Black Out Protest for RA 10175

North Korea restores order to Kim funeral with Photoshop

The funeral procession for Kim Jong-Il was carried out with military precision and when a handful of dawdlers messed up those regimented lines, they were eliminated. From the photo, that is.

A photo released by the North Korea's state news agency and transmitted by the Germany-based European Pressphoto Agency is slightly different from a photo taken at nearly the identical moment and released by Japanese agency Kyodo News.

The Japanese picture captured a half-dozen men near a camera on a tripod lingering behind the line of mourners on the left side of the boulevard as the motorcade passed by.

In the photo by the North Korean Central News Agency, those men, their camera and their footprints have been digitally removed, restoring absolute order to the crowds lining the boulevard as the cortege passed by.
The alterations were discovered by the New York Times with the help of digital forensics expert Hany Farid of Dartmouth College.

The European Pressphoto Agency, which distributed the doctored North Korea photo, issued a "mandatory kill" for its clients, meaning they were not to use the picture.

The agency granted an exception to ABC News "for the sole purpose of being able to show and explain what had been altered before the picture was provided to international news agencies by KCNA [North Korean Central News Agency]. We consider this as part of a transparent and responsible clarification process."

A European Pressphoto Agency spokeswoman told ABC News, "Any kind of digital manipulation violates EPA's code of ethics."

Source: Yahoo news

Pinoy Artist won Red Bull Art of Can Competition in Kuwait

Everlito Villacruz and his winning entry
(Photo courtesy of 360 Mall Official FB page)

Reblogged from Pinoy Online Chronicles:


Everlito Villacruz, a Filipino OFW based in Kuwait, won the top prize in the Red Bull Art of Can competition and exhibit which opened on December 3 and will run until December 17 at the 360 MALL Exhibition Hall, Kuwait.

Villacruz’s winning work, entitled “Scorpion,” bested 120 other art pieces submitted to the competition, which includef a variety of creations from sculptures to paintings as well as photography and unique handmade mock ups. Of the total entries, 63 made it to the exhibit.
All in all, the competitors used around 20,000 cans of Red Bull energy drink and Red Bull sugar free drink to create their innovative work.

Six judges from Kuwait selected the winners based on three criteria: creative concept, execution, and construction.

The art of creating masterpieces out of Red Bull cans started in 1999. Exhibitions have been held all around the globe from Europe to New Zealand. In countries like Austria, Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, South Africa, Singapore and the USA, artists have been inspired to create artworks made from aluminum.

Villacruz, an OFW for the last five years, works as Project Design Coordinator at Warba Group in Kuwait. He also writes for the Philippine Online Chronicles’ Buhay Pinoy Channel.

**Credits to the author**

Been There..Ate That (A look back to the month that was July)

In stark contrast with this Holy Month of Ramadan or my diet-with-exercise attempts of the previous months, last month was the most stomach-filling, weight-gaining, calorie-adding month for me and well, for some of my colleagues..and my wife perhaps.

Picture this---lunch and/or dinner feast at least every other day each week for the whole month of July...at the office..at home..everywhere.

From the more popular American fastfood chains like KFC, Popeye's, Hardees, McDo and Domino's Pizza, and the more traditional Arabic food such as lamb Ouzi, kebabs,shish tawook and fatayer to Indian food like Chicken biryani, vegetable samosa and Chicken tikka, to Filipino staple food like Kare-kare, tapsilog, Halo-halo, Pansit Guisado and lomi to the more expensive but real good Chinese food in P.F. Chang's, or the Steak, Fajitas and buffalo wings at Chili's or even some Gourmet food in IKEA...

Been there..ate that!

Not to mention the sweets and desserts..like the oh-so-good ice cream cake from Coldstone, doughnuts and cakes and yes, the latest craze in town, frozen yougurts...but from IKEA (that's why we called it IKEAberry)..believe me, the same FROYO goodness but at a lesser price :)

Been there..ate that!

and I am surprised (or disappointed) to know that I only gained just a little more than 1 kg. from all of these..lols..

Now the new challenge due to the fasting month Ramadan begins.

