A Retro Party Video That Deserves 680 Views

Posted on January 28, 2017 by heavenliner

Does a person who signed-in or owns a YouTube account can already be considered a YouTuber or does it take a certain degree before someone be considered as one? I for one owns a YouTube account and I have signed-in my account for more than 5 years already, but still, I don’t consider myself as a legit YouTuber. For me, a rightful YouTuber is someone who has at least a couple of hundreds of subscribers, posts videos on a regular basis and the number of views of their videos are in thousands (if not in millions).

I have high regard and admiration to these group of internet geniuses. I am continuously boggled by the fact that these YouTubers were able to tap and has been consistent in tickling the interests of the video viewing public. I have yet to grasp and discover their seemingly elusive formula. And I’m clueless on how the hell they do it! Like a pathetic old fool, I have been doing YouTube but one video has yet to reach a thousand views!

Anyway, let me post the latest YouTube video that I did with the help of my officemate (Rey Ferrer) who introduced me to a new world of video editing. This video is about the recent company party that I organized. With the hardships and challenges of organizing a company party attended by 680 people, this video I suppose deserves to reach at least 680 views. Enjoy…

peace!

Kapag ang bidyong ito naging bayral, maanlilibre ako ng miryenda!

Channeling a Retro Fashion Passion

Posted on January 27, 2017 by heavenliner

As soon as it was agreed that the theme of the company that I worked with was Retro 60s & 70s, I channeled on the personas of Billy Preston, the Jackson 5, Angela Davis, Jimmy Hendrix and the Supremes. I plumped into the idea of donning into the so called afro fashion which became a fad during the 70s.

Fortified with a deep thought as funneled by these iconic 70s Afro-American icons that “with right fashion passion everything would be aflame” this is how my retro-party-look ended up:

with malou domingo…

your clothes should be as important as your skin…

i#bighair

It was super fun dressing up for a retro party!

Ang sarap pumorpa mga repapips! Bukas susuotin ko ulit yan pag-pasok ko sa opis!

Nengkoy’s Snail Mails

Posted on December 18, 2016 by heavenliner

I have one seem-to-be-odd and old-fashioned question.

I won’t be asking you what your wishes this Christmas are. Neither would I ask where are you gonna spend it. I won’t inquire whom your gonna spend it with or what look are you gonna don with on that joyous day. My question would be: Do you remember when was the last time you sent a Christmas card to a friend or a relative through the classic postal mail?

With the advent of the internet, convenience of the social media and the availability of modern day apps, I’m pretty sure you cannot remember. Or maybe, if you’re really young and part of the millennial generation, I guess you haven’t even sent yet a letter through snail mail.

I have sent a couple of merry Christmas greetings already via social media for the past few days, but Nengkoy still settles for the classic and traditional mode. Just 2 weeks ago, she showed me a bunch of envelopes filled with Christmas cards to be sent to relatives in USA and Canada via old-style and old-fashioned postal mail. And while taking photos of these classic form of greetings, out of nowhere, I suddenly wanted to receive a Christmas card sent via snail mail. It would be one earnest feeling, I guess.

nengkoy’s snail mails

3 generations: neil, nengkoy and my nephew gabby, a millennial who I guess has not yet sent a letter via classic postal mode

Though I no longer remember, I have sent letters and greeting cards via postal mail in the past. And I know how much time and effort that is poured in handwriting as well as the time and effort of going to the nearest postal station.

Handwritten letters and classic greetings cards for me is a beautiful thing. Merry greetings received through this mode, I guess, is warmer, sincerer and more heartfelt. It is one art, culture and tradition that is unfortunately on its verge of extinction.

But going back to my question if you happen to remember when the last time you sent a snail mail was. Nengkoy for sure can easily answer such an odd and old-fashioned question.

Klasik ng lola mo!

