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2007 April 15 Divers Sanctuary, Balayan, Batangas

Went to Divers Sanctuary yesterday with Erwin to attend an underwater wedding, two in fact, organized by diver friends at Scuba1. It’s not really something recognized by either the church or the government. It is just a memorable occasion for soon-to-be wed couples who love scuba diving.

It was my first time to witness an underwater wedding. Aside from the novelty of it all, what made it more interesting is that I was suddenly pressed into being the ring bearer. I was given two pairs of rings and was wondering where’s the best place to put them. I finally decided to put them on my own fingers. I made it a point to make sure they were snug and tight.

But as I was preparing my gear aboard the bamboo platform which will take us over the wedding dive site, I heard a distinctive tinkle. With dread I checked my fingers and confirmed my fears: One ring has fallen off! We tried to look for it but it was nowhere to be found.

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Pathfinder

Just found out that Pathfinder is still about to show in the US. I fear this is too late but I must warn you: Don’t watch it! You’re just going to regret it. In a moment of poor judgement, I watched it and did. My impression was it’s trying to be so many things all at once. It tried to be like Apocalypto by setting up in pre-Columbian America and by using Nordic for Vikings. But it fell short because it didn’t do the same for the Native Americans speakers. Like, 300, it traces its roots to graphic novels. It tried offering the same adrenaline-pumping action. Unlike 300, it failed miserably. The action scenes were absolutely lame. Another indication it tried to be like 300 is what seems to be an attempt at approximating the look and feel of a graphic novel. It failed in that, too. So what’s good about this movie? NOTHING.

Rating: 1/5

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E10 Blues

It looks like E10 is not as green as it should be. Because in the US and Mexico ethanol is derived from corn which is a food staple for both livestock and people, it has caused higher demand for corn which in turn has led to a drastic increase in the prices of corn and meat products.

But meanwhile, sugarcane-based ethanol producing countries won’t be as much affected since sugarcane derived foods are not really food staples. In fact, sugar is not even fashionable these days.

This should be a temporary situation as the corn growers ramp up their production to meet demand from food producers and fuel manufacturers. At that time, prices should stabilize. But this is a window of opportunity to export sugarcane-based ethanol.

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2007 April 7 – Avilon Zoo, Montalban, Rizal

IMGP0377My brother and I took my sister and her family to the Avilon Zoo yesterday.

Getting there is a small adventure in itself. From Commonwealth Ave., turn right towards Batasan Complex. At the Batasan Complex, turn right to the Batasan-San Mateo Road. At the end of the road, turn left to the Marikina-San Mateo Road. Keep going until you see a Total gasoline station to your right. Take the first left towards the Eastwood Greenview Subdivision. You will enter a rotonda. Exit the rotonda after the subdivision gate and follow the dirt road till you see the Avilon Zoo sign.

Parking is spacious and free. Entrance is P200 per person. You have the option to hire a guide for your group for an extra P350. This is recommended since the zoo is laid out in a rather convoluted manner. The guided tour takes about 2 hrs and takes you through areas designated for reptiles, mammals, birds, snakes, spiders, and arapaimas. Arapaimas are one of the zoo’s highlights. They are supposedly the world’s largest freshwater fishes. The small ones gobble chicken heads whole while the big ones eat bangus whole.

There is a rest, food, refreshment, and souvenir area at the entrance as well as at the halfway point. At the entrance, you can also choose to take a boat into the lagoon where scary big arapaimas lurk. Since the tour involves a lot of walking, it is recommended that you take advantage of these two areas.

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Of Roadworks, Politicians, and the People

While at the laundry, I took notice of some roadwork that was blocking the storefront. It’s because it is election time, the staff commented. I’ve never given it much thought before but I realized the truth to what she said. But why do politicians fix roads often when elections are close? Conventional wisdom say that they do it to ensure that the voters remember their names and vote for them come elections. Is this how short our memories are? Would you really blame the politicians if they to take advantage of this fact? Taking this a step further, the politicians are really just responding to how the people act. Thus, our politicians are really our products. Before we bemoan our politicians, shouldn’t we look at ourselves first?