Babysitting at the Bay

16 April 2013

The Philippine Pediatric Society just had its annual convention and my pediatrician aunt from Pangasinan had to attend.

They stayed at the Sofitel Manila, one of the poshest hotels in the city (at least in my humble opinion). Doctors' accommodations are usually sponsored for these things and my aunt usually lets me tag along. In return, I watch over my cousins while she attends the conference and business meetings, and catches up with her residency friends from Manila.

The room had a nice balcony.

Look at that smog. I wonder if the sky was bluer before the automobile was invented.

There are times when I dread these things because my cousin Matthew can get a little... bratty. Thankfully, he's less pushy and more subdued this time. It's a nice change from last time (I made him cry), but it also reminds me that the cousins are growing up fast.

Matthew.

I purposely brought my camera so I can capture the sunset. But because of a brief (2-hour) jaunt in the pool with a 7 year old, I missed the actual sunset by minutes. I got the orange glow instead.

But the orange glow is still pretty nice.

Pass

Tadaaaa!!!

This is my thesis book. It is printed and signed and bound in a pretty maroon. My name is embossed in gold. It is to be kept by the College of Architecture Library for students of the future to see.

I passed the book along with these DVDs that will be given to the faculty and the adviser.

I passed these along with my friends and classmates.

Fooling around...

All in all, we passed.

Cheers to a new chapter ahead!!!

Solitary Walk: The National Art Gallery

08 March 2013

Pictures taken on: 06 March 2013

I promised myself another solitary photowalk after my deliberations, but then there aren't a lot of areas in Metro Manila where I can't take pictures with a DSLR alone without getting mugged or stealthily robbed (or at least feeling like it). So I thought of cancelling the solitary thing and just taking someone with me. 

Then the Anthropology professor assigned us to go to the National Museum's exhibit on Baybayin, which is the Philippine's ancient script.

So I decided to go on with the solitary walk in the Museum of the Filipino people. But I've already been there.

Once I got to the museum, I saw the building right next to it, which is the National Art Gallery. I realized I've never been there.

So before doing my extra credit Anthro homework, I went to the National Art Gallery first.

I'm super compressing this post because the museum is so big and there's just so much to see. I spent a few hours inside and I was very hungry once I got out.

Ah, Neocolonialism. You so pretty.

Since the building used to house the country's Senate, it was super fancy inside. It made me think of other public buildings in the country, where fanciness isn't exactly a priority. What if it was?

Pucay Road + Bencab

27 December 2012

My mother had a mini-reunion in Baguio City, where she studied high school. My grandparents sent her to an exclusive all-girls school up there in the mountains. It was run by nuns. My grandfather said that they were not satisfied with the high schools in Pangasinan, so they sent her (and one of my aunts) to Baguio because Holy Family (now co-ed and runs by a different name) was a good school.

My grandmother said they wanted her to become a nun. Yeah, right.

Anyway, we went to Baguio and visited one of my grandmother's friends, and her neighbor. The neighbor owns a really beautiful house, with extensive views and gardens that grow just about anything.

Coffee

Then we went to the Bencab Museum along Asin Road.

I found it interesting that Bencab found his muse in a vagrant woman.

My grandmother nagged me into taking pictures of paintings that she liked.

Stealing old flower seeds.... shhhh.

Christmas Day

25 December 2012

The day before Christmas was spent cooking, making ref cake, last-minute gift wrapping, babysitting, and other chores. Christmas eve was a little unusual for us. First, there were not much fireworks (due to the DOH Gangnam ban on them) so there was not much noise. The Simbang Gabi was held outdoors, which made the mass seem more like a concert due to the crowd. I didn't take pictures of the Noche Buena because there were already too many people holding cameras. I was also too busy eating. heh.

Christmas Day was even more unusual. We decided to spend it in Tita A's small farm/outhouse/play area/escape grounds in Aramal.

We decided to eat healthy for once. 

We also visited the construction site of the parish's new theology seminary.

Went back and played awkward basketball...

and awkward Bingo...

 

Then a beautiful sunset made Christmas Day even better.

Happy Holidays! :)

Thoughts on the Church... and crying babies

22 December 2012

We woke up early today... very early. Our grandparents woke us up at 3:30AM so we could go to simbang gabi. I don't actually go to those masses because a. I'm too lazy, b. I would just fall asleep in the middle and embarrass myself and my family and, c. If ever I do go to simbang gabi, I admit I'd probably do it for the wish thing, which is totally the wrongest reason to go to any holy celebration. 

But today, I went with the family to celebrate mass because it is my uncle's 22nd year as a Catholic priest.

My uncle (standing) with some of the guests from the church.

My grandparents hosted breakfast at their house (which is a few blocks away) right after. When my grandmother told me us to expect a few people (tayo-tayo lang naman), she meant a lot of people. 

People are surprised when they find out that I have an uncle who belongs to the clergy. I don't know what they expect. Maybe they thought that I would be more... pious if I had an uncle-priest.

But then I supported the RH bill, and I celebrated with the women of the nation when it was passed. I disagreed with a lot of priests and bishops when they made their "pro-life" stances, and I hated the feeling I get when I had to listen to the overbearing sermons of priests of their thoughts on divorce, abortion, sex, and sexuality. It infuriates me when the church says "no" without consulting the facts first, and without looking at the consequences.

Nonetheless, I still go to mass because of my uncle-priest, who answered my questions on life and death when I was younger after my pet rabbit died, who would give me communion on those days when I couldn't go to mass, who answered my question "why me?" when I had to go through surgery and physical therapy.

Happy Anniversary, Tito!

..........................

Anyway, here are some other pictures of what happened after the breakfast. We all had sugar rush and we crashed after the guests were gone. Some of us slept until 5pm. :)

At last, a picture of myself!

Bricks

Topy

Matthew and Nina