My 3 Year Hiatus

Exactly today three years ago, I posted my last blogpost. Can't imagine how time zooms by but upon my quick reflection, a lot of stuffs changed except this blog that has became obsolete and anemic.

I was really ashamed of having this unsuccessful endeavor of mine that I was even thinking of pulling this site in all of its entirety. But lo and behold - my conscience was telling me otherwise. Questions sprung up like what about all those hours spent putting all of those contents? Not to mention sleepless hours tweaking those pages just to appear exactly what I wanted it to.

Even though this blog didn't turned out as I wanted it to be but in my perspective, especially looking back towards some of those post - it gave me a little bit sense of an accomplishment.

What better thing to do than to continue and try another shot of attempting to make it a success!?

Where to Stay in Moalboal, Cebu? At Barefoot White Beach Resort

Where to Stay in Moalboal, Cebu? At Barefoot White Beach Resort

The town of Moalboal is located at the South-western part of Cebu. It is 89 kilometers from Cebu City and about 2.5 hours by bus or around 1 hour and 45 minutes through a private vehicle.

The place is famous among foreign and local tourists alike since it has some notable dive sites like the Pescador Island and a beautiful 2 kilometer stretch of white beach located at Brgy. Saavedra, the famous Basdaku Beach.

You can't find anywhere along the southern part of Cebu (or make it anywhere else in the island of Cebu) who have this nice strip of long white beach, a fine sand, accessible to the public, plenty of accommodation to choose from. And not to mention that it can accommodate a large number of beach-goers in one setting because the beach is long and wide.

A day isn't enough to enjoy the fun, sun, and sand so I would recommend an overnight stay. So where to stay in Moalboal, Cebu? Especially near the Basdaku Beach?

Well, there are a lot of resorts and plenty of accommodation type that you can choose from. From a very pricey and high-end resort like the Club Serena at Php6,000.00 a night or you can stay at a really cheap one (spartan type- for backpackers) for as low as Php1,500.00 a night- good for four pax already (perfect for barkada night-outs).

But if you're looking for a nice descent place where it's more private, budget-friendly but with complete basic amenities- then Barefoot White Beach Resort is perfect for you. Their published rate is at Php2,500.00 (at Super Deluxe) but during off-peak seasons- you can have their room for as low Php2,000.00 or if you are good at sales-talk (like me), I had it at a discounted rate of Php1,800.00 for an overnight stay.

Barefoot White Beach Resort: The Accommodation

Barefoot White Beach - Super Deluxe Accommodation

Barefoot White Beach - Super Deluxe Accommodation

Barefoot White Beach - Super Deluxe Accommodation

Barefoot White Beach - The Villa Accommodation

Barefoot White Beach Resort: A peek inside their Super Deluxe Room Accommodation

Their Super Deluxe Room is spacious with Filipiniana theme. Equipped with a standard TV with GSat Pinoy DTH service. It has a personal ref, a mini-kettle, and a coffee table for two. Their bed is cozy and their aircon unit works out fine.

Barefoot White Beach - Inside their Super Deluxe Room Accommodation

Barefoot White Beach - Inside their Super Deluxe Room Accommodation

Barefoot White Beach- Super Deluxe Room Accommodation: The Bathroom

Their bathroom although a bit small and functional but the water pressure is really frustrating. That is if you're not used to this common type of problem in cheap hotels/resorts. But considering that the water supply is really a challenge even at town proper plus the fact that the resort is very far from the water source. I think this is understandable or bearable if I might say.

Barefoot White Beach - Inside their Super Deluxe Room Accommodation: The Bathroom

Barefoot White Beach - Beachfront Cabana

Barefoot White Beach- this is it! The Beach!

The beach forms part of the two kilometer fine white sand stretch of Basdaku Beach. One downside truth is, their accommodation isn't located at the front of the beach but instead you have to take a little around  50 steps to get you there- from your accommodation room to the beachfront. One exception is their single Honeymoon Suite which is located just in front of the cabana.

The beachfront is located among the strip of high-end resorts in the area which is at the far-end of the stretch thus offering you the privacy or the exclusivity away from those prying eyes or the paparazzi type.

