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A Theme Thursday post Actually, no I DON'T have Aquaphobia. (sorry, lol!) But I could very well have developed a fear of water after having experienced two, shall we say, "watery" accidents. "...getting an anxiety attack when splashed with water..." What is Aquaphobia anyway? Aquaphobia is an abnormal and persistent fear of water. Not to be confused with "Hydrophobia" (which is also fear of water but in a more I've-been-bitten-by-a-dog kind of way), Aquaphobia is manifested by avoiding activities such as swimming or boating, and may extend to getting an anxiety attack when splashed with water or thrown into a pool. Wikipedia explains further that Aquaphobia may be "a reaction to a traumatic water experience - a near drown...

This is the conclusion of the post titled "I have Aquaphobia, a Theme Thursday post" It was a bright sunny summer day back in 2004. We were having a great time in Sur, Oman, visiting my dad. We went to the Turtle beach early in the morning and saw sea turtles laying eggs, dozens of tiny baby turtles, we also rode on camels, rode ATV's and went up and down the sand dunes. Off on a speedboat along the coastline of the Gulf, we were being stupid adventurous and accepted an invitation to ride on the banana boat... with no life vests. "...since I was going on a floating device, I wasn't so worried..." I asked them to be careful and not go too fast because I wasn't a very strong swimmer. At the time, I had learned how to swim short distances, but I've never been in open water before without a life vest. They reassured me that they would be careful, and since I was going to be on a floating device, I wasn't so worried. It was my first time to g...

My 5-week run at the Filipino Blog of the Week has ended on a high note! Today, talksmart of The Composed Gentleman has elevated Born on a Syzygy~ to the Filipino Blog of the Week Hall of Fame after dominating the blog voting this week with 196 votes. This was the 2nd win for me, the first one was on the first week that I was a nominee (March 21-27) . See my rankings for the 5-week run on the sidebar. The prizes below come with the win! Click images to take you to the Filipino Blog of the Week definition and list of past winners... Because of this week's win, "~Syzygy" will also be featured again on The Composed Gentleman's site for this whole week. It was really an amazing voting week for me. I actually was not promoting the contest as much as I had done during the first week, and yet the votes kept coming it. I received more votes this week than any other week prior. So for everyone who took the time out to vote for me, THANK YOU VERY MUCH! Did you vote for me? P...

On a friend's blogsite... kaich : "Early this morning, we got a call from our security office: they have an unclaimed boxer, approximately 8 months old, who has no one to care for her..." kaich : "We can't keep her at home anymore because our house is full and our resources are short for the care of another, but she's so sweet I want to make sure she finds a nice home." Friend #1 : "me" Friend #2 : "Awwww, cutie doggie!" Friend #3 : "aww kawawa! but with the house i have now, my cats would do anything in their power to drive her out..."

I'm a city born boy living and working in Batangas City for the last 4 years. This post is part of a series about adjusting to life in Batangas - Living Batangueño . Please subscribe! ____________________________________________ Don't call the ladies "manang" In Manila, it is common to refer to anyone older than you as "manang / manong", or "ate / kuya", both meaning elder sister or brother. In Batangas, the proper term for respect is "Ka". For example, you would call an elder who is not your relative "Ka -insert_name_here-", say for example, Ka Roger or Ka Pedring or Ka Linda. When I was newly transplanted, some colleagues and I would have lunch at this nearby "bangihan" (bbq) place. One time, I was wanting something spicy for my sauce, so I called out to the serving lady, " Manang , pahingi ho ng sili (can I have some chili)". The lady just smiled at me and asked for some chili from another serving la...

Vacation Mode I cannot for the respect of everything corporate continue like this... Sure I have completed some tasks... Sure I replied to some emails... Sure I have not wasted my manhours on nothing... Sure I'm still net positive on output vs input (haha, whatever)... But damn, dude, my brain is already at the beach, receiving a relaxing massage by the shore, listening to the waves and soaking up the sun. My brain has been, since last week, off to Boracay or Puerto Galera or Palawan, begging my body to go and book a flight already! Please please please... So I went and finalized a trip to Puerto Galera Beach in Mindoro this coming Labor Day long weekend! ... Excited much? I'll bring back photos. Haha. Don't know yet where we will be staying, but I'm looking forward to relaxing and partying, maybe play with some fishies, go snorkeling, go dancing, swimming, whopee! Vulcanized I accompanied a friend of mine to a vulcanizing shop to take a nail out of his tire. Turns out ...