Ringing the Massive Bell of Bosingak

Posted on November 20, 2016 by heavenliner

One of the beautiful highlights of my recent Seoul trip was something unplanned and unexpected. Me and my colleagues were lucky enough to be at the right place and at the right time when we happen to experience one traditional South Korean ceremony.

bonsingak: a totally different belfry

During the Joseon Dynasty, the Bosingak Belfry was used to keep time. In the very old days when Seoul was still enclosed by 4 main gates, the bell of Bosingak would ring 33 times at 4:00 AM so as to signify that people can be allowed to enter Seoul. And by 10:00 PM, the bell again would ring 28 times to alert the public that the gates to the city are closing.

On our way to Insadong (one shopping capital in Seoul), just outside Jonggak subway station, we happen to pass by one oriental-looking structure. Being first timers and tourists of South Korea, we of course were lured to take photos of the massive building. When we were called to step in at the rather old compound and was informed that entrance for free, we temporarily suspended our shopping itinerary at Insadong and instead marveled at the beautiful structure in front of us.

i love the colors…

ring my bell… hahaha!

high fashion!

While taking photos of ourselves, the buildings and the guards in traditional and colorful Korean clothing, we were told that we can participate in the day’s ringing of the bell ceremony. But before we were allowed to hit the bell with a massive wooden log suspended from the ceiling, we were told to first change into Korean traditional costumes. The changing into colorful Korean clothes even made this awesome experience more unforgettable.

And at 12 high noon, we were hitting the massive bell of Bosingak to alarm the whole Seoul, South Korea! And after this awesome experience, we were so inspired, ended up buying lots of traditional South Korean goodies at Insadong.

Kampanerang kuba ang peg!

Unbelievable Pauline Agupitan Slays “I Believe”

Posted on November 15, 2016 by heavenliner

I happen to stumble upon this young talent on YouTube. And when I started listening to her, I realized that her singing voice is actually the quality of my voice every time I wake up suffering from a severe sore throat!

But seriously, I was stunned by this young Filipina’s amazing voice. And what adds up to such a surprising rendition is that her singing seem effortless. I am not a music expert but I know what a remarkable voice is when I hear one. Her version of Fantasia Barrino’s I Believe is just perfect (or even better than the original, I suppose)!

Goosebumps were actually falling off my skin at the start of the song. And these goosebumps started growing their own hands so as to give a humongous round of applause to such an amazing talent at the end of the song!

powerful voice at such a tiny frame

Halimaw ang talento ng babaing yan!

My kind of NZ Town is a toss between a Queen and an Arrow

Posted on October 27, 2016 by heavenliner

When I have already spent a couple of days in New Zealand, I was starting to realize that this fresh country is giving Japan (my most favorite country) a good run for their money. Everything seem so fresh, nice and clean in New Zealand. Crime rate in NZ is basically nil like that of Osaka and even the public toilets were as clean as those found in the Nippon country.

Actually, I have long realized that if I will be given the opportunity to live in Japan, without a batting an eyelash, I would easily choose Osaka. But in New Zealand, it would be a toss between two awesome towns. I would like to live either in Queenstown or Arrowtown.

who would not want an afternoon sight like this

colors of queenstown

seating by the bench…

Queenstown is a bit small in terms of size and population for it to be considered a city, but the vibe and energy it displays is sweepingly large in scale. I particularly loved the cosmopolitan restaurants. The multi-ethnic offerings of these restaurants to its residence and visitors are impressively wide ranging.

No one should get bored when staying in this modernized town. From bungy jumping to jumping off a plane or riding a crazy rough speedboat, Queenstown can be considered as adventurer’s haven. But what I particularly love about this town is that aside from doing adrenaline-filled activities, you can take time to a slow down. You can simply find a lakeside bench and engross yourself to the beauty of the nature.

early arrowtown spring

colors of arrowtown

taking it easy at arrowtown…

Arrowtown on the other hand is a quaint little town just minutes away by car from Queenstown. The tree-lined avenues (which I suspect changes its looks and color depending on the season) as well as the fashionable shops at the main road (Buckingham Street) are two of the nicest areas that this town boasts about. And like Queenstown it also has a wide array of excellent restaurants.

