Cloudy with a chance of caramel...

Kung ang ulan ay purong tsokolate, o kay sarap ng ulan.
Ako'y lalabas at ako'y nganganga....ahhh ahh ahh ha ha.
O kay sarap ng ulan...

So goes one of the most popular song I know from my childhood. It goes something like this when translated:

If rain is pure chocolate, oh how yummy rain would be.
I would go out and open my mouth....ahh ahh ahh ha ha.
Oh how yummy rain would be.

 Truly a child's fantasy but I wouldn't mind if the rain turns to caramel, I'd have my sundae ready then. ;-)

Happy Skywatching!

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Moss in Autumn

"Change is a measure of time and, in the autumn, time seems speeded up. What was is not and never again will be; what is is change."

Wasserpark (water park) in Autumn taken from a moving train. See the Wasserpark in summer here.

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Kids...naturally

Kids are naturally playful. That's why when I see mine sitting down as if in a serious manner I aim the camera and shoot. Seldom do I have photos of them like this. Ss you see in the second photo while aiming for the man on his bike, the two of them unknowingly came into the frame prancing like clowns. :)

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A beautiful night

(W for Wien, facade of the Vienna State Opera at Night)

The Vienna State Opera was the first major building on the Wiener Ringstraße commissioned by the controversial Viennese "city expansion fund". Work commenced on the building in 1861 and was completed in 1869, following plans drawn up by architects August Sicard von Sicardsburg and Eduard van der Nüll, who lived together in the 6. Bezirk. It was built in the Neo-Renaissance style. This was the first opera built in Vienna.

The Vienna State Opera is closely linked to the Vienna Philharmonic, which is an incorporated society of its own, but whose members are recruited from the orchestra of the Vienna State Opera.

The Wiener Staatsoper is one of the busiest opera houses in the world producing 50 to 60 operas per year in approximately 200 performances. It is quite common to find a different opera being produced each day of a week. As such, the Staatsoper employs over 1000 people. As of 2008, the annual operating budget of the Staatsoper was 100 million Euros with slightly more than 50% coming in the form of a state subsidy.

You'd see employees dressed as Mozart or Strauß selling tickets near the area.

The opera company operates a repertoire system: more than 50 productions are staged every year, and there is a performance nearly every day for ten months of the year.
The opera's current musical director is Seiji Ozawa.

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Battle of the Titans

One evening, the sky was displaying such intensity. My playful thinking says Zeus is throwing lightning bolts down the Titans.

See this lightshow in action:



Photos and video c/o hubby...Happy Skywatching!

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Makapal (Thick)

(19 Sept 2010)

Pagtingin pa lang sa litrato ay kita ninyo na ang tinutukoy ko na "makapal." :)

(Merely looking at the photo you know already what I pertain to as being "thick."

Kuha ang mga ito sa isang Fun and action stuntshow/freestyle motocross na ginanap malapit sa amin. At dahil late na kaming dumating ay ito na lang ang inabutan namin. lol. Kung ito ang sasakyan mo siguradong walang magkakamaling bumangga sa'yo! Agree?

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Aninite 2010

AniNite has been the biggest and coolest Anime-Manga convention in Vienna since its inception.The convention this year was held from Aug 27 to 29 at the School Ödenburgerstraße, very near where we live. Last year it was in October so hubby and I were surprised that they did it in August this year...

He was out that day and saw them youngsters wearing known Anime characters from Bleach and Naruto. Being fans ourselves, we went spontaneously to take photos and videos. 

The 3 day convention went with cosplay contests, AMV's, japanese food, concerts, games, fanfare, paraphernalia and collectors item....we even got ourselves loot from Japan.

Featured above is my favorite group....from Final Fantasy, Zack,Sephiroth, Cloud and then Dante...They have the coolest looks! Below are our loot, from hubby to little boy's choice of Klumpert. More photos here.

(Mario mushroom candies, hello kitty egg, Asoka Pinky St. character, nunchuk and old nintendo game controller candy holders)






A video that hubby stitched together...

Japan and Omega 3

I consider salmon as my favorite fish. A week won't go by without us having it on our table. As a matter of fact, I often feature a salmon dish on my foodblog. This is one of the reasons why I would love to visit Japan aside from the lovely Sakura falling in autumn, wonderful scenery and the temples too. I could list down a hundred more reasons why but salmon would always be at the top of my list. :)

There's also a good reason why I love salmon and that is the very rich Omega-3 content. I've been reading a lot about this unsaturated fatty acid at Omega-3.org, on how it is beneficial to one's health. As summary, Omega 3 improves cardiovascular health, Omega 3 can prevent allergies, Omega 3 fights depression, Omega 3 lowers cholesterol, Omega 3 can boost the immune system and a lot more. In short, it is important in one's well-being. It is not only in salmon but also in sardines, mackerel, herring, tuna and bluefish...also regular dishes on our table. Though at times, we may not be ablt to consume the required amount of Omega 3 so it advisable to take a supplement. Visit the Omega-3.org website to learn more.

(Salmon hung and dried somewhere in Tokyo. Photo courtesy of http://chourou-sumimasen.blogspot.com/2009/11/salmon-day.html.) No wonder that a 2007 study conducted in Japan revealed that men with unhealthy blood sugar levels and cardiovascular issues benefited from taking doses of Omega 3 as part of their diet compared to those who did not.

Time flies real quick

Hi fellow skywatchers!

Time, goes really fast and it has been so many days ago that I last posted. September is supposedly still summer but the weather here has really been going crazy. Cold winds in the morning with gray skies but sunny blue at noon. The clock's hands show the time I should leave home to pick up the kids from school...yes, time has gone by so fast, my daughter is now in 3rd grade and my older son in the 2nd...

As a race, we humans have also gone far concerning time...figuratively, literally. Them early folks use to tell time by looking at the sky, then the shadows...now the clock...I wonder what will it be later on...ah let's wait, for tomorrow is just around the corner...

Happy Skywatching!

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Travel Europe

(Viennese train line)

When in Europe do what the Europeans love to do most...travel. Unfortunately, travelling in this continent costs much more than it would in Asia.

One savvy way to travel around is through Euro trains.

Euro trains' self-guided rail tour package across Europe that gives the passengers historic and European architecture information by travelling to different cities. Travelers get to visit key regions and view the classic scenery each country boasts. Passengers can get off at certain destinations to explore more of the region giving their experience of Europe a more detailed touch. As the high speed Trains take you on the scenic route, you learn more about the ecology, culture and history of Europe in the process.

You can grab a really cheap package deal to get to popular destinations like Amsterdam, Netherlands, Brussels, Disneyland Paris for the kids or a romantic weekend in Paris for you and your special one! Get your Euro tickets from the Euro Trains website that offer different kinds of travel packages that suit your needs. You can find the best deal for families, business or students. Information on train schedules & timetables are also provided.

(A Eurostar train, UK)