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The final Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince trailer is out! It's below after the "jump". Are you excited? The trailer looks awesome. Really dark and mysterious. Need to review the book though, it's been more than a year since I read it, haha. And read this: "The release of the new Harry Potter film in the US has been brought forward by two days. It'll now open on Wednesday 15 July - the same day as it opens in the UK." I had reported on this blogpost last month that Harry Potter and the HBP will come out in the Philippines on July 16. Are you going to watch it? 'Ere's the trailer:

This is a blast from the past for me, from my childhood (which, come to think of it, is now quite distant...) watching cartoons on television. One particular cartoons series I enjoyed was Captain Planet and the Planeteers. This week's theme reminded me of it because it's always the first element they shout. I actually know this next one by heart... Kwame: ...Then let our powers combine! EARTH! Wheeler: FIRE! Linka: WIND! Gi: WATER! Mati: HEART! Captain Planet: By your powers combined, I am Captain Planet! All: Go Planet! *Song - Captain Planet, he's our hero! Gonna take pollution down to zero... - then I don't know anymore. Haha! This video, I conveniently found on YouTube, the intro to Captain Planet's first episode: I really enjoyed this series because aside from the entertaining action sequences (hehe) they also have tips on how to save the earth at the end. I think this is really helpful in making children aware of how pollution affects the world. This is one of...

Next week will mark the 4th anniversary of the first time I came to live on a golf course. And in those 4 years, I have never been able to hit a golf ball properly. Not once. Nope. Let me qualify though, that in those 4 years, I have only held a golf club a maximum of maybe 10 times... Haha! But truthfully, I am all praise and respect for anyone great at golf because it is one mind boggling game. I have never been able to get my mind around how to actually play it. That oddly shaped stick and the tiny hole where you have to putt it in is just too much of a mismatch to comprehend. I mean, basketball, even though I suck at that too, is fairly easy to understand HOW you get to be good at it. The same goes with football, volleyball, even tennis or badminton. Chess, the game of strategy, is also a concept not that difficult to understand: you anticipate your opponents moves and make your own strategic plans... But golf, dear Holy God, whoever made this sport was crazy... Some more photos of...

For the first time in a long time, I joined a procession in my home baranggay of Santolan, Pasig. The procession went around the whole baranggay and then back to our local church the Santo Tomas de Villanueva Parish Church where I used to sing with the choir and was commentator for the "children's mass" on Saturdays. Liz and I walked with the huge throng of people (must've been more than 500 people there...) but only for a little bit coz we had to leave for the province. More photos below... Armed with candles and fans, we joined the throng of mourners, remembering Jesus Christ's death on this Good Friday. Happy Easter (tomorrow)!

In the spirit of the traditional Visita Iglesia, here are some photos I took of Manila Cathedral in October last year (2008) while waiting for some papers to clear at the Bureau of Immigration. Although my camera was only a point and shoot Canon Ixus 90IS, I was trying to learn how to play with light at different settings. When I have enough experience and money, or when the recession is over, maybe I'll get a better camera! Here are some of my favorite shots: I was sitting in front of the church, then I looked up to see the noontime sun. It was really hot that day so I went under an Ipil tree for shade and got the above shot... I loved how the light from the stained glass was reflected on the newly polished floor. :D And it being really bright outside, I got good even lighting on the stained glass window. This sculpture was on the door of the cathedral. I actually never noticed it before. I liked the way the side lighting gave it more depth. See some more of my Manila Cathedral ph...

Really, there's only one thing that came to my mind when I found out Thursday's Theme was "egg", and that is... BALUT For the weak hearted, DO NOT PROCEED! :p ... Balut is a Filipino delicacy (yes it's food!), a soft boiled duck egg with a semi-formed duck embryo . It is also widely regarded as an aphrodisiac. Enjoy the rich taste of balut, the yellow part is soft and the darker part is crunchy! Why crunchy? Because it's the little unhatched baby duckling! How to Eat Balut Here's how to properly enjoy a balut: 1. Well, first you have to buy one from a street vendor who usually comes at night yelling, "Baluuuut!!! Baluuut!!!". He will give you one egg wrapped in old newspaper shaped liked an upturned sailor's hat, and a small plastic packet of salt. 2. The egg is kept warm in the vendor's cart, so it will be a bit warm to the touch. Hold it firmly at the smaller end of the egg and crack open the other side by lightly tapping it on a hard ...