new lap top after 4 years

i have just purchased a new lap top after 4 years. I am finally "retiring" my HP which I purchased in Japan in 2006. Welcome my baby lenovo.

spartlys 2007

I never imagined I will be able to visit and see the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea, but in April 2007, I was fortunate to visit (and swim) in the area when I joined a scientific cruise co-sponsored by the Department of Foreign Affairs (Philippines) and the government of Vietnam. Along with fellow scientists from the UP NIGS, UP MSI, BFAR and Silliman University, we spent almost 2 weeks onboard BRP Presbitero (owned by NAMRIA), collecting sediments, water and biological samples and measuring water properties in the North Danger Reef, Jackson Atoll and Seahorse Shoal. The most interesting part of the cruise for me was when I set foot on Parola Island, the Philippine-claimed islet at the North Danger Reef where this shot of me doing cartwheel was taken by April Concepcion, a graduate student at NIGS.

last year's seven lakes tour

With my friend Joe and student RC, I joined a guided tour to the 7 lakes of San Pablo, Laguna. The lakes are actually maars, broad, low-relief volcanic craters that are caused by phreatomagmatic eruptions (i.e., groundwater coming into contact with hot lava or magma)*. The lakes (according to the order of visit we made) are Sampaloc Lake, Bunot Lake, Calibato Lake, Pandin Lake, Yambao Lake, Mohicap Lake and Palakpakin Lake. Each lake has its own charm, with Mohicap (for me), the most picturesque of the seven (pictures courtesy of RC). The most difficult to access were the twin lakes of Pandin and Yambo, which required at least 2 hours of hiking (just ask my student what happened to her).

This year, i am planning to bring my students to the 7 lakes of San Pablo as part of their Geology 1 fieldtrip. We are now in the planning stage and will be able to finalize the itinerary by this week. I hope the students will enjoy these geologic wonders not everyone will be able to see during their lifetime.

*http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maar

UP Diliman Birdwatching

I woke up at 5:30 am last July 31 to birdwatch around UP Diliman with a graduate student who recently got hooked with birdwatching. We were really not expecting to see a lot of birds, although i am hoping (for myself) to see at least 1 lifer. There were the usual long tailed shrikes, yellow vented bulbuls and orioles, but the rails that used to be common near the MSI Building when I started birdwatching in 2003 were nowhere to be seen. Disappointed, we went to the area near the Executive House, where we saw a lot of interesting feathered creatures. First was the coppersmith barbet, a lifer for me and a bird I really want to see up close. Next were the golden-bellied flyeaters, philippine woodpecker, pied thriller and, to our surprise, a plump and bright green guiabero, drying itself atop a lifeless (leafless?) tree, near where there were also a lot of white-collared kingfishers. Four (4) lifers for my companion in just 30 minutes!!!

For beginners, therefore, I would recommend this area (aside from NIGS/CS Complex and Hardin ng Rosas) because the birds are easy to spot and are relatively "large" enough to be identified even with the most simple binoculars.