'Tis The Season to Archive

True... most of us may not need enterprise data storage solutions at home just for our files, but as the year ends, it is the perfect time to remind you all to backup your files.

Most people aren't as OC as me who does it every two months or so. But even I have forgotten to encrypt some files before I transfer them in other hard disks and this miss has caused a lot others untold sadness as they say goodbye to files forever, instead of risking bringing their disks to a porfessional who might also discover that hidden video or photo.

Don't just backup on an external hard disk, invest in online galleries or buy your own cloud too, just so your files will always be spoken for and accessible.

Do these now, lest you forget and see yourself again in another year of making memories without having properly archived the previous one.

Start Online Shopping for Black Friday, Cyber Monday Steals

Planning to buy your man a coveted set of sports earbuds for his birthday? A citizen watch perhaps for your anniversary? Thanksgiving may still be over three weeks away but it just may be worth your while to start scouring the net for good finds and listing them somewhere. If these are offered on discounted rates come Black Friday and Cyber Monday, then, you can just keep on 'adding to cart' and 'checking out' with nary a worry over product review and whether you're getting a great bargain or not.

Hopefully, having a list of wants would also give you time to manage your finances, free up some credit and/or start selling some items online yourself.

Museum of the Filipino People

The Museum of the Filipino People is the old Finance Building at Luneta (if the Department of Tourism is to the left of the giant Rajah Sulayman statue, then this one is to the right). This is where they transferred and installed most of the former exhibits at National Museum.

It's major exhibits include: San Diego Exhibit (showcasing what was dug from a wreck site, mostly jars and cannons);  Five Centuries of Maritime Trade, The Origin (presenting origins of the Philippine islands);  Kaban ng Lahi (the archaeological treasures gallery) and   Kinahinatnan (the Filipino people's rich cultural heritage).

We went there an hour or so before the museum closed so I don't think we saw all exhibit rooms that were open/operational. But what we did saw, we loved. It literally took me back to school days of tackling history and Science and rekindled, in a way, pride at my heritage.

So, yes, for that reason alone, everyone must go to this Museum.

one of the bigger cannons at the San Diego Exhibit

 

the spiny spooner crab looks like something I've eaten many times already, hehe

 

a table display of different corals from our seas

 

not an optical illusion... these stuffed cloud rats are HUGE! A friend said you can see live ones at Tarak Ridge in Bataan (I didn't really come near the display case because I was busy cringeing). To the left of this is a monkey-eating eagle display (literally, a stuffed Philippine eagle with its talons on a monkey... and that WAS cool).

 

Bayawak (monitor lizard) was pretty common in Batangas where I'd spend summers in... even watched a friend's sister shoot at one and hit it in the mouth... this is a delicacy in some provinces here

 

Hoy, Hoy... Bulol :D  I thought Bulol (god/deity that features in harvest rituals) was limited to depictions of a deity sitting down, but apparently... he isn't

 

there are so many display cases like this which features musical instruments (like this one), everyday tools and trinkets (iron, feeding implements), farming implements etc

One room that I liked (but didn't take a picture of) was the exhibit where the Manunggul Jar (a secondary burial jar) is... because with it were a lot of other secondary burial jars, with covers of carved heads and some coffins.

The geek in me would like to explore this museum further... preferably without excited kids getting distracted by one exhibit after another. Haha.

National Museum Then, National Art Gallery Now

National Museum, Museum of the Filipino People and Planetarium have opened its doors (due to renovations going on) for free to all this month of October. Unfortunately, we only got to go mid-October so I am only posting about them now.

National Museum (old Senate Building, P. Burgos Drive, Rizal Park, Manila) is now the National Art Gallery and thus exhibits the artworks of famous painters and sculptors. You can also see some wonderful wood workmanship from old buildings and homes here.

They are still in the process of completely transferring all other non-artwork to the Museum of the Filipino People though, so skeletons and body parts of some prehistoric/indigenous animals can still be found here.

