Accidental Tourist

November 28, 2015 – the day I first owned a DSLR camera. Also the day I became an accidental tourist at C5 of Metro Manila.

The drive from Bonifacio Global City to UP Diliman took more than an hour because of heavy traffic that I decided to test my newly purchased 2nd hand/pre-loved DSLR, a Nikon D60.

It’s a very old model. I realized that since I am a newbie and still starting to learn, I can work with not brand new cameras as long as they are still in very good condition. I found my camera through the help of a photographer-by-hobby-engineer/entrepreneur-by-profession friend. He gave me the link to a website and I purchased the camera from a hobbyist and former surfer now seafarer. The seller bought it from Dubai at around 2100 Dirhams (about 25,000 Pesos).

Wiwi, the rescued kitty

We always had cats at home in the province. We never bought these cats though, they just suddenly appear in front of the house and we feed them. Afterwards they choose to stay and have their kittens, and that’s how we begun to own generations of cats starting with the single ‘Mother Miming’.

So while in Manila, I always miss our pets. I have both cats and a dog. We used to have chickens too haha! So one afternoon last July I suddenly told my mother that I wanted to adopt a kitten. By serendipity my mother saw at the same day several kittens on the sidewalk at our street. She wanted o take them all but was hesitant ’cause there were like 6 of them. We decided to go get those poor kitties but when we got to the place where they were thrown, we only saw one kitty. Another white one was sadly already dead 😥

We took that one kitty and decided to raise him ourselves. He was just a cutie tiny tiny kitty back then. Now 4 months later, he’s such a grown up cat who loves to run and jump and playfully bite me.

The Unethical & Illegal Existence of “Dolphin Island” at Misamis Occidental Aquamarine Park

It can be recalled that a few months ago I emotionally wrote a blog about how much beauty I saw underwater near the sand bar of Misamis Occidental Aquamarine Park, which was dubbed as the “Dolphin Island”.

I reiterate that during the time when I learned that the dolphins here are dubiously being rehabilitated, I instantly recoiled from the idea of visiting the place due to a fear of encouraging people to visit it too. I however still went due to curiosity. This place was so near my hometown and not once before have I heard of it. Now I know why I never heard of it mentioned so openly among tourist forums and websites. I realized maybe I was really meant to be there and to see the place so I can understand why it was a little bit shady.

The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf Beverage Nutrition Guide

I usually study at Coffee Bean during my 3rd year in medical school. Why? Because their area at the mall I go to is more spacious. I also love their Spicy Chicken Salad and Mediterranean Salad. The whole time I’ve studied there, I never knew how many calories there are in their drinks. I always preferred brewed coffee, vanilla tea latte (no sugar added), cappuccino, and café latte (with nonfat milk) because I was sure these were the ‘lesser evils’. I was right haha!

Anyway, here is a complete list of their beverages with the corresponding number of calories.

CBTL Beverage nutrition guide