Azkals lost the game and still won the hearts of Pinoys in Kuwait

Kuwait vs. Philippines, Qadsiya Stadium, July 23, 2011 (Photo by the Author)

Filipino Pride is alive in Kuwait as the much anticipated World Cup qualifying match between Kuwait and the Philippine Azkals was played yesterday (23 July) at the Qadsiya Stadium in Hawally, Kuwait. At least 70% of the capacity crowd were Filipinos--solid fans, plain supporters and curious spectators alike--who were off from work, have probably asked for a leave or simply skipped their duties for the day. They braved the 46-47 degree late afternoon heat, the traffic in the area and the queue and near stampede at the gates just to be in there at least 2 hours before the game.

The seating for the area was arranged so that Filipinos occupy one half of the stadium and Kuwaitis on the other half. But there are still a lot of people waiting outside the gates! Minutes before the game, more people-mostly Pinoys- were allowed in to the Kuwait side until all seats were taken. As it seems, it’s a home game for Filipinos as we filled the stadium..I know we have a large population working in Kuwait but in my years of stay here, I have never seen that huge number of Pinoys all in one place..it was an amazing sight!

The Azkals singing the National Anthem  during the Opening Ceremonies (Photo by the Author)

Inside the stadium, the energy was so high, the anticipation growing as the time draws near..fans were ecstatic even before the players enter the field..mostly wearing their Azkals shirts, some with waving flags, banners and even face paintings to show their support..the feeling reached fever-pitch when one by one, the players hit the grass and started their warm ups..the chants, cheers and screams were so loud I can’t even hear myself!

The same level of energy was sustained at game time until a Kuwaiti striker head home the first goal at the 17th minute of the match and even until the end of first half with Kuwait maintaining its 1-0 lead....we continued to cheer keeping the upbeat mood though everybody's already drenched in sweat..By the second half, everyone can sense the Azkals are already showing signs of exhaustion, due mainly to the sweltering summer heat while the Kuwaiti team is gearing up to deliver the finish. A small scramble at the post resulted to a Kuwait goal at the 67th minute but the crowd almost failed to notice..it even took some time before it appeared in the huge scoreboard..by then, Pinoy fans started feeling restless...It was not so long after when Kuwait delivered its final blow, a solid goal from the middle that left everyone stunned..With so little time left, that should be it for this match..Some fans already sensing defeat, started flocking to the exits but still a good number stayed behind, us included..

The Final Score. Kuwait 3, Azkals 0. (Photo by the Author)

When the game ends, right after the congratulatory handshakes for the winning Kuwaiti team, the Azkals ran next to the stands and acknowledged their countless supporters...it was a gracious exit for the team as they waved and thanked the Kuwait-based Pinoys who came in droves and cheered for them till the end.

Azkals acknowledging the crowd after the match.  (Photo by the Author)

Outside the stadium, while walking towards our parking spot, we passed by some Kuwaiti teenagers playfully taunting us for the score but we proudly showed them our "Go Azkals" placards and continued walking..Another group of Kuwaitis were walking next to us and one of them offered me a packet of Sunflower seeds. I politely said "No, thanks" and instead gestured towards my daughter..He then handed it over to her..I tap the back of the teen and said "Thanks" and "Nice game"..he just smiled back..I think it’s what the game was all about, just a friendly match between two friendly nations..

Though defeated, I know every Pinoy left the stadium happy and proud..The Azkals may have lost the game but they've earned thousands more of supporters and the respect of the Kuwaiti audiences..I can only wish them Good Luck for their second match against Kuwait to be played in the Philippines on July 28...

Go Azkals!

Welcome to the Car Wash

I went to have my car washed at the Oula branch along 4th Ring Road in Salmiya..The service, being automatic, was quick and precise..but that's not what I am writing this blog for....

After the automatic car wash (video posted above), I parked my car outside to have the body wiped dry and the interior vacuum cleaned..one of the cleaners found my wife's silver anklet (which has been missing for some time now) underneath the seats and quickly returned it to me..the truth is, the anklet was not really expensive, but the gesture was commendable, right? ...not to mention the fact that they really did a good job on my car..at a very reasonable price :)

Definitely, I will have my next car wash at the same branch again soon.

