shoutouts

Before May 15, 2012, I had no interest whatsoever on Diablo 3. I haven't played Diablo 1 or 2 before and I didn't know the story either. 

When I was in high school, this game "Diablo 2" was all over the internet cafe. I tried playing it once, but I stopped before the 1st boss of Act 1 because I was frustrated I can't find my way out of the cave (hahaha). And at that time, I never liked playing computer games. I'd rather hang out with my friends than spend 20/hour just to be in a computer. 

During college though, I started to play online games too since most of my classmates were alsointo some MMORPG. Then years after that, I also started playing DOTA.

Dota2 came out and that started my sleepless nights. hahay, wai life. :|

People in the office were also talking about D3 and really excited about it since its been 12 years after Diablo 2. I never ever really planned on playing D3 because I wasn't interested. I thought I can't relate to it and I don't really know the terms, the items, the people, the "demons", the strategy and all those shit. Also, it's expensive (Php 3k++/box). When my officemates got their Diablo box (D3 opening May 15), I asked for a beta key and installed the game just to try it out.

And behold, the game was freakishly awesome!

I finished the beta pass after 2 hours++ (nonstop, super amazed mode) and then decided to buy my own box the day after. I just can't get enough of it. I love the special effects, the cinematics, the look and feel to it, the story and the gameplay. Monk character is really cool and the skills are badass (not as badass as the Barbarian though). I also enjoyed the part playing with my friends online. And from the past week,  I think I spent 90% of my nights playing D3. Its one of those games that even though you keep on repeating the same quests, you still enjoy accomplishing it.

I just never expected this ever. I really didn't think that this week or last week I'd be playing Diablo 3. Peer pressure or maybe for the sake of camaraderie, who cares. It was expensive yet worthy investment.

What social life?

So I accidentally deleted my photoblog from my phone (Posterous) app. 

I'm pretty pissed because there's not even a confirmation in their app when deleting a Space, and its very crucial to have that! I hope Posterous makes some updates on this.

And that's why I have to rebuild again my photoblog, back to zero photos. :(

http://photoblog.fredbaa.com

I'm still hoping Posterous got my email, and were able to retrieve my blog. Lots of memories in it.

Held at Brgy. Corte, Carmen, Cebu, it was the most dreadful, exhausting, painful run I've had. And I think (and all the participants think) the most disorganized event ever.

I attended the Leg 5 of the Columbia Trail series and it was tolerable but very nice. The trail was varied from uphill to river rock trekking. So I was also looking forward for Leg 6, knowing that it will be held at the mountain ranges in Carmen. Though I wasn't super excited about the trail and the elevation, I was still eager to run the 15km route. But overall, the run was poorly organized compared the past leg. Here's why:

• It started an hour late.
• There were few marshalls guiding the runners, thus many of the participants got lost in the mountains. Few accidents happened because the marshalls were not present on the dangerous parts of the trail. 
• There were locals who volunteered as marshalls, but most of them don't even know what kilometer they're in on their assigned areas; and it's a very important information since we have to know how many km's we still have to run (or walk) to get to the finish line. Good thing my fellow pacers have Garmin watches tracking our distance.
• On the first 300meters of our run, we were lost already because some woman (who was a local there, and a volunteer marshall) lead us to a different route. I think 50% of the runners were running in that direction (including me, and mostly front runners, even the Kenyans). It was like 15 minutes later when some marshalls shouting and informing us that we were on the wrong track. Goodness gracious! Lots of runners complained about it and pretty pissed after it.
• Run whenever and wherever you want, you get a medal anyway. Even our officemates that didn't run have a medal. I even knew one person got 2 medals. Seriously?
• After the cutoff time, they had a mass sweeping all-around the route areas informing the participants who were still running to just give-up and go back to the starting/finish line. It was really frustrating especially for us since we were on the 12km mark already, right after we passed the cave; worst thing is they were pulling out the blue flags on the routes to signal us that we have to really go back. We were so close and we just had to give up or else we won't make it alive (die of hunger and heat) if we continue. And we also had to go since Stacy (Shiela's sis) almost passed out because of the heat (and it was already 12nn).

Even for me, I was on the verge of giving up. It was still 4km when I was sooo tempted to quit. Good thing I found Paolo, Jean, Paolo's bro Angelo and Stacy at some point, and decided to pace each other. It's good to have running buddies during trail runs (at least you have company when all of you get lost :D ). 

I think for me the worst part was on the 6-8km because the whole stretch was uphill. The view on top didn't even help motivate me to continue because I was already tired. And I can't give up now because I was on a friggin' mountain! I'm just sooooo happy when we got to the summit because we found a pipe gushing with water. I removed my bag and decided to have a quick shower. That took all my "laspag" and dizziness, and I recovered from the excruciating heat and muscle pains.

At 9km, there was a free FRESH buko juice. I was excited because we passed by a lot of runners drinking buko juice but it was Php 10, and I didn't bring any money. So when I found the free buko, I drank the whole juice! It was yummmy and very thirst quenching..... and then I got some stomach pains, adding to my knee and ankle pains I was experiencing already. Greedy! (but still worth it).