Parking is in front of the building

Spolarium by Juan Luna (forgive me, this was a family day so we were always in the shots!)

facade of an old church in Bohol (if memory serves me right)

the exhibits brought me back to childhood days in the province

self-portrait by Luna... roguish, isn't he?

loved the parquet floors in the different exhibit rooms

Rizal's sculpture (Mother dog attacking a crocodile, trying to save her pup)... which was recreated using animal skeletons in one of the other exhibit rooms

Babywearing using T'nalak cloth (again, if memory serves me right, haha)

not a great picture but this was the old Session Hall, I think... and it would be lovely if this opened as an events venue to the public (if it isn't yet). Every inch of it IS majestic.

What is great about this museum is that it is open on Sundays so families can really come and spend a leisurely hour or two in their air-conditioned exhibit rooms.

You supposedly need a special permit to go in with your DSLR, which is why we just used hubs' iPhone.

Check out http://www.nationalmuseum.gov.ph for more info.

Quality Parts Makes Quality Music

The really expensive violins are crafted by hand and made over several weeks, even months. The painstaking labor of crafting every inch of it perfectly is what allows it to create melodic tunes that resonate in people's souls.

Recorders made of wood make better sounds as well, which is why they cost times 100 sometimes.

And guitars may require a certain kind of wood and shape (and you might also invest in Martin guitar strings at musicians friend) for a purer experience of music.

So, though one may feel free practicing on the cheaper versions (especially if one is only just learning), do consider investing in the more expensive and better made ones. Who knows, it might just make you more committed to music-making...

Luk Foo Cantonese Kitchen

We had the pleasure of dining recently at the Luk Foo Cantonese Kitchen branch in Las Pinas. All in all though, I will not really rave about the restaurant and the menu, though they did have some really good dishes to offer.

We were there for lunch on a Sunday and it was very noisy. It was also weird that they'd serve some of the other dishes first... and then the soup was all the while cooling somewhere and was served while we were in the middle of our meal already. The spinach seafood soup was great but would have been nicer if served piping hot, instead of lukewarm.

Anyway, here are some pictures of the food :)

 

 

the meat is spare ribs and a little spicy... the soup is the spinach seafood soup

 

I also do not know what they call these noodles... and we preferred their crispy fried noodles

 

sweet and sour fish

 

the best dish of the lot... hot prawns salad (I'm confused, I thought this will be the cold prawns one but they referred to it as hot because the prawns were fried)

 

 

You can call ahead and reserve a table for your party. And if there's one thing I can say that's great about Luk Foo Cantonese Kitchen is that they aren't sparing with the shrimp. It's like, they're giving them away in every dish and we loved it!

There are about six branches scattered around Manila and one in Angeles, Pampanga. The price is also affordable enough and the servings were big enough so this is still great for family dinners.

Storybook Theater at Fully Booked

received this in my e-mail from Make Believe Productions

==========

Dear parents,

We are glad to invite you to our newest workshop, entitled“Storybook Theater” (or Theater for Bookworms)! Enter the pages of well-loved children's books like Peter Pan, Where the Wild Things Are, Alice in Wonderland, Grimm's fairy tales, and many more and bring them to life through acting, singing, stage movement, costumes, and props!

Make your children more confident and creative in this 13-day workshop (every Saturday), from 10:30am-12:30pm, starting September 22 to December 15, 2012 at the Forum, 4/F Fully Booked, Bonifacio High Street.

Read more from the following links:

Storybook Theater: A Magical Hour at Fully Booked 

The First Page: A Tale of Storybook’s First Day

The Second Page: A Weekend of Fun, Mischief, and Adventure

Join us this coming Saturday, October 13 as we bring to life the beloved stories of ALADDIN and the LITTLE MERMAID!

 

Using shadow puppets, we’ll explore a whole new world on a magic carpet and dive under the sea to see and experience Ariel’s water wonderland full of amazing creatures, color, and music!

 

The workshop will end with a Culminating Play on December 16 for parents and the whole family to enjoy! For kids ages 6  and up, this theater for bookworms will surely let your little ones SHINE!

