When Frank Storms the Place

Typhoon Frank hit the Philippines last June 20 (Intensity 175 km/h (110 mph). We experienced its force early Sunday morning, June 22.
Fortunately our house was spared but the outside was another matter.

Two mango trees down...


And another still...


Bananas didn't fare well...






And the shed came down...


Another look at the shed...



Frank is also known as "Fengshen", the Mandarin name for the God of Wind. (Chinese: 风神)
It is the 6th typhoon to reach the Philippines this year.

New 7 Wonders of Nature

As of today, 4 of Philippines' nature wonders are included in the top 10 of the list.

1. Tubbataha Reef (3rd)
2. Chocolate Hills (4th)
3. Puerto Princesa Subaterranean National Park (5th)
4. Mayon Volacano (9th)

Learn more about the New 7 Wonders of Nature campaign.

You can vote here.

Photo courtesy of the New 7 Wonders of Nature Campaign.

Ninja in the Dragon's Den

One of my favorite when i was in the "Ninja-crazed stage" is this movie.
A friend was able to download the whole movie for me (his birthday gift!).



my favorite lines?

Conan Lee: Be careful now!
H. Sanada: Yes, mother!

You can view the full trailer from youtube:

Mango Overload

Every summer we are fortunate to harvest mangoes from our farm.
This year is no exception.








Mom gets her own pick.

Freshly picked mangoes at home.

Counting them, 1...2...3...



















Dessert on the table,
dad's favorite Mango Float

Yellow for Bri

I read this appeal from my sister's website.

This is an appeal on behalf of a group of food bloggers who are friends of Briana Brownlow @ Figs With Bri.

Bri was diagnosed with breast cancer two and half years ago. A mastectomy, chemotherapy and two years of relatively good health later, the cancer is back. It has metastasized to other parts of her body. At the age of 15, Bri lost her 41-year old mother to the disease. Now, she’s waging her own war against breast cancer. More about it here.

She is going through intensive chemo and other treatments and needs to focus single-mindedly on healing and finding what treatment works best for her. Her health insurance, unfortunately, does not cover holistic alternatives which she would like to try. Bri and her husband Marc have enough on their plates right now in addition to worrying about her medical bills.

The team organising the JUNE edition of CLICK at Jugalbandi has organised a fundraiser to help Bri and her family meet her out-of-pocket medical costs for ONE YEAR.

CLICK is a monthly theme-based photography contest hosted by Jugalbandi. This month’s theme is: YELLOW for Bri

Yellow is the colour of hope. Through the work of the LiveStrong Foundation, it has also come to signify the fight against cancer.

The entries can be viewed HERE. The deadline for entries is June 30, 2008. The fundraiser will extend until July 15, 2008.

The target amount is 12,000 U.S. dollars. We appeal to our fellow bloggers and readers to help us achieve this. Bri deserves a chance to explore all options, even if her insurance company thinks otherwise.

There’s a raffle with exciting prizes on offer. After viewing the list, you may make your donation HERE or at the Chip-In button on any participating site.

Your donation can be made securely through credit card or Pay Pal and goes directly to Bri’s account.

This month’s photo contest also has some prizes. Details HERE.

You can support this campaign by donating to the fundraiser, by participating in CLICK: the photo event, and by publicising this campaign.

Our scientist in the kitchen

My sister loves to cook! Experimental cooking, that is.

I have learned to appreciate the food she prepares for us whenever she's in the mood to cook.

A few minutes before mealtime, and we still don't know what to eat. And before we have to eat them, there is still the waiting time for her to finish taking pictures of her creation to post on her website. Dad don't like this waiting time.

I love her pasta dishes and her baked eggs.