rally in makati

The protest rally at the busy financial district of Makati yesterday asking GMA to resign, the rally was sparked by a Senate inquiry on alleged kickbacks in the national broadband network (NBN) deal by a bevy of personalities close to Malacañang - more from Philstar

simple

“Never allow anyone to rain on your parade and thus cast a pall of gloom and defeat on the entire day. Remember that no talent, no self-denial, no brains, no character, are required to set up in the fault-finding business. Nothing external can have any power over you unless you permit it. Your time is too precious to be sacrificed in wasted days combating the menial forces of hate, jealously, and envy. Guard your fragile life carefully. Only God can shape a flower, but any foolish child can pull it to pieces.” ~ Og Mandino

happy valentine's day

happy valentine's day!

I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where.
I love you straightforwardly, without complexities or pride;
So I love you because I know no other way
~ Pablo Neruda

pink heart

i squealed in delight upon seeing this pink heart of the banana tree, i usually see red banana heart but this is the first time is saw a pink heart! have you seen a pink heart before you've come to this blog?

found this inside the La Mesa Eco Park, they really do have variety of plants and trees. just a short trivia - heart of banana or the flower of banana tree are used as a vegetable and is common dish here in the Philippines, if you want to know how to cook "puso ng saging" do visit MarketMan's blog.

la mesa eco park

La Mesa Eco Park is like a province in the city, really! It's like you've left the city once you entered the park, a treat for nature lover and a good place for family and friends to spend their weekends. They do have have a butterfly trail and hatchery, playground for the kids and young at heart, you can even go on trekking, biking, fishing, picnics, and swimming (yep they have a swimming pool - entrance fee is 80 per head)

The Ecopark spans 33 hectares and lies within the La Mesa Watershed which measures 2,700 hectares (though the La Mesa Watershed itself is off limits to the public - of course to protect the reservoir of metro manilas' water source)

The park is at East Fairview Subdivision in Quezon City and is open weeklong from 8am - 5pm, entrance fee is 50 per head but if you're from Quezon City and/or a Senior Citizen you get a 10peso discount

How to go to La Mesa Eco Park - Clickthecity.com

Take Commonwealth Avenue towards Fairview. You will be passing the following landmarks: UP Diliman, Iglesia ni Cristo Templo Central, Ever Gotesco, Sandiganbayan, Litex, Mercury Drugstore. Turn right at East Fairview Subdivision’s Winston St. then right at Marlboro St. all the way to Pall Mall St. where you should turn left. Turn right at the first corner. You will enter the La Mesa Dam Guard House. There is only one road to take then turn left to the parking lot, in front of which is the gate to the park. The lagoon is further down the path.

For commuters, take a Fairview-bound FX, bus, or jeepney from Philcoa by the entrance to the University of the Philippines. Take note of the abovementioned landmarks and get off at the East Fairview Subdivision. At the gate, you should find plenty of tricycles that can take you to the Eco Park.

spread your wings

Spread your wings and prepare to fly... have a great week ahead

great expectations

That was a memorable day to me, for it made great changes in me. But, it is the same with any life. Imagine one selected day struck out of it, and think how different its course would have been. Pause you who read this, and think for a moment of the long chain of iron or gold, of thorns or flowers, that would never have bound you, but for the formation of the first link on one memorable day. ~ Pip in Great Expectations by Charles Dickens

vintage warcraft

Saw this poster at the Gen. Luna St., Intramuros, just in front of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) building.... thought it would be nice to visit Fort Santiago again and have a look at these vintage warcraft.

The Vintage Warcraft exhibit is open daily from 8:30 a.m to 5:30 p.m. and will run until May.

battle for manila

a monument in memoriam to those innocent victims of war, located at Plaza Sampalucan in Intramuros, Manila.

In just a single month, Manila's face was changed forever by the carpet bombing of the Americans trying to "liberate" Manila from the unspeakable atrocities perpetrated by the Japanese Imperial Forces.

Before the Second World War, Manila was considered one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Overlooking a tranquil bay, the so-called "Pearl of the Orient" was home to a unique culture drawn from four continents. No stranger to conflict, the city had been seized by the Spanish in the 16th century, attacked by the Chinese in the 17th, occupied by the British in the 18th, and taken by the Americans at the end of the 19th. But even this tumultuous history could not have prepared the Filipinos for what happened in 1945, when Manila was utterly destroyed in a single month. - PBS

Related links: Rape of Manila , Liberation of Manila, and Remembering the Battle for Manila

a breather

Been at the world’s end and it wasn’t fun hanging by the edge while trying to keep my sanity intact… but I’m back, thank you all! =D