Seeing all the damage as discussed in part 2 of this article made me realize how lucky we were that the neighbor's santol (cottonfruit) tree near our backyard had been cut. That santol tree had grown so big that the trailing storm winds of typhoon Glenda would've knocked off the tree branches and trashed our house. The timely cutting of the santol tree saved us so much of grief.
Another project that proved worthwhile for us was the garden gate arch that we had constructed. That arch now has a very robust Rangoon Creeper on it. It is so lush and thick that I'm quite sure it has become heavy. But because of how solidly built that arch was, I had no apprehensions whatsoever with super typhoons knocking it down.
Damage from Typhoon Glenda - Part 2
In part 1 of this article, I mentioned one tree damage that resulted from typhoon Glenda's wrath. Continuing our morning walk that day, we also saw this tree that fell on a community basketball court. Prior to this incident, I didn't notice this particular tree in our daily morning walks. There were just too many trees in this area, some owned, some just grew where they were. This one didn't seemed to be owned because it was near the community basketball court.
The tree fell and grazed and broke a coconut tree on its way down. You could see the coconut tree behind it. Half of the coconut is still standing while the top half is still drooping.
The tree fell and grazed and broke a coconut tree on its way down. You could see the coconut tree behind it. Half of the coconut is still standing while the top half is still drooping.
Cutting the Santol (Cottonfruit) Tree
After much dilly-dallying, we decided to have the big and tall Santol (Cottonfruit) tree cut more than half its height. Finally. This is the tree which is at our neighbor's backyard which is adjacent to our backyard. So you can imagine the proximity of this tree to the back of our house.
This tree has been a maintenance problem for us. The owner doesn't even live here while the tenants (relatives of the owner) do not seem to care much about risk to life and property. For several years now, we contract a handyman to climb this humongous backyard tree to cut its top and side branches.
This tree has been a maintenance problem for us. The owner doesn't even live here while the tenants (relatives of the owner) do not seem to care much about risk to life and property. For several years now, we contract a handyman to climb this humongous backyard tree to cut its top and side branches.
The Law of the Garbage Truck
This particular "law" has been making the rounds on the internet for sometime now and it's interesting that I got to read it again yesterday after finding a seemingly nasty comment on my email inbox.The nasty reaction was on a comment I made after viewing a Filipino folk dance on Youtube. This was about a month ago. My comment on Youtube was a little more of an observation.
Filipinos Should Learn How to Swim
It's been a year since the rains of typhoon Ondoy inundated much of Metro Manila. My second daughter's high school even had to look for another school venue because all the roads towards their school were flooded. Typhoon Ondoy brought a month's worth of rain in a couple of hours. The metrowide flooding prompted the utility company to shut off power and there were massive blackouts. It took quite a while for the floods to subside and the sun to shine. Laundry piled up and I had to wash the car floor mats due to mud.
Five Reasons for Building your own Gym Equipment
In a recent article, I wrote my top ten reasons for working out at home. If you're working out for flexibility or cardiovascular conditioning at home, you may not require an array of exercise gear. But for weight or strength training, a modest selection of free weights equipment or maybe weight machines is a must.
Now, there's a variety of ways to do this. You could buy weight training gear used or new.
There are certain specifications to keep in mind though. Commercial weight plates and barbell bars, for example, come in two hole sizes - standard and olympic size.
Nonetheless, uninterrupted and and progressive workouts require you to have many pairs of weight plates with varying poundages. And for this reason, I suggest you buy weight plates used rather than new.
Top Ten Reasons for Working Out at Home
All you home training converts out there have seen the typical commercial gym scene. That, and the pitfalls that go with the gym membership. I used to be a member in a local small fitness gym and noticed that the problems mostly stem from the fact that you workout with other people. In other words, it's usually the crowd that comes with the gym.
Let's face it. The differences in training styles, preferences, beliefs and attitudes simply get in the way. And the more gym members you're not friends with, the more difficult it is to overcome these challenges. So the lesser the crowd, the better for you.
Musclehead at the Gym
The Urban Dictionary defines Musclehead as
If you've been working out in fitness centers or gyms, you would've probably seen one. In the first fitness gym I joined, there certainly was one.
