Manila Ocean Park

Went to the Ocean park yesterday to avoid the crowds but forgot that since it was the sem break of Ma, Twinx and Jon, it would also be the vacation of the rest of the schools. We arrived along with a busload of other visitors from the province(possibly Ilocos) and some cadets from I don't know where...
The place is huge and I imagine would be more relaxing to see at a quieter time. They have lots of different freshwater and sea animals on display but one of the most interesting for me was the water sourced directly from nearby Manila Bay. It was murky but could still sustain mussels and barnacles.
The best thing about the park for non-divers is that one can get to see up close all these huge fish and corals even if you're afraid of the water. Entrance fee is P400 and while the mall with all the restos are open till 9 pm, the park is only open till 7pm on weekdays and 8pm on weekends and holidays. There are restos like Pancake House and North Park at the entrance and I advise you eat up before the tour because once you get out to eat, you can't go back in. We spent an hour and 30 minutes touring the place and reading the trivia posted near each aquarium. Would've stayed longer if we weren't hungry.

Fish meet ham. Ma goes all dramatic with Nemo playing the role of fish.

Shark eggs. Look like aliens

This was Twinx's favorite fish because of its forever pouty lips.

The glass arch we walked through had all sorts of fish swimming around us and made me feel like I was in Finding Nemo.

A shark checking out a baby being bottle fed beside the tank.

Mama was not a fan of the noisy visitors. hehehe

The exit leads to the second floor where they have the souvenir shops and food stalls like Chowking and Makansutra, their Asian themed resto. Above are the drinks we ordered: Bandung with chichow, P90; Longan drink, P90; Chcocolate dinosaur, P90(tastes like Milo) and the calamnsi and sour plum, P45. I liked the Bandung which is rose syrup with milk and gulaman.Our first meal to arrive was the Hainanese chicken and we were so hungry we all dug in! Liked the rice cooked in broth but a tip to all would-be diners, servings are small and pricey. Also, ask if rice is included in the order. Most of our ours did not have rice, which is sold at P20 each.

Chicken pandan and catfish and green mango salad.

Laksa-noodles in spicy coconut milk soup. I liked this.

Tom Yum-spicy and sour soup that tastes like sinigang

Chicken satay, P135. Comes with 2 minuscule blocks of rice.

Bagoong fried rice, P140. Satisfying if only there was more beef.

Funny story: My dad was shocked to see 2 cadets holding hands while touring. Turns out they were female cadets who had really short haircuts.

Trying to be Aquaman

Tip: they're really strict with time here. While the fish spa lasts only 20 minutes, they close by 6:30pm so Twinx was really disappointed she wasn't able to do this.

All in all, a worthwhile experience especially if you have a sense of wonder. And maybe you'll learn something, too!

pls. vote for my sis' pic!

hi all, pls. vote for my sister's pic at http://www.thatsomentos.com/

You'll need to buy some mentos products and keep the receipt to register and vote till Nov. 21. Just go to the gallery section > click on the still camera button and look for the pic of the giant madre.

What's in it for you? Voters' names will be raffled and will get a chance to win a Sony Vaio, a Sony PSP or an ipod shuffle!

wowa illustration

this is something i made in illustrator and photoshop for my grandmother's 75th birthday.

Manila hit by typhoon Ondoy

30 days worth of rain fell in just 6 hours on sept. 26, 2009. more than hurricane katrina in the united states. most of manila and rizal province was submerged. pics from various websites. this is from peyups. a picture of the ayala underpass completely underwater.

after the flood from pinoydvd. large slabs of asphalt broken up by flood in quezon city.

and this is a video of the flood that devastated UERM hospital. if you're like me, one of the lucky ones who were spared, please help.

working with illustrator CS

here's something i made with adobe illustrator. it's ogie and michael v. in their new movie. i was inspired by the awesome and stylish work of chip wass and i once asked him for advice. he said he always drew on paper and pencil first before finishing it on illustrator.

some new shirts

here are some things I've been busy with: Above is a handpainted shirt of Wonder Woman typing the very Sex & the City lines "I couldn't help but wonder..." I've gotten requests for this shirt but I think this will go to my mom.

