Have you ever wondered how bloggers would have reacted to historical events? I’ve tracked down the number of blog posts concerning "Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo" versus "wiretapping" during the months of April and May 2005 using the Blog Pulse Trend Tool. It showed that the number of posts about GMA and wiretapping peaked during the second week of June, around the same time when the President admitted to talking on the phone with a COMELEC official during the last elections.

This just shows the almost immediate reactions of bloggers everywhere to the events happening around them. This is why I thoroughly enjoyed viewing a slideshow prepared by Mena Troth of Six Apart making assumptions of how bloggers would have reacted to past events such as the sinking of the Titanic.

If you chuckle at the irreverence of bloggers today, have a hearty laugh when you take a blast of the past from this Viewmaster slideshow.

Who would have known that Guijo Street in Makati would contain a whole new experience encompassing the musical and visual arts? Who would have known that an ancestral house would turn out to be a haven for everyone who appreciates art in all its forms?

When you reach Guijo Street in Makati, look out for this sign indicating the mesmerizing world of saGuijo Cafe + Bar

Not a single area is wasted in saGuijo Cafe + Bar  — even the bathroom walls are decorated with murals. Their signature drink is called the saGuijo insulin shot, a vodka-based drink that you can share with your barkada. You can view the schedule of the bands / solo performers in their website www.saguijo.com. There is also a location map provided so you’ll know exactly where Guijo Street can be found. I learned that Kate Torralba, the fashion designer, is also a skilled keyboardist and she performs in saGuijo Cafe + Bar as well.

It can get crowded at night so it would be best to come in early. 

There is a lot you can do at saGuijo aside from listening to the live band and enjoying the Filipino-Thai food. The vintage store called "I Love You Store" can be found on the second floor of the saGuijo building as well as an art venue called "The Theo Gallery."

The Theo Gallery is run by Daniel and Angelo, the owners of saGuijo Cafe + Bar, and the exhibit changes monthly.

There was a mirror in the Theo Gallery filled with glass etchings and I snapped a picture of my reflection in it.

Conceptualized as a place to bring back clothes to life, The I Love You Store is as unique as its name suggests. You can clearly see the love and passion that went into the clothes and vintage items displayed in this store. Everything you see in the store is for sale, including the reworked couch and the mirror decorated with the words "I Love You."

One of my favorite items is this decorated mirror

I had quite a heartwarming talk with Bianca Holganza, one of the members of Amazing Grace, the group that manages The I Love You Store.

Bianca is as unique as the store she manages

Before I left saGuijo, Bianca encouraged me to write on their walls as a way of adding to their decor. Visitors can express their thoughts on love by using the markers provided. After some thought, I wrote down "LOVE is the only four letter word you need."  Try to find it on the walls when you visit The I Love You Store.

My favorite saying about LOVE (aside from what I thought of)

They also hold informal talks in their store and you can get schedules from their website www.fashionwillsavetheworld.tk.

Entering the alternative world of saGuijo is an experience that will fire up your imagination and inspire you to appreciate beauty in ALL its forms.

When I read the list of objects to be photographed this month, I thought it was fairly easy until I came across the last item: something you won’t eat. I’m not that picky with food so I had to think about this for a while. It so happened that I tried a fruit that looked like a lychee but actually tasted quite differently. Called longans, they were a bit dry unlike lychees that were juicy and sweet.

The other objects to be photographed this month include: an alarm clock, a daily newspaper, my mobile phone and the computer wiring under my PC.

I usually use my cellphone as my alarm clock but I wanted to photograph this cute alarm clock so here it is:

alarm clock

Speaking of cellphones, this is my second Smart Amazing Phone because of an unfortunate incident that took place just before my 24th birthday.

My current homescreen is a self-portrait that I took in front of a mirror filled with glass etchings.

I decided to photograph our publications called PeoplePLUS and NewsPLUS since I write for these two newspapers. They are distributed in public transportation stations in Metro Manila, Philippines. I’ve gone to a lot of places and met high-profile people because of these publications.

The wiring under my desktop PC in the office is pretty cluttered especially since I store old newspapers under my desk. Aside from all these cables, I also attached the cable of my digital camera to my USB port so I could download my pictures to my PC.

computer wiring

Longans

our publications

my Smart Amazing Phone

This  last session was a breeze since I couldn’t feel any pain even as my dentist poked at my cavity with several diagnostic needles. I still found the rubber dam quite uncomfortable since it exerted pressure on my gums. I would post a picture of me with a rubber dam but I look awkward with a piece of rubber stretched across my mouth and a metal brace holding it up.

Here’s a picture of me while on the X-ray machine.

