cash for this free Android phone.  *sigh*

Design - I Like Some Felines

 my shot of one such feline at a teahouse in the Himalaya, Nepal

I've been liking felines and it's only now that I've realized it.  I like Sanrio/Hello Kitty.  I like my different Mac OSXs (a striped one, and my current roaring feline... skipped the one in the snow).  And I like Puma since 2007.

These words from my Puma's shoebox too made my day:
"Re-cyle

1. As a doll's house, for a small doll.

2. As a container for useless stuff you really should have chucked out by now.

3. As a place for private photos you can't store on your hard disc."

And I was even thinking to keep the shoebox for actual photos (not necessarily the private kind) am packing, before I read those words on the box package when I got home.  Lol!

Am removing old photos from their photo albums instead of packing the albums and having those taking a bigger space in a moving carton.  Then put back the shoes into the box once am at my new destination.

The box also has a guide on shoe sizes where it compares some selected sizes to real life items. Case in point: If your shoe size is a France size 47, it's as long as a "party blower blown", or if it's a US men's size 16 and 1/2, they're as long as "a gangster's gold chain". hahaha! Crazy Puma!

The barcode's kinda funny too.  

screenshot from http://martin318is.blogspot.com/ website

To know more about Puma's re-inventing the design of the shoebox as we know it: click here.
(Indeed it'd be great if several other shoe companies follow suit.)

To read a rather funny and cool story about this shoe company: click here.
(No wonder I like this feline then:  I liked its sibling's shoes, too, before this feline's revival).

Yeah... I'm definitely not gonna throw out this old box yet! hehe! :P

Hmmm

sneak peak of my trip

Guess where?  Will post some more info in the next month/s I guess.  Hehe.

Manila - Trek Gear Shopping Tips

I am a trekking newbie and when I decided late last year to go on my first serious trek at a mountain range overseas (scheduled months down the road back then), let's say I had an interesting as well as fun time of it for some months researching, window-shopping, and finally purchasing online and in Metro Manila whichever items I don't have yet .

So, in the interest of sharing with fellow trekking newbies where I shopped for my trek/outdoors gear and other shopping tips, I'm posting here my shopping tips/directory for the semi-budget-conscious trekker.  Lol.

1.  amazon.com

• women's leather boots: I chose a relatively inexpensive waterproof Timberland pair with ankle support.  It was recommended by an experienced trekker friend of mine.  I bought a half-size larger and I'm glad I did because it fits almost like my usual shoe size, and because I'll be wearing thick wool socks with it:  one thick merino wool outer, and one liner sock...to minimize blisters. So it had to have extra room.  It arrived today and I tried it on, and it fits great with the socks.  Thank goodness.  Hehe!  I was afraid it might not fit me.  Lol.  I'm wearing it on a climb to a really well-known high-altitude mountain range overseas whose topography/climate arguably differs with that of the Philippines's so I'm not sure if it would be the best footwear to recommend for Philippine mountain climbs.

• merino wool socks:  warm socks; anti-bacterial, can be worn more than once without having to wash them; more expensive than your usual or athletic socks
• point and shoot camera pouch: I chose a Lowepro Tasca 30 for my Olympus XZ-1
• poncho: covers yourself/bag if it rains torrentially up in the mountain, can do double duty as a makeshift tent with the right gear; possibly available in Metro Manila (supermarts or Ace Hardware maybe?) 

2.  my Deuter Act Trail 28 SL pack (includes pack rain cover):  Recreational Outdoor Exchange, otherwise known as R.O.X., also available in Toby's Sports

3.  trek pants

Lunar Eclipse June 2011

That's the best shot out of my amateur efforts last week. Used my Olympus DSLR with telephoto lens.  All photos are cropped from the original.

Below was when it became red/orange courtesy of an erupting volcano in Chile.

And here are the views from afar.

How to Train Your Dragon...and then Some

*Sigh*   Would have been really great to have attended this were it at my own backyard so to speak.  Such a talented person, how do they get this ability?  Composing music is abstract to me..  Makes one wish to have an exceptional and distinctive talent of one's own.  Lol.  And if there's one reason I'd visit London, it's to watch and listen to the Royal Philaharmonic Orchestra perform in their turf if anyplace else isn't possible.

Below is someone's youtube post of music composer John Powell conducting the Royal Philharmonic with selected music of his creation for the animated film How to Train Your Dragon.

From 03:25 is my favorite. Amazing!  Argh get me out of here.  Lol!  Makes me wish too that this was officially recorded with professional camera work, with nearer shots of the composer and orchestra performing.  There's a part 1 to the video as well in youtube.

It might be illegal to post it so just as the original poster was advised to do, I am giving credit where credit is due:  The concert was for charity, Concert for CARE at the Royal Albert Hall.  By CARE International:  If you enjoy this video, we kindly ask you to make a donation to CARE International. The idea of the concert was to raise money for the charity and all the composers gave a huge amount of time to help support us.  Please contribute by donating online here: http://bit.ly/cs3cw6

I came across the above video after some online research on the soundtrack to the movie How to Train Your Dragon.  I just finished watching it tonight.  Gosh!  It's among my favorites now.  Beats Avatar, or even Toy Story 1, 2, or 3 I must say on the movie enjoyment scale.  Lol.  Too bad I didn't get to see it on IMAX.

And below is my favorite track in the film: Forbidden Friendship.  It's the song that made me look for the sountrack initially, until I couldn't help but notice that the rest of the music in the film are quite outstanding as well while watching it.  Incredible.  hehe!  Seeing the film makes me wanna have my own cute dragon.  haha!

