Animal Trivia from the Ark of Avilon

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Date with Myself: Ark of Avilon

I find myself alone again on the third Saturday of January 2010. I did not really want to waste such a beautiful day by staying home stuck to the computer. I had heard about the Ark of Avilon Zoo in Pasig a year or so ago but have never gone there to visit. So I inquired on how to get there and off I went.

I have decided that these weekend trips of mine should have a few ground rules. I want to maximize the adventure so I decided that my solo trips should be done by fully commuting. This means that I can take the train, jeep, bus or tricycle (if I have to) but I cannot use a taxi cab. This is so that I can fully feel that I am exploring my country at its most basic.

So for my trip to the Ark of Avilon, I took the MRT from Taft Station and got off at Ortigas Station. I then walked all the way to Robinson's Place Galleria and from there rode a jeepney going to tiendesitas. For a complete list of routes going to Tiendesitas, this website is very useful:

http://www.ph-commute.com/2008/02/how-to-commute-to-tiendesitas-pasig.html

Ironic thing is I did not see this website before I got to the Ark and so resulted in me walking so much from the corner of C5 all the way to Tiendesitas then to the Ark of Avilon.

The Ark of Avilon looks like how Noah's Ark might have looked like. The theme of the zoo is also along similar lines in that the animals in display are in pairs. There were a lot of random trivia about animals scattered around the place.

One of the highlights of my visit was meeting Colin the Orangutan. He is the first orangutan I have met and I must say that he is the most charming, sweetest Orangutan. I sat down for a picture with him. He posed, actually smiling while the handler took the picture. Then he grabbed a hold of both my hands, laid down on the bench where we sat, and started playing. He is like a little kid, loving it when I tickled him in his underarm pits, his sides and tummy. He kept putting my hands on his lips and kissing my hand. It was one of the sweetest encounters I have ever had with an animal. It is so uncanny how human-like he was.

The second floor is where the snake, lizard and bird displays are. It is also where the petting zoo is. The petting zoo has hamsters and rabbits, sheep, and deers that you can feed for a minimal fee.

Below are some of the things that I found really nice at the place:

the frontage

the roof looks just like how i guess an ark would look like

 

 

 

Colin

like we were old buddies...

a very happy fish

kids feeding the hamsters and bunnies

Overall, a very nice outing for myself if I say so myself. If you are planning on going the way I took, be prepared to WALK. I am not really good at telling distances by feet or meters, but my feet and legs can definitely tell you that they walked a long long way.    ^_^

A Date with Myself: National Museum of the Filipino People

I had been sitting idle at home for the past couple of days and decided that enough was enough. I was going to get off my butt and go do something today. I have always liked going to museums and decided that this was the day that I am going to go to the National Museum. I called to verify that the place is indeed open and accepting visitors, got directions and off I went.

The front desk receptionist informed me that cameras were not allowed so I was a bit disappointed. Anyway, there are five floors in the National Museum of the Filipino People. I did not get to explore the first floor much as one of the galleries was closed to visitors but the glass walls enabled me to look through. Various baskets, wood works and the like were in the gallery.

The second floor were mainly relics from a sunken galleon ship called the San Diego and some flora exhibited as Linnean (for Carolus Linneus).

The third floor was my favorite. It depicted the various indigenous and historic artifacts from the real native Filipinos. Some interesting facts that tickled my fancy:

• Masuso Pots - these are earthen wares that had breasts as designs. The varieties include the 4 breasted pots and the 7 - breasted pots. Due to looting, these pots' cultural or ritual uses are not known. 
  
• Tabong woman - the oldest human remains found in the Philippine Islands is that of the Tabong Woman dating back to 22,000BC
• Surat Mangyan - this is the writing system of the Mangyan people used to document the Ambahan, poetry of the Hanuoo- Mangyan people.
• Kris - a lot of the Filipino soldiers preferred to use the kris sword in battle.
• The 45 caliber gun was designed specifically so that the American soldiers can kill the Filipino soldier. Apparently, even if the Filipino had already been shot, they would still be able to take down a couple of American soldiers. The American soldiers needed a weapon that can stop the Filipino soldier point blank, thus the 45. 
• The Filipino Snipers were called the tiradores dela muerte.
• Most Filipino soldiers preferred to go barefoot as they were not used to wearing shoes.
• Guardia Negra - General Antonio Luna's elite guards consisting of 25 soldiers.
  

There was a gallery showcasing how the olden Filipinos from different parts of the archipelago buried their dead. I actually had to go to this gallery twice as the first time I went, I got scared because I was the only one in that gallery. And the gallery had dimmed lights, lots of shadows, and all of these burial paraphernalia around. After seeing the other galleries in that floor, I kind of had to suck it in and go back to the Dead Gallery and see the items there. It was really creepy I tell you.

