Harbour Grand Hong Kong, Part 2

Next week, I will stay in this hotel for six days and five nights to attend three different events sponsored by three different independent, network organizations. I stayed in this hotel for 2 nights last year during the  Reading Club Salon 2013  sponsored by the Lion Rock Institute (LRI).

It is a five star hotel and its main attraction is that it is facing Victoria Harbour, but inside, it has many beautiful facilities. Below, elevator area near the lobby. That's our friend Barun Mitra from Delhi, India in the photo.

The famous long and spacious swimming pool facing the  Harbour. It's on the 3rd floor, adjacent to the main restaurant.

Buffet breakfast resto. Lots of food to  choose.

Our friend, Feng Xingyuan from Beijing, China.

I like this  chandelier outside this big resto.

The hallway leading to my room. I  don't remember which floor I stayed but it is overlooking the  Harbour.

 Some of the skyscrapers in Hong Kong island and part of Vicctoria Harbour, as seen from the resto.

Elle Marie's Halloween Party and Bazaar at TSAA

The School of Academics and Arts (TSAA), Elle Marie's school, held a Halloween-Bazaar party last Friday, October 24. True to its name, the event's concept and design is very artistic and students-friendly. All photos here from my wife's camera and the school's fb page. I was not there, I was watching Bien Mary in their school presentation in another venue.

Elle with her four other girls classmates in Grade School, plus the school Directress, Ms. Cherry Fernandez-Napala.

The five girls once more. They have a playdate at Happy's house after the educational trip at a garden in Taytay, Rizal the previous week.

A dance number from the Grade Schoolers.

With Weng Sandicon, Happy's mom.

The bazaar, part of Entrepreneurship education of the students. They themselves made these products -- notebooks, bracelets, fun jars --  and sold these to their parents, grandparents, yayas, other guests. Nice.

Elle doing her part in one of the class presentations.

The younger ones, the Kinders, also showed their talents.

Thanks TSAA, especially Grade School Teachers Fran and LJ, for their good work.
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See also:
Elle Marie is 7, Bien Mary is 3, October 06, 2013
Elle Marie and Bien Mary, December 2013, January 12, 2014

Elle Marie and Bien Mary are Turning 8 and 4 Years Old, September 30, 2014

Elle Marie's 8th Birthday Party, October 10, 2014

Bien's Halloween Party at Kids Playlab Preschool

Last Friday, October 24, Bien Mary attended her last activity at Kids Playlab Preschool (KPLP), a Halloween presentation + Trick or Treat party. This was held at St. Paul Hall in Barangay San Antonio, Makati, not far from our house.

She started sad and not in the mood when we arrived at the venue that morning. This is because her Mama could not join her because my wife has to attend and watch Elle Marie's presentation in her school at TSAA, same Halloween party on same day and same time, different school.

I was tickling her and it did not change her mood. One reason perhaps was her best friend Allyson was not there.

When they went up stage for the overall intro dance, she was still sad.

When their class' turn to dance on stage, luckily she was following her teacher's dance moves. Good dance, Bien.

A closing dance by all students, nursery and kinder, morning and afternoon classes.

What greatly changed her mood to being jolly was the trick or treat. She and all the other kids got so many candies, biscuit, sandwich, other food/toys in one loot bag. Poor me, I was not able to contribute to the distribution of goodies, only the assigned food to bring. We brought donut from Country Style. Here, Bien was very happy trying to carry her heavy loot bag. She was saying, "Papa it's heavy. I have so many candies" while smiling.

Bien with her substitute teacher that week as Teacher Kyla was doing something else at school.

With her second best friend, Julia. Bien was still looking for her best friend Allyson.

It's a pot luck party and there were so many food. Bien ate spaghetti and pizza.

Bien will change school next month, 2nd sem and join her Ate Elle Marie at TSAA. Bien will be in Kinder 1.

Thank you KPLP. Bien enjoyed her schooling with you.
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See also:
Elle Marie is 7, Bien Mary is 3, October 06, 2013
Bien Mary's Moving up Day, April 05, 2014

Elle and Bien at Camp John Hay, Baguio City, June 29, 2014

Elle Marie and Bien Mary are Turning 8 and 4 Years Old, September 30, 2014

Bien Mary's 4th Birthday Party, October 10, 2014

Fort Bonifacio Skyline

Today, I visited a friend who lives in The Luxe Residences in Fort Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City. The condo units seem to be large there. This photo I got from the web.

Succeeding photos are from my camera phone. The Mind Museum below, and the neighboring buildings.

The low storey structures are the buildings of Bonifacio High Street.

A huge building under construction, on the 28th street.

Meanwhile, another big building rising up behind the High Street. I took this photo from another friend's condo in Serendra.

Fort Bonifacio is rising more like mini-Singapore.

