Wednesday, January 01, 2014
Happy(?) New Year
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Earlier tonight while I was going back over the memories of those I've seen outside the window and analyzing my thoughts over the matter the one thing that kept playing in my mind was, am I getting too old too fast for this? Ten years ago I took pride over the fact that I never looked my age and I was constantly aware of the fact that the best years of my life were slipping away. I lived in the past trying to hold on to whatever vestiges of it were remaining. But that was before a whole gaggle of disappointments came and destroyed my rosy view. Plus, being aware that each year seems to suck more and more (of course that's a matter of opinion but I'm basing this on my experience and what I know from everything I read and heard) things will never be the same and it's a bad thing. Society is shrinking thanks to social networking but at the same time these same members of society are becoming more cynical and pessimistic even if they try to deny it and look at every new year as something that brings a new beginning. I mean, realy? Then when calamity hits them they'd start crying and whining like babies because they never prepared for any of it since the start. It's the same cycle as every New Year's resolution. People get excited over the smallest things promising themselves they would stick to a set of list they prepared at the last minute only to forget about it after a week or so.
Am I cynical? There's no question about it. But I also know that most people are too even if they say they're not. How else can you explain the amount of celebration over the most mundane of things? Like monthsaries. Please. Don't get me started on the apparent hunger for any type of news people can "scoop" just so they can drumbeat about it on the walls of their or other people's Facebook pages. I can live with one or two posts like it but have a lot of people doing the same thing every minute or so and you have a new kind of pollution to deal with. People "liking" stuff for no viable reason other than what is known only to themselves is also another thing that gets to me but I'm working on it.
So what should we look forward to this new year? Realistically we can hope for the best but still expect things to go worse than before. Other than that, personally, I got my own outlook to deal with, old friendships to rekindle, new people to hang out with and old good habits I left at the side of the road before to pick up again. Other than that, well, like other folks, I'll take things one day at a time
Labels: aaahh, aha, controversial, dilemma, new, new year, pang-asar, reminiscing, sad news, whatever
@ 11:44 PM ---> Friday, January 02, 2009
Had a full day today with friends going around the malls. It's two different sets of friends actually in two different malls capping the celebration of the New Year. First round was during lunch with a really good friend (and fellow geek) from college. We went around SM North eating lunch at the still cramped food court, eating fake meat in Bodhi (we're not vegetarians but a medical condition prevents my friend from regularly indulging himself with real meat). The food court's not a total loss with the small improvements done here and there.
Then it was off to the newly opened Annex part of the mall. My friend informed me previously that there wasn't much of anything to see since except for the grocery store which is the only one open inside but he relented later and took me on a tour. As you can see from these pictures, and if you go there yourself, that statement was a tad exaggerated.
The 4th floor's the one that interests me the most with its floorspace and interiors:
Do try to see it before its occupancy by future CD/computer peripherals stalls, internet shops, and snack bars.
From those windows you can see a good view of the surrounding areas including the present construction of the future site of the Sky Garden down on the second floor:
Here are some more pictures on the same floor and a view of the groundfloor showing the glass ceiling of the Ace Hardware down in the basement level:
And some pictures of the funky escalators from above and below:
We went home after that extensive tour for me to feed the dogs and cats and to get ready to go out again to meet the Artists' Den people for our regular Friday meeting. Syeri suggested earlier we all get together for an early dinner at the newly constructed atrium in Megamall. At a place called:
"Factory."
Nice place at the second floor, somewhat pricey for regular dining but good enough for our first meeting of the year. I haven't figured it out if it's Persian or Indian cuisine they serve, they have a lot of curry dishes with mild to moderate spiciness, but the interiors betray none of its identity. Maybe it's both. Topics over dinner ranged from the trivial to more or less disgusting, as far as conversations with close friends go peppered generously with laughter:
We went to the fourth floor to Crepes and Cream after that for dessert and for the actual meeting. This place has a more affordable, but strange, set in its menu. We usually associate crepes with sweets but C & C took it further to include main course in their offerings (enough to give you the "crepes." Haha!).
