how now brownpau
I got this Schlumbergera truncata — popularly known as a “Christmas Cactus” — from a Filipina neighbor who moved out of the building and left the plant with me and Amy. Last week we noticed a little red bud on the tip of a low-hanging leaf, which has now bloomed into a decent flower:
There was a mall bombing in Metro Manila on Friday afternoon. Eight deaths, lots of injuries. Initial reports that it was a propane tank explosion have been updated — a deliberate TNT or C4 explosive device is now the likely culprit. Update: Now eleven deaths, dubious claims of responsibility via text message, and “accident, no, C-4, no, accident, no, C-4, no, accident…”
The blast was in Glorietta, a major Ayala shopping mall in the Makati Business District, near EDSA. I used to go to that mall all the time (since shopping malls are what pass for recreational public space in Makati) and I often passed through it on my way home to work. I still go there whenever I visit Manila on holiday. Probably not the next visit, though.
More on this from others in the Philippines, links added as I find them:
<cynical mode=”sarcastic”>
How could this have happened? They have two security guards for men and women at every entrance thoroughly passing a wand over every bag!!!
</cynical>
Orange Line train at Rosslyn, 7pm. Doors have just opened, no one is getting off, platform is just as crowded.
(OrngCrwd.jpg uploaded by brownpau.)
You may notice from my photostream that I like to get shots of random signage every now and then. Here’s a few from last weekend:
Note the tiger.
This bottle of moisturizer was sitting behind a locked glass door at CVS. Free Mini FM radio with your lotion! I’m curious as to what PR/Marketing exec thought that one up. “I know! We’ll offer free cheap FM radios with our lotions! Of course that’ll be prone to shoplifting, so they’ll have to be locked behind glass doors! That’ll really boost sales! Wow, FM radios!” Maybe I should buy one of these lotions and try out the radio as a re-kick-off for Cheap and Tiny.
For some reason there’s about a dozen photographers with DSLRs swarming around the Georgetowner canal boat, taking photos of it. I’m wondering if it’s related to the school bus just now unloading its cargo of middle school field trippers nearby — camera-savvy helicopter parents trying to capture every single moment and detail?
It was my birthday on Saturday, and my brother Francis was in town for the weekend to visit, so we went around and saw the sights: the NASM Udvar-Hazy Center, the Natural History Museum, the Solar Decathlon, and the Zoo. Some photos from the weekend:
More photos here:
Jacquelyn spent the day here as well, and was able to get photos of the delicious cake Amy baked for me — complete with a full set of birthday candles, which I don’t think I’ve had on a birthday cake since I was seven. Can you count them and guess my age? (Those of you who already know don’t get to guess.)
Waiting in National Airport for my brother, who’s visiting for the weekend. Flight delayed, of course. Update: Flight arrived.
(MeAtDCA.jpg uploaded by brownpau.)
Cold and cloudy over the Potomac at sunset as I cross the Key Bridge.
(KeyBrdg.jpg uploaded by brownpau.)