This historic gold-rush town seem to possess an alluring character that is uniquely of its own. It is so charming we actually drove twice in this town to further explore the sights and we even walked a short riverside nature trail to breathe some of the freshest air on earth.

Arrowtown has a much slower pace as compared to Queenstown. Another impressive character of this town is that it is uncrowded. I suppose this is the place that Queenstown locals go to if they wish to have some quiet time for themselves or with their family.

I live at the most densely populated city in the world. There is never a day in my city that I would not see a human being. Everywhere I look, everywhere I go and everywhere I smell there is someone near me. Thus, the uncrowded yet colorful places like Queenstown and Arrowtown for me are true gems of a place.

Samdey… samdey… titira din ako dyan!

Glacial Facial at Milford Sound

Posted on October 25, 2016 by heavenliner

Milford Sound has been considered as the most visited tourist place in New Zealand. It is the crowning jewel and quintessential spot of New Zealand. Many visitors say that it is the most beautiful place they have ever seen. It so beautiful, it is usually included in blogs and publications that enumerates the places to go to before an earthling dies.

Milford Sound is a body of water, thus, one has to take a boat ride to really appreciate its beauty. And that’s exactly me and my friends did. We took the tour as operated by Southern Discoveries which is inclusive of a sumptuous buffet lunch served right inside the boat. It was actually a smooth connection between the 5-hour bus ride and that of the ship ride. No worries, no hustle and surprisingly, no overcrowding! Everything went smooth and organized.

cruising…

And when the boat embarks into the water, further excitement about my NZ experience sets in. The sights of the Sound were just gorgeous. Limestone cliffs, snowcapped mountain peaks, amazing waterfalls and the clear water of the fiords were all so stunning.

I particularly loved the part when the boat would get so near the waterfalls throwing water down the sides of the sheer cliffs. And according to the boat’s tour guide and narrator, water coming from above the cliffs were actually melted glacier from the mountains. The narrator told all passengers to be ready to get wet and secure a raincoat because the bow of the ship will go right underneath the pounding falls.

The up-close look of the waterfalls were simply spectacular! Only when the ship maneuvered right at the bottom of the falls did I realize how high, how strong and how massive the waterfalls were. The sprinkling, the shower, the downpour of the glacial water on my face was something to behold. I totally agree with the boat narrator’s description that the feeling would be like having a “glacial facial”!

Another add on about the Milford Sound cruise were the animals that tourists got to see. We were unfortunate that we did not see pods of dolphins or rare penguins. But what we found were lazy seals sunning themselves on low lying rocks.

getting ready for my glacial facial!

strike a pose!

Me and my friends were just too glad to do a 2-hour Milford Sound tour! We were so happy that such an amazing place with all its natural splendor really does exist!

Kakaibang pasyal na may peyshal!

The One Thing I Dislike About NZ

Posted on October 24, 2016 by heavenliner

It’s been a week that I’ve been back in Manila and I have been struggling to identify what I dislike about New Zealand. Everything seem to be so likable in that country: the people, the culture, the color, the weather, the food, the sights, the fresh air. And finally I come to realize that at least I dislike something about the country whose slogan is “100% Pure”.

While watching a top ten scariest commercial flights in modern time video on Youtube, I suddenly came to realize that the one thing I hated about New Zealand is this…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5f7ha3Z7xY

Though it’s not bad, its definitely no good! Yeah Air New Zealand, though they offer really nice airline services and facilities, got a very tacky and seem to be tasteless type of an airline safety video. Though the video seem to have high production value and definitely thinks out-of-the-box in terms of catching a passenger’s attention, for me, the present NZ safety video is downright corny and at times annoying. Too bad, my recent Air New Zealand fight featured this safety video.

