Butterfly Haven

Well well well... At last! I can post now some of my shots at Butterfly Haven... I’ve been busy po kasi lately and don’t have enough time to create this post... Well it was during my vacation last month and before mag end ang bakasyon, Me and my kids together with their cousins, Kuya Mario, Tatay and Tita Bunso were there last 25th of February 2008. Holiday po kasi that time and a day before ina-aya na ako ng aming chikitng na mag swimming... Well of course! Why not!?Minsan lang ako mag-vacation no!? And plano ko po talagang mag swimming kami... Early morning palang that day, excited na ang mga bata and actually 6:00am palang ay gising na ang mga chikiting and nagyayaya na... So I packed all we need and go... The entrance is costing P100.00 per head including kids 6 yrs. old above... Medyo expensive pero sulit naman and okay ang facilities... Then when you want to go inside the butterflies sanctuary you need to pay P75.00 per head... Kaya sinulit ko rin ang entrance ko! So when I enter the sanctuary, I started looking around for some butterflies and while preparing my gear I saw one butterfly that I guess is new and just came out from her cocoon... It’s nice to see that one, for me... It's their way of saying welcome...

The place has three pools, one is with fountains at the middle and good for kids the other one is for adults which maybe 5 ½ feet in deep and the other one is also for kids where they enjoy a lot... It’s like a semi U shape formation and in the middle are the tables where you can stay and leave your things... I guess it’s free of charge ‘coz when we were there, no one is asking us to for additional payment so it better than renting a nipa hut that will cost you additional P500.00. There is also rooms for those who want to stay overnight and this one now is very affordable ‘coz it just cost P1,000.00 per night. You can check in at the afternoon and leave at noon.

So those are the shots of swimming pools and on the last photo is the rooms where you can stay overnight... Nice diba!? Anyway, here are the rest of my shots of butterflies and flowers around the area...

The Butterflies...

Garden inside the sanctuary... and shots of some flowers...

There you are... Natapos din! I guess this post was the longest post I've made... Since after lunch at the office, I started doing this and now ko lang sya natapos... Whhheeeewww... Ika nga sa kasabihan... Kung walang tiyaga, walang Kabsa!... este Nilaga...

Chocolate Crinkles

It’s nice to know that the much awaited bakeshop here in Jubail is now open... Before kasi ako magbakasyon usap-usapan na nga yung bake shop na magbubukas and also owned by Larry who is the owner of Pansitan Restaurant... Knowing na Filipino ang owner and sa kadahilanang naging famous din ang kanyang Pansitan dito sa Jubail... Ay teka, hindi lang pala dito sa Jubail but also in Khobar and Dammam... Dumadayo pa ang ating ibang mga Kababayan from there going here just to taste and experience what Pansitan has...

Anyway, lets go back to the bakeshop kung saan natikman ko yung kanilang chocolate crinkles na one of my favorite... I took some shot using my N73, Pasensya na po sa shots, galing po kasi kami ng office kung kaya’t hindi ko dala yung aking camera... Anyways, before kasi when I was a kid... One of my Tita owns a small bakeshop in Hagonoy and doon ko unang nagustuhan yung chocolate crinkles and her brownies... Every summer vacation, when I and my Mom visit there... Almost half noong tray ng brownies and chocolate crinkles is sa akin lang then the rest will be for the customers... So since then tuwing summer or pag nalaman ng Tita ko na darating kami, she will then prepare and bake more brownies and chocolate crinkles... Actually she made one especial brownies only for us... Yung bang parang rocky road and ingredients ‘coz she put different kinds of nuts and marshmallows, then ang pinaka gusto ko is crispy yung ibabaw then yung texture nya inside is makunat... Tapos tamang-tama lang yung sweetness and yung taste ng chocolate is swak na swak... Goossshhhhh! Naglalaway na ako! Hahahahaha... Medyo costly nga lang yung ingredients na ginagamit ni Tita, if I’m not wrong the name of the brand she’s using is Fairytale Brownies and not just an ordinary cocoa or chocolate powder... Kung kaya’t medyo costly din ang selling per piece...

