Treats for my birthday

It was a cloudy day on my birthday.  There was a storm coming the PAGASA said.  I was being lazy that day because I knew nothing was going to happen.  I planned on treating my family the next day, Monday,  to a buffet at Shangri-la Makati so on Sunday, October 17, I didn't plan on spending anything for my birthday. 

Well that morning I had a surprise from my big sister.  She came home with boxes! Boxes of donuts that is and it's my favorite! Krispy Kremes donuts and Kruffins. I told myself this will be the last time then I'll start my diet already.

Krispy Kreme Donuts Halloween edition

Krispy Kreme Kruffins

Kruffins are amazing. The cream fillings in the middle is what makes this special. You're already tingling when you take a bite on the scrumptious cake but then you'll be in heaven when you get a taste of that filling with the cake. Both my siblings were able to shout Wow! when they tried it. It really is a surprise. This has become one of my dessert favorites.


Well that's not all my sister brought home.  I didn't think she would be this thoughtful but she also bought my favorite drink! Chowking's Nai-Cha (milk tea).  I love cold milk teas that I buy from coffee shops but for some reason Chowking's is addictive.  I'm thinking maybe it's the jellies or the tea itself or the milk that makes it so good.

Chowking's Iced Nai-Cha

All of the above were served during lunch time.  When dinner came I didn't expect there would be more. Mom and our helper served one of my favorite dishes, Chicken Satay! I just love the sweet nutty flavor of this dish.  I reminds me so much of my Singapore trip where most dishes are sweet and have peanut in it hehe.

Chicken Satay

Then my younger sister surprised me by saying she bought me a birthday cake.  I was surprised because I don't think I ever mentioned a favorite cake... well not yet anyway.  So I kept thinking what could she have bought that I might like.  Well she brought out Red Ribbon's Rocky Road and I remembered I kept telling them for the longest time that it's a good cake but they always chose the other cakes.  Hehe birthdays are so good.  You get to have your favorites even if others won't like it ^_^.

Red Ribbon's Rocky Road

Cross section of Rocky Road

food
desserts
cakes

Friday for Homebased worker

It's 11PM and I just finished my work.  Working at home has some advantages because you don't have to commute going to and from work.  But it does have its downs as well.  Like today I worked 12 hours straight just to finish my deadline and I'm not being compensated by the hour but by project which normally I should have done in 8 hours.  I'm lucky if I have an easy project but unlucky sometimes when I get a hard one and not compensated well.  I'm sure other people have it worse so I'm not really complaining, just informing :).  Well other workers would be at the movies, restos or bars right now since their workplace is at the city and near those places while I'm here at home. The bed will be my next destination I suppose.  My entire commute all week will be from my computer chair to the bed which is approximately one step away and of course a few more steps to the bathroom and kitchen. 

The first two weeks after I resigned from the office and started working homebased again was tough.  It feels like a breakup.  I had to remove myself from the company of my office mates that I've been with for almost two years. And like a breakup, if I had another company waiting for me with new office mates I probably would have gotten over my previous work easier.  But I only had home so it was tough!  Right now it seems my body is getting used to being home again.  Yes it lacks exercise but I'm going to buy an exercise machine soon.  Anyway, my body is more relaxed now (more lazy actually).  The veins on my feet are not that visible anymore.  I'm getting a little fat now but I'll take care of that once the exercise machine arrives.

Here now I'm chatting with my friends online planning the next time we will meet, probably next month.  Such are the doings of a homebased worker :)

work from home

Fountain Show at the Ocean Park

One thing I don't like about blogging is that you have to blog everything even if it's a bad review.  I didn't feel like it this time but my sis told me it's my duty to do so.  I guess there's always a first time.

We went to Manila Ocean Park last Saturday, October 9, to avail of the P50 promo of their new Musical Fountain Show.  Gray skies were forming in the afternoon so I started feeling lazy about going and also there will be no sunset which is one of the things I'm looking forward to when going to Ocean Park.  The restaurants there have a front seat view to one of the best sunsets in the world at Manila Bay. Well since there will be no sunset I figured the Fountain Show will be enough.

This was the second time I went to Ocean Park with my family.  The first time we went I thought the parking place was okay. It's not that great but it was a work in progress anyway because the place just opened.  This time I was surprised to see that nothing has changed.  We parked in a different spot but for me it was still a so, so place.  When we got to the entrance of the Ocean Park there we saw some construction in progress.  It's a bit of an eye sore actually.  Not only that, I felt that something has changed at the entrance.  I don't know if it's because it rained but I didn't feel the place was clean.  It wasn't maintained well and it wasn't as clean and attractive when we first went there.  Well there was a Bungee Fun going on at the entrance and that's new but still not as exciting.

the Bungee Fun ride

We went and fell in line to get our tickets for P50!  We just showed our text message we got after registering at the Ocean Park website. 

