One Day Travel To Kidapawan

My road trip for this month is going to a city where people will give you fruits for free. Nyahhh...that was what they've told me when I hop in to the red pick up truck. I know that there are no longer free items that would be given to you these days. I thought, well it is a province, why not. Road trip to Kidapawan City.


We left Davao City around 5pm and we got to Kidapawan City around 7pm. The reason why I join these guys (Mitch, Loyd, Jean and Novo) is because I would want to go to Dax's place and would like to get some peppercorns.


The green peppercorns are supposed to be up in the peppercorn vines but Dax has to show it to us. The black ones are the real pepper that we should use when we are cooking. Here is a tip: BEWARE some peppercorns sold at the market are not true peppercorns.


I was not happy seeing the green peppercorns, I would like to see the vines, and the ripe peppercorns that are harvested then dried and then used for cooking food.


We get to eat dinner at Dax's house too. Lucky for us, we were able to eat Durian for free.

Here are more pictures of Kidapawan City at night. Very nice city lights.

Waters of Waniban Island, Mati Davao Oriental

Looking at the endless water of the pacific. Chattee as the model.

Picture Said

Look at the sun hiding. Picture taken at Samal Island.

Mr. Bob Martin, you took great pictures and I like the way you presented it yesterday.

After the 1st Mindanao Bloggers Summit

It was the first blogger summit and I was there. That's history for me. First time blogger, started this year, and I was lucky to be part of the summit.

Learned about Abe who is not good in writing English and he has been into blogging for 7 years. Also learned that Jayvee is in B5 Media and they are looking for bloggers who would want to earn extra. Marc giving tips on how to earn in dollars. Bob Martin is loving Davao. Councilor Peter Laviña's different blogs.

The very thing about blogging that I have learned just recently, after listening to Donald Lim and then Kim, Jayvee, Bob, and the rest of the speakers, is that you got to write with passion. That you were able to write what is in your heart and mind and express that in a way that it will get connection to readers. Primarily, you were the one who get to experience first hand, and write that so that readers will experience the same way and maybe have the same reactions.

I guess, these people earn in blogging because they only not love what they are doing but because they know what to write. So, blogging is writing what you know not just you've heard about it. They've done their own research before they actually blog about it.

I guess that's about it. I still got to learn a lot though.

An Officer Refuses to Help Someone

After attending the 1st Mindanao Bloggers Summit, I saw a Police Officer refusing to help a lady who just needs someone to help her bring the materials she got from the 4th floor to the ground. All she was asking was a few strong arms to carry a wooden box.

Alright, the lady was me. The company I am working with is part of the Mindanao ICT Congress. I was tasked to bring back to the office all the materials that we've brought to the congress. I've asked help from fellow officemates but no one came for the rescue because there were clients in the office that is, well it is business so clients are more important.

I came up to the table where policemen were drinking coffee and reading local newspapers. I've asked, "Can someone help me bring some stuff downstairs?". The first answer was, "Yes mam."

When I was waiting, they came up to me and said, "Mam, pangit kasi tingnan na naka-uniform kami and magbitbit ng gamit ng isang private...public ho kami para lang po sa public...."

I thought .... "WTF! WHAT!"

All I am asking was a help to carry down some things using an elevator then to the taxi. I didn't ask for you to carry it like on your shoulders and use the stairs.

I know they are for the public and I ain't asking in behalf of the company I am working with but for my side who is alone and a lady who has to carry 2 tarpaulins, a standee, a wooden box about knee high, and a big bottle like flower vase.

I am so upset of the reason they gave me that they can't help me because it is ugly to look at someone who is in uniform helping a lady working in a private company.

If you are gentleman enough to help someone who definitely needs help, would you just help her because you got to or you can't because you would look stupid or ugly in some other people's eye?

I respect the fact that they are in uniform and I don't want them to look "di kanais-nais" in front of other people, all I needed was a help to carry my things.

For the rest of the gentlemen or the so-called gentlemen, when you see a lady who needs a little muscle from you guys please don't hesitate to help.

Wanna Know How Good is Your Blog?

I am a Google Analytics fan. When I first tried blogging, I used Analytics to see who's reading my blogs. In Google Analytics you would see Bounce Rate. A Bounce occurs when a website visitor leaves a page or a site without visiting any other pages before a certain session timeout elapses. The lower the bounce rate means that blog has more quality. That's according to my own research and the way I've noticed it in my blog.

In a nutshell bounce rate measures the percentage of people who come to your website and leave "instantly".

It is usually measured in two ways:

• The percentage of website visitors who see just one page on your site.
  
• The percentage of website visitors who stay on the site for a small amount of time (usually five seconds or less).

If you want to know just who are visiting your site/s, you can add the widget of Hit2Map or if you really wanna know if you are good at blogging, sign up with Google Analytics.

I personally want to know what spectators would want to read and which post is getting better bounce.

Happy blogging!

Facebook on Blackberry US Phones...Hmm... Want Like That For My Nokia Phone in the Philippines

Dustin Moskovitz, co-founder of Facebook, announces that RIM launched Facebook for Blackberry smart phones.

Can I have something like that too for my Nokia phone here in the Philippines?

I know Mark Zuckerberg or even Dustin Moskovitz will not read my blog but anyway I do hope it will reach them. That would be so great for Facebook users here in the Philippines. I can fight with vampires 24/7 and feed my pet and poke some of my friends or throw MardiGra. I can update my profile using my phone.

I know it is too soon to ask but guys you've got to, most of the Filipino users are yuppies and they are internet savvy people.

What do you think? Should Facebook deal with Globe or Smart?

Sign up for Facebook H-E-R-E.

Google-Microsoft War Over Facebook: And The Winner is?

A drop of jaw when I first read the article from Infoworld;

Update: Facebook chooses Microsoft over Google

Microsoft will purchase a $240 million minority stake in Facebook as well as become its exclusive third-party ad platform

$240 million for Mark Zuckerberg! From a hacker, to a drop out, to a CEO. So that's why Mark said; "We are both happy."

In the article:

The size of the ownership stake Microsoft will take during Facebook's next round of financing puts Facebook's valuation at a whopping $15 billion. Google had reportedly been courting Facebook as well.

In addition to the ownership piece, Microsoft will also extend its existing agreement to provide banner ads to Facebook in the U.S. With this deal, Microsoft will become Facebook's exclusive third-party ad platform as well as provide Facebook ads internationally.

Facebook was founded in 2004, it currently has about 49 million active users today. Over half of its active members are daily users. Some 59 percent of its users are outside the territory of United States.

Read more of the article H-E-R-E.

Light Bulb Head: Online Ideas

Do you ever had that time when you were too inspired to do something in the future and you keep on thinking about it and you noticed it is 3 am and your eyes are tired but your mind wants to keep on moving?

Last night wasn't terrible at all but I just can't control my mind anymore! My head is like a bulb all light up.

A shout out to Donald Lim of Yehey! Philippines. Dude! You were the only speaker I know that would share to your listeners what you are currently doing at your company.