First live Mass in more than 2 years

It was refreshing especially from the spiritual perspective to be able to finally go to church for Mass. It has been more than 2 years since the last time I was able to hear Mass in person. Sundays and special days like Christmas, New Year and Easter the last 2 years were virtual - initially with the Parish of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (PIHM) in Antipolo and then later with Sacred Heart Cathedral (Yamate Catholic Church) in Yokohama. Attending church at Yamate, though virtual, is a mix of nostalgia and calm for me. After all, that church holds a special place in my heart.

We recently attended the moving up ceremony for our ward. The school organized it so there's a Mass prior to the ceremony. I was originally planning to just drop them off as I also didn't recall there was enough parking spaces at the church. There was, and so I ended up being able to attend the Mass and the ceremony last Thursday.

The Parish of San Pedro Calungsod along Sumulong Highway in Antipolo City

This poster located near the main door caught my attention. We had gone to visit this church prior to the pandemic but I don't remember a chapel or sanctuary being there at the time.

The church features a marvelous stained glass behind the altar

A closer look at the altar and stained glass

Just before the consecration, I decided to leave for the sanctuary at the basement of the church. It was more peaceful there and I could hear the Mass from there while also enjoying the solitude. In the photo is the vessel containing the relic of Padre Pio of Petrelcina.

The sanctuary is a peaceful place and I said my prayers there before I returned to the church for the conclusion of the Mass and the school ceremony that followed.

The location of the church also affords a spectacular view of the cityscape of Metro Manila. It is nice whether it's daytine or nighttime (you can see the city lights) but the best time to take photos, if you can, is when the sun is setting. I assume that's a popular time for weddings and the photos can be quite nice.

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Panda Express lunch at the office

I remember eating at Panda Express once after arriving in LAX from San Diego in 2015. That was the last time I was in the US and remember some adventures around San Diego as I tried some exploring while waiting for the wife to finish the work related part of our trip. Before heading back to Manila, we visited relatives and friends in Los Angeles; some of whom we weren't able to meet with the previous time we were in the area. We arrived just after noontime in LAX and were already hungry along with the wife's cousin who picked us up at the airport. She drove directly to a Panda Express where we had a hearty lunch that features their popular orange chicken and chow mien.

Fast forward to last week, we were browsing the delivery options for our lunch at the office and stumbled on Panda Express when we typed Chinese to see what Chinese food we could order aside from the usual Chow King. Fortunately, there was a Panda Express nearby and the app indicated we could get our food under 30 minutes.

The panda in the packaging

Orange chicken, chow mien and rice

We enjoyed our lunch of orange chicken, chow mien and rice. The servings were very generous and we felt quite full that we joked of wanting to take a long nap (siesta!) before we went back to work. We'll probably order lunch from there again but will try their other items for variety.

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Vintage Ricoh Dynamic watch

Most people are probably familiar with Ricoh for their copiers and cameras. The company at one time produced watches, many of which are actually collectible and worth collecting if you can get past the bogus ones. I have some Ricoh watches in my collection. I've posted on the diver-world timer of which I currently have two. I write about the Ricoh Dynamic watch below, which is a precursor to the more popular Ricoh Dynamic Wide watches that are also called Presidents (alluding to the Rolex President model that many watch brands have tributes to).

The Ricoh Dynamic features Ricoh's old logo on the dial. This one also has a date complication.

Side view showing the signed crown and the overall good condition of the watch.

The other side view. The case actually resembles the bison cases of the 1960s and 1970s.

Case back showing the watch's claim to be water protected. There is also a serial number here.

Close-up of the signed crown with Ricoh's R logo.

Close-up of the pristine dial

 

The movement is not signed but is in excellent condition for a watch that was manufactured sometime in the 1960s. It's hard to get information about this movement but it is likely running at 18,000 A/h with a power reserve of 43h. I have timed it to run 41 hours when fully wound.

Wrist shot the first time I wore the watch

 

A more recent wrist shot

This is another keeper for now. It is an elegant piece that runs well and keeps time so it is dependable as long as you remember to wind it.