The best part I think was on the cave/grotto part. It. was. MAGNIFICENT. I totally regret it when I didn't bring my point-and-shoot or my phone to take photos during the run, especially on the this part when the view was absolutely incredible. I didn't know that the grotto part was actually a SINKHOLE before. So mindfucked. And the cave was also beautiful. My last caving was in Siquijor. Though it wasn't as challenging as this one, it was still fun.

After the cave part, we had to go to a shortcut route because it was already noon and if we continue, we might die from the heat and hunger. It was funny because the marshalls were coming at us since we're the last one running/trekking that they had to sweep. We had to call a medic too because Stacy was really dizzy from the heat and really exhausted.

While going through the shortcut, all I think about is just be on the base already. My right knee is very painful, and I'm super hungry. That's why I was just so happy when I heard some river gushing and kids laughing on a distance. We're almost there! And when we got to the finish line, I really thought we can't get our medals because a marshall told us that we still didn't finish. Good thing they were giving out all the medals to all the participants of the Elite category (15km route). It would be disappointing if I didn't get my medal after all those efforts, patience, blood and sweat I gave throughout the route.

Though the leg was really not my favorite (and I think everyone agrees), it was still fun running/trekking the 15km route. We haven't made it to the waterfalls, but the cave/grotto/sinkhole part and the view from the mountains sufficed it all. It was a really nice route, eventhough I hate the 2km uphill. I still can't even imagine how I did it, but I made it. I just wished it was organized properly.

And the lesson I learned throughout the race? Patience. Just enjoy every moment, even if its already painful. It will always be worth it.  :D

Le Medal

Carebear Runners

The Carebear girls..

Ready to run!

Ready. Get Set. Go!

The cave...

..and the cavemen

Batwoman Jean.

Diwata Rose. :D

Made it! (troll Poy at the back)

Photos by: Rose Flores, Jade Abellana, and from Columbia Trail Run Cebu FB page. :D

this is a post from my previous blog site. nalingaw kog basa ani kay dugaay na kaayo ni (3 years ago), and muapply gihapon karon. so i thought it would be funny to share this again. :D

Kining mga girls ba, über kaayo!

Kamo girls bah, untah kabalo mo musabot sa amo mga laki. 

 Kay kamo, pirmi jud mo wrong send. 

You always assume we can do everything and know everything! 

Ayaw tawon mi ipa-guess2 kung unsa inyo ganhan kay we're only humans, not Matt Parkman! 

Kung naa mo ganahan, dont hesitate to ask... 

Di man mi magduhaduha bah nga buhaton/ihatag nah. 

We'll do our best if you give us time.... 

Nyah kana pud sa among mga crush bah, a few reminders lang...

Kana bitawng mag-uban tah nyah cge mu ug ingon nga "Hala, kagwapo atoh niya. Gwapo xa noh?"..please lang ayaw tawon mi pangutan-a anang mga butanga kay wa jud tawon mi bawt anah...

Ang amo rjud nailhan nga gwapo kay ang among kaugalingon....

Kamo daw ing-anaon ingon mig gwapa sa uban, gnhan ka?

Nyah kana pung cge mu ug text bah, nyah masuko mu kay di mo replyan in 5 seconds, ayaw pud tawon mu kasuko dayon oi...

Di kunuhay mi ninyo paka-onon?patulgon?paihi-on?

Sabot pud mu usahay kay di lang pud baya kamo busy, kami pd baya...

eStudyante ra tang tanan....

di mi piRmi ka-afford ug load...

pero kung naa gud, ngano gud di mi mutext ninyo bah!...

Haay, paita ani oi...

nag-express rako girls ha..

no hard feelings..

para pud ni sa inyo kaayohan natong tanan..

-- end --

Last weekend, me and my officemates went on a backpacking trip to Bislig and Hinatuan, Surigao del Sur to visit some of Philippines' most talked-about wonders: the majestic Tinuy-an Falls and the mystical Hinatuan Enchanted River.

Touchdown Butuan City, drive to Bislig City

After a 45-minute flight from Cebu, we arrived at Bancasi Airport, Butuan City, Agusan del Norte. From there, we went to Butuan Integrated Bus Terminal and rode a bus going to Mangagoy, Bislig City, Surigao del Sur.

Bus Rate: Php 245 Butuan City to Mangagoy, non-Aircon

We expected a 6-hour ride but our driver was one hyper-crazy bastard! He drove the lonely highway of the province like it was his bitch. The bus was literally drifting and tilting 30 degrees on sharp curves; and going downhill, we felt like we were riding a rollercoaster.

(photo by Ayn Belonio, :D it's like riding a rollercoaster)

I actually slept for the first hour of the trip but after that, I was holding on my seat while the bus was running like one of those Nascar race cars. :) After 4 hours and 30 minutes (earlier than expected), we arrived safely (thank god) at the bus' last stop --Mangagoy, Bislig City.

St. Francis Pension House

Where we stayed. :)

Room Rates

Chilling out

If your a group of 5 up, it's best to have the family room, extra person is Php 150/head only.

The Grandest Waterfall I Have Ever Seen

Since we're a group, we hired a multicab and paid 1350 for the whole ride back and forth to the falls.

