Ho-hum....
Have to skip again a movie for this week. Went to
SM Mall of Asia to have my crystal bracelet adjusted. Finally, after several visits to the
World of Feng Shui, I was able to have my bracelet adjusted.
Then, decided to go back to
Ayala Center. The travel time took some time because of the heavy traffic. Maybe all the candidates started their campaign that day for the coming election. Haayyy...
Thus, am not able to watch a movie. Decided to do some window shopping, waiting for the start of the anticipated Mass. After the Mass, had dinner at
heaven 'n eggs.
FPPF: Basic Photography Workshop
Heard about it from my classmate in the
Philippine Center for Creative Imaging (PCCI)'s Basic Photography. She would be leaving for the U.S. this March and she wanted to take an advance course. Also learned that the fee is much, much cheaper. So decided to try my hand at it; but, wanted to still take the Basic Photography Workshop of the
Federation of Philippine Photographer's Foundation (FPPF) so that there would be continuity. Paid a deposit and decided to pay the balance at the start of the workshop.
Then one Friday, met my classmate. Asked how's the workshop. She said, PCCI's still the best. Uh-oh! Already made a partial payment. Anyway, I can consider it as my practice in photography--I'll be a Sunday photographer.
All along, I thought we'll just be 35 in the workshop. We're 52!!! Good thing, I already know what was being taught. Just waiting for 3PM where we would begin taking pictures.
Guess, my classmate is right. There are a lot more tips I learned with PCCI. But then again, it is just the first of the four Sundays of the workshop. We'll see...
Turistas
Finally, the "drought" to my movie-watching has stopped. For this week, watched
Turistas.
But first, went to the
SM Mall of Asia to pick up my gift to my niece at
Charms and Crystals. Dropped by gift at the house and proceeded to the Ayala Center.
Turistas is an action, horror, thriller movie. A group of tourists decided to take an adventurous route on their way to their resort for their vacation in Brazil by taking a bus, instead of a plane. But this turned out more than they bargained for. Their bus crashes, causing them to stay in the area of the accident. The locales there are quite hospitable that it started to feel like a vacation. Not for long... as they lost their money and possessions after a night of partying. Misfortune seems to follow them as the house which they thought would be their sanctuary is actually a place where they may lose their life as the people there are in the business of body part and organs.
The movie do not have much to offer, story is straight forward, not much surprises.
After the movie, attended the anticipated Mass and had dinner at
Italianni's.
Mall-Hopping Of Sorts
Would be having a meeting to the other office at Ortigas. Hayyy... and I thought I would not be going there... ever... to attend a meeting.
Since the meeting would be at 1:30PM, decided to have lunch at
Glorietta, passed through
SM Department Store to take the
Metro Rail Transit (MRT) at its Ayala Station. Alighted at MRT's Ortigas Station, passed by
SM Megamall,
St. Francis Square and
The Podium to reach the JMT Building. As expected, we were late! Hehehe!
We were late and we were also the first to leave the meeting. How about that? LOL. Before proceeding back to our office, stopped by SM Megamall's food court to have a
merienda.
Arrived at the office thirty minutes before end of office hours. Unfortunately, still have lots to do and stayed behind.
But can't seem to forget
Sanfo Treats. Thus, on the way home, would have bought a double dipped caramel apple. Alas! It is already out of stock. Thus, have to make do with the Cosmopolitan Caramel Apple. c",)
Burgoo
My usual gift to my mother's friend on her birthday is to treat her for lunch. This is definitely a very late birthday treat as her birthday was February!
Decided to meet at the 2nd Floor of the
SM Mall of Asia's (MOA) Main Mall where a grand piano was displayed. Always knew they would be arriving late, at least, there are comfortable seats while we wait for the birthday celebrant to arrive.
While waiting for them, left my companions by the grand piano and went to the
Charms and Crystals to pick up my birthday gift for my niece. Alas! The bracelet I requested is not yet available. Asked the shop's manager to reserve the bracelet for I will pick it up next week.
As soon as the rest of our companions arrived (including the birthday celebrant), we proceeded to
Burgoo for our lunch. We had fried calamari, supreme sampler, shrimp and pomelo salad, seafood linguini, and shrimp and ribs platter. Burp!
After lunch, we strolled around MOA while looking for some of the items the birthday celebrant's nephew wanted to buy since he bought a digital camera and a laptop when he went to Japan.
Sanfo Treats
Another weekend without a movie... this is becoming a habit. Tsk! Tsk!
It is a midnight madness sale at
Glorietta. Plus a BPI Madness at
Glorietta Activity Center. Add to that is a 3-day sale at
SM Makati. What do you get? People! Lots and lots of people...
Anyway, managed to tick-off one by one those in my list:
* Have pictures developed.
* Birthday gift for my nephew. Have it wrapped, too!
* Bought personal items at the Landmark Supermarket.
* Desowen Cream
Not on my list is hair accessory. Since it is on sale, got it for 20% off.