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New Zealand Natural: Macadamia Supreme

I seldom feature ice cream in my blog but the past days were quite hot so here's something cool and delicious. I was browsing for ice cream at the supermarket and picked up a couple of pints of Fruits in Ice Cream (FIC). I first intended to get a pint of Carmen's Best as we haven't had some of their ice cream for a while (practically the whole pandemic ++). Unfortunately, our preferred flavors were not available. Instead, I checked the another freezer where there was another brand. I ended up getting a pint of Macadamia Supreme from New Zealand Natural.

A pint of Macadamia Supreme from New Zealand Natural

Top of the container

Details about the ice cream

The ice cream is distributed and available in various countries.

We thought the Macadamia Supreme was among the best of this kind we've tasted and enjoyed. It was the right blend of creamy and crunchy. You know they didn't scrimp on the macadamia nuts. Baskin Robbins has something like this. Carmen's Best also has a version. But our favorite before was Sebastian's, which is basically like artisan ice cream. We look forward to getting another pint to enjoy soon!

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Dive watches @Panglao

Part of my collection of watches are dive or divers' watches. My first diver watch is a Swatch that I bought in Japan. It is a veteran of Batangas, Panglao, Palawan, Cebu and Glan where we have enjoyed swimming in the past. I also brought it for the typical staycations at hotels that we treated as breaks from our usual work schedules.

I have been using a couple of dive watches in recent trips to Batangas and Bohol. One is the first official Philippine dive watch release by Seiko, which is nicknamed the Tubbataha - referring to the coral reefs on the country. The other is a Swiss dive watch from Mido, which is part of the Swatch group. Both are rated for 200m but that doesn't really matter as I don't dive. I brought both to our recent trip to Panglao, Bohol.

The first official Philippine release divers watch is a Monster Prospex - the Tubbataha or SRPF33K1. This was a Christmas gift from the Clairvoyant.

My very reliable Mido Ocean Star Caliber 80 has a potential 80-hour power reserve.

I have a couple of Seiko divers - the SKX 399 and 401 - that I have used swimming in Cebu. They are still water resistant despite being over 20 years old. I also still have my Swatch diver watches, one of which I usually bring as a back-up watch. The wife used one during our recent trip to Panglao. I will feature these Swatch divers in a future post.

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A vintage Seiko 7017-8000 Pulsimeter

"Pulsuhan nga natin." (Let's check the pulse.) The other 7017-8000 in my collection is this Pulsimeter. It's called that because of the feature that allows for pulse rate readings using the watch. It is a desirable one for collectors as it is not as commonly available as the other 7017-8000 model.

This model has day and date complications with the day display in either English or Kanji. The dial also has the unique pulsimeter feature that can be used for measuring pulse rates.

Side view showing the crown and chronograph buttons

The other side view showing the

Original stainless steel bracelet bearing the Seiko 5 Sports on the buckle

Back showing the model and serial numbers. The serial number indicates the watch to have been manufactured in September 1971.

Inside is a Cal. 7017A that runs at 21,600 A/h with a potential power reserve of 43h.

Another photo of the movement

Close up of the dial showing the pulsimeter, a feature that also gives the watch the moniker "doctor's watch"

The routine wrist shot

This is definitely a keeper and I just hope that there are no serious mechanical or parts issues with the watch. I got this from a suki who is in Lima, Peru. So far, all the watches I got from this seller have been functioning well and acquired with bargain prices.

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A quick visit to Melchor Hall

A couple of weeks ago, I went to Melchor Hall, home of the UP College of Engineering where I spent many of my years as a student and later a faculty member. I had to submit a document being with government and I didn't want to do so at the deadline. I took a few photos at the lobby, taking advantage of it practically deserted.

The lobby - notice the flooring? I recall that this was supposed to have been the work of a national artist but I can't seem to find who exactly designed this. Depicted are various representative of engineering - a highway cloverleaf (Civil Engineering), gears (Mechanical Engineering) and tripods and surveying equipment (Geodetic Engineering). I will try to get nicer photos next time and perhaps from the third floor lobby to show more of this work of art. Not shown in the photos are features referring to Chemical Engineering. These were the first 4 programs offered by the college and were sort of the pillars of engineering in the Philippines at the time.

The lobby leads to the entrance to the Engineering Library. We now call Engg Lib 1 because there is another, newer building hosting Engg Lib 2 at the other side of the campus where we now have an Engineering Complex. The boards in the photo contain the names past awardees of Best Professor, Best Instructor and Best Researcher of the College.