Tinuy-an Falls Rate: Php 50/head entrance fee, Php 300 cottage rental

When we arrived at the site, the first of the three-tiered cascading water falls greeted us. I thought that was it because its also quite huge and wide.

(the mini waterfall)

Moving farther ahead, we were super amazed by the sheer size of the second cascade! It's like the Niagara Falls. It was really big, and wide, and really really breathtaking. I must say this is the largest, grandest waterfall I have ever seen in my life.

Approximately 95 meters wide and 55 metres (180 ft) high, it is one of the biggest waterfalls in the Philippines. (Wikipedia)

(Picture picture! :] )

Hinatuan Enchanted River

On our second day, we checked out St. Francis Pension House, and drove to Hinatuan Enchanted River, just a town next to Bislig. 

Hinatuan Enchanted River Rate: Php 10/head entrance fee, Php 100 cottage rental

(photo by Ayn Belonio)

When we arrived at Hinatuan, I wasn't expecting the place to be super developed (I thought we had to trek to some forest then reach the said enchanting river); but it was still okay because the river seemed to be untouched. The water was super clear and I think it's indeed one of the most beautiful places I've ever set foot on.

...and you know why the water is blue? because it's also super deep! (according to sources, it's approx. 80-ft deep!). There's a lot (like hundreds) of fishes beneath it; and they're not those small fishes you see in an aquarium. These creatures are big! Bigger than a milkfish! It's really cool and I thank god i brought my underwater cam and snorkeling gear with me.

(photos by Ayn Belonio)

The resort observes feeding time for the fishes (which happens every 12 noon), where they play some weird music and all the people gather the to the river to watch these fishes jump for the food.

In the resort, there are locals selling food (including fresh seafoods) nearby so you don't have to worry about getting famished after swimming. They also observe cleanliness in the area because they are not allowed to bring any cellophane materials in their stalls, which is really nice. :)

Back to Butuan and Cebu :(

Our ride back to Butuan City was TOTALLY the opposite from our bus ride to Bislig. IT WAS FRIGGIN SLOW! When stopping at the terminals, it took us at least 10-15 minutes to move on to the next stop. It was really frustrating, especially on the first hour because the bus was full so we had to stand. It took us almost 6 hours 'til we arrived at Butuan City.

We stayed the night there, and early in the morning, we headed to the airport for our flight back to Cebu.

Although our weekend getaway only took 2 days, it was still fun and memorable. The places we visited was really really nice, and I could not ask for anything more on those 2 days we spent in Surigao del Sur.

To my travel buddies Odina, Jean, Paolo, Poy, Shiela and Ayn, that trip was awesome and hopefully we'll have another trip to explore new places :)

Thank you for our company, Caresharing, for the sponsorship this trip. Hopefully there are more to come! :)

And also to my girlfriend, Lorena, yey! first trip together! :)

Some photos of the trip (by Ayn and me):

-- 2:43 am --

giahak! i was just about to sleep when a scary, "the ring" kind girl suddenly popped out in my head. this is why i don't sleep when i ain't sleepy. i think a lot of crazy things and i end up not sleeping, just like that. so oh well, i will just rant some random stuffs so i can put myself back to zzzzzz.

1. who likes sleepovers? well i do love sleepovers especially when you and your friends are really having a good time. but you know what sucks for me is i really find uncomfortable sleeping in other people's bed. i dunno. even in hotels or resort cottages. it feels really weird.

2. I'm using the Posterous app for iPhone/iPod . it's pretty sweet! (oh god, this is super random)

3. who's watching XFactor UK? i only know a few though. well, i don't care if you cant relate, but i think Janet is getting weaker and weaker every week on her performance. it's a bit sad coz a lot of us love her and her voice. while Kitty which hated by many people in the auditions suddenly gets better and better every week, and honestly I'm a convert and i love her now. i hope Frankie gets eliminated. i wonder how he managed to stay in that competition for so long while a lot of really good singers have been let go.

4. there's a lot of flying bugs here in my room. that electronic "katol" seems to work only on mosquitoes.

5. i have to test my code tomorrow so i really got to sleep :(

that's it, I'm tired and i have to wake up early. if i still can't sleep, there's always the porno.

i'm just kidding. but seriously, it works every time. :)

good night!

-- 3:32am --

UPDATE:
I actually slept around 4:45am. 

When i search items in an array in Ruby, I usually go with the select method, and get the first item it finds.

result = [3, 5, 1.3, 'sample text', nil, 7].select{|item| item.is_a?(Integer) }.first

The problem I have with using select is it always returns an array of all the items that satisfied the condition, so sometimes I encounter an error (nil.first error) if the result of the select function is null (and yes, not an empty array). That's why I always add a line of code just to check if the result is null or not.

So one of my colleagues introduced me to the detect method of Array, which does the same thing as select, except that it returns only the first object that satisfies the condition. So the result is either the item or null.

result = [3, 5, 1.3, 'sample text', nil, 7].detect{|item| item.is_a?(Integer) }

Its pretty efficient.

Gotta refactor some select codes now. :)