If you wanna explore the rest of Basdaku Beach (also best doing it on barefoot- as the name of the resort implies) and the excitement that is present in the area, you only have to walk a little less than 500 meters to the left. There you can see a lot of people enjoying different activities, swimming, snorkeling, preparing their dive, playing beach volleyball. Some souvenir shops, sari-sari stores, and videoke machines can also be found. You can dine there (a carenderia type is also available if you're on a budget) since the resort doesn't have any in-house cafe or kitchen. Some hawkers frequent the area selling you their wares and yes- some local delicacies and some of their fresh sea foods catch! They're fresh from the source and really cheap vs the city's market value. Just beware of buying the foods (those already prepared or cooked already) for you might catch diarrhea if your tummy isn't immune to these sort of stuffs.
 

Barefoot White Beach: The Beachfront

Barefoot White Beach: The Beachfront

Barefoot White Beach: The Beachfront

Barefoot White Beach: The Beachfront

Now to sum it all up, take these things into consideration:

Positive:

• Rates (Not too High - Mid-Range)
• Accommodation (spacious with cozy bed)
• Staff are friendly and accommodating
• Accepts major credit card
• Secluded white beach with fine sands

Negative:

• Location of the beach from the accommodation - around 50 Steps leading to the beachfront
• Eating/Dining is a challenge - the resort don't have an in-house restaurant nor a cafe
• Far from the main road - you have to walk a few distance like 100meters at least from the resort to its parking area
• Road is too narrow (in some area) and unpaved (difficult to walk at night)

The Path that will Lead You to the Beachfront

The Path that Leads You Back to Your Accommodation

The Resort's Parking (Around 200Meters Must Walk Distance to the Accommodation)

The Road to the Resort

The Path (Too Narrow) that Leads to the Resort

The Path that Leads to the Resort

My Verdict:

Over-all, Barefoot White Beach Resort is still a must-try if you want value for money, privacy, and the famous Basdaku Beach. Go check 'em out!

Here are the details of the Resort:

Address:
Barefoot White Beach Resort
Brgy. Saavedra, Moalboal, Cebu

Map:

How to Get to Barefoot White Beach Resort from Moalboal Town Proper

Getting there:

By Taxi Barefoot White Beach Resort is located in Moalboal, Cebu. To get there, take a taxi from Cebu City, the taxi ride takes about 2 hours and cost approximately Php3,000.00 (75 USD). They can also arrange airport pickup for you, just ask for your reservation. Driving If you are driving from Cebu City, take a right turn as you get into Moalboal town proper, following a big sign towards Saavedra and Club Serena. Follow the road for about six kilometers and soon after you pass the checkpoint to get into the White Beach area, take a right and follow the signs to Barefoot White Beach Resort. After taking a left after a couple of hundred meters you will find the entrance to Barefoot White Beach Resort next to Club Serena and Delgado’s Beach House. There is guarded parking available about 100m away from the resort entrance, so please drive all the way up and let us know that you have arrived so we can help with the luggage before you go to the parking area. It can be a little bit hard to find them, but it has some perks. You’ll love being away from the noise and the traffic. By Tricycle A tricycle from Moaboal town should cost no more than around Php200.00 (You can also make hangyo or tawad and make a pa-cute smile to the driver so you maybe given discounts). Caution: Beware that the drivers may try to charge you more, or bring you to a different resort to get a commission. This is quite a common practice here among the locals.

Website:www.barefoot.ph 

Email:
reservation@barefoot.ph


Contact Numbers:
0063 928 493 9798 (Globe)
0063 922 848 7497 (Sun)

Enjoy your adventure! ;D

World's Greatest Dad Starring Robin Williams: myWeekend Movie Review

World's Greatest Dad Starring Robin Williams: myWeekEnd Movie Review

This is a RePost from my FB Notes dated November 7, 2010. I think this is the right place where it belongs.

The World's Greatest Dad is a 2009 black comedy film starring Robin Williams (Jumanji), Daryl Sabara (Spy Kids), and Alexie Gilmore (The Devil Wears Prada). It was written & directed by Bobcat Goldthwait.