After checking my root canals to see if they weren’t filled with blood and after several X-rays to see if all the pulp were removed, my dentist declared it safe to close the cavity and put filling in it. She created the mixture and put it inside my root canals by using paper points.

Finally, my root canal therapy was over. I treated her to lunch as a way of showing my gratitude of saving

me from excruciating tooth pain.  After reading what I went through, I hope I impressed upon the reader the importance of taking care of your teeth and not taking them for granted.

Last month, we decided on a whim to visit Manila Zoo and being Manilenos, my brother and I were only asked for half the price of the enrance fee (we paid only P20 instead of the regular P40) while my mother didn’t have to pay the entrance at all since she was a Senior citizen already.

Upon entering the zoo, we first came upon the reptiles section and there were huge pythons and iguanas calmly resting while we gawked and stared at them.

One man was displaying an iguana outside of the cage but I couldn’t bring myself to hold the entire iguana so I let him hold it while Ma snapped this pic. It had extremely rough skin and it’s claws were rather sharp.

We passed by the crocodile and people kept throwing coins at it in order to make it move since it simply stayed put with its mouth opened wide.

This deer was certainly hungry for grass, which Leila and I gladly fed. This was my favorite part of our trip since I got to interact with the animal.

I think I was about Leila’s age when I first visited Manila Zoo. Our parents brought us here several times and it would always be such a thrill to see all the animals. We posed in front of the elephant, which seemed to be very old already.

Upon seeing how big this tiger was, I wondered out aloud how many carpets this tiger would create…that being a joke, of course.

We had fun in the monkey area, where the primates were free to swing in their play area. One monkey was bold enough to come close to the grill and was given a treat by one visitor. I recall the time when we looked at the monkeys and one babboon was so playful that it drunk water and sprayed all those near his cage.

I was taken aback by the huge hippos that were feeding off the grass set out for them. Even though they are herbivores, some can still be aggressive enough to attack humans and their massive teeth can rip out limbs at a time if you’re not careful.

Yet another highlight of the trip was our trip across the manmade lake right at the heart of Manila Zoo. We could have all fitted in the boat but Mama got a bit nervous and decided not to come with us.

Enjoying the tranquil ride across the manmade lake in Manila Zoo as Joseph rowed the boat

In the middle of the lake was a small area for birds and they flew around freely in their small island.

Nearby was a children’s playground where Leila had great fun going up and down the slide while other children played in the interactive fountain.

There was a Kinder Zoo that had a separate entrance fee and you could approach the animals since they were not confined to cages.

A new add-in for Blogger users is now available. Bloggers can now update and edit their blogs using Microsoft Word; no need to open a browser — making it perfect for employees who want to conceal their blogging activities while at work.

By using this add-in, you will be able to:

I slept early last night in anticipation of bright meteors streaking across the sky during the annual Perseid meteor shower. The Perseids (named after the constellation Perseus) started last July and astronomers say the best night to watch them is on August 12.

I was instructed to watch the night sky a few hours before dawn and around 4 AM, I stood outside our terrace to observe the colorful fireballs from the sky but unfortunately, it was cloudy that time and there were rooftops obstructing my view of the night sky.

This reminded me of a Simpsons episode wherein Lisa lobbied for the reduction of "light pollution" in Springfield since she couldn’t watch a meteor shower scheduled that time. Homer and Bart tinkered with the town’s lighting system, resulting in a blackout and allowing them to see the glorious meteor shower amidst the background music of the song Vincent. Brilliant!

I’ve joined a lot of forums in the past – my favorite is USTExchange – and in all of them, I’ve picked up some tips on how to make the most of this experience.

5. Always put an interesting signature (with a link to your site/blog) that will entice other forum members to click on it and thus, increasing traffic to your site/blog. My personal favorite is the use of a headline animator (which can be seen on my sidebar and was generated by feedburner.com). This nifty animated gif updates itself automatically so people can see right away the title of your latest entries, which could possibly encourage them to visit your site/blog.

4. Put a lot of thought before posting an entry in a forum. Whether you are a newbie or an established member, common courtesy, common sense, and proper grammar are still very much appreciated.

3. Respect the rules of the forum – I am of course assuming that you take the time to actually read the guidelines / FAQs that a responsible member of a forum should know.

2. Stick to the thread topic. The rule is to read the first (original) post in the thread and respond appropriately. If a question was asked, answer it to the best of your ability. If there was a picture or a video attached, it is expected that you view it before sharing your opinion.

1. Smilies are not a considered a valid post. Not only is this practice irritating, it shows that you are too lazy to think of an original response and is one of the hallmarks of a forum SPAMMER.

Note: This is yet another long overdue post since I only got the pictures from our digicam recently.