Again back to Ribbons bakeshop, I like the ambience and the arrangements, medyo cozy ang dating for me and then while looking around and checking some cakes, cookies, and breads... Napansin ko na yung chocolate crinkles, eh wala naman free taste kaya, order me ng 10 pieces for us... The taste is good and delicious, I like it and isa yun sa binabalik-balikan ko... Pero hinahanp-hanap ko parin yung kagaya ng pagkaka-bake ni Tita, they have their own secrets talaga pag dating sa presentations, preparations, and ingredients ng kanilang mga recipe. Sana pala inalam ko yung secret na yun! Hehehehe...

Kaya sa Ribbons Bakeshop... Three stars ang rating mo from me... I guess, mag dagdag lang nang mga other blends of coffee with similarity to Figaro or Starbucks and then additional space for family section, for sure mas dadami ang customers and mas makikilala pa ang bakeshop na ito...

Nanay's Garden

When I got home, I always check the small and simple garden of Nanay... Actually hindi pa naman sya garden na as in garden nga... Just want to call it garden para may dating diba!? Wala nang kokontra pwede!? Anyway, medyo na re-arrange ang mga orchids and it looks like na nabawasan yata yung orchids ni Nanay... Or maybe it just happened that most of orchids has no flower, kaya di ko napansin yung iba... Or maybe nasira na ng mga chikiting namin dahil sa kalikutan nila... But anyway, even though iilan nalang yung orchids na namumulaklak, I took some shots on those flowers and dinamay ko na yung ibang flowers even though it was not orchids...

I used my SIGMA 105mm F2.8 Macro lens in both mode, manual and auto-focus... Medyo mahirap kasi minsan i-focus pag naka automatic mode and mostly blurred ang nagiging results... Then one thing I forgot is to take note of the Exif, that is why hindi ko na rin matandaan kung alin sa mga shots ko ang naka automatic or manual... Anyhow, here are some of those shots I’ve made...

You will noticed that most of the flowers are same but taken in different perspective kaya medyo marami yung shots. I just want to show different point of view and honestly medyo nalibang din po ang inyong lingkod sa kakakuha kung kaya’t sa naparami ang mga shot’s sa iilang bulaklak...

Update muna ulit...

Well, I just came back from vacation and again back to work, back to work, back to work! Hayyysss... Bitin ang 22 days na vacation... Magastos pero worthy naman and enjoy... To be with my kids and in-laws, I can say that this is one of the best vacations I have... Spending time with my kids and with their cousins, swimming at Butterfly Haven Resort in Pulilan, Bulacan, playing around, and strolling at mini mall... It gives me a feeling na parang I am one of them, I mean feeling ko is, bata rin ako kagaya nila... Then I spent some time with my old friends, one night na gimik, drink some bottle of beers at 10th the new restobar in Malolos, meet some new friends... The unforgettable experience in Tagaytay... Ehem! Ehem! Ricky alam mo na yun! Hehehehe... Talagang unforgettable yun! I will think nalang na nag jogging ako sa Tagaytay nang madaling araw but may kinakailangang habulin at medyo pwersahan... Hehehehe... Then of course the photo-ops, masterbetong and I did the pre-nuptial photography of Niko and Alda in Tagaytay, then we also witness and capture some scene on their engagement party last 22nd of February 2008 at Marina, San Juan, Metro Manila... Even though the party started late, it was okay and nice...

I also missed some photo-ops because I don’t have enough time and medyo kakapagod din... I missed the 12 Hot Air Balloon Festival in Clark Field Pampanga, the 2008 Panagbenga Festival Baguio City, the newly open Manila Ocean Park and the 2008 World Pyro Olympics which schedule has been moved... Anyhow, even though I missed those, I still enjoy and have a nice vacation...