I also liked that they used Scottish actors/accents for some of the main characters.  Despite the incongruity of it with the story supposedly about a Viking community, the accents were effective, the words very clear.  One of them sounded so familiar, turns out it was the Spartan Leonidas (300's Gerard Butler) doing the voice for the Viking leader.

At certain angles, Toothless -- the protaganist's dragon (above) -- resembles Japanese animation characters like those in Pokemon/Pikachu.  Lol!  Cute.

I loved cinematographer Roger Deakins's work here too (especially the forest scenes, the aurora borealis, candle light cast on the characters, etc).  Lucky cast, crew and tech whizzes for having this film in their portfolio.  I'd be extremely proud if I were one of them.  hehe!

Anyway, now you know which movie and CD are newly added to my wish list.

Paris - No Woman No Cry...at the Arrondissement 18

Why do I like France/Paris...?  It's not so much the monuments, or the food, but rather its richness and appreciation of arts and culture, and not just for the high art sort of culture... hehe.

I like listening to many different sorts of music, sometimes in different languages.  And Paris is a pretty good place to be for this.  Arts and culture appreciation is so inherent in them it's not uncommon to find it manifested quite more overtly in their urban landscape than in many other urban cities.

A lot of times, you can encounter talented or interesting artists and musicians performing on the streets, the metro, etc...like it's just another ordinary day,  like this guy Ben L'Oncle Soul singing in the Metro.  I was listening to an online French music station when I heard it play one of his songs -- Elle Me Dit.  And I was like, Wow.  Loved what I heard and now I have mp3s of his album.  I took a look in youtube today to know more about this artist and found this, probably one of his older performances.

Nice no? Effortless talent indeed, especially with his rather distinct voice.  You should view their accoustic cover of Acqua's Barbie Girl song.  Lol! Here's another show of talent from him:

Below are videos I recorded of some performances I encountered on the streets in Paris, taken with my old point and shoot camera's video feature:

This one was recorded on a footbridge along the Seine, at the arrondissement 4.  That was pretty cool too.

Trek Gear List

Below are lists of things I'm bringing/wearing/using on a multi-day/week trek this year.  The destination's a cold place especially as we go up to a higher altitude, but am not going during winter so I won't be bringing any down jacket.


Bags

1. Deuter ACT Trail 28 SL pack - a pack designed for women's bodies..    
   
   
2. 1 sturdy duffle bag
   - holds all items that I need not carry while on the trail
   - to be carried by porter once trek starts
3. small pack
   - for my on/off trail carryon items 
   - might use my small and lightweight MEC Ridgemont pack (pictured below with my Bad Badtz Maru plush) or my small Millet pack.
   
   - This small pack would be put inside the Deuter pack when on the trail, and pulled out when at accommodations and dining at accommodations, for convenience with my carryon items.  Not camping with tents see.
4. stuff sacks/bag
   - usually nylon drawstring bags or small zip up toiletry bags (freebies from cosmetics/skincare/perfume product purchases.. lol) or plain plastic bags to organize my packing of items into stuff sacks: i.e., electronic gear peripherals in one, toiletries in another bag, undgergarments and socks in another bag, food packets, first aid kit, etc.

Electronics + Peripherals

1. DSLR camera with extra lens
   - especially for landscape, macro, evening, and astro-photography
2. point and shoot camera
   - mainly for trail, people, and other camp pics
3. lightweight tripod
4. lens filters and cleaner
5. my iPod video/classic (5th gen)
   - so can backup photos straight from the camera to here, not to a cumbersome laptop.. then transfer to PC/laptop when I get back home
6. cellphone (whether or not it's going to be used)
7. chargers, cables, and extra batteries and cards
8. camera pouch for my Olympus XZ-1 point and shoot camera, clipped on to my pack's strap/harness for easy access when on the trail
   

Other Gear

1. poncho
2. trekking poles
3. head torch
4. gloves
5. watch
   - I got myself an inexpensive and basic sporty Timex Marathon watch (in torquoise) 'cause I don't want to lose track of the date and time while trekking for several days/weeks. It also looks cute even when not trekking. hehe.
   - It has a daily alarm, 2 timezones, 24-hr timer, stopwatch, 50m water resistance, etc.
6. fleece blanket
7. towel
8. sarong 
9. metal water bottle
10. plastic drinking cup
11. my double-walled tea tumbler
    - got this in Vancouver
    
    
12. spoon and fork
13. gaiters (I'm not sure yet how useful a pair would be for me)

Apparel

Recently Bought Online

Another day, another mundane post.   :P

Mainly for an upcoming trip, I've bought a couple of items online in the past 2-3 months; all on amazon.com.  It's just  more convenient that way, especially when I know some friends coming over to Manila from the US who are willing to bring the items for me, but also because most of the items are stuff on my to-buy list but can't find sold in the country.

 

I don't really enjoy going to the malls unless I am hanging out with friends/family, or I feel like buying new clothes at Promod, or some kawaii stuff at a Sanrio store, or some books at the bookstores, or am researching/window-shopping for outdoor gear/apparel and gadgets/computers to compare with online shopping price and availability. Yeah?  hehe!

So anyhow, my latest online purchases are kind of related to some future plans which involve trekking/the outdoors and my other interest which is photography, and the rest are items I like but which I can't find in the Philippines.

So let's see the stuff I bought online (for a planned trip) which I can't find in shops in Manila: