Zero deaths from typhoons in the Philippines

As the Philippines prepares for another typhoon, can we really say we've done everything we can to prevent another catastrophe? 
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It is the way of life in the Philippines - news of typhoons and flooding hardly bother Filipinos any more what with 8 or 9 tropical cyclones making landfall annually on average. But it seems to me we are like the boiling frog.  Every year another typhoon, another massive flooding, another few thousand men, women and children will die, and a few billion dollars worth of damage our economy will suffer through. It has become our new normal, only we think it has always been our normal...

5 simple ways overseas Pinoys can help Philippine Tourism

Are you an overseas Pinoy or an OFW?  I am too.  Whether you have moved abroad temporarily or permanently, I think we all have a very important role to play in promoting Philippine Tourism.

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The Philippines is a Tourism gold mine

I have always believed that the Philippines is a Tourism gold mine, but somehow our 4.7 Million tourists in 2013 pales in comparison to Indonesia's 8 Million and Malaysia's 25 Million.

El Nido Miniloc Island Resort, Palawan, Philippines

The Philippines offers fantastic beaches (in Boracay, Davao, Cebu, El Nido), unique land formations (Chocolate Hills, Hundred Islands), caves, an underground river, volcanoes (Taal, Pinatubo, Mayon), surf spots (Siargao), diving spots, mountain climbing, and those are just the natural wonders.  You can also go to places of historical significance, 16th to 18th century churches, the massive fiestas and festivals, and the even more massive shopping malls.  And we haven't even talked about the food, the services and the hospitality of the Filipinos.

Earthquake Baroque Paoay Church (18th Century)
Ilocos Norte, Philippines

Being OFWs and Pinoys outside of the Philippines, we should look at ourselves as tourism ambassadors.  Hey, I'm proud to share that I've managed to convince a couple of colleagues here in Australia to spend their honeymoon in El Nido, Palawan (where my wife and I had our 1st honeymoon as well) and they thoroughly enjoyed it.  They didn't even need much convincing - I showed them our photos from our Honeymoon, told them how great a time we had, and they were sold.  Well, it also helped that in 2013 Palawan was named by Travel and Leisure Magazine as the World's Best Island (and #2 was Boracay).

I encourage you to be a Philippine Tourism Ambassador.  Here are 5 simple ways we can all help the Philippines become the Tourism darling it deserves to be...

Filipino Invention - Jeepney Coin Sorter

You know how there are lists floating around of these awesome inventions by Filipinos and some of them turn out to be hoaxes?  This invention, a jeepney coin sorter, I wish was real.  Unfortunately it doesn't exist.  Challenge accepted... anyone?

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One of my machine design projects when I was still taking up my Mechanical Engineering was a coin sorter and wrapper, made even more challenging by the professor's requirement that it should have a single input action, say a rotating motion.  We never finished it and had to change projects halfway through.  But remembering it got me thinking... I wonder how much interest there would there be for a jeepney coin sorter?

Philippine Consulate in #Perth seeks volunteers to assist packing of donated goods for #TyphoonHaiyan survivors

Post by Reyjr.com.

Photo Friday: A day in Cologne

Thought I'd try out a photo Friday sharing with a twist.  I've always thought photos are best shared with an anecdote, it makes it more interesting and definitely add another dimension to an otherwise 2 dimensional item (literally).

Cologne, Germany

This photo was taken during our Honeymoon Part 2 trip to Europe in 2013.  Posing beside the magnificent Cologne Cathedral (the largest Gothic church in Northern Europe) and feeling like we were doing our pre-nuptual photoshoot all over again.  We visited Cologne on a day trip with our awesome friends Hani & Tudoy who drove us all the way from Rotterdam, The Netherlands.

The church had really intricate designs, a true masterpiece in architecture and sculpture, and also traditionally believed to be the home of the relics of the 3 wise men who visited Jesus when He was born...

A blogging vision for the future

I've been doing some Spring Cleaning around Reyjr.com - removed some unnecessary links, cleaned up the template a bit, etc., then I got to writing this post, my first for 2014, and hopefully not my last.

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Renewed Reyjr.com and more Travel Blogs coming soon

Renewed Reyjr.com

I've just renewed my url Reyjr.com for another year.  It's almost sentimental.  I've not written much in the last 2 years and yet have continued paying the $10/year fee, still hopeful to be able to write again in the future...

Hey you, let's catch up!

Hello World
You know I haven't posted anything remotely resembling a decent blog post in ages. It's funny, but whenever I visit this little ol' blog of mine, I all of a sudden want to write again...

The UPCC 50th Anniversary Gala Concert on Dec 21

UPCC 50th Anniversary Gala Concert on Dec 21

The Friends of Korus Foundation, Inc. in cooperation with Office for Initiatives in Culture and the Arts (OICA) is cordially inviting you to watch the University of the Philippines Concert Chorus (UPCC) in it's Golden Anniversary Gala Concert on Friday, December 21, 2012, 7:00PM at the University of the Philippines Theater, UP Diliman Campus, Quezon City, Philippines.

Ticket prices and further details in poster below. Please click the image to view the full size.

Click for full image

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Our new normal

Hanging out at the park has never been a thing for us before, but since the move to Perth we've found it has become a great new option for a lazy Sunday afternoon.

So here we are at a nice little park, the sun partially covered by clouds, the cool wind blowing on our faces, the birds flying around looking for seeds I suspect.

I saw another family just arrived with a little (super)boy with a bright red cape. He's run and started going across the rope bridge while his mum set down a portable table and filled it with snacks and drinks. Two girls went to the water fountain to have a drink after playing on the swings with their Dad.

My wife has dozed off on my shoulder as I type this. The general calm and quiet, and the cool wind lulled her to sleep, as I am being lulled to sleep myself. And so I should stop before I begin sleep blogging...

Seems such a normal thing to do here, taking a nap in the park on a lazy Sunday afternoon. I guess this too is part of our new normal.

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Perth Weather Post

Testing my Blogger App to see what the post will look like!

Just added a photo of this morning's weather update. We're down to single digits eh? Bring it on winter!

My Awesome Virtual 30th Birthday Party

Turned 30

Welcome to my virtual birthday party!

In *real life* my Tatay, my wife Liz and I went to Sandalford Winery in Swan Valley (Western Australia), where we had a sumptuous lunch and enjoyed some wine tasting. We later went to Nguyen Phat in Girrawheen to this huge Asian supermarket. We were in "panic buying" mode (hehe) and bought everything from Silver Swan Soy Sauce and Datu Puti vinegar, to Boy Bawang and Barrio Fiesta bagoong.

In the Philippines, my Nanay and my aunts and cousins ordered some pizza and a cake and sang me a birthday song over Skype video and blew my cake for me. Awesome! My sisters got in the act as well, singing (typing) on Skype. (Ain't Skype grand?)

I'm turning 30!

Turning 30

Hello to all the (loyal) readers of Reyjr.com! Guess what? I'm turning 30 on Sunday! And in celebration of my birthday, I'm treating myself to a virtual party on my blog, and you're all invited. :)

I'm putting together a collage of photos with people holding up a sign saying "Happy Birthday" to me. (Simple joys, haha!) and I'd like you to send me one of YOURS [email: admin@reyjr.com].  I would really appreciate it if you could! That would be really awesome. 

I will post all the photos on this blog (with a link to your website/blog if you're a blogger). ;) 

Thanks in advance!

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