But still there is one special person missing, and that is my wife... Waaahhhh... The last time we were together was during our vacation last July 2004 and since then she didn’t take any vacation... So it’s been almost 4 years! Whew! That is why our kids is keep on asking me, when their mammy’s going to spent her vacation and they really miss her badly... So I hope and I wish that on December, she’ll take her vacation even a little while... If not! Kami nalang ang pupunta sa kanya... Hehehehehe... I wish...

Well, how I wish to extend my vacation, kaso talagang hanggang doon lang and I really needed to go back to my work... Ganito talaga ang buhay OFW, need to face the fact that we needed to leave our love one’s for their sake and also better future... To give what they need and syempre kinakailangan mag-ipon ulit para pang bayad ng mga utang... Lalo na yung mga nabubuhay sa credit cards... Hahahahaha...

Bulacan Website

As a proud Bulakenyo, I just want to share the new website of Bulacan Province... Since last night, I was planning to go out and bring my camera to do snap shots somewhere here, but I don't know any event nearby... There are so many places here with nice view but unfortunately I don't have my own service to reach those... And it's not easy to travel by transferring from one public vehicle to another with my camera... And another thing is, maybe I will not enjoy and can not concentrate on my work because once something or someone caught my attention or I spotted a nice location, the first thing that comes into my mind is to take a shot on it... But if I am just traveling by means of public vehicle, for sure I will miss those... Or I will take the risk and hard work of stopping by and later on take another Jeepney or Tricycle or kaya Pedicab! Hahahahaha... Which for sure will cost me a lot!

Anyhow, there is one place here which is very near... Actually walking distance lang from our home (Tamad ko maglakad no!?) and that is the Pulilan Butterfly Haven... Well, I planned it last night to go there and I also asked my daughter (Pipay) to wake me up but she forgot... Then the weather today is not quite good... And that is why I am doing this post now... But hoping the weather will change later, so maybe this afternoon I can go and if not probably on other day's nalang...

Back to the website of Bulacan... Just try to visit the website and I guess all the general informations about Bulacan is already here, the cities, municipalities, bario's, events, tourism, product's from Bulacan, hang-outs and other interesting facts... What attract's me most on this website are the photo's which gives more attraction and interest to the viewers... Hope someday, one of my photo will be included on this website (Mag aspire daw ba!?)

For me, it's another recognition...

Yes! It's another credit for me to recognized one of my shot on other article... And this time, it was requested by Ms. Amy Judd, who worked for Now Public which is a news sharing community that uses stories, photos, & videos or simply a news gathering website...

This morning, I received one email from Ms. Amy Judd and asking permission if she can use my shot of Shark's Fin Soup to be added on her article entitled Popularity of shark fins puts species on endangered list.

FlickrMail

From:	Amy Judd
Subject:	Your shark and shark fin soupphoto
	Hi newspy23, Here's a personal note from amyjudd: ___________________________________________________________ Hi there, My name is Amy Judd and I work for NowPublic, which is a news gathering website, and I have just written a story about scalloped hammerhead sharks and shark fin soup. However, I have no pictures to accompany my article, and I came across yours on flickr, and was wondering if you would like to contribute your photos to my story. Just click on the link below and follow the instructions, and let me know if you have any questions. I hope to see your pictures on the site soon, as I thought they were really good and interesting! Thanks so much for taking the time to read this, Amy :) please click on this link - where you can approve or reject its use: www.nowpublic.com/import/47b9d33a02aa84.47268609 ____________________________________________________________ NowPublic is a news sharing community that uses stories, photos, & videos from sources like you. If you would like to learn more about this request, and the context in which your photo might be used, click on this link: www.nowpublic.com/import/47b9d33a02aa84.47268609 If you do give your permission, your photo will always remain your property, and whatever license you have specified will follow its use on NowPublic.com If you have any concerns about this, please contact our Quality Assurance Coordinator at quality@nowpublic.com

Without any hesitation, I accept and approved her request and for me it's a compliment to contribute and share my photo... Thank's for a appreciating my work with regards to photography, hope this will be the start of something and to be known someday...