It's almost the weekend and this is sort of a follow-up to a recent post about a friend who started baking during the pandemic. This time, I am featuring the fluffy mamon from Weekend Whisks. Unfortunately though, by the time I came for merienda, the mamon had been depleted so I have no photo of the unopened box.
 |
| What remained in the box when I came down for merienda |
 |
| The mamon when you open the wrapper |
 |
| Contact information |
-
It's been a rainy Sunday so far so I decided to share a couple of photos of a marvelous sunrise I took last week. Here are two photos of a scene that greeted me one morning as I prepared to for my regular walk last Monday.
 |
| This was the scene that greeted me when I rolled up the blinds in my daughter's bedroom. The back of our home faced the morning sun and this was what daybreak looked like at around 5:40 AM. |
 |
| Another photo, this one a little brighter than the first. These photos were taken minutes apart from the best room in the house for sunrises. |
Here's to more wonderful sunrises and sunsets!
-
Seiko Chariot watches are among the most affordable vintage watches to collect. I think most of them were made in the 1970s and are powered by Cal. 2220 movement. The Chariot comes in different shapes, colors and textures (for the dial). The one I'm featuring here is a classic tank style. You can probably name some models that came out of the luxury brands including, of course, Cartier.
 |
| This model reminds me of the well-known Cartier tank. There are no day or date complications as well as a 'second' hand (only hour and minute hands). |
 |
| Side view showing the crown |
 |
| The other side view |
 |
| Case back showing the serial and model numbers. The serial indicates the watch to have been made in February 1972, my BMBY. Inside the watch is a Cal. 2220A movement that runs at 28,800 A/h. This is a high-beat watch. |
 |
| Close-up of the linen dial |
 |
| The dial number can be seen at the bottom. |
 |
| Here's the Chariot beside my KS, which is another BMBY, after I changed the leather straps to custom-made alligator flanks |
I now have five BMBYs - a KS, a World Timer, a Lordmatic, an Actus and this Chariot. The Actus is currently worn by my father who wanted an automatic watch like the one I gave him 25 years ago, a souvenir or pasalubong from my first overseas travel (to Tokyo, Japan). I still have to have his watch serviced though so he's keeping that Actus for now. This Chariot is worn by my wife who quickly spotted the similarities of this homage to the quite popular luxury watch and took a liking to it. I haven't timed the watch so far but we wind in every morning or evening so it keeps running. It keeps good time and we've only made a few adjustments as the wearer prefers to have her watches set at 5 minutes advance.
-
With the Tokyo Olympics recently concluded and me supposed to be in Hiroshima now and participating in an international conference, I am somewhat nostalgic about Japan. Having lived there for a few years while studying, and then staying again for a few months twice later (2001 and 2008) as a visiting researcher, I miss many of my haunts.
Another discovery one time I was searching for an item in my office drawers is a stash of cards from the various times I was staying in Japan. You can purchase these at the station, convenience stores or from the bus driver.
 |
| From top left (clockwise): Kyoto city single day bus pass, Tokyo single day bus pass, Kanto region (Tokyo, Yokohama, Kawasaki, Chiba, Saitama, etc.) bus cards (1,100, 3,360 and 5,850 yen denominations), JR Suica card, and Yokohama Triennial Bus Card. |
-
It's been 20 years since that fateful day of September 11, 2001. It's true what they say that events like that terrorist attack that killed and injured thousands. You remember where you were, what you were doing, and what you thought about that day. I had to write these myself to preserve my memories in writing. To my recall, I've written about 9/11 thrice in this blog:
Here's what I wrote last year: https://reginsrealm.blogspot.com/2020/08/where-were-you-when.html
Here's what I wrote 10 years ago: https://reginsrealm.blogspot.com/2011/09/10-years-ago-911.html
Here's what I wrote 11 years ago: https://reginsrealm.blogspot.com/2010/09/91101.html
That last one I think was my first written recollection of the events. I would like to think that
Sometimes, I think about the "what if's" about this topic. What if there was no 9/11? Would the world have been different? Was it inevitable that something like it would eventually happen? If not in New York, then somewhere else perhaps? 20 years gives us more perspectives and in history, that number of years removed from the events provides a somewhat different context than when it was still so fresh and people's emotions or feelings about the event were so strong. It is also interesting that the US has just completed withdrawing its troops from Afghanistan. It's said that this 20 year engagement there as a result of 9/11 cost them even more (trillions of dollars and thousands of American lives lost). I will not write an assessment of that but years from now and perhaps with other developments, we will have another, different interpretation and understanding of 9/11.
-
It's almost the weekend so here's a feel good post about food. Our friend had started baking during the pandemic and discovered she had a knack for it. She started with cookies and now bakes cakes and breads.
 |
| We started eating the moment the loaf was delivered. |
 |
| The loaf was baked just right. The proof is on the bottom part. It's not burnt but had the chewy texture I like. |
 |
| Another photo of the banana loaf |
You can get this and others through her Instagram account:
This loaf is one of the best banana loaves we've had. And we hope that our friend will be able to sustain the quality of her creations. I will post on their fluffy mamon soon.