Enrollment is still on-going! Interested parties, may contact Celina Torres at 729-5899 or nini.torres@makebelieve.com.ph

LEARNING INVESTMENT:

Total Cost: Php 7,800 * NOTE: May be paid in installment. 50% of the fee can be deposited in the beginning of the workshop, while the other

half may be paid on December. (Children that bring along a sibling/ cousin/ friend will both be given a 10% discount.)

For One Class ONLY: Php 950 (Should you change your mind, and decide to enroll your child for the rest of the workshop,

we will deduct this fee from the total amount.)

Please feel free to contact me for any questions or clarifications.

We hope to see you there!

Thank you.

Warm regards,

Oasis Jalandoni | Marketing Officer

Make Believe Productions

Parties | Events | Workshops

Unit L3 Patricia Building, 1050 EDSA,

Magallanes Village, Makati City, 1231

Telefax: (632) 729.5899 | www.makebelieve.com.ph

Wrap Gifts in Burlap!

Just outside the yarn, fabric and scrub stores in Divisoria, along Tabora, are sellers of giveaways and wedding paraphernalia. One can get sinamay from them as well as woven baskets, wooden rings and these burlap sacks.

This was the smallest and cost P25. They also have burlap bags (like a mailman bag) and you can also get burlap fabric at P90/yard (should you want to use it stretched on a frame). You will be given a choice of hemp string/cord or these dried straws to complete your packaging requirements.

I like how this lends a very organic feel to gifts, plus it's perfectly reusable as a container for marbles or other trinkets.

They can even work as hand puppets :)

Balay Negrense, Silay City's Open Ancestral Home

Supposedly, there are at least 30 ancestral homes in this area of Silay, with Balay Negrense, Jalandoni House and Hofilena House the only ones really open to the public (sorry, I cannot find my brochure that lists them all so I cannot verify the number).

Anyway, a trip to Bacolod is not complete without hightailing it to Silay City, the Paris of Negros, and visiting Balay Negrense.

I think we paid P50 or P60 each but the kids got to go in for free... and the guide was very friendly

Built by Victor Gaston (sugarcane royalty) to house his 12 children, there were 6 bedrooms downstairs and another 6 upstairs, and all had connecting doors to each other (as was the vogue) so the children can come and go without visitors noticing them.

How wonderful to have lived in such a house, no?

Everything about old Spanish homes say one thing: ventilation :) Look at all that space and how air/light flow through

since being taken over by the Negros Cultural Foundation, antiques and mementos from other homes in Negros have found their way to Balay Negrense... so that people can have an idea of how a lady's room might have looked like in olden times

nice, right?

where once carriages go through to load/unload cargo and people... the steps also lead to the kitchen and servants' quarters

the parking area for the carriages is now a curio shop

Hopefully, more homes in the district will be preserved so that this proud era in Negros' history won't be forgotten. And hello, architecture at its finest, really!

Robinsons Warehouse Sale 2012

Looking for  tv stands with mounts? What about little kitchen helpers to make for better food presentation? Christmas gifts to beloved kids perhaps? Fabulous outfits? DIY kits for home decorating?

Or just a reason to shop for any bargain?

Well then... the Robinsons Warehouse Sale 2012 event poster is already making the rounds. Here's what they say that you can expect:

Get up to 70% off on these participating brands: Toys "R" Us, Topshop, Topman, Dorothy Perkins, Warehouse, Ben Sherman, Robinsons Appliances, Robinsons Department Store, Handyman, True Value, Saizen, Howards and Mini Stop! Plus more exciting deals at the Robinsons Metrobank Warehouse Sale 2012!

 Simply present your Robinsons Cebu Pacific MasterCard, GO! MasterCard or any Metrobank credit card to enter and enjoy the big discounts and deals!

Now, I know those days aren't pay days yet for most people but I guess that's where emergency cash and wise use of credit cards can help you purchase necessities (and maybe a few nice-to-have's) at cheaper the cost.

I am inclined to go just to see how much gets slashed on wooden toys at Toys "r" Us :)