Firing!

Last Sunday, I was able to go with my dad and brother for a target shooting afternoon. Wow! I cant believe I would be able to fire a caliber .45, what more, most of my hits are in the alpha zone (meaning: If I shot a person in the alpha zone, he’s dead!). I also had a hit in the head area alpha zone.

At first, I shrieked at the sound of the gunfire and I was the only girl in the field. I and my military instructor spent almost an hour discussing the safety precautions. Then, when I was getting bored. I told him, I’m ready to Fire!

Woooah! It was a great feeling!!! The sound of gunfire is a stress reliever, especially if you’re getting all the hits. I felt like Angelina Jolie in Wanted. =)

Target shooting is not just a macho hobby but it’s actually a great sport. I just spent 2 hours of shooting (with breaks) and used up around 50 bullets. It was actually exhausting, the gun was heavy, mind you, and the heat of the sun was already baking me.

Till my next target shooting afternoon, hopefully I would be able to Curl a Bullet, then… Hahaha….

P.S. A great tip for an alpha zone hit, Imagine you’re shooting your ex-boyfriend / girlfriend… (no pun intended)… hahaha…

Farewell Bran…

“When our loved ones die, they do not leave us. They remain. They do not go to some dark and distant place. They simply begin their eternity. We do not see them because we are still in the darkness of the world. But their spiritual eyes, filled with the light of heaven, are always watching us as they wait for the day when we shall share their perfect joy. We are all born for heaven and one by one we end this life of tears to begin our life in endless happiness”.

Edgar Bran Sacil, I will miss you

Padangat taka’

FRESH Water from THIN Air?

Wooaah! I cant believe the “inventions” coming up in the market and in the course of changing the consumer’s needs.

Here’s the XZIEX™ Atmospheric Water Maker, apparently it “creates clean, fresh water out of thin air by extracting water from the humidity found naturally in Earth’s atmosphere. “

Okay, it’s been a long time since we are able to drink tap water. We are also polluting the environment with the overpriced and wasteful bottled waters. What more, there have been tests on water bottles and purifying stations found positive for certain bacteria and chemical contamination.

XZIEX™ Q&A:

Q: How does the XZIEX™ Machine work?

A: Our machines extract moisture from the atmosphere through a condensation process and transform it into absolutely clean, healthy drinking water.

Q: Is there enough water in the air to produce water every day?

A: Since there are billions of gallons of water recycling in the atmosphere every day, the perpetual supply is limitless and accessible almost everywhere in the world.” There are 3.1 quadrillion gallons of water in the atmosphere at any given time.

Q: Can I really get clean, fresh drinking water from air that may have so many impurities in it?

A: Absolutely! The XZIEX™ process of multiple air and water filtration systems removes particulate matter smaller than .01 microns.

Q: Is it expensive to produce water with XZIEX™?

A: The XZIEX™ atmospheric water generator is extremely efficient and uses a minimal amount of energy to produce water. Depending on local electricity costs, a gallon of XZIEX™ water costs about 10 cents to produce.

Q: Will water produced from the air in my home or office have a funny taste or smell?

A: Absolutely not. The XZIEX™ purification system employs special filters to remove any unpleasant tastes or odor that may be present in the air. The result is fresh and delicious drinking water in its purest form

So are we ready for XZIEX?

Check the webiste for more details: http://www.atmosphericwatermaker.com/

FREAKONOMICS

“A rogue economist explores the hidden side of everything”

Author: Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner.

“One of the decade’s most intelligent and provactive books.” - The Daily Standard.

I cant seem to put this book down, no kidding, the book is a very remarkable and also overwhelming expose’ of EVERYTHING through the scales of economics.

 

It’s a wow, economics can be so practical after all. If only economics was taught this way in college, I would’ve gotten an A then. Haha…

 

Petra and Pilar

When I am in dire need of Comfort Food (Define: Home cooked meals that can take my sadness away), I would do all lengths to get a sweet bite of comfort food. One time I was craving for caldereta, I googled up a pinoy recipe and attempted to cook it in my kitchen, I ended up eating a bowl of simmered beef with tomato sauce. Another time, I drove all the way to Tagaytay for a sumptuous LZM bangus meal. In extreme cases, I would go home to Naga City just to eat bicol style adobo, inihaw, bulalo, and lechon. Yum!

Ok, I’m such a crazy foodie! But now, the food god has been nice to me, and it’s all because of Petra & Pilar! The place is marketed as a high-style / sosyal carinderia offering honest to goodness filipino - spanish meals. It’s a typical turo - turo, you choose the meals that are displayed in the counter. Then, the waiters serve it warmed. Since most of the comfort food meals I crave are usually offered in typical and (not so sanitized) carinderias, this place is a blessing with its very clean dining area and a chic ambience. The place also smells good, like wafting chocolate!

What attracted me to this place is its very flavorful, homey and affordable meals. The menu is prepared by Chef Ed Quimson, a reknowned chef in Manila in partnership with Katrina Ponce Enrile. Among the meals I’ve tried are the Beef Kalitiran (P110), Caldereta (P130), Sisig (P120), and Tahong (P55); and they’ve always remained in my To Order list.

Beef Kalitiran is Petra and Pilar’s best seller. Quoting MarketMan “kalitiran is referred to as either beef chuck, brisket, possibly flank steak, etc.” The very tender beef is served with a very tasteful brown sauce. The serving is good for two person, but the meal is so great that you would be able to finish a plateful.

