Merry Christmas to All!

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Merry Christmas, everybody!!

Christmas Decorations

I am posting our division office's decoration which won 2nd place in our office's Christmas decoration contest this year. Our main attraction is the Christmas tree. It was decorated with very old (10 years old and more) and the latest pictures office pictures and some stuffed toys.




Going around the city is also nice nowadays as one can see a lot of beautiful and colorful Christmas decorations everywhere. One very notable place to check out is the Mana House. Check out some pictures here.

PhotoHunt#12 Wide

The wide and large Tiananmen Square, China at night. We were planning to take pictures at the square but we got there too late and it was already closed. So made do with taking pictures by the road which as you can see, dear readers, is quite wide.

The square is not only the largest open-urban square in the world but is also historically and culturally significant for the Chinese. It is just near the center of Beijing,China and is located to the north of the Forbidden City. (Wikipedia)

The tall monument by the center is the 125 ft high Monument to the People’s Heroes and on the right is the Mausoleom of Mao Zedong.

Litratong Pinoy#31 Karoling (Caroling)

Mahilig akong sumama sa karoling noon mula pagkabata hanggang sa ako’y nasa kolehiyo. Natigil lang noong ako’y nag-umpisang magtrabaho na kaya hanap-hanap ko ang karoling tuwing Pasko.

Kung ikukumpara ang mga nakaraang taon sa ngayon, mas maraming nangangaroling noon. Kaya naman, pag may mga naliligaw sa amin, ang saya-saya ng lahat. Siyempre pa, kailangang may litrato sila.

Translation: I used to do caroling when I was a child until I was in college. I only stopped when I started working and that’s why I miss it every Christmas.

There are more Christmas carolers the previous years than now. Thus and always, we are all happy to see the carolers nowadays and that is why, I had to take pictures of them.




May kanya-kanyang pa-epek ang mga nangangaroling na karamihan gamit ang sariling gawang pantugtog gaya ng pinikpik na tansan na ginawang tamborin, lata ng gatas na ginawang dram at iba pa. May nakasuot ng puro pula at nag-ala Santa Claus habang kumakanta, may mga tumugtog lang at hindi kumanta at meron din namang nag-shades kahit gabi na at madilim ang daan (hindi kaya sila natumba sa daan?). Anu’t-ano pa man, masaya akong nakikita at naririnig sila. Buhay pa rin pala ang nangangaroling magpa-hanggang ngayon.

Dyinggol bells, dyinggol bells, dyinggol ol da wey..ol was payn a restoran in a wan horse open sley..hey!

Hindi ba nakakatuwang pakinggan ang mga batang nangangaroling na kumakanta nang ganyan? Onli in da Pilipins.

Translation: Christmas carolers have their own gimmicks and most of them use their own handmade musical treatments like the stringed flattened bottle caps used as tambourines, empty milk cans used as drums and a lot more. There are those who all wore red and looked like Santa Claus while singing, there are those who just played instruments and did not sing, and there are those who wore shades even if it was already evening and the streets were already dark (I wonder, if they stumbled along the way?). No matter what, I am always happy to see and hear them. Christmas caroling is still alive nowadays.

Dyinggol bells, dyinggol bells, dyinggol ol da wey..ol was payn a restoran in a wan horse open sley..hey!

Isn’t it funny to hear those caroling kids sing that way? Only in the Philippines.

1000 Places To See Before You Die

Pinaybloggers.com had their first Christmas Gift Exchange and last week, I got this surprise package. One of the books that I have been eyeing for months now is 1000 Places To See Before You Die. Mari was kind enough to give this Christmas gift to me. Thank you, girl!


I just love this book by Patricia Schultz and if God permits, I would like to try to visit at least 25% of the places indicated therein. Mind you, I’ve already visited two of three Philippine entries featured by the book. I got a long way to go though and I am keeping my fingers crossed.

