subjective scale

and i will always be stepping on you
Originally uploaded by Adventures of Tintin

it's incredible how this simple photo turns out to be very popular. within 1 day of posting it on Flickr, it's become a favorite of 22 people. i am pleased to see it on Flick Explore too. i only took a few photos from yesterday's studio tour but i'm glad i shot this.

scratched

since i got my repaired Xbox 360 last week, i've been playing Rainbow Six Vegas 2. sadly, that game disc is now rendered useless, thanks to another Xbox 360 flaw - it scratches discs! when i tilted my console i heard a clanking sound but didn't know what it was until now. i tried to start my RSV2 game but it froze. when i took out the disc and examined it, there it was - a large circle of scratch! i can't believe i got screwed by Microsoft again! unfortunately this is one item i can't return for repair. if anybody knows some magical elixir to fix my disc, please let me know. thanks!

Santiago, day 10

it's my last day in Chile and it turned out to be sunny. after lunch, my Chilean friends took me to a place to buy some souvenirs. the stores sell "Indio Picaro" statues, which are similar to Philippine's "Barrel Man". unfortunately they did not have anything smaller that i could fit into my already full luggage. i just bought some key chains.

i left the office before six to go to the airport. good thing i arrived early as the line at the Delta counter was moving slowly. i made a small snack at Dunkin' Donuts before boarding the plane. soon we were taxiing but then we stopped. then the captain announced there was a problem with the cooling system and we had to return to the gate. because of this, our flight was delayed for nearly 2 hours. once we were airborne, i tried to sleep on 2 seats.

Santiago, day 9

i asked my Chilean friends if there was a "no touch" policy when we had cafe con piernas. Christian said that's the policy in the places we had been to. then he says, "i know a place where touching is allowed." so off we go to this special place. as soon as i enter, i notice the fugly girls; thank goodness it's dark. in one corner a girl removes her top and starts grinding her body against his customer. i don't want to be too graphic so let's just say there's a lot of that type of activity going on in that little place. after having our coffees and leaving the store, Christian says, "i also know a place where you can get coffee with sex."

Santiago, day 7

last friday was the first time i experienced a sunny weather in Chile. after lunch in a market, we went for cafe con piernas again but in a different location. the boys sweet-talked our barista to pose for a photo with me. she was not the best-looking in the room but that was fine.

my journey to Valparaiso began saturday noon. sitting at the back of the tiny Suzuki jeep wasn't exactly comfortable but it would serve its purpose later in the evening. as we traverse the countryside toward the coast, i was impressed by the sight of colorful vineyards and foggy mountains. it looked cold outside but i just wished it wouldn't rain. we ate lunch at La Pica de Emeterio in Con Con before continuing the trip to the seaport.

after parking the car, we headed toward the industrial harbor which wasn't crowded at all. i think the main attraction was the statue of Arturo Prat, Chile's national hero, facing the magnificent Armada de Chile building. in front of the statue is one of those eternal flames that you may find in other monuments.

we took the teleferico to the top of the hill and began exploring the city. from the top, we got a great view of the nearby hills that are covered with houses. the pastel-colored facades and ubiquitous graffiti on walls say it all -- artists live here. you'll also find a lot of hostels around. they get packed with European tourists during the summer, i was told. after our coffee break in a cozy little shop, we began our way down the hill.

next stop was my hosts' vacation house. this was where the jeep would come in handy. you see, the house is located deep in the woods and only accessible by dirt road. i would describe it as a long bumpy rollercoaster ride. it was pitch black outside and the only thing i could see were the headlights. soon, the sight of a fallen tree in front of the car invoked a little terror in me... this looks like a scene from a movie. are we gonna get attacked by a beast now? good thing my hosts know the area well. we backtracked and went in another direction.

after what felt like 30 minutes on the dirt road, we finally arrived at the cabin. it was huge. there was a balcony overlooking the cliffs. unfortunately it was too dark to see anything. we ate dinner and watched a DVD before turning in. it was freezing so i had to wear 2 t-shirts and use 2 blankets. i had a good 10 hour sleep!

after our late brunch in the cabin, it was time to put on my fedora and bullwhip. we went hiking outdoors. the property was so huge; there's another cabin for recreation and a swimming pool. we trekked uphill and toward the cliffs. along the way, we passed through a thick brush and got a few scratches on my legs. forget the bullwhip, what i needed was a machete! from high above the cliff, you could see the powerful Pacific Ocean waves splashing against the giants rocks near the shore. naturally, i took some pictures of the scenery.

we took a short rest in the cabin before taking the 2 hour drive back to civilization. i've realized how quiet it is in my neighborhood on a sunday. most shops were closed so i just looked for a place to have dinner. i ended up eating in a place called Coco Loco. it was a good weekend and it's made this my best South American trip.

