blanca-thiSandThat: June 2008

NOT-QUITE-Under-the-Sea Aquatic Experience

Saying goodbye to summer doesn’t have to be a sad affair for your kids. Cap off the summer season with a fun activity that has an educational slant. A recently popular venue can be the Manila Ocean Park located at the back of Quirino Grandstand in Rizal Park. This is the Philippines’ first world-class Oceanarium.

Manila Ocean Park recently partnered with World Wildlife Fund-Philippines (WWF) to optimize the learning process and assure the visitors of the right level of awareness. It also aims to show that oceans are important in human & world survival. Truly, a visit in Manila Ocean Park is more than just a fun “fish” experience.

The sections which divides the Oceanarium are: "Agos"; "Bahura"; "Buhay na Karagatan"; "Pating"; "Ang Kailaliman"; and "Laot", practically reflects the water source flow from fresh water to the ocean. You will be fascinated with what the Oceanarium has to offer; fish in all sizes and colors on display, multiple hues of coral reefs, 220 degree curved acrylic walkway tunnel, an experience of an ocean life and a lot more.

Manila Ocean Park is open from 10am – 9pm, daily with an entrance fee of PHP 400 and PHP 350, for adults and children, respectively. As it draws a number of visitors everyday, expect a long queue in ticket booths. It is best to go as early as you can. If you get hungry, there are a number of kiosks and food stores in the area. For a pleasurable dining experience, the Ozeano Fusion Restaurant which is located at the 2nd level offers buffet at PHP 600 per head.

Manila Ocean Park also features an extraordinary service – fish spa. Here you can dip your feet into a pool where a “doctor fish” nips dead skin of your feet. So, grab that camera and schedule a visit with your kids. Have the experience of fun and learn!

(the above article is posted in our company newsletter where i also write)

homeward bound

Seeing the world through the eyes of a child where it was like seeing everything at the first time, where the world is peaceful, where we see beauty in all that we see, where nothing else matters but home.

gift of friendship

received an email from one of my best friends on my birthday..

"sending you a message you sent me three (3) years ago. i kept this and promised to return the message when time comes. now, for your birthday i am sending the same message. we may not see each other as often as we do before, we may not talk everyday, we may not be there for each other at times, nothing has changed so far and i can say that truly You are My Bestest Friend. happy birthday"

life is wonderful with great friends like thillet.

a message sent 2005-04-11 13:34

To My Best Friend

I am a different person

a better one, since we

first became friends.

Your honesty often helps me

see my weaknesses,

and your support helps me

turn them into strengths.

Thank you for not saying

the things you think

I want to hear,

but saying the things I need to know.

You're one of the very few people

I trust and believe

When you tell me

how well I've done,

because you are one of the very few

who will tell me

when I could do better.

You challenge me

to be the best me,

by accepting and appreciating

you've helped me

learn to accept

and appreciate myself

-- Unknown

fireworks

(photo taken during the 2008 world pyro olympics)

Fireworks
By James Reeves

They rise like sudden fiery flowers
That burst upon the night,
Then fall to earth in burning showers
Of crimson, blue and white.

Like buds too wonderful to name,
Each miracle unfolds
And Catherine wheels begin to flame
Like whirling marigolds.
Rockets and Roman candles make
An orchard of the sky,
Where magic trees their petals shake
Upon each gazing eye.

"My heartbeat accelerates. I am in the here, in the now. I am also in the future. I am holding her and wanting and knowing and hoping all at once. We are the ones that take this thing called music and line it up with this thing called time. We are the ticking, we are the pulsing, we are underneath every part of this moment. And by making this moment ours, we are rendering it timeless. There is no audience. There are no instruments. There are only bodies and thoughts and murmurs and looks. It's the concert rush to end all concert rushes, because this is what matters. When the hearts races, this is what its racing towards."

- Rachel Cohn & David Levithan

Sunset

manila bay sunset

Sunset
a poem by B J Ayers

Out over the ocean, and it’s waves it lay,
A magnificent orange sphere, as it drops to the sea,
With spears descending from within the fire,
The magnificent beauty of the sunset each day,
An immanent display, for the world to share,
As it seeps below horizons, to end the day,
Only to share light, so that others may see,
The beauty of the sunset for all who care,
Up above the clouds, that shadow the light,
The rain, the snow, and the elements that blind,
That magnificent glow, that Brightens our world,

Another sunset awaits, just to share its light,

agony of waiting

I almost lost all my files stored in my external drive. It had a malfunction which recovery of files is yet to be determined. I’m so stupid for not creating a back up file somewhere else. Blame it on my ignorance. Since the item is still on warranty, we were advised to wait for 2 weeks for the replacement. The warranty, however does not extend to recovery of files. Given that period, the agony of waiting , I hated technology for awhile. buti pa ang stone age!

I never like waiting. I rather know now and felt bad and be over it, than keeping a little hope and go through the agony of waiting and be disappointed in the end.

Just to conclude the story of my external drive, I decide to disregard the warranty. Instead, tried checking the usb connection by buying a new casing. Angels heard my prayers, it worked! Warranty gone but worth it.