The place for the Fountain Show is new so we were excited to get in.  It was like a big stadium with a pool at the front as a stage.  There was a building in front of us as well which is a shocker for me.  I thought I'll be looking at the sunset of Manila Bay in front of me just like in Singapore where their fountain show is looking out to the sea. But anyway I let it go. We were excited by this time.  A disposable raincoat was given to us at the show entrance.  The attendant that handed it to us didn't say anything.  When we got to our seats we just saw people putting it on so everybody did the same including us.  I thought we will be splashed all over.  Well during the entire show nothing splashed at us.  The raincoat was probably just in case it rains or if it's windy and the fountain splashes right at us.  It was hot and uncomfortable wearing the raincoat so it was a minus to the entertainment.  They should explain what it was for in the first place.

left side of the stadium

right side of the stadium

swimming pool and stage

Lights turned on in front of us and after a while fountains started shooting up.  Everyone was thrilled.  The show is starting.  There were people still coming in at this time so the initial fountain show was just to entertain while waiting.  I can hear people saying oohs and ahhhs.  It was exciting during the first part of the show.

lights turned on

first fountain shoots up

introduction fountain show 1

introduction fountain show 2

introduction fountain show 3

introduction fountain show 3

introduction fountain show 4

introduction fountain show 5

introduction fountain show 6

introduction fountain show 7

introduction fountain show 8

introduction fountain show 9

introduction fountain show 10

introduction fountain show 11

Light, smoke appeared and then loud music started playing. Then a laser light talking fish appeared and greeted us.  It wasn't impressive because it's a stick figure of a fish.  I thought it was just an extra but it seems she'll be the hostess of the night.  It was my first blow of the night.  I just figured it will get better soon.

Show is starting

The fish hostess

The rest of the show was for me disappointing.  Purely the lights and fountains are the highlight of the show and it seems it's still amateur. I thought there will be talented people acts included but there were only costumed people in fish, lobster, chef, and starfish outfits who just danced and ran around in the stage.  It feels like they were commercials but it was already the main attractions!  The lobster being chased by two chefs was pretty entertaining but anyone could have done that, just running around the floor.  The fish dancing was ok and anyone could still do that.  The starfish singers well they probably needed a little talent for trying to move their outfits as if it was dancing but still I think I'm just being nice here.  After I saw all these I was still wishing it was just an introduction and the real act was still to come.  Because to be honest if I have P300 (the regular price of the show) I would rather pay for a 3D movie instead of this.  Alas! my worst fears came true.  The show was soon finally over.  There was a feeling that me and my family went all this way for this?  Well it wasn't that bad of a show.  There were good points as well.  When Nemo and his friends appeared in 3D in the fountain everyone cheered but the 3D characters never spoke . There was an octopus playing the piano also which was quite entertaining.  But I never expected that those will be the highlights already.  In Singapore these will be like  the intermission parts I think.

fountain show 1

fountain show 2

fountain show 3

fountain show 4

fountain show 5

fountain show 6

fountain show 7

The three singing/dancing starfish: Wishing starfish, Falling starfish and

Nemo 3D

A stingray in 2D

Fish friends in 3D

The lobster being chased by chefs

Two fish dancing in a romantic tune. (at the end there was a surprise)

 

there was also fire with the fountain show

fountain show 8

octopus 3D playing the piano

octopus playing 2

octopus playing with reflection on water

the chefs chasing the lobster

the starfishes with another number...

 

... and another

fountain show 9

fountain show 10

fountain show 11

fountain show 12

fountain show 13

fountain show 14

Maybe I just expected too much since I've already seen the Light and Fountain Show in Singapore.  I don't know how I would have reacted if this was my first time seeing this.  I would probably still be enthralled with the fountains and lights but still be disappointed with the talent acts.  I mean this is the Philippines. There are so many talented people everywhere.  It could have been more entertaining if a singer or a comedian entered the stage.  They should have a story or a play with the show or a real musician playing with the fountains and lights.  Mascots running around dancing and singing made it really boring.  To think they reappeared three times the entire show! Once is enough! It seems so under-budgeted.  To be honest it took three days for me to get over my disappointment.  That's why I only started blogging it now or else I would be too mean in my writing.

But you know what, I think because they tried their best even though it wasn't good enough, I kinda miss those three starfish.  At least they danced and sang.  My 3-year old nephew can't forget the running-lobster-chased-by-chefs scene.  He's still humming the tune.  But all in all it was still an amateur show.  We felt like we just got our P50 worth.  There's so much room for improvement and I hope it will improve someday because I really feel even though we're not that advanced technically (lights and fountain) we can excel in talent.