* See also Roofdeck View, Rosewood Pointe, Taguig, June 30, 2014

Reconstructing My Road Bike

Last night, I and my mountaineering buddies went to Jules' condo in Taguig, these three bicycles immediately caught my attention. The two bikes on the right are owned by his neighbor on the same floor, a physician who is into triathlon. That bike in  the middle could be worth P400k and up as all the parts are high tech, including electronic gear shifter.

The yellow-frame bike is owned by Jules, who is also intro triathlon but only for exercise as his passion is still mountaineering. He also owns another road bike, Upon learning that I could not reconstruct my old bike still at my friend's small bike shop, he offered and gave me some bike parts.

Taa-dah! These are the things that Jules gave me today. We got it from his shop in Marikina where he leaves his extra things. A pair of  wheels with aerodynamic spokes, a pair of extra tubeless tires, Campagnolo shifters, derailleurs, etc. Super thanks again Jules.

I should be back riding my road bike later next month. Below, my friend Boy Ordoyo's titanium frame bike (left). Nice.

Some of my buddies at the Neopolitan Cycling Club in Fairview, Quezon City. Our past club President Boy Ordoyo, sitting 2nd from left, Jun Concepcion to his left. I have not ridden  my bike for several years now and I seldom visit Neopolitan as it  is far from our house in Makati. So I do  not know many of the active members in  the club now.

Meanwhile, this is Ouch! Got this from Top Gear fb photos.

Futuristic design. Very aerodynamic. Got this from  the web.

* See also Tour de France 2014, July 08, 2014

Birthday 2014

Friends and family members, thank you very much for your greetings. Really appreciate them.

This week, I received 400+ greetings, mostly in facebook (wall posts + private mails), by SMS, and a few by email. Among the funny greetings are these. The beer greetings are from my mountaineering buddy Raymond Asanza.

On my birthday, 257 friends greeted me in my fb wall. That's for 24 hours of that day. It excludes private mails. Then there are belated greetings until today, and possibly until tomorrow.

My wife treated me and the two girls to a birthday dinner on a nice resto-bar at one of Makati's new hotels.

Nice view at the 32nd floor of City Gardens Hotel at Makati Avenue. We didn't eat much as the two girls came from an early Halloween and trick or treat parties and ate there. It was our first visit to this place.

Again, thank you all friends for your greetings. Before, my favorite greetings to some friends on their birthday is this: May a million fleas infest the armpit and pubic hair of people who will annoy you today and the rest of the week.

It generally makes them smile or laugh. Below are some funny quotes on birthday.

"Birthdays are good for you. Statistics show that people who have the most birthdays live the longest" -- Larry Lorenzoni

"I'm a little bit older, a little bit wiser, a little bit rounder, but still none the wiser" -- Robert Paul.

"Wisdom doesn't automatically come with old age. Nothing does, except wrinkles. It's true that some wines improve with age, but only if the grapes were good in the first place" -- Abigail Van Buren.

"Here is the test to find whether your mission on earth is finished. If you're alive, it isn't" -- Richard Bach.

"having reached the milestone age of 60, what am I thankful for? The more I think about it, the more obvious the answer is—EVERYTHING, or just about.... I spend a lot more time counting my own blessings than I do counting the other guy’s. This, to me, is the essence of living free and being happy at it."-- Lawrence "Larry" Reed (quote made in 2013)

Freedom Run, 4th Participation

Last Sunday, October 19, I participated in the annual "Freedom Run" sponsored by the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom (FNF) in partnership with other organizations, government offices and private enterprises. It was my 4th, straight participation in Freedom Run. The 1st Freedom Run was held in November 2011 at UP Diliman campus. It was only a 3K and 6K run, many joined it. I did the the 6K and it was my first run after about 12 years. My legs were hellish for 5 days that week and the pain was gone on the 6th day.

The 2nd Freedom Run in 2012 was held in Taytay, Rizal, going to a portion of Laguna Lake, and back. I ran the 10K. That time, the pain in my legs lasted only for about 2-3 days.

When I do 10K, I ran for only about 4-5 kms. the rest is brisk-walking.

The 3rd Freedom Run in 2013 was held at the Quezon Circle, going to Commonwealth Ave. and back. Here with friends from FNF, from left: Julianne S. of the regional office in Bangkok, Thailand, Pimrapat also from Bangkok, Sungeun Lim from FNF Korea, and Wimonpug also from FNF Thailand.

Last Sunday, I met a friend from Congress Mountaineers whom I have not seen for nearly two decades, Doming Gonzaga. He also ran the 10K.

I like joining these runs because there are many water stations. Pocari Sweat's water is nice, a bit sweet. Maynilad Water has plenty of stations, I used some of the water to wash my face and head as I walked or ran.

Thanks to FNF for organizing such a famous annual running for freedom event.

* See also FNF Freedom Run, December 03, 2011