"A selfish, narcisstic, egotistical person in the gym or fitness center. One who is a bodybuilder or aspiring strength maniac who usually looks at others with disdain unless they need them for a spot.
They almost never put their weights away when they're done with their exercise -- sometimes leaving a pile of 45's (45-pound plates) next to the machine or leaving a heavy load of plates remaining on the machine."
If you've been working out in fitness centers or gyms, you would've probably seen one. In the first fitness gym I joined, there certainly was one.
Joining my First Fitness Gym
Fresh out of college in the 1980's, I was lucky enough to immediately start working as a Junior Industrial Engineer in a semiconductor company. Since college, living away from my parents' house wasn't new and so I quickly adapted to life in a boarding house.
The boarding house was a quick 5-minute jeepney ride to my work place and so that made it convenient.
But even more convenient was the location of the first fitness gym that I joined. The gym, named ProdiGym, was a good walking distance from my boarding house and was in between my workplace and the boarding house.
The boarding house was a quick 5-minute jeepney ride to my work place and so that made it convenient.
But even more convenient was the location of the first fitness gym that I joined. The gym, named ProdiGym, was a good walking distance from my boarding house and was in between my workplace and the boarding house.
Frightening Barbell Setups
A serious weightlifter ought to have squats as part of his weight training plan. So when I finished building my weight plates and dumbbells rack, primarily for storage purposes, I embarked on a project to build squat stands.
Typhoon Basyang Bashed our Window
Last July 13, Tuesday night, we had one of the worst typhoons to hit us. Rainwise, Typhoon Basyang wasn't by any stretch of a Milenyo magnitude. But I thought our place was directly hit by the wrath of its winds.
Enrollment at UP Diliman 2010
Early in the morning, DH went to Alabang Medical Center (formerly Muntinlupa Doctors Clinic) to have the additional x-rays for her injury at UP Diliman. The sister of the drunken driver was trying to rush us to give them the amount of medical expenses. We left at around 8 am to hopefully finish the last leg of Che's enrollment in UP Diliman. Little did we expect that the process of shifting course and campus would be so laborious and time-consuming.
Circle Island Resort in Molino Cavite
In the Sunday of last week (May 9), my family went off to nearby Circle Island resort. Although the resort is in Molino, Cavite, it took us only around 15 to 20 minutes to get there - and we're coming from Muntinlupa City.
This is largely thanks to the Daang Reyna and Daag Hari roads that now link San Pedro, Laguna and Muntinlupa City closer to Molino, Cavite.
This is largely thanks to the Daang Reyna and Daag Hari roads that now link San Pedro, Laguna and Muntinlupa City closer to Molino, Cavite.
Junkyard Basketball in the Philippines
You've seen makeshift basketball courts in the Philippines. Full courts or half courts, they're practically everywhere. With any improvised board, hoop and a pole, one can make streets and most vacant lots instant basketball courts.
These makeshift basketball backboards and hoops are often mounted on coconut trees, mango trees, or any tree with a rigid trunk. On paved concrete streets, you'd see the the basketball boards mounted with an assembly of large pieces of wood.
The base of the whole assembly is then pinned to the concrete ground by a heavy weight, usually a concrete-filled metal drum.
But speaking of a makeshift basketball board and hoop, here's something out of the ordinary.
These makeshift basketball backboards and hoops are often mounted on coconut trees, mango trees, or any tree with a rigid trunk. On paved concrete streets, you'd see the the basketball boards mounted with an assembly of large pieces of wood.
The base of the whole assembly is then pinned to the concrete ground by a heavy weight, usually a concrete-filled metal drum.
But speaking of a makeshift basketball board and hoop, here's something out of the ordinary.
Too Many Cats
Our neighbor has too many cats. There are at least 5 cats in their backyard at any one time. They just keep multiplying and even "invaded" the renthouse we occupied. That renthouse is directly behind our neighbor's.
I don't know how these cats started. My feeling is the leftover food the neighbors leave outside just attracted more and more stray cats.
And they can be so noisy at night. Here's one of them I caught sleeping in a wash basin.