Santiago, day 2

mejor corvina que he tenido
Originally uploaded by Adventures of Tintin

i landed in Chile yesterday morning. taxi took me to the wrong hotel. after nearly an hour it came back to bring me to the right place, an apartment rather than a hotel. after a shower and a short rest, i went to our office downtown. the guys took me to lunch and right after, introduced me to cafe con piernas. in English, it literally means coffee with legs. what it is, is a bar-like establishment but doesn't serve alcohol. instead, they sell coffee. so this place we went into was dark with neon lights, music blaring, and what really makes it uniquely different from any coffee shop, is that coffee is served by scantily-clad baristas. by scantily-clad i mean thongs! too bad photography isn't allowed. but there's more. before each one of us ordered, the barista gave us kisses on the cheeks. since i was a foreigner, i got an extra lips-to-lips service. how is that for service! i've never seen anything like it. i was told this type of business is popular in Chile. by the time i got out, i smelled like a cigarette. anyway, that coffee gave me a boost in energy i so badly needed since i never got any sleep on the plane.

in the evening, i scoured the area near my apartment and ended up having Peruvian food. i'm surprised at how more expensive food here are than in New York.

today was a holiday, which i had found out just yesterday (not that i'm complaining). unfortunately it's a rainy day. i didn't go out of the apartment unitl it was time for lunch. i went to a restaurant and the only customer there started talking to me. we ended up eating at the same table. she's also a traveler from the US. since most of the stores nearby were closed and the weather was not conducive to sightseeing, we ended up going to a mall together. we rode the metro and hopped on a bus. seconds later, there was a fistfight between the driver and a drunk. some young passengers joined the fray, kicking and spitting on the drunk. the driver literally threw the guy out of the bus. now i regret not pulling out my camera and taking a video of the scene! it was such an intense drama!

well, there's nothing much to tell about the mall. it's no different from the malls that you see in the States. we only spent an hour there. sorry, i didn't find any rubber ducks. the search will go on.

return to South America

in case you didn't know, photos from my last South American trip has been uploaded to my Flickr photostream. tomorrow, i will fly to another country in South America. Santiago, Chile, here i come!

R.I.P. Xbox

i never thought it could happen to me. the dreaded red ring of death showed up this evening. i just called up support moments ago. the good thing was the procedure was painless. all i have to do now is wait for their box to arrive so i can ship my console to them. i guess i won't be playing for a month. i blame my apartment building for not turning on the central air conditioning yet.

Golden Avenger

greetings, true believers! i watched Iron-Man over the weekend and it was awesome! the weekend box office figures would attest to that. it was a fun ride from beginning to end. even a casual moviegoer unfamiliar with the Iron-Man comic would enjoy it. i'm sure fanboys would really appreciate the few references to the comic book cleverly integrated into the story. the mention of the "10 rings", "Whiplash", and "SHIELD" are like hidden Easter eggs. especially if you are familiar with the Marvel universe, i guarantee the post-credit scene will blow you away! this is how superhero movies should be made - by someone who actually reads the comics. Jon Favreau , you're the man! Marvel has just raised my expectation and i'm afraid they might not be able to pull it off. let's keep our fingers crossed and hope they deliver in the sequel. excelsior!

my only regret in all of this is i do not have any Marvel stock. i had considered buying some when the value was around $28 per share. but i never did and the price is now $33.10. what can i say? hindsight is 20/20. can i bank on the upcoming The Incredible Hulk film to bring me some green? better check if there are any advance film reviews before buying any shares.

return to sin city

it's been a week since my Rainbow Six Vegas 2 arrived. it took me 4 evenings to complete the story mode in realistic difficulty. somehow i felt its predecessor was harder. i remember searching the internet for walkthroughs in order to accomplish certain levels in the first game. this time, i only relied on the walkthrough for the final level. damn chopper! maybe i just got better at killing tangos after having played the first game at least 10 times.

the graphics of the Rainbow Six Vegas 2 has improved but still way behind the other popular shooter, Call of Duty 4. the AI of the enemies was supposed to be better but i sure encountered several stupid ones. some didn't even react when i shot one beside them. then there were a few annoying bugs i came across. one time, one of my teammates got stuck beside a barrel. no matter what order i barked, he wouldn't budge. eventually i freed him from his suspended state by giving him a nudge. the other bug occurred when i was rappelling down from the penthouse. i gave the order to breach the window. while i got through the window, my teammates just released the ropes and stood outside the window. they could not climb through the window and i realized they're stuck. i think i committed suicide and started from the checkpoint within the room.

despite the flaws i've mentioned, the new features were a welcome addition to the game. i like the ACES (Advanced Combat Enhancement and Specialization) system, where i get rewarded with experience points depending on how i execute my kill. there are three general types of experience points - marksmanship, assault and close quarter combat. early on in the game, i racked up more marksmanship points. this unlocked some sniper rifles which i never used. the SR-25 was good enough for me. i'm a fan of the Heckler & Koch's weapons but i found myself alternating between the M468 and 552 Commando assault rifles since penetration matters in this game. the more powerful the weapon, the better chance of neutralizing the enemy hiding behind a cover. the other thing i like is the shielded tangos (reminds me of the soldiers with riot gear in Black). they were tough to kill. overall, i enjoyed the game and will continue to enjoy it as i play the terrorist hunt mode. i must get the "extreme hunter" achievement or else the terrorists win!

last week's NY Comic Con

this week flew so fast. i could still vividly remember enjoying the comic con last weekend. i'm still gradually uploading pictures to my Flickr set. i've also created a NY Comic Con 2008 Flick group to gather pictures taken by other's geeks. my pal whom i went with to the geek fest, has blog entries for day 1, day 2 and day 3.

it's disappointing to learn that next year's comic con will be moved back to freezing february. what genius made that decision?

reboot

i've been mulling over the resurrection of my blog for public viewing. what i've decided instead is to create a new blog. the blog's got a new name too, matching my Flickr profile. i'll try to keep this site updated as much as possible. but don't expect long entries as i hate spending a lot of time writing stuff. yeah, i'm lazy too. 'nuff said. welcome to my new blog.