Guardian angel

Great job, protector!

Photo from Makati, January 2008.

Timeless in Makati

Now we know the time. Do we? What watch?

As we are all aware by living in the Philippines the concept of official time doesn't exist. For Pinoys time is my time, the one on my watch, the one on this or that clock (this or that clock will scarcely show the same time…), and that's it. Time has a negociable value, so let's keep it like on the Lacoste ad and let's meet at 8 past 10 (AM and PM) on EDSA, where there is definitely not as much fresh air as the ad is claiming.

Photo from Makati, January 2008.

Cow tongue

Wanted to buy cow tongue only but failed. The butcher insisted in selling the entire cow head. Will need to travel with my backpack next time.

Photo from Tunis, January 2008.

Great paint job

Photo from Tunis, January 2008.

Winter in Africa

This winter picture was taken at a place where Africa got its name from. According to some sources Afri was the name of a tribe who dwelt in North Africa near Carthage. Their name is usually connected with Phoenician afar (dust).

Photo from Sidi Bou Said, Tunisia, January 2008.

21st century flying carpet

Photo of a 6 wheel drive from Tunis, Tunisia, January 2008.

Show Girl on the Road

Where will you find a show girl on the road? Only in the Philippines....!!

Photo from Divisoria, Metro Manila. December 2007.

Female Bedspacer Wanted!

What is the arrangement for bedspacing?

Share the same bed one after the other or share the same bed all the time?

Photo from Makati, Metro Manila, July 2007 and please knock first ....

Horsepower delivery

Wanna eat a cold jollibee hamburger at your home?

Photo from Manila, Metro Manila, December 2007.

Taxi stand in Manila

Like anywhere else: A first-come, first-served tricycle queue.

Photo from Quiapo, Metro Manila, September 2007.

Noah's Ark is sinking

Seems that Noah's Ark has outlived itself.

Photo from Mandaluyong, Metro Manila, October 2006.

A message of hope

Eggheads in Makati.

Today's photo ...

Last man on Earth visits the Vatican

Lt. Col. Robert Neville M.D. a.k.a. Will Smith, the last man on Earth visits the Vatican.

Lesson learnt? Look always beyond New York and the U.S.A.

Photo from Vatican City, December 2007.

Who touches yours?

Some ads are difficult to believe. Anyway, I am sure somebody will touch yours as well. No desperate Filipinos, I presume.

Photo from Makati, Metro Manila, January 2008.

Pakistan's unusual delicacies

The restaurant sign above reads as follows:

• brain masala = spicy fried brains (should be the stable food for everybody)
• takatak = mishmash (no idea of what, but I am sure it includes kapooray [see below])
• gurdey = kidneys (seems that kidney stones would be a side order)
• kapooray = testicles (only small or goat testicles to avoid gluttony)

Photo from Lahore, Pakistan, September 2007

You don't even get this in Wimbledon!

Human mowers in action. Cutting every blade of grass.

Would that be the way to go to increase the ratio of overseas Filipinos? Can we expect higher standards for Wimbledon's already beautifully manicured grass courts?

Photo from Mandaluyong, Metro Manila, January 2008.

Ultra safe scuba diving

Diving Mindanao: A boat for yourselves and guns to protect you.

Photo above: Back in the bay of Dakak, knocking-off time for the protector (on the very left of the picture).

To be clear, guns on board are not necessary at all! All dive sites are on the very North of Zamboanga del Norte, a region not affected by violence. Beautiful dives we had around the two islands of Silino and Aligbay.

Photo from the North coast of Zamboanga Del Norte, March 2003.

Look into your mirror

It's sometimes surprising what you see when looking into your mirror in Manila.

Photo from Makati, Metro Manila, December 2007.

Boracay landing

Boracay changed a lot in recent years. On the pro side, Boracay still has one of the world’s best white sand beaches, it also offers one of the very best landings as shown above. On the con side, you now see more and more greenish algae covering the area around white beach. These algae are a sign of poor water treatment in relation to the growing amount of people visiting the island.

As time goes by, I remember Boracay from the mid 1980s as a hippi hangout where most omelets came as a 'mushroom omelets' and where the usual meeting ritual of people wasn't 'where do you come from' but 'where do you wanna go...'.

Photo from Boracay, Philippines, July 2003.

White plate or no plate?

Besides the plate please also watch the traffic flow.

Photo from Mandaluyong, Metro Manila, July 2007.

The Golden Mosque of Manila and Libya's President Muammar al-Gaddafi

The Golden Mosque (or Masjid Ginto) was constructed in 1976 for the visit of Libya's President Muammar al-Gaddafi, although his visit ended up being cancelled. The minaret is now completely rusted and the dome is partly rusted. Shall Gaddafi come back?

Photo from Quiapo, Metro Manila, August 2007.

Leftovers from Christmas

It might take a while but look carefully and you will find some leftovers from Christmas. Please note that there are no more Santa presents in the one hiking boot placed into the book shelf.


Photo from Frankfurt, Germany, January 2007.

White hole discovered much earlier

'In astrophysics, a white hole is the time reversal of a black hole. While a black hole acts as an absorber for any matter that crosses the event horizon, a white hole acts as a source that ejects matter from its event horizon. The sign of the acceleration is invariant under time reversal, so both black and white holes attract matter. The only potential difference between them is in the behavior at the horizon.'

Whatever the horizon or the behavior of it? One thing is clear: At least one white hole could have been detected much earlier than in the 20th century if astrophysicists would have gone into Rome Pantheon as pictured above.

Photo from December 2007 looking over the horizon observing the potential difference.

Fashion in the 15th century

Future fashion will always be a copy of a glorious past…

Detail of Crowning of the Virgin, Natività, Adoration of the Magi (Rospigliosi Triptych), by Bartolomeo da Foligno (Vatican Museums).

Bad smell is eternal!

One more person who cannot stand his own fragrance.

Photo from the Vatican Museums, December 2007.

Modern Art can be ancient

Photo of ‘The Man’!

This portrait (or 'obelisk' statue) can be found in the Galleria Lapidaria of the Musei Capitolini, Rome.

Advice to future visitors:
Best to experience in a blindfold walk!

joint smoking skull with glasses

Picture from December 2007 of a 'joint smoking skull wearing glasses' from the floor of St. Ignatius Church in Rome. The inlay work (see the wings) probably tells us that you are about to ascent to heaven once you are dead of an overdose.

Peace to mankind

Not every bird is a dove but some birds are kind to men.

Photo from Capitoline Hill, Rome, Italy.

Beetle protector

Protectors of the Volkswagen Beetle—or Käfer as the vehicle is called in its home country—are becoming more and more fashionable as this picture from December 2007 from the Holy Sea shows.

Unbeatable and visible I.Q.

I.Q. of 1 is visible!

Picture from Karlsruhe, Germany, December 2007.

2008 ...

Wishing you a happy and healthy 2008.

May your New Year's resolution come true!

Early 01/01/008 morning picture from Rom, Italy.