I could definitely taste Comfort in the Caldereta. The meat is cooked to perfection with its rich and zesty sauce topped with cheese. I could even finish another cup of rice just for the sauce!

For the first time, I was able to try a Sisig which is not sizzling! I wasn’t able to take a picture since it looks so pale. What’s good about the sisig is its non-greasy taste, yet, there’s still a spicy kick.

The Tahong came as a surprise to me! For only 55 pesos, I get to enoy a soup-based tahong, which I can usually eat at home only . Most Restaurants usually served the tahong baked.

Petra and Pilar also offer sa variety of desserts which I will try on my next visit. You can also buy Delimondo products here, I heard the Corned beef is a Winner!

Phew! I am already craving for another Petra and Pilar meal. My flat is just 50meters away from the place, that’s why it’s my ultimate source of comfort food!

Petra & Pilar is located at the Ground Floor of the JAKA Center Building, Export Ave. corner Pasong Tamo, Makati City with telephone number 887-5168.

another Made of Honor

I’ve been wanting to watch the movie. With Patrick Dempsey (Tom) and Michelle Monaghan (Hannah) as the lead stars, I was really hoping for a fresh and imaginative romatic film. Yet, it was another formula-ic chick flick that should be set aside for cable viewing. The story is My Bestfriend’s Wedding-ish with a very predictable ending (long time friends - boy fall in love with girl - but girl is getting married - so boy chase girl to the altar). The script was also generic and lacking in depth. Nothing inventive, really.

Anyway, a formula story aside, the film showed majestic scenes in Scotland. It was really breathtaking! Greatly, Tom and Hannah have excellent chemistry and were really great in their roles. They really portray a relationship grounded on deep friendship.

Moreover, the movie can stir your relationship compatibility instincts. One admirable aspect of their relationship is their constant overflow of laughter. Hahaha.. Laughter is very important, mind you.

In one of Sir Calasanz’ paper “PARTNERS AND MARRIAGE,” Laughter was one of the keys for compatibility.

Laughter tells you how much you will enjoy each other’s company over the long term. If your laughter together is good and healthy, and not at the expense of others, then you have a healthy relationship to the world. Laughter is the child of surprise. If you can make each other laugh, you can always surprise each other. And if you can always surprise each other, you can always keep the world around you new.

Aaaawwww….

Anyway, if you are planning to watch the movie, I won’t stop you from doing so, just don’t expect any overflow of emotions. But do expect that McDreamy is still a gorgeous sweetheart!

Countdown to Day 55!

I made a very difficult and forced decision.

I thought I would soon be free. But No No No…

 Sigh…

55 More Days!!!!

Typhoon2000.com

The typhoon season have already started and we are all witnesses on how unpredictable it can be. Weather forecasting is not really an exact science, moreover, a typhoon is as fickle minded as a woman! Haha…

But if you want a very reliable weather forecast and much more accurate than PAGASA.

Visit: http://www.typhoon2000.com

It is Philippine’s first website on tropical cyclones and is updated every 6 hours during times of typhoon. It also provides a 24 hour weather / typhoon altert via SMS and MMS. You can also send inquiries via email.

The site is designed and managed by a fellow Bicolano David Michael Padua.

Whenever I would be going on a trip, I would always consult him for a weather forecast. I must say, he is one Great WeatherMan!

Frank + Filipinos Fury

I and a few of my colleagues got a personal email from Singapore’s CFO, she was asking if we are okay, as there was a strong typhoon which ravaged several regions in the country and caused the Princess of the Sea casualty.

According to NDCC, there is an estimated P4.27B in damages. Wooaah! Apparently, Frank’s fury has been catastrophic and very much publicized in the foreign news.

It was only this morning that I was able to watch the news and I was stunned. Typhoons are yearly uninvited guests in our country. In fact, we have a Typhoon Season! Yet we seem to be absolute greenhorns in disaster management.

The Princess of the Sea casualty is avoidable if the Sulpicio officers were wise enough to remember what a typhoon is in the Philippines. The ship has sunk and 800 people are still missing. The storm has passed and the only action there is “Under Investigation” Or “we are waiting for reinforcements from the US and Japan.”

Casualties of Floods, mudslides, etc are all acts of nature. Yet, rescue operations and evacuation facilities are still below par. There is not even a clear contingency plan for our yearly expected disasters. I am not saying that our government is not doing anything, it’s just that the accountable officials are still very much tenderfoot. Is it due to lack of resources, training, leadership? Aren’t our history of disasters enough to serve as lessons?

In the company I am working for we have a COB, Continuity of Business plan. We formulate this plan and even test drive it. In case the manila center is bombed, devastated, wrecked; then we put our COB into action. We still continue business, no matter what, or else the world will suffer without us, (their very reliable and hardworking slaves)… haha…

Anyway, I hope our country’s disaster management would improve for the best and I hope the families’ victims would get through this dreadful disaster.

a little bit of sci trivia

I was helping my little brother with his Science homework, he has to research 20 science trivias. My geeky self was stimulated so I practically did his homework.

here are some of the interesting trivias:

1. The Smell of Coffee can wake you up

2. The “5 second rule” when your sandwich falls into the ground can make you sick

3. It takes roughly half a dozen email links to reach just any other person in the world

4. A shattered moon caused saturn’s dazzling rings

5. Rafflesia Plants: world’s largest flower is actually a parasite

6. Pumice rocks can float

7. Los angeles and San Francisco are destined to merge in 15 million years

8. Fishes can be hermaphrodites, they be a male or female depending on their environment

**** this is due to boredom on a rainy weekend!