halfwhiteboy

Me in my little Boy Scouts uniform back in 5th grade. My school didn't really have a proper Boy Scouts program, so this investiture ceremony was the first and last time I wore this ensemble. Besides, I make a sloppy boy scout, don't I?

Okay, so this would have to be my most daring photo posted here on this blog -- me in briefs. That's me sometime in the early 80s inspecting the just-completed four-poster Santacruzan arc for me and my partner. I don't seem too pleased.

Caramoan's Matukad Island. Simply beautiful, don't you think? By this time Caramoan is already on everyone's radar, especially since the French edition of the hit reality series Survivor filmed its 8th season there in 2008. Since then, around ten other seasons from different editions of the show have been shot there, the latest of which was the "Fans vs Favorites" season of the U.S. edition. The Caramoan Peninsula is home to at least ten main islands and a host of other small islets, making it a great place for island-hopping with white-sand beaches and limestone rock formations. However, ever since the place became Survivor capital, I've both heard and read stories from disappointed visitors who have gone to the peninsula at such inopportune times when some filming is ongoing. Call it an ill-timed visit because a lot of these islands that make up the Caramoan Peninsula are off-limits to tourists when filming is underway and hence, the disappointment.

Ooh la la! Haha! Following last week's throwback post about having my hair shaved off , I'm going back a day right after that trip to the barber in April 2004, when I joined a climb to Mt Natib in Bataan. We boarded a ferry at 6:30am to the town of Orion ( or-YON ), from where we hired a jeepney to take us to Bgy. Tala. After a quick rest, we began our trek at 10:15am ( Oh yes, I was the designated climb scribe, so I have all the notes. ). Mt Natib (1,253 MASL) used to be a mining area, so a big part of our trail was an overgrown winding road with very little to no shade at all.

It's just five days to go before the 2013 Midterm Elections. Just some of the questions I want to ask those aspiring for one of the 12 seats in the Senate: Collage from thepoc.net Samson Alcantara - What is equitable distribution of economic wealth to you and what are you going to do to make this happen? How will you deal with hardworking individuals who've made a fortune against those who are poor and jobless and who can't even care to lift a finger? Sonny Angara - How will you reconcile your platform of making education accessible to more Filipinos with that "No late payment policy" enforced in U.P. where you sat in its Board of Regents? And oh, did you really pay Coco Martin Php 35M to endorse you? Bam Aquino - How, as a legislator, will you be able to provide employment opportunities for fresh graduates? Also, have you tried other eyeglass frames? Or contact lenses, perhaps?

Last year I posted about Portuguese brand Impetus and its 2012 Beachwear Collection, which I liked a lot. So I looked up what they have in store this year and was a tad underwhelmed. Last year's collection was just wow while this year had me thinking about boxer shorts. Maybe it's just me but a lot of their pieces this year look like boxers to me more than swim shorts. To be fair, I still love that they're cut short, way above the knee. This one I kinda like although it may resemble gym shorts if you really look at it.

My mind is on some beach right now and I thought of looking up some swim shorts. It frustrates me that in spite of all those rumors before, Swedish retail giant H&M still hasn't opened up a store here in the Philippines. It's frustrating for me because their new 2013 swim shorts are just so nice, cut short the way I like it. And of course, with prices that start at just $ 9.95, they're fairly affordable. This one's my favorite, even if it wouldn't be flattering on my pudgy body. Also available in black. ($17.95)

I'm loving all the short shorts I see from British top retail brand Topman and Spanish label Zara for their 2013 swimwear offerings. There's a good mix of color, conservative, and bold prints from both of them. So could you blame me? Topman When Topman opts for color, then it's color -- and neon at that! Also loving the bold tropical print in the other piece here.

We once again found ourselves in Tagaytay about a fortnight ago and were wondering where to have dinner. We consulted TripAdvisor and found Discovery Country Suites'  Restaurant Verbena (Cafe Verbena in the site) high atop the site's ranking. So we decided on giving it a try. The restaurant interiors. (Photo from Restaurant Verbena's Facebook page ) Interiors and ambiance The place wasn't too big, just about right in size, and I liked the warm and cozy country ambiance accentuated with high ceilings and lots of wood and stone. We sat at the terrace section where we could feel more of the cool Tagaytay breeze. The food With appetizers that start at Php 395 and main courses that can go as high as Php 1,200 and Php 2,200 (plus 10% service charge), Restaurant Verbena is no cheap place to dine. That said, we expected much from the food. Maybe too much.

Even when I have very little - not to mention very fine - hair, I obsess over it for the most part. I guess it's because I'm frustrated with it and I just envy guys with thick crowns. I once sported long hair and after growing tired of it, went for this: