Month: December 2006

The Christmas in Doha

Celebrating Christmas with fellow Filipinos in Doha. Well, after all, the spirit was present with some “exchange gifts”, foods, friends, pusoy, videoke, and of course, some beers and cheers!

Yeah, there is San Miguel Beer in Doha:

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We Ain’t Ask For Too Much

All we are up to is a DSL internet connection to pass the time away. But Qtel refused to install the telephone connection (in the first place) simply because of this sign outside the house/villa.

Gulf India Trading

It’s the Gulf India Trading Co. WLL!

Happy Holidays!

Just wanna say a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to each and everyone who is able to read this! Please extend my greetings also to those who are not able to read this and to those who can’t read.

Doha Office

For the Doha Filipino people, this is going to be a bit different Christmas.

Merry Christmas

Though, we hope to enjoy celebrate it with some bottles of beer!

Offtopic: Please welcome our new contributor in the house, Cliff! Share the memories of the Asian Games!

Some Business News

Here are some interesting finds in digg as regards business and finance news, from the legality of SOX (Sarbanes-Oxley Act) to the girls of Hooters.

Is SOX unconstitutional?

Sarbanes-Oxley is totally unconstitutional says prosecutor Kenneth Starr. Starr, who led the charge on Whitewater and Monica Lewinsky, is now heading up the constitutional challenge to the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board which will be heard by the courts this week. (Read more)

Despite Controversy, Hooters Prospers

Having a brand image focused on staffers wearing less has meant more for the privately held company, which started in 1983. It’s blossomed into a chain that brings in $900 million in yearly sales and is expected to cross the $1 billion mark for the first time next year. (Read more)

Doha 2006 Closing Ceremony

Pictures taken during the closing ceremonies of the 2006 Doha Asian Games:

The busy road going to Khalifa Sports City:

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The view of the Khalifa Stadium at night:

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The beautiful Khalifa Tower:

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The long line of gate signs along the hallways of the Khalifa Stadium:

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Lea Salonga, a pride for all Filipinos, was one of the performers:

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The Qatari Flags waving throughout the ceremony:

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The lamp, but not Aladdin’s:

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This picture reminds me of Battle Realms we used to play:

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Sindbad, the explorer:

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The show:

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And of course, the company:

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By the way, China won over Qatar in the Men’s Basketball Finals.

Doha 2006 Basketball

In the Finals, it’s Team Qatar versus the powerhouse China, in the Men’s Basketball in the Doha 2006 Asian Games.

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We were able to witness the games during the preliminary rounds between China and Japan, and Qatar and South Korea. These are the pictures I’ve taken.

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A funny thing happened during the match between China and Japan last Friday (December 8, 2006). Japan was rallying in the first few minutes after the start of the second half–and cut China’s lead to only 6 from as high as 16 points (I think!) in the first half. The crowd, mostly Filipinos, were excited, and chanting—“GINEBRA! GINEBRA! GINEBRA!”

You can just feel the frustration of Filipinos here that there were no representatives for the Philippine Team in the Men’s Basketball.

China won that game. Wang Zhizhi was the highest pointer with 30 points.

On the other hand, in the game between Qatar and Korea, the latter won in overtime. It was the first overtime in the 2006 Asian Games.

On Photography

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My fancy for photography actually started when I acquired my first ever digital camera, the Sony Cybershot DSC-S60 ((I didn’t have a camera phone yet then)). I was browsing through all the features of my camera because I wanted to maximize its use.

Learning the basics of photography and the limitations of this point-and-shoot camera, I realized that should I have a more sophisticated camera, I can at least duplicate those spectacular photos in photography books, magazines, brochures, newspapers, internet, etc., by professionals. I can even have my own personal collection (Now, what do you think of that? LOL).

My interest even grew deeper when I learned photoshop. I was wondering– if I only have my own salient photos to work on using photoshop.

Well, there goes the story…

The Camera

Canon EOS 30D

The Lens

Canon EFS 17-85mm f/4-5.6 IS USM

On Photoblog

Maybe, in the future. Who knows… Just keep visiting, and subscribe….

The Photographer

Here’s a joke I found somewhere:

A photographer for a national magazine was assigned to take pictures of a great forest fire. He was advised that a small plane would be waiting to fly him over the fire.

The photographer arrived at the airstrip just an hour before sundown. Sure enough, a small Cessna airplane was waiting.

He jumped in with his equipment and shouted, “Let’s go!” The tense man sitting in the pilot’s seat swung the plane into the wind and soon they were in the air, though flying erratically.

“Fly over the north side of the fire,” said the photographer, “And make several low-level passes.”

“Why?” asked the nervous pilot.

“Because I’m going to take pictures!” yelled the photographer. “I’m a photographer, and photographers take pictures!”

The pilot replied, “You mean you’re not the flight instructor?”

One Dies in Asian Games 2006

Who would have thought that a friendly game like the Asian Games can bring casualty? Here’s the news…

Equestrian athlete Kim Hyung Chil of Korea has died after falling from his horse during the individual cross country competition this morning, Thursday 7 December.

Read the news.

Update: Nevermind, you’d better grab the latest newspaper than reading that link in the official website of the Doha 2006 Asian Games. It’s just returning a 404!

What I Should be Missing

It’s already 2nd of December, and the spirit of Christmas is nil from this place. It surely is cold here. The spirit of the Doha Asian Games 2006 is here, but not the December holiday seasons.

candleBack home, it must be very busy by now for Christmas shopping. At the Ayala Center. stores must have already extended business hours to accomodate the growing number of shoppers. Christmas decorations must already be all over the place, from commercial buildings, to offices, to houses, to the streets selling lanterns, lights, and Christmas trees.

And of course, the food. Do I need to elaborate that we have no ham here?

wreathThe Simbang Gabi, I’m not sure whether I can attend one here in Doha. But I missed dragging myself up in the wee hours of the cold morning just to attend those early morning masses, singing along the jubilant songs, and the early hot bibingka.

I am thinking about employing a Christmas theme on my homepage just to feel the spirit of the coming holidays. What about adding a countdown at the side bar? What do you think?