While waiting for the anticipated Mass to start, came across a stall called
Sanfo Treats. For its marketing, it says that it is known for its caramelized apple. There were lots of people milling around the stall and buying some of the food items. Curiosity got me and bought a Banana Choco Blast. It seems the store sells frozen fruits with chocolate, vanilla, etc. sprinkled with mallows, caramel and other flavors, depending on its customers, covering the frozen fruit. Not bad! I wonder if Sanfo Treats is a shortcut for San Franciso Treats? c",)
Then, attended the anticipated Mass and had dinner at
Italianni's.
Search-a-Gift
I was not able to find yesterday the wish list of my niece for her birthday. Thus, decided to go to the
SM Mall of Asia (MOA) to look for it. This time, I am also going to try my new found way of going to and from MOA. From our house, took an Evangelista jeepney, stopped by the Buendia Station of the
Light Railway Transit (LRT) where the jeepney terminal for MOA is located.
First dropped by
Charms and Crystals to have my bracelet "repaired" (the shop has a lifetime warranty for their products). Then, started looking for my niece's birthday gift. Started with
National Bookstore but the item is out of stock. I, then, asked MOA's concierge for all the bookstores in the mall. Dropped by two more bookstores before finding what I was looking for--a Korean-English dictionary/phrase. Hehehe! Don't ask me why she likes it...
Training at Large
Another un-normal (if there is such a word) Saturday for me...
First, have to go to the office as there would be a walk-through and hands-on training on one of the systems I am handling. This would take the whole of my morning.
After lunch, decided to go to the
SM Mall of Asia (MOA). And I found another way how to get there--and definitely more convenient for me. Near the Buendia Station of the
Light Railway Transit (LRT) is a jeepney terminal for MOA. It is the terminal for the brightly colored multi-cabs converted and used as jeepneys to ferry passengers to and from MOA.
After doing my business, strolled around and came up with an exhibit--Large 8. It is an exhibit for photo-abstraction.
Afterwhich, travelled back to Makati where I walked my way from Makati Avenue-Buendia to Ayala Center, pausing for a few seconds to take some pictures. Did some window shopping while waiting for the start of the Mass.
Then, attended the anticipated Mass at
Glorietta and we had dinner at
Phobac, a Vietnamese restaurant.
You Got Me
Editing the audio and video for my niece's project is quite engrossing... I did it overnight! Went to bed around 5AM but am still not satisfied with what I did. First, given their very long lines, the scene where only the radio is shown and their voices were heard is quite long. Her classmates would surely get bored. Thus, decided to put a subtitle so that they (the audience) would also be reading the script/lines. When my niece woke up and asked me, taught her how to put the subtitles while I continue with my sleep.
After lunch, decided that my niece and I would watch a movie. But first, went to
SM Mall of Asia to go to the
World of Feng Shui to pick up my 9-eyed dzi bead with citrine bracelet. We were supposed to watch the movie at the Mall of Asia, but unlike the free seating of other theaters, you cannot go in in the middle of the movie. Thus, decided to go Glorietta to watch
You Got Me.
A romantic comedy about Lt. Amor "Moe" Santander, a tough lady copy who is afraid to fall in love, Lt. Kevin Robles, a cop daunted by most things and seems contented to love from afar, and Caloy, a pirated DVD vendor caught by Moe capturing also his heart. There are definitely "kilig" moments. What I like best is the concept of the "buko" as a sign from Moe's dad especially when she makes "taray" to her suitors. Hehehe!
Video Meeting
I won't be able to do, again, my usual Saturday activity of going to the mall and watch a movie.
Days before, my niece already informed me that we will have a video shoot this Saturday for her project. Yesterday, she faxed to my office the script. When I read it, I got worried... considering their acting talent (or lack thereof), it would take us the whole day to shoot their scenes! Hehehe! Besides, I have to go somewhere in the afternoon; thus, we have to complete our shooting in the morning.
Good thing, my "light bulb" lit and suggested to my niece that, considering the lines they have to memorize plus they still have to act the part, we would present it as if they are listening to a radio drama program. All we have to do is record their lines, take a video of their "reaction" while "listening" to the radio drama program plus an actual video shoot for the commercial. Decided to "mimic" the McDonald's commercial starring Sharon Cuneta and her daughter, and the Fita commercial. All this took an hour or two, and we were able to pack-up. The actual editing would take some time...
After lunch, dressed up and proceeded to the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) where there is an Annual Officers Meeting. After the meeting, there's a short program--contest, dancing and raffle. Stayed in case I win the grand prize: a brand new Toyota Vios.
Guess, am not lucky that night...
More On My Mini-Studio Set-up
Added another item for my mini-studio: a reflector. Used a car's sunshade as a reflector.
My mini-studio now consists of a desk lamp as floodlight, tracing paper as diffuser, blanket as a backdrop and car sunshade as reflector.
The reflector helped provide detail on the shadow areas...