Years ago, along with my friends, I have visited Banaue Rice Terraces and the other year, I’ve visited again Taal Volcano. Of course, I want to revisit both places and explore more. As to the 3rd featured place, hm….perhaps, if I will win the lotto, I will be able to get there as it is known for being very expensive..the Amanpulo Resort, in Pamalican Island, Palawan.

Anyway, for those pinay bloggers who would like to connect with the others, go join www.pinaybloggers.com .

PhotoHunt#11 Favorite

One of my most favorite things to do is traveling. I make it a point to save enough money to travel every year. I am always awed by places, by people, by different cultures and by just experiencing them all. Here is one of my favorite must-see places:

The Great Wall of China was built centuries ago and stretches about 6,700 kilometers (4,160 miles) across China. This portion of the Great Wall is in Badaling (North Pass of Juyongguan pass). Made of stone and bricks from the hills, its walls are 7.8 meters (25.6 ft) high and 5 meters (16.4 ft) wide; said to be enough space for 5 horses to walk side by side. This part of the Great Wall is quite popular with the tourists (Thank you for this info, Wikipedia).

When we got there, the feeling was unbelievably surreal for me. I could not believe that I was there and I hugged a portion of the wall to assure myself that I was actually standing there for real. We climb some portions of the wall and it proved to be challenging considering that some portions were quite steep. The view was exhilarating and spectacular especially on the upper portions as one can see the wall snaking through the mountains as far as one can see.

Litratong Pinoy#30 Ang Mahalagang Regalo (The Precious Gift)

Kung ano at nasaan ako ngayon, utang ko sa aking ina. Itinuturing kong mahalagang regalo niya ito sa akin dahil hindi basta-basta ang kanyang napagdaanan at isinakripisyo. Ito ay para lang magkaroon ako at ang aking kapatid ng mas mabuting kinabukasan na hindi niya natamo at natikman.

Itinuturing at ituturing ko ring mahalagang regalo galing sa Poong Maykapal na binigyan at mabibigyan pa sana ng mas mahabang panahon na lagi namin siyang kapiling at laging maayos ang kanyang pangangatawan.

Translation:

What I am and where I am now, I owe it all to my mother. I consider it as her most precious gift to me because she has gone through a lot and sacrificed a lot for my brother and me. She did this to give us a better future; a better future she was not able to have.

I considered and shall consider it as a precious gift too that God gave and will continue to give us the opportunity to be with her and to give her continued good health.

Manny Pacquiao vs Oscar dela Hoya Video

By now, the world knows that Manny Pacquiao dominated over Oscar dela Hoya from Round 1 of their boxing match until dela Hoya gave up at Round 8. You rock, Manny! And of course, by now, people are looking for Pacquiao-dela Hoya videos of the fight. So, I found this on youtube:




More videos here.

PhotoHunt#10 Breakfast

This is the breakfast we ordered at Zola resto-cafe, Baguio City after coming from an all-night travel from Manila to Baguio. The food was good and the restaurant is open 24-hours. My fave is the one on the left corner, the mushroom omelette with java rice which was recommended by the waiter who served us. He said that it is a Baguio-based breakfast and the restaurant's specialty.

The plate on the upper left is the typical American breakfast composed of bacon, hotdog, sunny-side up egg and java rice while the plate on the right is a Filipino breakfast of friend bangus (milkfish), tosino (cured meat), sunny-side up egg and java rice. All breakfasts go with unlimited brewed Benguet coffee.

More breakfast pictures here.

Free Tickets for Manny Pacquiao vs Oscar De La Hoya Dream Match

Oh yes! Got it right! Free tickets for the Pacquiao vs dela Hoya Dream Match!
Everybody is quite excited for the Dream Match and of course, there is no better way to watch it but live. Bariles is giving away free tickets. Just check get here for the details.

One more option is to find live streaming of the dela Hoya vs Pacquiao match. As for me, I am rooting for our kababayan but I do not have the stomach to watch it live so I will just watch it on regular TV.

Meantime, readers, who do you think will win? Just answer the poll on the right sidebar.