As I mentioned during my first post last April 19, 2005, my aunts and uncles from the States arrived here at Manila after being for several years and we went on several out-of-town trips so we could all see the beauty of our country.

At first, Tito Jun came to Manila on his own and we went to see a pre-Valentine concert by Martin Nievera and Patti Austin at the Araneta Coliseum.

After the Martin Nievera and Patti Austin concert at Araneta

After a few days, Tita Connie and Tita Carol arrived in Manila and we had lots of fun touring Metro Manila and shopping in malls all over the city.

Festive buffet lunch at Kamayan, Megamall, while being serenaded by their in-house singing group

Immediately after they arrived, we made plans to go sight-seeing in cool Tagaytay and eat in the famous Josephine’s Restauant, which overlooked the crater of Taal Volcano down below.

Enjoying the mesmerizing beauty of Taal Lake from Tagaytay

Enjoying a hearty lunch at Josephine’s Restaurant in Tagaytay

We also made plans to go to the Pearl of Oriental Mindoro — Puerto Galera. We booked a private van to take us to Batangas pier where we rode a ferry boat to White Beach in Puerto Galera. Tita Carol and I got a bit queasy as we approached the shore since the boat was rather small and was being rocked heavily by the large waves.

We checked in a beachfront resort and had lunch before hiring a motorized boat to take us scuba diving in the famed Coral Gardens. We opted for the boat to pass by the corals slowly as we held on to their katig, the bamboo posts that kept the boat steady.

I brought an underwater camera and the view underneath was amazing. We also had bread and threw it in the water to attract the fishes. The corals were so colorful and they waved gracefully in the water as if beckoning us to stay with them for much longer.

Beach front of Puerto Galera

After a tiring swim at the sea, we unwinded by having a relaxing massage. Tita Carol and I opted to have our massage at a private room while the rest had theirs at the sandy beach covered with towels.

Enjoying dinner of kebabs and seafood at Puerto Galera

I really enjoyed my first visit at Puerto Galera and I hope to return there for a bit more sun — I hardly got the golden suntan I’ve been wanting to get this summer.

Last Saturday  (August 6), my family and I went to our hometown of Cavinti, Laguna, to celebrate the annual town fiesta with our relatives there. Joseph also took along Janice, his girlfriend, and we rode with three of our boarders who worked for Meralco. We had a stopover somewhere in Los Baños and bought buko pie for our lunch. Joseph and Janice walked a bit further to buy a colorful bird house for P200 from a certain Vicente’s stall along the road. We rode in their van until San Pablo, Laguna, and then took a bus ride to Sta. Cruz. From there, we took a jeepney that traversed the winding roads up to Junction at Cavinti.

We arrived at around 2:30 PM and we left our stuff at Ate Allyn’s house, which was located just at the periphery of our land there and then we took a tricycle to Jaena Street, where Tita Lulu and Tito Bobby was located. Only there did we eat our lunch (it was merienda time already) and Tita Lulu were somewhat busy so we did a little sightseeing before talking about business. Joseph and Janice went by themselves while Mama and I walked to the church, where several tiangges were set up. They sold bracelets, kitchen utensils, toys, and many more for only P5 or P10. There were also bolos (long knives) for sale – something that you wouldn’t see in Manila tiangges, by the way. There were also small birds, ducklings and rats (dagang costa) being sold for children in small rattan containers.

I myself bought a flashlight that relies on static energy to power it not the batteries. You just need to shake the flashlight and you won’t have to worry about changing the batteries. I already bought one several months ago and it has served has well. However, its light has diminished even after shaking it vigorously. We also bought an assortment of kalamay, a dessert made from sticky, glutinous rice.

We went back to Tita Lulu’s house and she offered us sweet ube cake for dessert. She even let us take home suman for the trip home. She promised to get in touch when our papers were ready and we then went back to Junction Street. We went up to Ate Allyn’s house and she let us take home lanzones, which were picked from our fruit-bearing trees.

We also paid a visit to Tia Rene’s house where Ate Genevieve. Kuya Boy and Kuya Jimmy were also celebrating the fiesta. Tia Rene was not there since she was taking care of her grandchildren while Ate Malou worked that Saturday.

Finally, we went to Tia’s house and talked a bit before heading back home. That was almost 6 PM and we were rushing to reach the last bus going to Buendia Taft. My tooth started aching again and I wanted to find a drugstore to buy Mefenamic Acid but the conductor said there was no drugstore in the vicinity. Instead, he offered to buy the Mefenamic Acid from a drugstore that we would pass along the way. It was very nice of him to offer his service – I don’t think I could have survived the trip without painkillers. We left immediately for Manila and arrived a little after 9 PM.