I don't know how these cats started. My feeling is the leftover food the neighbors leave outside just attracted more and more stray cats.
And they can be so noisy at night. Here's one of them I caught sleeping in a wash basin.
Humongous Backyard Trees
There is this penchant for some Pinoys to plant a fruit-bearing tree or plant somewhere in the backyard. They'd rather have the tree in the backyard than the front lest it becomes the "mangga ng bayan" or the "calamansi ng bayan".
Something that irks me though is when homeowners just don't prune or cut their trees regularly and you suddenly realize they've created a monster.
Something that irks me though is when homeowners just don't prune or cut their trees regularly and you suddenly realize they've created a monster.
Richard Gutierrez as Zorro?
With the highly-touted launching and big media event, this is all in the papers and TV. And this one quite surprised me. A pretty-boy Amboy like Richard Gutierrez to play Zorro? I’ve been a fan of Zorro especially with the role played by Antonio Banderas in “The Mask of Zorro” (shown in photo). Now THAT’s Zorro!
He’s got the “brusko” image to pull it off. I think he’s simply the best. I suppose the Spanish blood in him is a factor. Richard Gutierrez pales (literally as in really 'pale') and looks pussy-wuss by comparison.
He’s got the “brusko” image to pull it off. I think he’s simply the best. I suppose the Spanish blood in him is a factor. Richard Gutierrez pales (literally as in really 'pale') and looks pussy-wuss by comparison.
A Private Resthouse at Nasugbu, Batangas
With little planning, the officemates (basically, just some) went to a private resthouse by the beach at Nasugbu, Batangas.
I cannot remember the last time I was at Nasugbu, but I’m sure it’s one of those company outings (AMD?, Moto?) in the distant past. Those company outings were in big private beaches that were reserved for a day.
This is the first time for me to go to a private beach resthouse. It’s so private that it is inaccessible by land.
I cannot remember the last time I was at Nasugbu, but I’m sure it’s one of those company outings (AMD?, Moto?) in the distant past. Those company outings were in big private beaches that were reserved for a day.
This is the first time for me to go to a private beach resthouse. It’s so private that it is inaccessible by land.
Medz Resort
Like I promised the kids, we'll be enjoying swimming this summer and today we went to Medz Resort or is that Med's? We've already gone to Blumen Resort several weeks ago.
Right across Blumen is the Medz Resort which they said is better though more expensive - Php100 compared to Blumen's Php80. But if you ask me, both have their strong points.
Blumen is really for the serious swimmer who'd want to swim laps in their nice lap pool. Medz is for the "let's play horsey-horsey" non-swimmers which of course outnumber real swimmers.
It's got slides and falls and fancy stuff. The area also seems bigger.
Right across Blumen is the Medz Resort which they said is better though more expensive - Php100 compared to Blumen's Php80. But if you ask me, both have their strong points.
Blumen is really for the serious swimmer who'd want to swim laps in their nice lap pool. Medz is for the "let's play horsey-horsey" non-swimmers which of course outnumber real swimmers.
It's got slides and falls and fancy stuff. The area also seems bigger.
Eating at the Pool
I briefly had my swim today after a long recuperation (and additional therapy). I didn't stay long though. I just sorta' "tested the waters" (pun not intended) after weeks of shoulder strengthening. So I did 3 laps of free, 2 laps of back, 3 laps of breast and 1 lap of fly. Yup, THAT short. And so far so good. The shoulder's holding up good. Let's see in the coming days.
Today, there were adult kids there and I don't think they were students. I don't know what it is with eating by pool near the pool gutters, but so many people think it's so cool. Worse, some would drink softdrinks IN the pool. Worst, some would drink AND eat IN the pool! What the heck is that? And soon I see these plastic wrappers of foodstuff floating in the water. Yuck.
Today, there were adult kids there and I don't think they were students. I don't know what it is with eating by pool near the pool gutters, but so many people think it's so cool. Worse, some would drink softdrinks IN the pool. Worst, some would drink AND eat IN the pool! What the heck is that? And soon I see these plastic wrappers of foodstuff floating in the water. Yuck.
