PhotoHunt: Metal

This steel and concrete edifice in Spartanburg, South Carolina is by itself, beautiful. But the BMW Zentrum is a treasure trove of art and technology and history that any car aficionado would appreciate. Among the many I found most interesting are the following:



A miniature model of what I believe is a BMW Roadster made from metal wires, a gift from the BMW group in South Africa.


The Isetta, BMW's response for postwar Europe's clamor for an inexpensive car in the 1950's.


And my pop will receive this one for Christmas from me- God-willing within the next three decades or so hehe

PhotoHunt: Reflection

The Angel of Waters shimmers as the afternoon sun bounces off the spray created by the Bethesda Fountain. This, another marvelous find when we were in NYC's Central Park last summer, has figured prominently in many a Hollywood product, most memorable of which for me are the George Clooney and Michelle Pfeiffer flick One Fine Day and small screen breakout series Gossip Girl.

Michael Johns Live at the Ayala Malls

Last chance to see Michael Johns- American Idol Season 7 finalist- tomorrow, Friday, November 21st at the Greenbelt 3 Park in Makati City, 7pm!

Here's a clip from his show we watched last Wednesday at the Glorietta Activity Center. He's quite the rocker but with a curious mixture of self-consciousness and almost self-effacing charm. His rendition of classic hits like We Will Rock You and We Are The Champions brought the house down. But his version of Coldplay's Yellow- that was really something else. He sure was worthy of his AI finalist's slot.



Video courtesy of Michael Johns' avowed number one fan in the RP, our admin assistant Joy S. Extra shrieks audible in the video courtesy of our community organizer Mica M.

Great to meet you, Chris Brown and Rihanna!

Two huge stars of the US music industry landed last Sunday, November 16, 2008 at the Bonifacio Global City in Taguig as Chris Brown and Rihanna performed in a massive back to back concert in front of a crowd estimated to number at around 70,000.

I got a pair of (platinum) tickets from my brother in law who happens to be well-connected hehe (Thanks Kuya Arnie!) There was only one person in mind to bring along, worthy enough to bring to this huge concert, one of my best friends from high school, Sherrylab =] She was a great first choice, since she was my resident pop music guru who introduced me to who Chris Brown and Rihanna were. I hardly knew who they were or what their songs were, save for With You and Umbrella, respectively.

But in any case, the concerts were thoroughly enjoyable experiences. Chris Brown brought the house down with his dancing prowess; his pipes were not bad, not bad at all. The Rihanna Experience was like being in the presence of a diva- her energy just filled the stage. But between the two, the crowd, including myself, was wowed by Chris Brown more.

Since he was covering so much stage at any given time, I hardly had any decent pics of CB. Finally managed to get these pics when he "rested" to sing No Air.







CB performed for more than an hour, songs that I hardly knew (sorry sorry!) but still really wonderful! The crew then proceeded to transform the stage for the next half of the show, distracting us a bit by a 5-or-so-minute fireworks prsentation. After some twenty more minutes minutes, Rihanna emerged. So did the cameras from practically every concert goer.





Rihanna does not disappoint. While I was very much afraid that she'd get sick- what with her uber-skimpy costumes onstage!- she managed to hold her mettle against her backup singers and cohort of musicians and dancers.





Giving in to shouts of MORE! when the proverbial curtains fell on the night's performances, Chris Brown and Rihanna returned on stage to sing a sensational rendition of Umbrella with each other and the crowd...



... which included some local celebs like Tony Gonzaga and her boyfriend Paul Soriano in this semi-paparazzo pic.

Happy to have met you, Chris Brown and Rihanna! And we'll hold you to your promise, do come back again soon.

PhotoHunt: Ruin(ed)

For my PhotoHunt this week, I am respectfully re-directing you to my photoblog- A Lonely Planet It Is Not. My last entry there for another blog prompt, I feel, is likewise appropriate for this weekend's theme.

My PhotoHunt entry is here.

UP Manila - Ayala Recyclables Fair 11-25-08

November 25, 2008 is a green-letter day as the UP Manila Community and the Ayala Foundation join hands for the 2nd Recyclables Fair on November 25, 2008 at the UP College of Medicine carpark from 9am - 4pm.

Let the UP-Ayala green team get the following off of your hands:

Used paper at posters, old newspapers at magazines, obsolete books
Plastic bottles, sando bags
Plastic furniture, Tetra Pak cartons
Aluminum cans at tin cans
Used lead acid batteries
Non-working electronic appliances
Betamax, cassette tapes
Old CPUs at monitors
Toner at ink cartridges
Tarpaulin streamers, household batteries, Styrofoam, mobile phones, chargers

For inquiries, kindly get in touch with Renzo Guinto ramonlorenzoluis[at]yahoo[dot]com or Angeli Guadalupe angelgwen24[at]yahoo[dot]com. Visit also http://uponeearth.multiply.com.

PhotoHunt: Together

I love New York City because of its architectural masterpieces, glittering cultural gems, palpable history unfolding each second. It can be daunting for first timers, a bit impersonal, very taxing. Central Park though can offer a breather to the overwhelmed.


There you might just see, among the stringed benches lined up against unbelievable flora in the City That Never Sleeps, a testament to a love that humbles any skyscraper.