Video: Mirage in China

The video below shows a beautiful city skyline and mountains as seen in Huangshan City in China at about 5 pm last week, nothing spectacular about that...except that they are not real...

As this eyewitness video claims, the scene is actually a Fata Morgana type of  a "superior mirage"..Mind-boggling as it may sound, it is a naturally occurring optical phenomenon in which the air below the line of sight is colder than that of above, causing sunlight to refract and create reflections of images in the sky..Although mirages seem to be of common occurrence in China, this one is the most impressive because of its details and duration.

Talks about it being a hoax or claims that this is in fact a Project Blue Beam or Hologram experiment are also circulating over the internet..Now whether the video is real or the claims are to be believed is all up to us..but for now, let's just all be amazed by this scene.

What do you think?

Google Kuwait Commemorates Total Lunar Eclipse

Tonight (June 15), a total lunar eclipse is happening as a write this blog.. Sadly, I don't have a telephoto/zoom lens to capture the event..I did took some shots but they were not good enough :(...What makes this eclipse special is the fact that it will lasts for more than 3 and a half hours, from 9:23 pm to about 1:02 am local time..

I took my two daughters outdoors to watch the eclipse during its earlier stages (shortly after 9 pm) but it became too windy and dusty so we had to go back inside..It's unfortunate (yet again) that our flat is located at the other side of the building, where the moon is not visible even from our windows..so no use.

I decided to just go online and here's what I saw first on my monitor..Google Kuwait made this doodle of a lunar eclipse in its various stages..how cool is that!

At least I have something to post about the eclipse..

The Dawning of a New Era in NBA Basketball

Only 7 teams had taken turns in winning the NBA championship in the last 20 years (1990-2010), led by Michael Jordan's Chicago Bulls with 6 titles in 6 Finals appearances from 1991-1993 and 1996-1998.

They are followed by the LA Lakers with 5 titles out of 8 trips (the most Finals appearance by any team in the last 20 years). They won their three-peat with Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O'Neal and Phil Jackson in 2000,2001 and 2002 and just recently in 2009 and 2010, but without Shaq in the mix.

The San Antonio Spurs and Tim Duncan are next with 4 titles in 4 attempts (1999, 2003, 2005 and 2007).

Hakeem Olajuwon's Houston Rockets won back-to-back titles in 1994 and 1995. But they never flourished as a dynasty like one would expect them to be.

In between the dominance of the above teams, three other teams won the title once.

Underrated Detroit Pistons, composed mostly of role players and  underachievers, won the title in 2004 against an All- Star Lakers team with Shaq, Kobe, Karl Malone and Gary Payton. After the title, the Pistons continued to be a tough playoff matchup to anyone but never reached the Finals again.

Shaq joined the Miami Heat and helped Dwyane Wade win their first ever trip to the Finals in 2006 against another Finals first timer Dallas Mavericks. Since the title, the Heat failed to maintain the momentum, slowed down by various roster shakeups and injuries to their key players.

The Boston Celtics formed a new Big Three in Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett and won their newest match-up with their old rival, the Lakers in 2008. They continued to figure as the team to beat in the East, reaching the Conference Finals against eventual winner Orlando Magic in 2009 and losing their Finals rematch with the Lakers last season.

From the seven champions of the last 20 years, the Rockets and Pistons faded in recent years, suffering an almost similar fate- once powerhouse teams now almost dissolved into oblivion.

Of the remaining five, only the Bulls and the Heat are still in the running in the current NBA playoffs.

In the West, No. 1 seed Spurs lost its first round matchup with no. 8 Memphis Grizzlies while Phil Jackson, Bryant and the Lakers' attempt of another three-peat ended with a loud thud when they were swept by Dirk Nowitski and the Dallas Mavericks in their semi-final series.

With the exit of the Spurs and Lakers, the West paved the way for the emergence of a new breed of heroes in Oklahoma City's Kevin Durant and Memphis' Zach Randolph. Already, their series has the making of a playoff classic, with one game decided in an epic triple overtime. And last night, the Grizzlies beat the Thunders to  force a win-or-go home Game 7 this Sunday. The Mavs are eagerly waiting for the outcome of that series as they also want to claim their right to be considered one of the league's elite.