Image courtesy of www.vh1.com

Overall- I rate the film 4 Stars out of 5. It was well-written, unique, and having a good performance expected from one of myPersonal Fave comedic actor- Robin Williams. It does gave me a few laughs, a few scenarios- of which I can truly relate in my real life back during my teen years. And a few unexpected twists, and a nice I-feel-good ending.

But I think the most notable thing that I saw from this movie is the act called Erotic asphyxiation. It is the intentional restriction of oxygen to the brain for a maximum sexual arousal. It is a kind of sexual disorder because it has the potential for death or may cause serious injury if not properly administered. A sort of BDSM, I suppose but only on its extreme sense.

According to author George Shuman, the effect as such "When the brain is deprived of oxygen, it induces a lucid, semi-hallucinogenic state called hypoxia. Combined with orgasm, the rush is said to be no less powerful than cocaine, and highly addictive". Please refer to this Wikipedia link for more info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autoerotic_asphyxiation

Heck, I never knew that a weird practice exists until I finished watching this movie.

Watch its official trailer here from YouTube

P.S. By the way I also learned here the acronym TILF or in other words- Teacher I Liked to F*ck.

Founders at Work: Stories of Startup's Early Days by Jessica Livingston

Founders at Work: Stories of Startup's Early Days by Jessica Livingston

The book is published by Apress in 2007 with a total of around 456 pages.

The book's contents are arranged in 32 chapters each dedicated to a particular founder with his corresponding company or companies' and some of the stories behind it.

Contents

Chapter 1:  Max Levchin - Paypal
Chapter 2:  Sabeer Bhatia - Hotmail
Chapter 3:  Steve Wozniak - Apple Computer
Chapter 4:  Joe Kraus - Excite
Chapter 5:  Dan Bricklin - Software Arts
Chapter 6:  Mitchell Kapor - Lotus Development
Chapter 7:  Ray Ozzie - Iris Associates, Groove Networks
Chapter 8:  Evan Williams - Pyra Labs (Blogger.com)
Chapter 9:  Tim Brady - Yahoo!
Chapter 10: Mike Lazaridis - Research in Motion
Chapter 11: Arthur Van Hoff - Marimba
Chapter 12: Paul Buchheit - Gmail
Chapter 13: Steve Perlman - WebTV
Chapter 14: Mike Ramsay - Tivo
Chapter 15: Paul Grahamam - Viaweb
Chapter 16: Joshua Schachter - del.i.cio.us
Chapter 17: Mark Fletcher - ONElist, Bloglines
Chapter 18: Craig Newmark - craigslist
Chapter 19: Caterina Fake - Flickr
Chapter 20: Brewster Kahle - WAIS, Internet Archive, Alexa Internet
Chapter 21: Charles Geschke - Adobe Systems
Chapter 22: Ann Winblad - Open Systems, Hummer Winblad
Chapter 23: David Heinemeier Hansson - 37signals
Chapter 24: Philip Greenspun - ArsDigita
Chapter 25: Joel Spolsky - Fog Creek Software
Chapter 26: Stephen Kaufer - TripAdvisor
Chapter 27: James Hong - HOT or NOT
Chapter 28: James Currier - Tickle
Chapter 29: Blake Ross - Firefox
Chapter 30: Mena Trott - Six Apart
Chapter 31: Bob Davis - Lycos
Chapter 32: Ron Gruner - Alliant Computer Systems, Shareholder.com

I was interested with the book since it talked about some bits and pieces on the early history of the Internet- the Information Age as what others might call it. About the successful companies (at
their time and some do still even up to this day) that dealth with both the software and the hardware. These companies have their visions that in one way or another shaped or influenced the industry of today.

But what's more important, are the people behind them - their motivation, their ideas, their success, their struggles and on how they overcome the different obstacles that came their way.

It was the experiences of these people, their story, on how they achieved their success and what we can learn from.


About the Author

Jessica Livingston is a founding partner of Y Combinator, a seed-stage venture firm based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and Mountain View, California. She was previously vice president of marketing at investment bank Adams Harkness. In addition to her work with startups at Y Combinator, she organizes Startup School (www.StartupSchool.org). She has a bachelor's degree in English from Bucknell University in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania.

