Blog template changes...

Today, I made some minor changes on this Blog's template. I wanted the Blog entry area to be a bit bigger. I sacrificed the default template's rounded corner for the header, footer, and content area - but have retained this in the Profile and Links section. I'm planning to make more changes one of these days - probably do something about the header or so.

For documentation purposes, here's a Before and After screenshots I took to show the changes I've made:

Before

After

Hanging out with friends from Saipan

Last June 21-29, friends from Saipan came to Philippines. They were: Jon, Frank, and his sister Ernesta. In the duration that they were here, I was able to hang out with them only three times. But those were really good times, and I enjoyed hanging out with them immensely. :)

The first time we hang out was last June 22, and we met at Glorietta/Greenbelt. We had some snack at this place called Cafe Havana located in Greenbelt 3 (if I am not mistaken), and the food there were really superb. I wasn't able to list the food we ordered (or rather, Frank ordered) but they were all really good. After that, we basically went around Greenbelt doing some shopping (actually - just them). It was good for me to see Glorietta/Greenbelt again after two years or so. :) This also gave us time to catch up on each other.


The second time I was able hang out with them was at Gateway, Cubao. Frank and Jon had been in Philippines for a few times now (this is Ernesta's first time), and has been familiar with the many shopping malls we have here. And so, finding out that they haven't been to Gateway, Cubao - I suggested we meet here, since I hadn't been able to explore the mall myself yet.

They loved the mall - and wished that it had been a little bigger than it is. I myself liked the way the mall was designed - and also the fact that it's not that big that you'd get tired walking around or so. But I do agree with them: if only it were a bit bigger. But - all is fine as it is. Inside Gateway, we found this nice place - I just forgot to jot down the name of the place! :( But it's located on the 3rd floor, if I am not mistaken, and it's wonderfully setup - with one wall made of glass overlooking outside the mall. I like the ambiance of the place, and we enjoyed yet another time just talking.

After that, we decided to try riding the LRT-2 (purple line) ... since I haven't been able to try this myself too! :blush: Anyways, the trip went really well - we avoided the rush hour, and we used the connecting bridge to take LRT-1 and reach Pedro Gil. From there, we went to Robinson's Place and had dinner at TGIF. As you can see on the photo, we all had a very filling and tasty meal. :)


The third time I hang out with them, we started early. We were supposed to walk around inside Intramuros, but since the taxi driver dropped us just in front of Manila Cathedral, and near the entrance to Fort Santiago - we decided to go there instead and take a look. It has also been a long time since I've last been here, and so it was really nice to see the changes IA (Intramuros Administration) has made on the place. The ground/park is well-maintained, and you can really see that a lot of effort has been made to preserve the historical value of the place.

Inside Fort Santiago is the Rizal Shrine, as well as an exhibit on Rizaliana Furniture. Some time in the future, I will devote one whole day exploring Fort Santiago alone, and probably be able to talk more about it here in my Blog. Overall, the trip to Fort Santiago is really worthwhile.

The gang and I then proceeded to have brunch at Max's Restaurant inside Intramuros. Having replenished our energy, we then took a stroll on top of the Intramuros wall and have passed 3 Universities along the way. Among them are: Letran, Lyceum, and Mapua. We then exited Intramuros and headed to SM Manila where we attempted to find a good place to just hang out and have another snack (one has too after that walk - although it's not really that far). But alas, SM Manila is packed (no surprise here considering the many schools and Universities found within it's vicinity) - and so we again decided to head to Robinson's Place. :D

Another noteworthy event in my day with the gang from Saipan is our going to Baywalk. We got there just in time for the sunset. And it was really a very, very nice experience especially for me who has been away from the country for a while (and hence, hasn't been at Baywalk - along with the new developments that were made). This is also the first time (for a very long time) for me to see Manila sunset in its glory. :) Here I share with you some snap shots I was able to take before my camera's battery died out on me.

Sharing the sunset with Jon, Frank, and Ernesta has somewhat reminded me that that will be the last time I'll be able to hang out with them in this particular trip. For, at that time - they were bound to fly back to Saipan the next day.


Anyway, I really enjoyed hanging out with them - and I would surely love to have them back in the future. For now, I am glad that I have these photos to remind me of those "adventures" we had, the company, and the experience.