Somewhere at Starbucks...

I am sitting here in Starbucks right now with a cup of Dark Cherry Mocha on the side. I think I am just lounging around and finding a muse to write about. Maybe this planner thing is also getting on my nerves too because I still have a long way to go to get that planner that induces puyat. Hahaha I know how it feels to get drugged with caffeine and I need to do that since you need around 24 to get one. I will probably have to drink everyday because the deadline is on the 15th and I will get this by hook or by crook. Why in the world am I always saying that? I don’t want to be a crook LOL

I just saw a couple of friends, and it looks like they are doing the same thing. I wonder how much coffee we already have in our blood. If we go here everyday, we probably consume around 40 percent of our fluids here. Where do we go when we need blood transfusion in the future? Maybe in a different branch; but still Starbucks heheh.


Why are coffee shops in the Philippines treated as social stature requirements? I mean if a guy does not go to these establishments, you probably would be treated differently if your friends go here too. Later on in life we will complain of diabetes and heart conditions because of the tons of coffee we drank here. Is it right to even publicize this? Does the positive effect outnumber the bad in drinking coffee? What do you think we should do in this day and age? Should we create our own brand just like Australia who eventually closed hundreds of shops down under because they have their own brand now?

I wonder if the KAPENG BARAKO would fare nicely against the giants of the coffee labels in the Philippines. There is a big market and we just have not tapped into it yet. Have you thought about not buying that 200 peso cup from Starbucks? Should we or not patronize it? I am not an expert but I think its just expensive… but the ease of drinking with someone preparing it for you is grand! I think that is the one you are paying for. Not just this, but the ambiance too. Anybody planning to treat me coffee today? Just let me know! Hahaha!

More Special than School Work!

I just had a short vacation with friends from college and had a blast! I was eagerly waiting for this day to happen and I was so glad that I had time to go out with them. These were the same group of people I worked with on term papers, thesis and book reports before I graduated.

I remember typing the same term papers in the wee hours of the morning and printing until the ink ran out of dot matrix units we had 10 years ago. Has it really been that long? It is a good thing we passed the subjects with flying colors. I really wanted to take charge of research when we made that but it was well worth it. We did not have services like in the US that made this stuff professionally. I hope you guys get professional help when the time comes. I probably would have one too in the future for my Masters degree. I wish my friends would also do the same; and enroll on the school of my choice. Management class should be a breeze!
















Disclosure Policy

A Nocturnal Learning...

With the way things are going now, it looks like the NOCTURNALS photography club that I belong to is gearing toward higher goals this 2010. Apart from the plans they mentioned a few months ago, the guys want to push for a business venture since we all are doing well in our respective shots. I want to push through with what I have been doing on my photos and probably make a name for myself in the coming months. I want to show people more of what I can do with post processing and that would really take me a while but if I do strike some deals with people at work and play I would be able to get my photography career into new heights.

Maybe I have not been doing the best I can the past few shoots because I am continuously learning. That is essential in the growth that I am gunning for. I hope I can get to learn something new with masters on this craft. Now who will get me that plane ticket so I can get to New York and be an apprentice to my idol Xander Angeles. I love his work… and I hope to emulate what he is doing right now for his clients. I want to be as famous as he is in the fashion industry. Where and how do I start? I might be in the right track already but it would just take me time. I’m not a professional photographer anyway… NOT YET! But I am planning to be one in the future and do what I love. I love my job; but it wouldn’t hurt to have a thing to do on the side for luck! Hahaha… I am still optimistic!