The East is even more interesting. Over the course of last year's offseason, the most sought after free-agent class of LeBron James, Wade and Chris Bosh joined forces in Miami to form a super-team with a common goal in mind- to get some measure of revenge from the Celtics, win the East and ultimately, win a championship or two, especially for James. They've already accomplished their first goal as they emphatically closed out the Celtics, 4 games to 1, in their second round series. Now, fans and haters alike will wait and see if there will be another championship parade in South Beach in June.

Meanwhile, even with the alignment of stars in Miami, the league saw the resurrection of surprise no. 1 overall, the Chicago Bulls. Led by the youngest league MVP Derrick Rose, the Bulls won their match-up with the stubborn Atlanta Hawks to book their first trip to the Eastern Conference Finals since their glory days with Jordan.

With the departure of legendary teams, we may now be looking into the dawning of a new era in the NBA, where old champions lose and fade away while new and younger teams rise into the spotlight. Gone are the Spurs, the Lakers and the Celtics, the teams that virtually have owned the stage for quite some time..Maybe gone for now, but surely they will be back- maybe younger.

maybe even stronger..

Aside from those teams, we may also be bidding farewell to individuals who have shaped the NBA playoffs picture.

Names like Shaquille O'Neal who's not even in uniform in what maybe the last game of his career.

Phil Jackson,who might have called his last game,sadly in the worst possible way, with the Lakers.

Kobe, Garnett, Duncan, Pierce- they are all in the waning years of their careers. But the call of winning at least one more championship before they hang their jerseys is just too loud to ignore. I give them two, maybe three more seasons and they will be gone too.

Yet, the torch must've been passed already to the new generations. Much like how Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird passed it over to Jordan and company.

Yes, there may still be some familiar faces and names around but slowly, the future is taking shape...the future is now and it becomes as exciting as ever.

(Original article by Cy P. Mercado, with external references as linked)

Kuwait blogger won Benihana lawsuit

Late January of this year, the blogging universe was stirred when blogger Mark of 248am was sued by Benihana over his negative reviews of the restaurant. Today, he gladly announced that he just won the lawsuit.

Like that day when the lawsuit was announced, the news of the court decision was widely welcomed by everyone. It just simply shows that freedom of speech is alive and is being respected in this country.

Here's to freedom of speech and expression not only in Kuwait, but everywhere.

Highway Man..FAIL!

I drove down South again today to check out the relocation area for our project site offices. While driving, I was toying with some photo ideas I want to do after my visit. I already had the photo in my mind- me as a highway trekker or something like that..its only a matter of execution and of course, location.

And so, on my way back to Kuwait City, I looked around for good location until I spotted this long stretch of road and decided to stop. I took my camera and tripod and prepared to make the shot. I was already doing some test shots, like 5 or 6 including the photo above, when a huge pick-up truck stopped by and parked in front of my car. A burly middle-aged man alighted from the vehicle and walked towards me. I quickly realized my mistake..I was shooting next to a pipeline!..I was aware of it but somehow I neglected it..stupid me.

At first I thought he is a police officer because of his khaki uniforms..Then he introduced himself, in good English, as the security officer for the area...He asked me in a polite manner what I was doing there and I explained to him I just came from our site and thought it was nice to have some souvenir pictures of myself in that area...He asked if I was not aware it is prohibited to approach or even take photographs there..He also asked if he can see the pictures I took so I let him.. He saw two photos of me sitting on the guard rails with the pipelines behind me and told me to delete them..I apologized and deleted the two photos with him looking while telling me not to do the same mistake again..of course I said yes..When everything was clear, we shook hands and drove our separate ways..

I could only shake my head and laugh for doing such stupidity...FAIL!

Sarayat Season is here again

Here in Kuwait, the month of April is usually the onset of unstable weather conditions known as "sarayat". It is characterized by sudden changes in the weather day by day--from sunny to rainy, dusty to thunderstorms, and even with hailstorms at times. That massive sandstorm that hit Kuwait two weeks ago may have served as a prelude..and today must be the official start of the season..