The other floors consisted of a tribute to one of the greatest Filipina couturiers, Salvacion Lim Higgins, more commonly known as Slim, a gallery of artwork and the place were The War and Dissent Lecture Series was shown.

The War and Dissent Lecture talked about the war uniforms, ranks and weaponry used by the KKK and Emilio Aguinaldo's soldiers who fought against the Americans in the Fil-AM wars in 1897 to 1902. The presenters were all dressed in the various uniforms in that era.

 

some of the presenters in their costume

They left us with this message: God made us Filipinos not by chance but by purpose, so lets do our duty to make our nation great and let our heroes feel that they did not die in vain.

Going through the museum invoked feelings of pride for being Filipino. I feel that it is a shame that this heritage that the Filipino people has is being forgotten as we become more westernized. I loved going around and seeing the diversity of our language, culture and history. Knowing that we have a very rich cultural background reminded me that being a Filipino is something to be proud of.

I am patting myself on the back for overcoming my idleness today and going to the Museum and even taking a walk in Luneta.

the Lapu Lapu statue

What have you been busy with lately?

I asked a classmate of mine what he has been busy with lately. I heard the best answer so far. "I have been busy enjoying life." =)

1st Bums' General Assembly

Last night, January 6, my friends and I met up for dinner. This is the first time we went out after graduating from MBA. It was a night for catching up and how do you do's. Apart from the general how did you spend the holidays and what have you been doing, we talked about who has a job or hasn't got one as many of the cases are. The one thing that we had in common was that none of us, except for Joanna, had a job. So basically, the topics of conversation revolved around what have we been doing. The list goes as follows:

Joana - Big boss

Clarence - EU Ambassador

Patrick - Health care researcher

Carmie - Health care researcher

EJ - TV analyst

Paolo - paparazzi / boyfriend role model

Alvin - Lyricist (Karaoke songs only)

Drich - carpenter supervisor - currently looking for carpenters.

Joh - mall manager

Maam - food connoisseur

Karen - advertisement specialist

KT - Lizard breeder - now open for franchising

Khairy - father / bus driver

Jez - son

Pat - single

Kitt - sweet lover

This night reinforced to me just how laid back and happy go lucky and fun loving we are. We can laugh at ourselves even when the situation may seem very grave or at the very least sad. This is not to say that we are neglectful, careless or irresponsible, because each of us are looking for jobs.

I had so much fun last night laughing and making jokes. I hope that when each of us finally gets a job with our MBA degrees, we can still meet up regularly and just unwind and laugh ourselves silly. I hope that we don't get too busy or lazy or blase with the coveted jobs to have time outs like last night. I hope that when we become the executives we so want to be, we still can be the friends who went through the rites while in AIM.

I noticed that when we become busy, we forget to touch base with people we care about and love. So I hope this get together becomes a regular thing where even though all of us are busy, we will still make time for it.

I love the happy faces. Let's keep it even when. =)

the bums...

 

laughing our butts off...

Joanna..the only one with a job so far, so she is the only one entitled to her dessert...

Positive Projections

I want to start my new year with a positive outlook.

Today, I ironed almost all of my office clothes in the anticipation of having a job. I even have new shoes to match some of my clothes.

Irony: no job offer yet.

Moral of the Story: think positive and be ready. Even though I do not have a job yet, I know and hope that it is just around the corner and when I do get an offer, at least I won't have to iron anymore.

^_^

Meandering Path to Important Tasks

How come when we need to accomplish something important, we find a gazillion other things to do first just so we don't do the important ones just yet?

Like if I needed to apply for jobs, I find myself washing the dishes and ironing just so I won't have to go online and look for job postings...

A Happy New Year

another year has come and with it a world full of possibilities

it will be a pleasure unraveling each possibility, here's to praying for wisdom, strength, courage, compassion, humor and love this coming year

i hope that i greet each morning with thanks in my heart and optimism that the day can only get better.

the sermon the pastor delivered during the New Year's eve service said "a bad day does not last forever" and this is certainly true. we can overcome each bad day, each bad mood, and each black thought with a conscious effort and decision on our parts

this year, i hope i show unhesitatingly my love and care to my family, loved ones, friends, but most importantly to the people who need it the most

this year, i will try my hardest to think before i act and to have my deeds be a testimony to my faith

this year, i want to be a blessing to others and in some way enrich or touch their lives for the better

this year is gonna be a good good year.

thank you God for another year.