July 2007
Nankang: New Tires, New Experience
Filed Under General Nonsense
Just got a new set of tires this morning(185/65 R14) in T. Mapua near Blumentrit. It’s a second set that I bought this year and it’s a replacement for the GoodYear Ducaro I bought last January. The other set that I bought 18 months ago is also Ducaro. I still use them on my rear wheels and is also nearing replacement. I didn’t really like Ducaro but that’s the only available in all Servitek that I visited. If I have my choice in Goodyear, I would have gotten an Eagle NCT. I was informed that this model is already discontinued.
Unfortunately that time, it is only Goodyear or Continental for me. Continental became out of the question because of its high price. The reason why I didn’t like the Ducaro is because the first set I bought sometime in 2005 didn’t last well. The thread had some flaking that the sales asssistant cannot explain when I showed her. And then the last straw came when I blew up my tire when I hit an open manhole somewhere in Lacson ave (formerly Forbes). It didn’t blow up right then and there but it needed a piece of stone at the side of the gutter that finished it off. It only lasted 3000 km for me though the set on the rear has just past 10,000kms.
The new tires come from Nankang. They are made in Taiwan and though I would have preferred one that is made in the Philippines, I can make do with something made in another tropical country. Heck, the owner of the tire store is also using Nankang in their Pajero! It cost me P1800 a piece and since I’m only replacing the front tires, total cost is P3600. Oh, no freebies there.
I’ll see if this will last longer than Ducaro. If it will serve for 20,000km, I’ll be a happy man!
Lucy’s Garden : Baptism of My D40X
Filed Under Photography
Here’s my first try in photographing flowers from my mother’s garden. These were taken mid-morning of Saturday after a night of rain. I’m quite amazed at how simple flowers, even those that’s just hanging in the fence, looked so beautiful in the picture.
They are newbie pics and I wish I can shoot better when I get back to Panggulayan (in Mindoro, my home province).
Paradise Philippines SEO Contest
Filed Under HobbyMarc of macalua.com has launch an SEO contest. He shelling out P600,000 for the contest and everybody is just so crazy about it. My friend, skiper, has even joined in the contest. The keyword is Paradise Philippines and if you want to make some money, hop in! To know more about the contest, click here.
Marc is really a brilliant guy. With expectedly tons of backlinks he’ll gather, his site will definitely benefit for it. Yes, he may need to shell out a lot for the prizes but man, those links will gonna be forever. I even gave him one. hehehe… And oh, did I say that he has sponsors for this?
Nikon D40X : My New Baby
Filed Under HobbyI got myself last week a present, a brand spanking new DSLR from Nikon called D40X. I’ve been itching to buy one since last year but the budget constraints prevented me. I simply had other priorities before and this one has to wait. And it’s all worth it.
I chose between D40X and EOS 400D but ended up with D40X partly because of good reviews as compared to 400D. Most notable of the reviews is Ken Rockwell’s review. Ok, he actually recommended D40 than D40X due to price difference but I can’t help myself but get the newer one. 
I also own a Canon Rebel XTi, and I hate using it compared to my D40.
The D40x is 95% the same as the excellent D40, with the following changes…
–ken rockwell
I got mine from Jerry and had it delivered in my office. I recommend buying from him if you are planning to buy a Nikon Digital SLR camera. The package I got included the whole kit (with 18-55mm AFS Nikkor), 2GB SD card and a Tamron Velocity 6X bag. Add to that is a DPP magazine and membership to Digiprint. That’s all for around 31K. Yes, you can buy the kit at cheaper price in Hidalgo but if you add up, the price is almost the same and I saved myself the hassle of going to Quiapo.
I’m still new to photography but I have already been playing with my IXUS800IS point-and-shoot. That’s one fine camera and it actually inspired me to move to SLR. I’m still learning and hope to get the hang of it in the near future. I also plan to have my wife to attend photography classes so that she’ll just teach me. Besides, she’s also very much into it now. She’s as excited as I am. What? Ok, I retract. I’m more excited but she’s not far behind. haha.
I’ll post some sample pics later.
Our Tatay Tonying
Filed Under PersonalLast weekend, the whole family went home to Mindoro for the wake and burial of my uncle, Antonio. We fondly called him ‘Tatay Tonying’ and he’s one of the older brothers of my father. It was due to cancer of the lungs, among other complications. He died last July 4. Coincidentally, that day is also the birthday of his older brother, Jovit. The sad news came while Tito Jovit is preparing for his birthday celebration.
But the family wasn’t all surprised. As a matter of fact, the family has already prepared for it. He was diagnosed early this year after he was brought in Manila for a more comprehensive test. During Mamang’s(my granny) birthday last January, family and friends noticed something is wrong with his skin and he was persuaded to take further medication here in Manila. Around early March when the bad news was announced. Additional tests showed that it’s only a matter of time before die.
It was a sad news indeed but in the end, we looked at it as a God’s blessing in disguise. The findings prompted all the people around him to show love while he is still living. And we were given ample time to do that. In the days before his death, people that matters to him were all around him. And at the time of his death, he is lying on his mother’s arms. What more can you ask?
He is also prepared of things to come. It may be mind boggling to think about it but we all know that everybody will go that direction. He, his son(Kuya Adel) and my father just went there ahead of us. More than anything, it is love and faith in God that prepared him. That’s also true for his family, relatives and friends and it made easy for everybody to accept it.
So to my Tatay Tonying, may you rest in peace and bring our love wherever you are today. God bless us all.
p.s.
As I always say, it does not matter how long you lived here on earth but how you lived your life. Life is short and we must make the most of it. With faith in God, happiness is in easy reach. Jesus has thought us well through the Bible and all we need to follow his footsteps.