Litratong Pinoy#29 Eksayted (Excited)

Mas lagi akong eksayted bumiyahe at mamasyal kaysa mamasyal at mamili sa mga malls. Nakahiligan ko na ito kasama kadalasan ang aking mga kaibigan. Pangako ko sa sarili na makamasyal sa buong Pilipinas lalo na iyong mga lugar na makasaysayan o iyong mga lugar na itinuturing na mahalaga sa ating bayan. Pangarap ko rin na sana makayanan kong makapagbiyahe sa buong mundo bago ako tumanda.

Translation: I get more excited to travel and sightsee than go shopping around the malls. It is my hobby and I usually do it with my friends. I promised to myself to travel around the Philippines especially to the historical places or places that are considered significant in our country. I also dreamed of being able to travel all over the world before I get old.

Kuha ang mga litrato sa Prayer Mountain, Tamayong, Calinan, Davao City. Eksayted kami dahil nga hindi basta-basta makapasok sa lugar na ito. Tingnan ninyo naman, kontodo talon kami sa helipad. Kasi naman, sa unang pagkakataon nakaapak kami ng helipad. Salamat sa kaibigan kong si Jinjin sa mga litrato na ito at nakuha niya kaming parang mga baliw.

Translation: The pictures were taken inside the Prayer Mountain, Tamayong, Calinan, Davao City. We were excited to be there as it was not easy to get inside. As you can see, we were jumping on the helipad; it is because, it was our first time to set foot on one. Thank you to my friend, Jinjin, for these pictures as she took them while we were looking crazy.

For more pictures of the Prayer Mountain, check it out here..

PhotoHunt#9 Metal

This metal is part of the Twin Towers of New York City. It is very thick and heavy but it is a silent witness to the fury of the heat of the burning buildings last September 11. The picture was taken in the State Museum of South Carolina.

More photohunt pictures here..

Twilight, the Movie

Have you seen Twilight, the movie? Have you read the Twilight books? I have seen the movie the other day and I like it very much. So, I want to have the books! By the way, check out the dneero conversation to know more about it.

Litratong Pinoy#28 Ang Pagwawagi (The Win)

Sino ba ang nanalo dito? Ang ibinuhat o ang nagbuhat? Parang pareho silang nagwagi, di ba? Kuha ito noon sa isa sa mga taunang palaro sa opisina.

Translation: Who won this? The carrier or the one who got carried? It seems they both won, right? This was taken in one of our annual office sportsfest for employees.

Eto naman ang bidyo nang panghulihang laro para sa dart sa opisina. Maingay ang mga nagwagi at siyempre pa, nakitawa na lang ang talunan.

Translation: This is the video of the dart finals in the office. The winners were noisy and of course, the loser just had to smile.

Perhaps They Need New Eyeglasses

I just heard from a friend today that her unused Philippine Airlines plane tickets are non-refundable contrary to what was advised to her several times thru phone. She purchased her plane tickets thru their online purchase promo discount but decided to defer her trip. So, she called up the airline to confirm if she could get the refund and was assured that they will release her refund in 45 days.

Three months went by and after several phone calls, there was no refund. Last Friday, she called their customer service on the phone again and was promptly told that her unused plane tickets are non-refundable. What happened to the previous advises then? All were just hoax?

Today, I asked her what happened to her refund request and it was visibly clear while telling me the story that she is still upset about it. I tried to cheer her up and told her that maybe the airline’s customer service people need to check their eyes to get a clearer view of the data.

Holiday Glass Frames from Zenni Optical offer a wide variety of eyeglass choices and are quite affordable at $8 Complete Rx Eyeglasses. Anybody can actually afford to get better vision and it is just so easy to order. I even have my favorite, check out the picture below.


The popular online eyeglasses shop accepts orders online, so it is just so easy to purchase a new pair of eyeglasses and perhaps the airline’s customer service people need new eyeglasses to see their data clearly. In that way, they can be consistent in their feedback to their customers.

PhotoHunt#8 Reflection

This picture was taken from the viewdeck, which is at the peak of Pangulasian Island, El Nido, Palawan. From the said viewdeck, one can see the spectacular 360-degree view of Bacuit Bay. The sun was starting to set when this picture was taken and its rays are reflecting on the waters of the bay emphasizing the islet’s silhouette.

