Category Archives: Thoughts

Quarantine Sky

21 Sunday Jun 2020

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If there’s one thing that I really loved during Metro Manila’s community quarantine, it’s definitely the cleaner air. Cleaner air, clearer sky.

BGC from my balcony
Mountains from afar

I appreciated my balcony more as I would work there for hours. A small table, a cup of coffee, and my work laptop – work from balcony starter pack. In between meetings, I would gaze at the mountains which I never noticed before the quarantine. Past the towers of Rockwell Center, I would see a bit of Manila Bay and the silhouettes of cranes at the Port of Manila.

Balcony workstation

How I wish the good air quality would remain as Metro Manila slowly awakens.

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I was supposed to publish this back in June 1 as the capital transitioned to the General Community Quarantine. Sadly, 20 days after, I am disappointed to report that the air quality has progressively gone worse. My air purifier has been getting PM2.5 readings of 20 – 30 lately whereas it hovered from 2 – 8 before.

Coping with the Quarantine

17 Sunday May 2020

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When it was announced back in March that a quarantine would be implemented in Metro Manila due to COVID 19, it was only natural that people were uneasy. Hours before March 16, the roads were abuzz with people heading to supermarkets.

Never noticed those mountains pre-quarantine

Thankfully, I did some trips to the supermarket the week before in anticipation of a pending lock down. Our company had also communicated work from home arrangements describing how we will be conducting our business during the quarantine.

The quarantine should only have lasted for a month. Sadly, the number of cases kept on rising so we ended up being in quarantine for two months and a half.

So what did I do within that period?

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Trip Report: Malaysia Airlines to Kuala Lumpur

19 Monday Jan 2015

Posted by in Food, Thoughts, Travel, Trip Report, Work

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I traveled to Kuala Lumpur quite frequently last year and did my best to avoid Malaysia Airlines. Why? Let’s just say I was scared. I often ended up flying with Cathay Pacific which necessitates a stop in Hong Kong. What were supposedly 3 hour 45 minute flights became tiring 9 hour journeys.

So on my last visit to the home of the Petronas Towers, I chose to fly with Malaysia Airlines. My mom and siblings asked me to cancel my trip when they found out I booked with the airline but I told them not to worry. I’ve read many unpleasant stories about Malaysia Airlines but I decided to give them a try anyway. Continue reading →

The Year That Was

31 Wednesday Dec 2014

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I know a handful of people who follow my blog and most of them are asking me to continue writing. It’s really difficult to blog when: 1) You don’t have your own laptop; 2) You are very busy with work; and 3) You have a huge back log of things to write about and they end up feeling like a burden.

Probably one of the reasons why I don’t blog regularly is mobility. I take a lot of food photos and I post them on Instagram instead of writing lengthy reviews here on my blog. Twitter hears most of my rants. As for my (mis) adventures, I share them on Facebook. I will be writing about my 2014 events but as ‘in retrospect’ posts.

A quick rundown of my 2014…

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Convention

07 Friday Jun 2013

Posted by in Personal, Random, Thoughts, Travel

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/kənˈvenCHən/

Noun:
A way in which something is usually done.

Once upon a time, the norm for government buildings was to have tasteful architecture. I was roaming around Metro Manila one fine weekend when I ended up at the CCP complex. An imposing edifice caught my attention while in search of the Coconut Palace.

The Philippine International Convention Center (PICC), completed in 1976, is one of the grand projects of the late President Ferdinand Marcos. Designed by the National Artist Leandro Locsin, it is the first international convention center in Asia. It officially opened in 1976 when the annual meeting of the World Bank was held there.

Back to my little adventure. PICC is beautiful inside and out. Its definitely brutalist. Even if it was designed in the 70’s, the building still looks modern inside and out.

The ceiling is just beautiful.

It looks sparkly inside! Very clean.

The PICC lobby.

The benches are simple yet nice.

What surprised me was how clean the place was. PICC is older than the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1 and yet it looks more fresh. Even the comfort rooms were decent!

I just hope in the coming years, government buildings would be like the PICC — timeless.

Exploring the Thai Capital

09 Saturday Jun 2012

Posted by in Food, Photographic Pursuits, Shopping, Thoughts, Travel, Work

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Much has been said about Bangkok, the bustling capital of Thailand, which is considered as the world’s best city by Travel + Leisure magazine. Whether you’re into shopping, partying, or sightseeing, the Thai capital has got you covered. Bangkok’s a great example of modernity mixed with traditional culture.

Cruising along the Chao Praya River, the birthplace of Bangkok.

Exploring Bangkok involves a lot of walking, train rides, and river cruises. It’s easy to get around the city since their modes of transport are well-integrated with each other. Also, the sidewalks of Bangkok are usually wide which is great for exploring the city on foot. In the shopping districts, such as Ratchaprasong, there are skywalks similar to Ayala Center’s. Continue reading →

First Night in Bangkok

09 Saturday Jun 2012

Posted by in Photographic Pursuits, Thoughts, Travel, Work

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On my first night in Bangkok, I was very eager to sample some authentic Thai cuisine. I walked to CentralWorld, a mall near Four Seasons Hotel and Resort Bangkok, hoping to have dinner in a Thai restaurant. Walking around the mall, I saw many Japanese, Korean, and Italian restaurants but no Thai. After an hour of searching, I gave up and headed straight to McDonald’s.

Big Mac, something that I always try when on foreign shores.

McDonald’s in Bangkok is pretty expensive. The Big Mac meal with medium fries and drink costs 147 Thai Baht, roughly in 196 in Philippine Pesos. To be fair though, their Big Mac had very juicy patties. Continue reading →