Curbside Stories

I am sure it can also tame yours. LOL!

It is now official! Puerto Princesa Underground River (PPUR) is now one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature. The PPUR is joined in the list by Vietnam's Halong Bay, Argentina's Iguazu Falls, The Amazon Rainforest among others. Bernard Weber, founder and president of New 7 Wonders of Nature, announced today that PPUR is now officially in the list. The 8.2 kilometer navigable underground river can be found in Palawan, 50 km North of the city of Puerto Princesa. Congratulations! This is another proof that It's More Fun in the Philippines .

I don't normally do lists of to do's. It is actually one of the things that I don't like to do because I am spontaneous and looking on a list makes me feel pressured. But, I have changed. I have reached the 3rd decade of my life and in the next years before I reach my 4th, I want to accomplish the things that I know will make me say 'I have lived my life to the fullest.' This year, I am going to make a list of the 10 things that I want to accomplish for 2012. I have started with getting a driver's license when I turn 3-0, and now I have it. I like the feeling of accomplishing personal goals without the pressure. This list is not according to importance or priority.  1. I will take a Civil Service Examination. I wanted to be a licensed professional. 2. I will take the TOEFL. I need it for my career abroad. 3. I will be more adept in Photoshop. 4. I will have a DSLR. Although, I really really love  my Canon PowerShot A3200 IS, I wanted t...

Blackberry's new concept phone--Empathy. It was designed by Kiki and Daniel of Art Center College of Design as sponsored by RIM Blackberry. Although Blackberry Empathy is not yet available in the market, it will surely make previous Blackberry phones and other phones as well, melt. This phone that looks like a black sapphire has these drool worthy features: 1. The ability to detect the emotion of its user and its contacts as well (super powers?), hence, the name Empathy. It is equipped with a mood ring. 2. It becomes clear when idle . 3. The buttons change color according to the user's emotion. 4. Has proximity sensor to detect people's emotions. 5. Has transparent OLED screen.

Just a few of my family members. From upper row, left to right: Tatay Anoy, Ate Faye, Nanay Umeng, Rhonjay, Rose, Tita Cit, Ate Winnie, Ate Joyce, Kiel, Narie, Edmark, Charity, Ate Ayie, Ate Precy. From lower row, left to right: Alaissa, Julienne, Andre, Nanny, Lance, Me, Abeer, Jill Anne, Jenna, Ivan. I will never exchange them for anything else. I love my family!

Didn't caught any, but, he'll go back next time. This photo was taken at our farm, about 10 minutes walk from home. I used my Canon PowerShot A3200 IS camera. Sure, the city that never sleeps promises more than what you expect, but, nothing beats living in the province. And that if I will be born again and will have the chance to choose where to live, I'd still choose to live where I live now. I want my child to experience running on rice fields and meadows, pick fruits and harvest vegetables, feed the animals without having to go to the zoo, go fishing and discover that patience is a virtue.

This goes into my watch list. I have seen the first two films and I liked them. I believe that part three will be as amazing as the first two. Kate Beckinsale is one sexy bad ass vampire!

I've just finished reading Carlos Ruiz Zafon's The Shadow of the Wind. It was a great read. I like the twists and turns of the story. Each time the character's life unfolds, I had to reread the part to confirm what I have just read. It was a novel of sadness, love, romance, and hate. It's one of those books that is hard to put down once you've started reading. For a change, I bought David Baldacci's The Camel Club. I haven't started Joe Abercrombie's Last Argument of Kings  because I am still overwhelmed of the size of the book (it is huge) and its 536 pages. It can wait. And while it waits, I will read Baldacci's. I hope the New York Time's best selling author will impress me. Can you recommend great reads for me?

I don't know if it has something to do with my longing to have a driver's license but I had a dream last night about me driving a van. I remembered my son's dad giving me money for our son's birthday. I was on the passenger seat of the van when he gave me the money from the outside. He immediately left telling me that he'll give me more when he gets back. He really didn't went far, he was just on the other side of the road watching me. Suddenly, the van began to move. I was horrified because I was on the passenger seat. I was crying for help but he didn't help me. I miraculously maneuvered the van but instead of stopping, I drove it until I reached a parade of some sort.  Here are some probable explanations of my dream according to Dream Moods : To dream that you are driving a vehicle signifies your life's journey and your path in life. The dream is telling of how you are moving and navigating through life. If you are driving from the passen...

The Department of Tourism released their new slogan It's More Fun in the Philippines!  and Filipinos are enjoined to participate by posting the best photos they have that proves the point. The slogan even went trending on Twitter. And here are some of the best photos I have found...

I bought this book during Christmas vacation but it's just yesterday that I began reading it. I was planning to buy  The Girl with A Dragon Tattoo  but had second thoughts because it will be shown in theaters anyway. And then I thought of buying another Mitch Albom book but I decided I'd like to read a 'new' book... from an unknown author (at least for me). I moved to another shelf and saw this  The Shadow of the Wind  by Carlos Ruiz Zafon that sat quietly on the far side.  And so here I am, now hooked reading the book, just like everyone else who has read it. A sneak peek: Barcelona, 1945 - just after the war, a great world city lies in shadow, nursing its wounds, and a boy named Daniel awakes on his eleventh birthday to find he can no longer remember his mother's face. To console his only child, Daniel's widow father, an antiquarian book dealer, initiates him into the secret of the Cemetery of Forgotten Books, a library tended by Barcelona...

Photo from Someecards . It happens to me sometimes. LOL!

Last year was a challenge for me. It was also rewarding. God has been so good to me that I could not find any good reasons to complain. I may have failed to fulfill my duties as a Catholic but despite that, He has showered me with more blessings that I could handle. I didn't even ask for some.  I started to feel "vacation" only after the 29th of December. Although rather short, I was able to spend 4 meaningful days with my family. We spend New Year's Eve in grandmother's house, we watched a movie, and even get to experience farm living for a while. It was fun! I am now on work mode, but still misses waking up at noon and sleeping so late. I could already sense pressure as early as today. I have to condition myself again for me to survive another year at work. I celebrated my fifth year at work, well, at work. So lame. I am grateful (seriously) that I was able to serve a truly unique group. There is nothing else in the world like it, believe me. I coul...