-
It's been sometime since we have been to the "Second Floor," which is the highest point in our village. We used to go there at least once a week during our morning walks just to have a nice view of Metro Manila or the mountains surrounding us. There is also a nice view of Laguna de Bai as well as distant mountains such as Mt. Makiling, Mt. Banahaw, Mt. Cristobal, Mt. Arayat, Mt. Mariveles and Mt. Samat if you have clear enough skies and horizon.
We had an early walk yesterday and had time to go off the beaten path. That meant going to the place with probably the best view in our area. While there have been several big houses that have been constructed in the vicinity. There's still a panorama you can enjoy. You just have to go through some tall grasses and slippery rock to get there but the rewards of a nice view beats the risks. Atop are low brushes and herbs growing on what is mostly rock so there are no tall grasses or trees for most of the area.
 |
| Sunrise from the "Second Floor". It's the wet season and it's been raining everyday; sometimes during the day, sometimes during the night and sometimes the entire day and night. That means we usually have cloudy skies, and those give kind of a different sunrise every time. |
 |
| The pathways to the spots where you can get the best photos have a lot of foliage. I am sorry for the birds and other animals that we disturbed as we made our way to take a few photos. |
-
I have a few watches in my collection that have the wrong case backs. One is what I called a franken-watch as the dial and movement didn't match the case back. That was a King Seiko that had a Grand Seiko case back but with a KS medallion on it. I charge that to my not knowing about these details (I picked up that watch in a spring bazaar in Tokyo). Another is a Seiko bullhead that I didn't pay attention to the details but luckily was able to unload to another collector who wasn't so sensitive or picky with the issue. Here's a sought after rally diver that has the wrong back. It was cheap so I didn't mind getting it despite the issue.
 |
| This watch has both day and date complications. The bezel rotates and its design is unique to this model. |
 |
| Side view showing the crown at 4 o'clock. |
 |
| This is the wrong case back. You can Google the model number and results will show a different 6119 model. The dial number is the more reliable reference in this case. |
 |
| Close-up of the dial shows the correct dial number and features |
 |
| The watch is powered by a Cal. 6119C movement, which is the last of the 6119's. Produced between 1969-1975, the caliber dates the watch to that period. The manufacture date indicated in the serial number of the wrong case back falls within that period. The 6119C runs at 21,600 beats per hour with a potential reserve of up to 46h. |
 |
| The obligatory wrist shot |
The watch runs well and keeps decent time. I think it gained about 2 minutes over a week that I wore it regularly. I didn't have to adjust the watch throughout that period. Barring anything that might push me to unload this watch, it will be a keeper for now.
-
It's September and the first of what we call the 'ber' months ushers in what is claimed to be the longest Christmas season in the world. Even with the pandemic still very much affecting everything and everyone's lives, there's no denying the spirit of Christmas and its association with gift-giving this side of the world. Among the more popular and and enduring gifts are watches. And I am not just referring to the luxury ones but all kinds of watches. I got one for Christmas when I was in high school, a Seiko quartz dress watch that was an upgrade from the Alba digital I had worn during my grade school days.
Probably one watch on someone's wishlist is the Omega Speedmaster Professional "Moonwatch". It is a unique piece that is associated with being the first watch model worn on the moon. The "Moonwatch" also happens to be the standard issue watch for NASA astronauts and part of its mystique includes the story of its use during a critical moment of Apollo 13's return to earth during its ill-fated and almost fatal mission. You'll see various versions of the watch on the market as Omega changed the movement several times since the 1960s. The overall design though is the same and the movement is manually wound. Many years ago, Omega came up with an automatic, reduced (i.e., smaller sized) Speedmaster. This now is loosely being called a "Moonwatch". So is it? Is the Omega Speedmaster Reduced a Moonwatch? Look at the back. I think that should be the best way to determine if your watch is a "Moonwatch".
 |
| This is what's on the case back of an Omega Moonwatch. These Speedmasters are the official timepieces of NASA astronauts so it is safe to say that Col. Pogue also wore one while on the Skylab mission even though he was photographed wearing his preferred Seiko 6139, which has the distinction of being the first automatic chronograph in space. |
And then there are articles you can refer to that all state the differences between the two models and the distinction of the Moonwatch from other Speedmasters including those marketed by Omega itself as "moonwatches".
Broer, R (March 24, 2020) "Speedmaster Reduced vs. Speedmaster Professional "Moonwatch"," Fratello Watches, https://www.fratellowatches.com/speedy-tuesday-speedmaster-reduced-versus-speedmaster-professional-moonwatch/#gref
There are few models that can claim to be in space. Among them are the Seikos, Rolexes, Sinns, Fortises, Fiytas, Strelas and Sturmanskies worn by astronauts and cosmonauts (Note: Gagarin wore a Sturmanskie making it the first watch in space). Even rarer are those who can claim to be on the moon - officially, the Omega Moonwatch, but also the Bulova and Rolex watch, which have been taken as back-up watches of some astronauts.
Here's the back of the Bulova:
 |
| A Bulova chronograph was used by an astronaut on the Apollo 15 mission |
-
