Welcome 2010!

From my family to yours, Happy New Year! Let us welcome 2010 with a bang!

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The Mayon Volcano, Legazpi City, Albay

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Back in 2004, my family and I went to Albay to see the beautiful perfect cone of Mayon Volcano.  I remember we arrived - after 14 hours on the road - late in the evening and so did not get a chance to see it that night.

WOOF Contest Top Picks - Dec 18

WOOF Contest – Top Picks

Poetry

Zorlone – “A Strong Rope” - A poem about climbing on a piece of rope called fate.
dragon blogger – “Manichean Monks” - Poem about a battle between monks and a calico dragon.
reyjr – “Contemplation” - A poem about dealing with stress and missing your loved one.


Memoir

Jena Isle – “A True Story: This Could Happen to You” - A true story.

Brought to you by PlotDog Press with the Serial Suspense Screenplay "Intervention"


Presenting the finest of the writer’s blogs by the bloggers who write them. Highlighting the top posts as chosen by the December 18, 2009 WOOF Contest participants. Want in to join the next WOOF? The next contest ends December 25. Submit a link to your best writing post of the last 3 weeks using the form on this page. Participants, repost the winning link list within a week and you’re all set.





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Get free PatayGutom.com keychains!

I was caught by surprise! Jehzlau had a Christmas surprise up his sleeve - FREE PatayGutom.com keychains for the first 50 commenters (with a reason that rocks)!  Check out PatayGutom.com for details! Hurry!





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"Contemplation"

For frustrations creep in slowly in the silence,

and the soft hum of the room disturbs the balance

of my tired mind. My eyes are empty islands

on vacation with a hammock and the garlands

of sweet flowers 'round our necks. My defiance

to defeat is like fighting against giants.

Still I forge ahead for failure is no choice,

I will shout and sing until I lose my voice,

I will write - and every poetry or prose,

will reflect the truth, my happiness, my woes.

And I sit here with my hands upon my face,

for my heart is lonely, longing your embrace.

Must this distance be a harsh neccesitation?

In my room I sit alone in contemplation.

-reyjr

This is the first ever "serious" poem I published on Reyjr.com ever made. lol. Check out my other less serious ones here: Poems

The wonderful painting above can be found here: Paragon Fine Art - Stephanie Clair and is called "A MOMENT OF CONTEMPLATION"




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I am the cutest baby Tarsier in Bohol!

Last year, we went to Bohol, a province south of Manila, about an hour by airplane.

This is my favorite photo from that trip, I have no idea why I did not post it earlier. Haha!

Tarsiers!

(click photo to see full size)

 

That's Liz as the big Tarsier and me and as the cutest baby Tarsier in Bohol. Those were fun times and...

"A Puppy, not a Guppy" book tour

Welcome to today's  "A Puppy, not a Guppy" book tour stop on Reyjr.com. You can check out the rest of the book tour schedule, where it has been and where it is going next, by clicking this.

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Who wants some fish?

Irma, our book's main character, is getting some pet fishies. Yes, she's getting some guppies - which I think are beautiful hypnotizing (that tail!). But she doesn't want them - she wants a puppy instead! A puppy, not a guppy!

I've always loved fish.  Whenever we go to the beach, we always go snorkeling to see some colorful fishes and corals.  Fish in aquariums are also a sight - a very relaxing one that adds color and life to any room. Memories of all those hours spent laboriously looking for the right breed on that addictive Fish Tycoon game also come to mind. Hah!

I do love fish. But pet fish? I've never had any of those. Dogs, on the other hand, we've had since forever so I can understand why Irma's parents doesn't want her to get one...

Fish Spa at the Manila Ocean Park

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Our day at the Manila Ocean Park was well spent. Liz and I enjoyed looking at the colorful fishies and reading about their characteristics and such - and we even found Nemo!  When we got to the end, we had a nice view of the Manila Bay and an option to either take a glass bottom boat ride or have our feet eaten nibbled by fish... at a Fish Spa!

How to smell your own tongue

French Bulldog Puppy

If you could smell your own tongue, wouldn't you?

Watch the UP Concert Chorus Christmas Concert 2009

Payapang Daigdig

During last year's concert, our conductor asked me and another UPCC Alumna, Tita Ritzi to share the solo for the Christmas song "Payapang Daigdig". It had been a long time since I last sang with the UPCC then and so I was really honored to have been asked.

This year though, I'm not sure if I will be able to make it. I'm bummed about that. But we'll see how it turns out. Hopefully I still get to go. :) In the meantime, here are the lyrics to "Payapang Daigdig".

Giving Google Waves and World AIDS Day

Google Wave Invites

After almost 80 comments, interesting points and suggestions (er and spammy comments too lol) on my "Who wants a Google Wave invite?" post, I'm glad to note that those 5 with the most interesting (or interested) comments will receive my invites. Haha. I am glad to be giving the Google Wave invites to:

1. Jacqui Hudson
2. japaulvergonia
3. geb0i
4. chrisBON
5. johnbresee

Google Wave is probably going to be available to the general public sooner than we think - much like how they began Gmail (where you can only get one via an invite) but heck - do you really want to be the last one to get GW? Haha, I don't.

So, if you don't have Google Wave preview yet, head on over to Holly's "It's All a Matter of Perspective" or to DiTesco's iBlogZone, I think they have a few more to give away...

Holiday Airfare Deals from my Friend in Paradise!

This is a sponsored guest post written by Ali Kendall on behalf of Airfare Secrets. Post powered by Sponzai.

Just wanted to send a quick "shout-out" across the Pacific to my friend Ali in sunny Honolulu, Hawaii!

Ali runs the airfare-now.com website with all kinds of tips, coupons, strategies, etc. for findng holiday airfare deals. Now airfare comparison travel sites have come a long way in the past few years but there are still literally thousands of them to choose from. So here's a big aloha and mahalo to Ali for keeping it simple on a pretty nifty little travel website!

 

“I Enjoyed My Century Bangus Fillet on my exhausting 5.5 hr drive to Manila”

Atypical Day

I work in Batangas, a province about 2 hours away from Manila by car, and I typically drive back to my house in Pasig every Friday night. I've been doing this weekly for the past 5 years or so, and if there was ever an expert on it, I guess I could very well qualify. I had developed a knack for timing my departure and predicting my arrival time - to the minute. Well... until recently.

You may have heard about the broken (Bridge of) Promise in Batangas City - well, it's still kaput and the only way out of the city is right through the traffic. Yes. Just getting out of Batangas City will take up to 45 minutes nowadays. Ugh. Traffic has become completely unpredictable.

But, last night - ohhh last night - was exceptionally atypical...