And this is a shirt my uncle asked me to make in remembrance of the death of Tita Cory. I designed this myself and was very lucky to find a good t-shirt printer here: http://pimpmyshirtph.multiply.com They're fast and the print quality is amazingly clear. And unlike the digiprint t-shirts I had made last summer, these shirts retain their sharpness and color after washing. I'm thinking of designing a wonder woman shirt and have it printed like this na lang to accommodate my friends' orders. Handpainting just takes too long!

Mojacko recommends: Last Supper # 3

Just watched Last Supper No.3, an indie film that won Best Film at the Cinemalaya fest. It's a dark comedy that doesn't resort to slapstick like Kimmy Dora but it's still funny just the same. A critic said something about Schadenfreude, delight in someone else's misery... and this was definitely the case with poor Wilson, a naive assistant in a TV ad who went through 3 years of suffering because he lost a tapestry of the Last Supper and the owners sue him. He goes through his own Calvary as he deals with the slow machinations of the justice system , from corruption, red tape and even the death of a judge! What' s truly shocking is that this was based on a true story! I do hope more people get to watch this so they don't have to go through anything similar.

Mojacko recommends:Kimmy Dora

You'd be crazy to miss Kimmy Dora, starring the very talented Eugene Domingo in the dual role of Kimmy and Dora! Eugene is not a comedian. She is an actress! Ariel Ureta is pitch-perfect as the twins' father.And of course, Joyce Bernal is back in her element in a rip-roaring comedy with heart. I was expecting laughs but was suprised by tears, too. Eugene masterfully portrays Kimmy's pain and vulnerability so effortlessly that the audience couldn't help but sympathize with the bitchy character!

I hear the movie's a hit even if it's a small film and this is great news for Pinoys looking for good movies. Go and watch it, now na! It's the ultimate stress-buster!

visiting tita cory at manila memorial

Last Saturday, we were all at home at the same time so we decided to go to the Manila Memorial park in Sucat to at last visit the grave of 2 Pinoy heroes, Cory Aquino and Ninoy Aquino. We thought that by now, we would probably have the park all to ourselves, but when we asked for directions, the guard said a lot of people were already there. In fact, another guard said that a lot of people still come everyday!

Balikbayans were having their picture taken and while I said a silent prayer I again wondered at the simplicity of the grave where Ninoy and Cory lay. No marble, no gates.While other people would have made grand mausoleums in their own honor, the Aquinos would have gone unnoticed if not for the people gathered and the various offerings on their tombs. This was a cute drawing probably made by a schoolkid As seen on TV...a charcoal drawing...Masyado yatang pinaganda si Tita Cory kaya di na kamukha...

When we left, more people were arriving to pay their respects, to say thank you, to promise to always remember how great the Filipino can be.

Jon says there's a new meaning to T.G.I.F. = Thank God I'm Filipino!

Afterwards, we went outside the gates of the park to look at the souvenirs on sale (It's like the park had become a tourist spot!)

That's Twinx trying out a shirt...

...and us hanging out at a pizza resto, all infected by the yellow fever!

tita cory's funeral procession

it seems almost everybody was either watching tita cory's wake and funeral on TV or outside like my family did. People were genuinely eager to walk /wait under the rain for hours just to say goodbye and it fills my heart with hope. I still have a yellow ribbon pinned on my bag to remind to be kinder, more patient with everyone I meet, just like tita cory.

there was a documentary on TV last night about ninoy aquino and according to twitter, lots of young people watched it. I'm glad that the kids who weren't even alive during the People Power revolution have been inspired by the lives of these 2 heroes.

the big question now is what happens next?