On the other hand but still in line with this weekend's theme, I have been reflecting on a friend's remarks and I realized that I am alone again in my plans. Oh well..life has to move on; in the meantime, enjoy the view.

Litratong Pinoy# 27 Madumi(Dirty)

Ito ay sorbetes na inilalako sa kalsada kaya tinawag na maduming sorbetes. Pero mula pagkabata, paborito ko na ito kasama ng aking kapatid at mga kalaro. Kaya naman, nang may pinapuntang mamang sorbetero sa opisina para daw sa kaarawan ng aming manedyer, laking tuwa kong nakilinya para sa sorbetes. Iyon pala, hindi lang ako ang natuwa pati na rin ang aking mga kasama na makita ang mamang sorbetero.

Translation: This is the ice cream being sold out in the streets that is why it is called dirty ice cream. Since I was a kid, this has been my favorite along with my brother and playmates. That is why when the icecream man came to the office for our manager’s birthday, I was too happy to line up for the ice cream. It turned out that I was not the only one who was so happy about it as my officemates were happy to see him too.

PhotoHunt#7 Ruin(ed)

This is Songsong Ruins of Batanes. Batanes is a group of islands located at the northernmost part of the Philippines. Songsong was a small fishing village when it was struck by tsunami in 1970s. For a long time, it was a ghost town until recently, when a few of its former occupants started returning but still, only a handful of the houses are occupied. The village has an eerie feeling about it; but Batanes, in its entirety, is a beautiful place to see.

Litratong Pinoy#26 Kinagisnan

Kinagisnan ko nang Oktubre pa lang may mga dekorasyong para sa Pasko nang makikita sa kung saan-saan, masyadong maaga para sa mga dayuhan ngunit tamang oras lang para sa mga Pilipino. Kinagisnan ko rin ang nakaugaliang Pinoy tuwing Pasko na pagkadami-daming handaan na may pagkadami-daming pagkain. Hindi nakakapagtaka na laging may babala ang Kagawaran ng Kalusugan tuwing Pasko na kailangang mag-ingat sa sobrang pagkain dahil mas marami ang naoospital dahil sa alta presyon o pagtaas ng asukal sa katawan.

Kaya naman ng mag-imbita ang isa kong kaibigan na naninirahan sa ibang bansa na doon magpasko sa kanila..hay! parang hindi ko kakayanin, ang lungkot yata ng Pasko pag malayo sa Pilipinas ano. Matutulog lang sila sa oras ng ating Noche Buena samantalang tayo naman ay nagpapakabusog hanggang mabinat ang balat natin sa tiyan at nagpapakasaya ng todo kasama ang ating mga kaibigan at mahal sa buhay.

lechon, kinilaw at dinuguan
spaghetti, buko salad, beef steak, patatim
kainan na!!!

Translation: I grew up seeing Christmas decorations everywhere starting on the month of October, very early by foreign standards but just at the right time for Filipinos. I also grew up on the Filipino culture of celebrating Christmas by having a lot of Christmas parties with lots of food. It is no wonder that during Christmas season, our Deparment of Health would always issue the health advisory regarding excessive eating/partying as this is usually the time that there is an increase number of people getting hospitalized due to hypertension and/or increase sugar intake.

That is why when one of my friends who lives abroad invited me to spend Christmas with her, I thought, I could not do it. Christmas is lonely away from the Philippines. They would just sleep during Noche Buena time while we party with our friends and loved ones to our hearts’ delight and fill our stomachs up to our skin’s maximum stretching point.

The Candle of Love, Hope and Friendship

Thank you for this tag, Cee.


Don't let the Candle of Love, Hope and Friendship die. May God richly bless you as you keep this candle burning. Pass it on to all your Friends and to everyone you love.

I am passing this on to ....
You will know when I leave a message on your Blog/s :-)

Bloggers Unite: Let Us Help The Refugees

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