Classic Confections

2nd Floor, Greenbelt 5.

Their Chocolate Oblivion and Cheesecake are really good.
Probably the best place for dessert in all of Makati. Enough said.

Golf Lessons for the Year

Learned a lot about the golf swing, especially mine, this year. Some of these
- I need to make a wide, full backswing, ie, I have to feel my back is facing the target at the top. My right elbow has to separate from my body.
- Early wrist cock works for me, ie, it helps avoid a slice.
- I am still prone to an outside-in downswing. Keeping the lag (wrist cock) on the downswing and aiming from the inside is a key swing thought to avoid this.
- I already have a good pivot on the forward swing, my problem is that it goes ahead of my arm swing. This tendency to square the clubface with my body shifts my plane to the left of target leading to pulls, loss of spine angle and thin shots. I need to wait until after impact before I make the full turn to face the target.
- Making a proper release at impact is key to clean contact but very hard to accomplish: it begins with a "short thumb" grip, holding the club diagonally across the fingers and the palm, then the release has to be timed perfectly at the moment of impact, not before (fat shots), not after (slice).
- It is critical to keep my spine angle until impact. On shorter clubs specially, I lift my head too early; these clubs are heavier so choking adds control.
- Overdoing all the above could lead to a dipping of the right shoulder instead of a rotation, which means fat shots.
- One simple key thought to summarize everything is to swing through, never decelerate at impact, whether on full swings or controlled pitches.

Those are just for the swing. There are other lessons, including the one about the short game being more important for lower scores. And putting of course, can save the day.

And no matter what, it is stll just a game to be enjoyed. The fun could be more memorable than the score or that miracle shot.

Hole No. 3

Ayala Greenfield Golf and Leisure Club

A 140-yard downhill shot over a ravine.

Too bad I bogeyed this hole.

Sometimes I wonder if photography can really mix with golf.

The Ayala Museum

Went to the Ayala Museum just before Christmas. The Gold Collection is quite impressive. Combined with the ceramic (China) collection, it gives a good picture of a strong pre-Hispanic culture and puts forward strong evidence for the claim that the Philippine Islands was a "crossroad of civilizations",ie, Chinese, Indian, and Austranesian, which continued during the Spanish galleon trade.

Of course the dioramas depicting Philippine historical events are interesting as usual. If you are looking for an educational way to spend a couple of hours in Makati, this is highly recommended.

Lunch or snacks at the superb restaurant downstairs would cap it nicely.

Why We Need Christmas

With so much tragedy throughout the year - from floods and typhoons to a volcano about to erupt, massacres and kidnappings – one can be forgiven for asking what is there to celebrate. Indeed the human condition is frail, as nature and the media constantly remind us.

Even without these constant reminders, we encounter in our everyday lives our shortcomings and those of others, our mortality - and the heartaches these imperfections bring to others and to ourselves.

Yet Christmas reminds us that despite our shortcomings, we are loved. That we are more than the sum of our mistakes and imperfections. You may not buy the whole religious reason for Christmas, that Somebody cared enough for you to take the trouble to be born in a manger. But this act of love is too big not to spread around and this kindness and warmth make us feel bigger than our heartaches.

Christmas also gives us the chance to look beyond the shortcomings and imperfections of others. It asks us to forget our disappointments and for once look at what is good in people and the world. It gives us a chance to be bigger than ourselves.

Christmas makes us get in touch with our being human, yet allows us to be bigger than our humanity.

That is worth celebrating.

Misty Fairways

The mist descends on the fairways as seen from the tee box of hole no. 15.



The microweather at Ayala Greenfield is amazing. You can see the weather change completely within one morning - from showery to sunny to misty - and then another cycle.

A Walk at the U.P.

While we're on the subject of the University of the Philippines, here are some of the other photos taken on Dec 12.

Quezon Hall


On weekends the Diliman campus turns into a park. A father and son navigating the Beta Way.


But you still find the typical student cramming for that exam.


And the usual taho and Ikot jeepney in front of the AS Steps.


Camera used was a Canon EOS10D. Shots with film here.

U.P. at Night

The UP Lantern Parade is also an occasion when students, faculty, alumni and the community gather to celebrate the spirit of Christmas in the University.

It starts with the parade of lanterns around the Academic Oval that ends in front of Quezon Hall, and the festivities culminate with fireworks.

Here are some more photos taken that night.

The Carillon




It's a cold night and I'm butt-naked in front of all these people




Merry Christmas from the University of the Philippines!

The UP Lantern Parade

Every year, the University of the Philippines holds its Lantern Parade just before it breaks for Christmas. The different colleges in the Diliman campus show off their creativity in this annual tradition which has become a much anticipated event for students and alumni.

Some photos taken during last night's Lantern Parade.

Manny Pacquiao doing the Pagdanggo sa Ilaw (College of Fine Arts)


An elephant.


Chinese-themed lanterns.


What looks like a giant prawn about to be grilled.


Faces and candles.

Expired Film

Took a walk around the University of the Philippines campus with a film camera. It has been a very long time since I bought film and all I have are expired. Still I tried them to see how it would turn out.

You be the judge.

From expired Koday HD200.
Academic Oval (film scanned and converted to B&W using PS.


In what to be called the UP Lagoon.

Mizuno MP57

Went for this.

One try with the 6 iron and it felt like how an iron should feel.

It may be too much club for my handicap right now but I tried it on the range and it was surprisingly easy to hit.

They go straight and high, less workable than the Ping S57 that I also tried but much softer in feel.

It comes with the NSPro 950GH Stiff and I think the shaft has a lot to do with my liking it. My current gamers are TaylorMade Burners in NSPro 950GH Regular, which I find easy to hit but too light in the mid to long irons. I tried a friend's MP52 with Project X 5.5 and found it too heavy.

These are forgiving sticks but still give you feedback if you mishit so it prevents you from getting sloppy. In the shorter irons and PW, I have to remind myself to keep my spine angle through the release. Choking a little also helps with control.

In the long run I think these will be real game improvers but not too punishing while I'm still improving the consistency of my swing. I think this will stay in my bag for a long time.

I have very high hopes!