My Eye Care Needs

Today, I just had my eyes checked and they said that I have uneven gradation on my eyes. All along I thought I had 20/20 vision but this has brought a setback to the luck that I have been having since 2009. Maybe this is temporary, I do not know; because I never asked about it when the doctor was performing a check up. I called him just now and brushed it off because he said it can be easily cured. I would not like to wear corrective eyeglasses or contact lenses because of my active lifestyle. I did some research at Stahl Eye Center Garden City NY and found some valuable information on their site about a procedure called LASIK; where the eye treatment could heal in one or two days. This NO PAIN procedure has been done in STAHL EYE CENTER GARDEN CITY NY by awesome Doctors who mostly hail from world renowned Universities such as UCLA, John Hopkins and YALE. They are considered the best in the industry! My friend got this procedure done recently and she is not wearing glasses anymore. I will look into this great advancement in eye care so I could check out if it is feasible to be done on me. Wish me luck!

Feast of the Black Nazarene

There are around 50 PCG Ambulances and rubber boats that are prepared for the feast of the Black Nazarene on Saturday. On January 9, there are around 3 million people and devotees expected to join the procession in Quiapo, Manila.

Just like last year, the procession will start at the Quirino Grandstand in Luneta at around 7:30 AM and it is expected to end in Quiapo Church around 9PM. This has been a unique cultural practice among Filipinos since the Black Nazarene was brought here by the Mexican Friars ages ago.




Msgr. Jose Clemente Ignacio said that they will be implementing the new scheme that they tried to do last year; and they will start this by relocating the Black Nazarene in the eve of January 9. This is to prevent accidents and deaths that happened in the past few years. They are gunning for 0 deaths today. This will also be the start of the Kissing of the Nazarene a day before the actual parade. They also said that there should be no political figures joining the event. They will also be promoting voter’s education while on this feast. They will probably have people documenting the event and shown on youtube for the rest of the world to see. This would also be a great opportunity for photographers like me. Street photography has never been my strength but this one would be really great to see! Although I would be thinking twice bringing my camera there, because I know a lot of thieves are also going too.

Should I stay or should I go?! =)

Time to Keep My Readership Up!

I know it has been painstakingly taking me too long to achieve MAVEN status since I started my site. But believe me I have not been on hiatus these past few months because I was trying to learn more about web directories like DMOZ or YAHOO. These are major players in the industry and if you do not get hooked up with them, you would probably end up in the least liked category of this hobby. You would not want to be counted in that!



This morning, I have a few realizations... and it has taken me a lot of thinking why I should sign myself up with these large companies in the free web directory. First of all, your readership will be wider which means that if each person tries to look up what you are talking about in your site; they would easily find you in the search engine that they tried to look at. GOOGLE has been the leader in search engines around the world and a single press of a button could get you thousands of results. You would rank higher and easily find you if you make yourself visible and listed on the system. Without them you would not really exist in the World Wide Web.

I write because I love what I do and I get to share what I know about anything under the sun to people across the globe. The Internet is powerful and getting valued readers that can use your information to their advantage is tantamount to the success of the site you have. I will make KUMAGCOW more popular this year and I plan to do that with the help of the SEO friendly web directory I signed up with. I want to make the world a better place than when I found it so if my turn comes to die I would have a happy feeling that I have not wasted my time but have done my best.

Not Guilty?! Oh Come On!

Andal Ampatuan Jr. just entered a 'not guilty plea' for the 41 counts of murder in the Maguindanao massacre case.
Quezon City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Judge Jocelyn Solis-Reyes started around 8:30 AM in the Police Non-Commissioned Officers' Clubhouse inside Camp Crame that housed the temporary courthouse.


He sported jeans and a pink tshirt with corresponding handcuffs that was really nice to see with Ampatuan while he was being escorted by National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) agents. There was a sudden photo-op for members of media before they were escorted out. I watched this all in ANC. Asst. Chief State Prosecutor Richard Anthony Fadullon headed the team for the government and public prosecutor while well known paid Atty. Sigfrid Fortun stood for Ampatuan’s defense.