The day started normal though there were already traces of dusts in the atmosphere as early as Saturday. Gradually, the day became darker and by around 10 am, thick dusts have already covered the skies. We're already expecting that construction work on our site will be suspended because of the conditions. We (me and my colleagues) were having lunch at The Avenues when they informed us that work at the project offices as well is being called off for the rest of the day. It marks the first time, at least since I joined, that office work has been cancelled because of the weather.

Here are some photos I took on my way home:

Workers at The Avenues Phase III construction site wait for their buses as work has been cancelled because of the sandstorm

Workers walk to their assembly area as work has been cancelled for the day

Workers wearing dust masks wait for their ride home. Work has been cancelled for the day because of the sandstorm.

Zoe steals Ate Cianna's show

Today, April 1, our family went to Cianna's school for their Annual Family Fun Day- a day of fun-filled activities for the whole family. The students from all levels were divided into four (4)color-coded teams as the Red Scorpions, Pink Panthers, Green Dragons and the Yellow Tigers, complete with their own gimmicks and team cheer. Activities include a cheering competition, a team dancing competition, best muse and escort and of course, parlor games for parents and children.

Cianna was assigned to the Pink Panthers team so she came to the school wearing a Pink shirt and White shorts. To avoid any jealousy on her little sister's part, Mommy and I decided to make Zoe wear the same colors too. And she really made herself involved with the her sister's team, as she sat and mingle with them all the time.

Cianna's class performed an intermission number but to our surprise and delight, our youngest, Zoe escaped from her Mommy's arms and decided to join her sister. She just ignored Mommy's call for her to come back to her seat as she stubbornly remained on the floor.

Here's the video of their number. Warning: the best part is towards the end...lol!



There she was causing a small distraction by trying to get hold of a girl's hoola-hoop, then making her own cute poses and dancing...completely out-staging and stealing the show from her sister and the whole class!

All in all, it was a fun day..my girls really enjoyed it..And so did I.

Massive Sandstorm hits Kuwait....March 25, 2011

I was at a children's party with my 2 daughters at past 5 pm today when we noticed the skies suddenly turned dark...a huge, huge sand storm is slowly enveloping Kuwait!...

Just like last year, at about the same period..only it was early morning then...and just like last year, I am also not in a good location to videotape the event....unlucky me!..

Here are some videos I gathered from the lucky ones...(Credits to all the owners/original uploaders of the videos featured below)







But I am still lucky to be able to get out of there with my 2 girls, pick up my wife from work, drive through the storm and get home safe..thank God!

22. Meet someone famous

Last January, on my 39th birthday, I wrote a list of the 40 things I want to do or accomplish before I turn 40. This is number 22 from that list.


Last weekend, the Light Benders Photography Group (LB/PG) organized a 2-day photo shoot featuring the avant-garde creations of the one and only Rocky Gathercole, a world-class Filipino designer based in Dubai.

Fresh from his successful stint in the recently concluded Miami Fashion Week 2011, Rocky stopped by Kuwait for the weekend event. (You can find photos of Rocky's creations including his interview for the Metro Velvet  here.)

We- photographers, make-up artists and models alike- were overwhelmed and inspired not only by the presence of Rocky but also by his amazing designs and concepts..Suffice to say it's a tall order to give justice to his genius through our photographs.

Some of the photos from the event:







(More photos will be posted soon)

At the end, it was such a rewarding experience to be able to have this kind of opportunity- to have meet someone as famous and yet so humble and down-to-earth as Rocky.. We can't thank him enough for his time off his busy schedule and I look forward again for the next big event with him..hopefully soon!

Super Moon...March 19, 2011

In astrology, a supermoon is a full or new moon that coincides with a close approach by the Moon to the Earth. The Moon's distance varies each month between approximately 354,000 km (220,000 mi) and 410,000 km (254,000 mi) due to its elliptical orbit around Earth.^[1][2]


Source: Wikipedia

Huge fire in Al Rai Area, Kuwait

There was a huge fire in Al Rai (an industrial area near Kuwait City) around noontime today, not quite sure where is it exactly. Some says it was at a sponge factory but that is yet to be confirmed. .