#43 - Mt. Fuji from Tokyo

We were just taking pictures of the buildings when the restaurant manager pointed out that from one of the windows, you could see Mt. Fuji.

There is a conversation in my Japanese book that goes:

A: Can you see Mt. Fuji from Tokyo?
B: In the old days, you could. But nowadays, it's difficult.

I think it's because the atmosphere's changed, there are too many buildings now, etc. etc. But I guess, if the building is high enough and the sky is clear enough, you still can. :) Anyway, I'm really happy that we got treated to this now-rare occurrence.

This photo was taken around 5:45 pm at a MORI Tower in Tokyo last February 23rd. (And by the way, I didn't use a filter.)

Day 329 - Clock at the Old Bank

Today we went around the Wellington CBD with my aunt. It's her first time in New Zealand so we went to the touristy places, like my favorite, the Old Bank Shopping Arcade. I love the atmosphere in it and this clock opens up every hour to show some dioramas about Wellington's history.

Day 269 - Ayala Center

I went to Makati for a dentist appointment today and walked to Ayala Center before going home. I passed by this sign on Ayala Avenue. It's pretty cute and I guess it helps the foreigners (who we all know are Ayala's target market) find the mall, not that that's difficult, considering it's the biggest mall there is in Makati.

The background is the too crowded with cars Ayala Avenue and one of the oldest (but still posh) hotels in the country, The Manila Peninsula.

Day 254 - Blue Building

I don't even know what building this is. But it looks great from the window of the Power Books store in Greenbelt 3. Lovely shade of blue that is.

Day 216 - Sunday Night Lights

Second day of training for my new job in Makati. On a Sunday. And at 9PM. (IKR?!) Hence, CBD's streets are semi-deserted and you have time to take in the scenery.

I only used my cellphone camera for this one so the lights are just bright spots. Can you tell which spot is the moon?

Day 133 - Legaspi City

The bird flew into the shot at just the right time. It was totally coincidental. :)

This is the view of Legaspi City from Ligñon Hill where my dad and I tried the zipline. :) On the other side is a view of the Mayon Volcano, and I would've posted that, except the clouds were blocking the view again. :( I'm kind of sad that nearly all the times I've been to Bicol, Mt. Mayon has always been covered by clouds. OK, so I was able to see it last night, and there were no clouds then, but it was nighttime, so it still wasn't clear. Oh well, I guess that just means I have to go to Bicol again and again until I see it.

P.S. This is the last of the photos taken with my brother's Nikon D90. It's back to my point and shoot and cellphone cam tomorrow.

Day 101 - Survival 101: Don't believe everything you read.

At an intersection somewhere in Manila

Originally, this is a sign that says "BAWAL TUMAWID MAY NAMATAY NA DITO." (Do not cross. People have died here.) Now, because the first line's been changed by some vandals, it says "It's a joke that people have died here."

I've never heard it proven that people have died in this particular intersection because of jaywalking. And since this sign is placed on practically each major intersection in Manila, it's very likely that this is just a ruse. I guess some people just really don't like being lied to, especially in big bold letters.

Day 59 - Stopover at Sunset

STOPOVER - the term for the general area in The Fort where some well-known establishments are found (e.g. Jollibee, Pizza Hut, Shell Gas Station, Starbucks, South Star Drugstore, etc.) It's a pretty popular lunch destination and general place to hang out for both students and employees in the area.

On my second to the last day in the office, I decided to take advantage of the big windows and take a picture of the view from our 12th floor. I guess I won't be able to see this view live again, except if maybe I find work in the same building. But there's very little chance for that to happen, so yeah, this is so I won't forget what it looked like. Gah. I hate being sentimental.

Anyway, I took this at around 5:30PM so it's technically sunset, though I guess it's not obvious here since the sun is setting on the other side. Still, I guess it's pretty neat to see the colorful lights on while there's still a bit of light from the sun.

Day 54 - North Bound

We scored some free tickets to see the movie The Last Airbender. The catch? The cinema is at SM North, a place that's literally about 50 kilometers away from where I live. I had half a mind not to go because of the distance, but who says "No" to a free movie? :P Besides, my friend and almost-neighbor L was going, too. So I was sure that I wouldn't have to be alone on the long commute.

I took this picture while we were on the MRT, the fastest way to get to the north of Manila for south people like us. L is the one holding the hand rail and making a funny face. >:P

And, I just want to say that because the malls there (SM North and Trinoma) are so crowded (like really really crowded), nearly the entire time that we were walking to the cinemas, we talked about how much better it is to live in the south. ;) Hahaha! Call us the most biased of all southern people. >:)

Day 50 - After Hours

My officemates and I went to watch Inception today. But because we went after office hours, we could only catch the last full show, which ended at around 11:45PM. The mall was closed and the only way to get to the bus "station"* was to walk along Ayala Ave.

It's not everyday that you get to walk around the city at such a late hour so I took a picture of what it looked like. The building behind the bus here is The Peninsula Manila, a 5-star hotel that's pretty much a landmark of Ayala Ave., Makati.

* "station" is in quotation marks since it's not actually a station, but just one of the common stops of the bus.

Day 31 - Global City Skyline

Took this picture while stopped at a traffic light on the way home from work. Sunset + Few buildings = Amazing city view.

P.S. This is the first day that the no. of the day is no longer the same as the day of the month. :( Hello, difficulty.