One of the corridors of the building brings back memories of my college years. We often waited for our classes or looked out to to the parking lot to see if our teachers were already in (we knew which were their cars).

Just outside the lobby and near the Melchor Hall steps are huge metal plaques where the names of lifetime members of the UP Alumni Engineers are etched.  We once dreamed to have our names included here the first time we entered Melchor Hall in 1988. I am happy to say that my name is now there for others to see. I plan to take my daughter to see this plaque. Perhaps she will aspire to be an engineer some day?

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Election Day May 9, 2022

Today is an historic day as we cast our votes to determine the next President of the country. It may indeed be a battle of good versus evil as the incumbent Vice President is running against the son of a dictator. This has captured the attention not just of so many Filipinos but also people from all over the world. What was thought of as improbably many years ago is now up to the voters to determine. With so much misinformation and deception being peddled by the camp of the the former dictator's son and his allies, hope stands in the form of the VP and her supporters who have come out in full force despite the odds. All the truths apparently could not convince many who have become fact-resistant. It is disappointing for me to know many who deny the atrocities of a past administration and the non-existence of qualifications of the dictator's son. These include former teachers and students of mine and those I now have doubts in calling them friends.

As the saying goes, history will be the judge of what will transpire today and the following days when we know the outcomes of this election. The results will indeed reverberate throughout the country and at all levels considering the presidency's 6-year term and the prospects of a congress full of bad eggs. A win by the VP will hopefully turn the tide and we can look forward to a 2025 (mid terms) to reform congress and local governments taken over by even more bugoks.

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Ice cream from the Bohol Bee Farm

One of the highlights of our recent trip to Panglao was eating at the Bohol Bee Farm. We had wanted to go there in our previous trips to Bohol but somehow failed to visit and have a meal there. We have heard and read about how good the food was and that they also made their own ice cream. We made sure to go there this time for an early dinner and ice cream.

Ice cream on display at the Bohol Bee Farm restaurant

Close up of the Malunggay ice cream tub. Beside it are chocolate and mango ice cream tubs. Above it is a melon ice cream tub.

Ube and mango ice cream tubs.

Our ice cream on cassava cones - Dragon fruit for the daughter, Malunngay for the wife and Ube for me

Ice cream stall for those only interested to get some treats or dessert

Chocolate ice cream cup

Ube ice cream cup

Malunggay ice cream cup

Ice cream cup from the Bohol Bee Farm

Information on the maker - Bohol Bee Farm

The Malunggay ice cream was the surprise for us. Of course, we know about malunggay pandesal and malunggay pesto but this is the first time we encountered malunggay ice cream. The taste and texture was refined. The wife says it tastes like a variant of pistachio and I would agree. There is still a hint of the malunggay in the aftertaste. I think this is in the same category as the sili, durian, charcoal and other exotic flavors you will find around the country.

The ice cream retails for 70 pesos per scoop (cassava cone included) at the Bohol Bee Farm. At other places like resorts, a cup (equivalent to a scoop) retails for 100 pesos. While it is expensive, we thought it was really worth it and part of the experience.

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Dinner at the Bohol Bee Farm

One place we have been planning to go to since our first time in Bohol is the Bohol Bee Farm. We have heard a lot about the food there but somehow we couldn't fit a visit in our previous schedules. This time around, we made sure our itinerary included a meal there. We decided to have an early dinner there and it was convenient because it was along the way back to the resort where we stayed.

Counter and ice cream station

The view from our table was marvelous.

The day's specials are written on a blackboard at the entrance to the restaurant.

Cassava chips as appetizer

The bread comes with their signature spread.

Their salads are definitely for sharing and are loaded with fresh fruits, greens and nuts.

Their special beef burger is served open with lots of sides. We thought this was also a meal for two unless you happened to be very, very hungry.

Baked scallops for starters

The food was really good and did not disappoint. We thought the prices were also fair considering both the quality of the food and the servings (based on what we ordered). You can eat here even if you're on a budget. The staff were also very kind and attentive. It was not crowded when we dined at the restaurant so surely they would need more staff if it were like the pre-pandemic number of guests.

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