First on the table was to have the Department of Justice (DOJ) explain why Ampatuan needed to appear and be on the preliminary investigation where a couple of photographers and newsmen hit him on his face with cameras.
Judge Solis-Reyes gave DOJ 3 days to explain. Aside from this, there will be a hearing for the petition for bail of Ampatuan. Fortun said he will make a preliminary conference so they can agree on the evidence that will be presented in the hopes of a speedy case. Fadullon however resisted and said that the 'petition for bail' was the only thing that was discussed in that particular hearing. Judge Solis-Reyes instructed the prosecution to limit the number of witnesses since there are around 12 for the bail hearing. Around 9:30AM Atty. Ric Diaz of the NBI was adjudged witness that will be cross-examined by Fortun because he said that his testimony would only be irrelevant. Diaz heads the Anti-Terrorism Division of the NBI and he was the first one to get there on the day of the massacre.
University of the Philippines (UP)Professor Atty. Harry Roque also added that Ampatuan should be in the Quezon City Jail, as it was also noted by Judge Solis-Reyes. The next hearing will be on January 13 at 8:30AM and I just hope he goes straight to Muntinlupa instead.

Good for My Room!

My Dad, Mom, Brother and I went to SM North EDSA this evening to get some needed time together. Aside from the usual mall and restaurant activities, I went to the household section since we needed to buy curtain rods and drapery for my room. I am not an interior designer but I think my room just needs a little jazzing up because it has been a few years since I updated the look. Actually it still looks like the same room just as it was in the 1990's so you know how it feels when I am cramped in there. The curtains would get it to look a little bit organized and classy.

I do not like clutter and even if I have a messy table in the office, I keep it a point to still get the papers fixed before I go home. I do not have anybody to follow my trash wherever I go so I try my best to be tidy even if I am alone. I do not have to make that my new year's resolution, but this is one thing I will do for myself since I spend most of the time in my room. I think I deserve that right?!

Thank You For Making Me Extremely Lucky!

It must be luck... I think I have been so lucky last year a lot of things have happened to my life that I really really love. Part of that is probably due to the help I got from prayers. I know, you don't see me as the praying type but I really do... heheh...

Aside from that, I had the chance to get to know Xander Angeles. In the photography world he is like the Barack Obama... a man that would change the fashion photography world. He's also Filipino and he has been in the greatest fashion shoots for America's Next Top Model and a lot of other clients in the US. When I saw his shots, I was at awe and said to myself "I thought I was doing fashion photography, but this one was helluvah great shot!" which means it really did influence me a lot. Today I have been doing a lot of post processing techniques which I got to know when I saw his portfolio called the XBOOK... every celebrity and model that was well photographed in the Philippines and the US was there. I really love every bit of it!

He is now based in New York but I think they are coming up with a plan to do something for the Philippine photography industry come this year and I will surely be looking forward to that.

For the friends I made and the new lifestyle I have now, thank you! I am really looking forward to better things in the future!

To Buy or Not to Buy

I never knew it was going to be hard to make a choice about the property we were planning to buy somewhere south of Manila. It seems that I have a few questions to ask first before purchasing it for my family and I would not want to get my money spent on worthless ones so I took a short trip yesterday and checked the village out. It was a parcel of land spanning the right part of the road where there are a couple of Pineapple plantations. It was a nice place although I was a little dumbfounded why they did not have a sign of some sort in front of the actual village. The real estate company did not have a corporate office and they were just situated on a vacant lot that had three tables and a couple of assistants to man the stations. It seemed to me that they were just fly-by-night corporations but since I was there for a specific reason, I went ahead and asked about it.



The lot that I was trying to buy was very near the pool, the church and the club house that they plan to put up. They are still unfinished so I did ask if they have an estimate when the amenities are going to be accessible but apparently they are clueless. I know they were from one of the premier real estate companies in the metro but it was really not that appealing anymore. They did not even have Real Estate Logos which made them really look unprofessional. I think they need to fix things first before I am going to be convinced to pay for it. I however was impressed with the model house that they showed us. It was the ideal three story house with a large garden outside and a parking space that could fit around 2 vehicles. I know this is going to be expensive if we were on the other side of the road because that part had a view overlooking a world renowned volcano. If only they make things better this would have been an easy decision. Now I'll ask you guys, to buy or not to buy?!