In early 2007, Livingston released Founders at Work: Stories of Startups' Early Days (published by Apress), a collection of interviews with famous startup founders, including Steve Wozniak, Mitch Kapor, Ray Ozzie, and Max Levchin.

In 2008, she married fellow Y Combinator co-founder Paul Graham.


Additional information:

Buy the book at Amazon or read some of its book review there.
Guy Kiyosaki's blog about the book.
The book's website.
The book's Facebook Page.

Credits:

amazon.com
foundersatwork.com
bookstogreatness.com  
wikipedia.org

Top 6 Reasons Why I Blog

Top 6 Reasons Why I Blog

Image courtesy of pursuitoffunctionalhome.com

It has been one of my interest in the past to set-up and maintain a blog of my own. Although, I have tried it in the past but it has never been a success due partly after conducting my own research at that time- that everyone else is into blogging.

Facebook was just starting to gain ground here in the Philippines and Friendster was king. Social networking at that time then was just that - being social and having a network. The content isn't that lively and the only way of accessing it is through your desktop. Mobile internet at that time is somewhat too futuristic. As for my blog, around 90% of my time was spent on learning its intricacies, at tweaking its code to look good rather than putting much effort at building its content. Until finally my interest waned and my blog went into oblivion.

Five years later, I rediscovered it and was amazed that it was still alive lying idly in cyberspace. I entertained the thought of resurrecting it having my recollections on why I did it in the first place. Past forward to present, so many things in my life have changed. Unfortunately, quite a number of them already buried without any chance of recovering it (since my memory is a poor resource and all my hard-drives including its back-up has either been damaged, lost or corrupted). But for those things I posted across the web- I can still retrieve it. I can still access it through my Flicker and Photobucket accounts. And I think this is one small thing we fail to consider or probably just took for granted, precious memories we failed to store.

Luckily now, there is Facebook and Twitter and Instagram and a lot of other social networking platforms out there and you don't have to worry about the hassle of setting up a blog. Those sites existed primarily having the same reasons why blogging platforms like Blogger and WordPress and MovableType came into being. 

But for those of you who wanted to know why I wanted a blog of my own?

Here's my Top 6 Reasons why I Blog.     

• Fun - Instead of wasting my time wandering around the web or playing addictive games like Candy Crush Saga or DOTA, I'd probably want to waste my time tinkering on how to set-up a blog and improve it's page ranking, master SEO and be an expert on keywords. Also try to figure out how to harness the power of social media and in return, probably earns me a new career as a Digital Marketing Manager in the future. 

• To Help people - I want to share a cent of my wisdom, my knowledge, and my experiences to anybody who probably upon reading my blog will see value on it. Maybe apply it in their own personal lives and just maybe- make a little bit of contribution to humankind.

• Build my network - Haha! This is easy, as simple as clicking the button on the Add Friend at Facebook, LinkedIn or Instagram. But I want more than that, I want to show people that I also contribute. Even a blog or two can tell how wide and vast my skills and interests are. In other words, I'm building my network not based solely on quantity but on the quality side as well.

• As my online Journal - An online repository of my thoughts, interests, ramblings, and some mundane stuffs probably. May also serve as a venue to hone my new skills acquisition strategies at self and career development, for some of my personal milestones, at my attempt at studies on life's mysteries and hidden powers.

• Passive Online Money-Making Machine - Yes, that's right! Through Google Adsense! The more I blog, the more I become creative. The more I become creative, the more people visit and read my blog. The more people visit and read my blog, the higher the page impressions of my blog becomes and the higher possible click-thrus I can expect. This means, more clicks is equal to more bucks (with my evil grin)! Not to mention, the improvement of my command on the English language, the expansion of my vocabulary, the pursuit of grammatical competence therefore making myself invaluable as a result.


• To give justice to my university degree - Having finished Bachelor of Science in Computer Science in one of the major Universities here in Cebu and I'm not sure whether this would still made any sense. I just felt that doing this blog made me use the computer of which it still involves a little bit of science. Lol!