This was the one I picked:
Strawberry Crepe with almonds, Raspberry Ice Cream and Strawberry sauce
After a very short meeting with agendas pending the approval of some issues that still need to be cleared with the resumption of work next week, half of the group delved into playing Magic: The Gathering to pass the time. And I still can't get how it's played. All their talk about hit points, strategies, magical creatures went sailing over the heads of those of us who doesn't play. We broke up the meeting after one round, roughly around 9 pm. We went home, but having nothing else to do back here at home, and getting antsy for going home well before the time I'm accustomed to, I went to the Shang and whiled away the time browsing in the lone bookstore inside the mall (National Bookstore doesn't count as one) before sitting down to read the free newspaper and magazines in Starbucks to slow things down. That's where I took a picture of this nice view:
With the mall now closed, I went back home and settled in for the night after checking everything's okay with the pets.
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Then it was off to the newly opened Annex part of the mall. My friend informed me previously that there wasn't much of anything to see since except for the grocery store which is the only one open inside but he relented later and took me on a tour. As you can see from these pictures, and if you go there yourself, that statement was a tad exaggerated.
The 4th floor's the one that interests me the most with its floorspace and interiors:
 |  |
 |  |  |
Do try to see it before its occupancy by future CD/computer peripherals stalls, internet shops, and snack bars.
From those windows you can see a good view of the surrounding areas including the present construction of the future site of the Sky Garden down on the second floor:
Here are some more pictures on the same floor and a view of the groundfloor showing the glass ceiling of the Ace Hardware down in the basement level:
 |  |  |
And some pictures of the funky escalators from above and below:
 |  |
We went home after that extensive tour for me to feed the dogs and cats and to get ready to go out again to meet the Artists' Den people for our regular Friday meeting. Syeri suggested earlier we all get together for an early dinner at the newly constructed atrium in Megamall. At a place called:
 |  |
"Factory."
Nice place at the second floor, somewhat pricey for regular dining but good enough for our first meeting of the year. I haven't figured it out if it's Persian or Indian cuisine they serve, they have a lot of curry dishes with mild to moderate spiciness, but the interiors betray none of its identity. Maybe it's both. Topics over dinner ranged from the trivial to more or less disgusting, as far as conversations with close friends go peppered generously with laughter:
 |  |  |
We went to the fourth floor to Crepes and Cream after that for dessert and for the actual meeting. This place has a more affordable, but strange, set in its menu. We usually associate crepes with sweets but C & C took it further to include main course in their offerings (enough to give you the "crepes." Haha!).
This was the one I picked:
Strawberry Crepe with almonds, Raspberry Ice Cream and Strawberry sauce
After a very short meeting with agendas pending the approval of some issues that still need to be cleared with the resumption of work next week, half of the group delved into playing Magic: The Gathering to pass the time. And I still can't get how it's played. All their talk about hit points, strategies, magical creatures went sailing over the heads of those of us who doesn't play. We broke up the meeting after one round, roughly around 9 pm. We went home, but having nothing else to do back here at home, and getting antsy for going home well before the time I'm accustomed to, I went to the Shang and whiled away the time browsing in the lone bookstore inside the mall (National Bookstore doesn't count as one) before sitting down to read the free newspaper and magazines in Starbucks to slow things down. That's where I took a picture of this nice view:
With the mall now closed, I went back home and settled in for the night after checking everything's okay with the pets.
Labels: aaahh, awesome, barkada, cool, curios, discovery, events, feast, happy gathering, new year, reminiscing
Thursday, January 01, 2009
This is Megamall around 9:10 pm after all the hoopla of the holiday season.
This is one of the many driveway exits of the Shangri-la Mall (with the hotel at the background) around the same time.
Vacation with these malls closed or closing early sucks.
This is one of the many driveway exits of the Shangri-la Mall (with the hotel at the background) around the same time.
Vacation with these malls closed or closing early sucks.
Another year, another year full of possibilities, may we have none of the grumbling and whining of the past years and remember these wise words:
Happy New Year everyone!
"The future lies before you, like paths of pure white snow. Be careful how you tread it, for every step will show." ~Author Unknown
"Sometimes the only way you can take a really good look at yourself is through somebody else's eyes." ~From the television show Scrubs
"Your future depends on many things, but mostly on you." ~Frank Tyger
"When you lose, don't lose the lesson." ~Author Unknown
"There is often less danger in the things we fear than in the things we desire." ~John C. Collins
Happy New Year everyone!
Labels: aaahh, discovery, events, feast, happy gathering, history, launching, new year, waxing poetic