I was actually looking forward to this epic type of a video when the flight attendant told all passengers to focus our attention to the screen…

If it was this cool and iconic 2014 LOTR-based safety video, it would be the first time that I would clap so hard and shout “Bravo!” over an aircraft’s safety video right inside the airplane. Hahaha! I know that the idea of the safety video is to get across the safety information to people but passengers (especially those seated at the economy class like me) I guess also needs to be entertained.

But honestly, I love New Zealand…

100% pure

Ang kyut no. Sana ganyan din sa PAL.

Window Seat, Scenic Flight, Happy Me

Posted on October 20, 2016 by heavenliner

With the pretty numerous travels I had, domestic and abroad wise, I developed the preference of being seated at an aisle seat. I am no longer the kiddo who prefers to be assigned at a window seat and stick my nose on the glass window every time the plane has to take-off or land at its destination.

My reason for particularly preferring the aisle seat is because I hate excusing myself from other seated passengers when I need to stand and proceed either to the pantry or the toilet of the airplane. Seating on the aisle seat also gives me the pleasant feeling of being seated at a much bigger space! I can even extend my “long-legged” legs towards the aisle especially during the hours when lights are off and almost all passengers are in deep sleep.

But in my recent trip to Queenstown New Zealand, I was left with no choice but to rest my skinny butt at the window side of an airplane. It is because the airplane that I, Joesel, Karen and Denton took was a small cessna plane that goes around the Queenstown region. It is so small it does not have an aisle and only fits us and the pilot.

happy inside the hangar

the gang! (banggang)

pilot alex assisting denton on his seat…

selfie muna

up!

I consider my sitting at the window side for this specific flight as the most stunning flight I have ever had so far. It’s a stunning 30-minutes flight that features the beauty of the whole of Queenstownship, the grandeur of the Gibson Valley region, the quaintness of Arrowtown, the intricacy of the Shotover Canyon, the serene Wakatipu Lake and the majesty of the Remarkables mountain ranges.

This scenic flight gave me goosebumps! I never expected that I would be so blessed to breathe, smell and see for myself up in the sky the magnificent beauty of Queenstown, New Zealand! Only a crazy stupid soul will complain of being seated at the window side when the dazzling view out in the open would be an astonishing beauty such as this.

Sobra sobra! Owber sa ganda!

Unbelievable Photos in Glenorchy

Posted on October 16, 2016 by heavenliner

I am convinced New Zealand literally has some of the most stunning sights on earth! Everywhere you look, the view is ‘exploding’ with awesomeness!

Two photos (not just one but two) taken during my New Zealand adventure that everyone doubts its authenticity are these…

too beautiful!

is this for real?

Every time I would show these photos to friends and colleagues, they could not believe that such a stunning and beautiful place really exist. Common comments I receive upon seeing these photos is that I just stood in front of a big backdrop of a very well executed painting or a massive high-definition printed tarpaulin or that such photo was a product of someone’s drawing and that I simply superimposed my body to make it look real. Everybody says it’s too good, it’s too perfect and it’s too beautiful for a place to be existing here on earth.

But the thing is… these photos are 100% real. This place is called Glenorchy which is located at the northern tip of Lake Wakatipu, the longest lake and 3^rd largest lake in the southern island of New Zealand.

Thanks to my super friend Joesel who captured the perfect natural color and lighting, the perfect composition and the perfect texture using just my Samsung Note 5 mobile phone. All these makes these photos seem to tell awesome stories.

an addition to my ref magnet collection

iconic…

I actually was stunned to find a souvenir ref magnet being sold in a nearby souvenir shop that features the very site where my photos were taken. According to the lady who was manning the store, the red wharf shed is considered one iconic spot in this unbelievably beautiful town! She said that the massive red painted shed is considered to be the hub of Glenorchy at the turn of the century. It was built to receive supplies from Queenstown brought into the town via steam boats. I was so awe-stricken, I just have to purchase the ref magnet so as to own my little piece of Glenorchy.

Nakaka-laglag panga sa ganda!

Nengkoy

ruminations & travesties of the favorite yet naughty son of Nengkoy

Tag Archives: style