Rough Groove

Mayon’s mini eruption

I thought that our trip to this southern region will be all for naught as typhoon Henry was hovering above the country bringing with it cloudy weather and rains. However, having spent for the fare and coming here in Legazpi, we decided to spend the weekend here instead and hope that Mayon will show its fiery display at night or early dawn.

Saturday night and cloud cover was still apparent, hiding the lava flows of Mt. Mayon. Disappointed, we retired for the night and set our alarm clocks for 0415H, hoping that by that time, a peek would be given. However, when our mobile phone’s alarm went off, I was just disappointed as it was already raining.

Sunday, and we spent it at Pacific Mall, the city’s main destination as malling is concerned, visited the magnificent church of Daraga as well as the obligatory Cagsawa ruins. After that, we went to Santo Domingo to scout for a place along the way for a good vantage point of the mountain, still in hopes that we will be able to get a glimpse of the lava flows. After taking a photo of the beautiful church of Sto. Domingo, we went back to Legazpi and at the jeepney, I asked for directions on where to get a good view of the mountain’s lava flow and I was given directions

At Bigaa, Legazpi City, our patience was well rewarded as the heavy cloud cover of Mt. Mayon finally parted and the magnificent view of the mountain’s lava flow came into view! Wow! I was just amazed and in awe at this glorious, beautiful view. The incandescent glow of the crater at the top while trickling red hot lava flowed at its slopes. Not for long, it started to drizzle and cloud again covered the mountain but I was just happy and fulfilled as I already got my photos!

Late Saturday afternoon, while en route to Legazpi City, in Ligao City, the view of Mt. Mayon just awes with smoke billowing from its crater.

Sunday after lunch, the view of Mt. Mayon with its cloud cover at Daraga, Albay, church grounds. The red circle above is detailed in the photo below.

Detail of the lava flow down the slopes of Mt. Mayon and nearing the boundary of the 6 KM danger zone in Mabinit, Legazpi City.

Volcano watching

Just arrived here in Legazpi City, Albay for a supposed Mayon volcano watch. Heard through the news that lava is already trickling down the mountain and is said to erupt within a month’s time. Unfortunately, weather’s not that good:

At 2:00 p.m. today, the Active Low Pressure Area (ALPA) was estimated at 410 kms east of Samar (12.5°N 129.5°E).

Forecast

Southern Luzon and Visayas will experience cloudy skies with scattered rainshowers and thunderstorms becoming widespread rains over Bicol region and Eastern Visayas. The rest of the country will have partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rainshowers and thunderstorms.

Darn! However, Arvin, my office mate who’s also here just called and told me that they can see the lava flow at the Daraga church vantage point! That’s encouraging though

Early tomorrow morning, either it will be a trip to the Kapuntukan Hill, Daraga church grounds or between Legazpi and Sto. Domingo.

Superman, Pirates and the Lady

Superman Returns - Bryan Singer, 2006

We were supposed to watch this in the new Mall of Asia’s Imax theatre but the outdated ticketing system as well as the unavailability of slots for the movie made us settle to just watch it in Glorietta. Well, this update to the Superman movie offering comes spectacularly done, as far as the visual effects were handled but other than that, it’s the usual Superman plot that I’ve last seen more than a few years ago.

Pirates of the Caribbean - The Curse of the Black Pearl - Gore Verbinski, 2006

Another adventure film that will make Pirates fans happy but for me, its just too long and dwells too much on details and substories. Nevermind if its action filled which is expected but the visual effects are really good. However, I was just kind of expecting more from this movie but seemed to fell short in delivering it.

Lady in the Water - M. Night Shyamalan, 2006

From the great storyteller, M. Night Shyamalan, here comes another winner. Ever since I saw the Sixth Sense, I’ve always made it a point to watch his film and really, I’m not disappointed. I was surprised though, that in this movie, he played a more visible role unlike in his previous works where he opted for a cameo appearance dishing out a few lines.

Its done.

I just did it. A simple call to my manager (he’s in CDO) and its done. I’ll just formalize this one, talk with my HR manager tomorrow and in a few weeks, this chapter will come to a close and a new one will start. A new beginning.

A dark afternoon

The skies over is just dark as hard and driving rain as well as strong winds continued to pour down and howl. Glenda (the typhoon) might already be far away but its effect, inducing the monsoon, still continued while, as I was told, down south, its just sunny. Classes have been suspended at all levels already as some low lying areas of the metropolis and surrounding provinces already are flooded.

Me? Still here in the office ready to press the button that will usher in a new phase of my life. A few hours from now, that button would finally be pressed to start the wheels of change. Quite risky. Really risky but now is the time to take a chance. To take the plunge to the unknown. To the new horizon of which I am comfortable to say that I will, at the end of the day, weather and conquer it.

I’m now ready to face a new life. I’m ready to pursue and fulfill my dreams and get my groove back.

Finally!