Backride Diaries: Windmill Farm Pililla, Rizal

Do you want to see windmills with our going to Ilocos? Now you can! Located in Pililla, Rizal the Windmill Farm is the place you need! There are a total of 5 windmill farms in the country at the moment, 3 in Ilocos, 1 in Mindoro and this one.

The construction of this area started in 2013 and was complete in 2016. It has 27 windmills that can generate 54MW of wind power per year which can support 66,000 households in the Metro.

Since its opening, it has been reported that 130,000 visitors come per week. It is turning into a proper tourist destination with the Visitors' Center helping people learn more about wind-generated energy and enjoying the view of the sea and the windmills.

Here is a map from the Antipolo Cathedral to the Windmill Farm. I hope you will be able to visit sometime. Plus, it is free!

Shortening the distance: Meeting the Site Leader at Schneider Electric

Thursday, September 13, I got to know more about the company and the site leader. The session or meeting was called Shortening the distance. It was the HR's idea on how they can show that Zandro or Z the site leader is approachable and down to earth.

The introductions were short and the main topic is how we can make the office and the work world-class. Z explained that the rules being implemented right now are for people that might be abusing some of the benefits they are getting from the company.

As stated in this post this office is a BPO but does not really follow all the rules there is in a normal BPO office. Z wants a few adjustments to that to be able to get to his vision of being world-class.

The facilities are being upgraded, as it is one of the things he has noticed with other BPO offices. He was to balance it out. If I got this idea correctly, he wants to adopt the good things from both the in-house contact center and a BPO office. Also, he does not mind if you are sleeping in the production area as long as you are on break, it is his way of compensating as we do not have sleeping quarters.

Plans for better facilities and medical benefits are on the way too. To be honest, I think that one hour with the director is great, it really made me feel that I was lucky to finally get to work with this company.

Cosplay: Shokugeki no Soma

When was the last time I cosplayed, I don't really remember without looking for the photos. This is the first one this year. So excuse the simple and really lame costume. Skittles the cosplay group of Philippine Otaku Society, went to Best of Anime on the second day as students from Tōtsuki Culinary Academy.

I was Nao Sadatsuka, a second year student and specializes in using foul odored food. She is also known from her moniker, Boiling Witch. Like Soma, she is into  making dishes that are disgusting to taste.

She is also, known to stalk Erina and after that phase she started stalking Hisako. Too bad our group did not have an Erina or Hisako. We do have Soma, Megumi, Ryōko, The Aldini Brothers, Alice, Ryo, Urara, Rindo and Eishi

Me on stalk mode. Hahaha I can't wait for the photo shoot. I need to ready my uniform! Enjoy the rest of the photo. Also by the end of the day, Ryo got lost, but he is safe.

Silventures: National Museum of Natural History

The National Museum for Natural History opened last May 18, 2018. It has been almost 2 months now since it open and I finally got to visit it. 

What can you see inside? Most are displays of animals found in the Philippines. You can also find the bones of the largest saltwater crocodile that lived in the Philippines. 

Lolong's bones with a photo bomber

The galleries are themed according to the environment or a group of animals. Mangroves, rainforest and beaches.

I did not know we had a deer in the Ph

There is a room dedicated for the Naturalist, people of science that helped us learn more things about nature and the creatures living in it.

At the center of the building is the "Tree of Life" which is suppose to look like DNA or the building block of life, does the name. However, the center does not look like DNA. To be honest it looks like a big coil that can generate electricity to me.

He is wondering about the name too.

Read the captions... I think they are funny:

"Ate kunan mo nga ako ng pic!"

"ano ba naman tong shared Airbnb na to ang daming ng rent"

"Parang hang out lang daw yun trabaho. Literal pala yun hang" 

"Buti pa si Lolong hindi na iiwan mag isa"

"Mas na kakatawa kaya yun mukha mo!"

"Hu! Nakakagulat ka!"

When in Baguio!

Jollibee will welcome you! So, last weekend I was with my partner and his family in Baguio! This is the first time I'm on an out of town trip with relatives of my partner. This is one heck of a step for me. To be honest, I was dead scared to go, then I remembered that I wanted to go to Baguio with him. I was not there the first time he visited. I just want to be there with him, enjoying the cold weather.

One of the views along Marcos Highway

First stop, Lion's head in Kennon Road. After the landslide in the area June, a part of it was closed. You can only visit this spot when you get to Baguio via Marcos Highway and travel for about an hour to get to it. The place was empty, this was my second time here and I was surprised that we were the ones there. 

That is why I have this awesome photo!

We stayed in this awesome transient house located in Middle Rock Quarry. The owner of the place was nice. The house was warm and comfortable. Just a bit old, there are rooms under the living room so you can hear footsteps. The house was really close to two tourist spots.

Check out our pad for 3 days!

Strawberry Taho in the morning is great!

Our house was just 10 minutes away from Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto and from the Grotto it was only 15 minutes to the Old Diplomat Hotel. It will feel like a lot longer as the roads are going up. 

The altar after 252 steps

Fountain at the Old Diplomat Hotel

Yap! That's Sherome there!

Logbook showing Ms. Sharon Cuneta's signature 

We stayed in Baguio for 3 days and it was just great except for the occasional rain in the afternoon. We also visited Mines' View Park, The Mansion, Wright Park, The Botanical Garden and Burnham Park during day two! Before going home we visited the Strawberry farm and the Bell Church!

Tips on: What to do when you lose your phone?

I'm not happy about it.

It has been 2 weeks now since I lost my phone. With it photos, messages, and information that is
meant for me only. I don't really know how to move on from it. I don't even know if they are still safe. I have accepted the fact that I will not be able to get my phone, sim and sd card back.

I miss Kintoki! Yes! I give names to my gadgets. I know I will never get it back, I'm just glad that I have my old number back. There could have been ways for me to save my phone from being accessed.  Too bad I found out about it after I lost my phone.

Here are some tips!

1. Get an app that can track your phone.

It will be best if you can find one that can access your phone even if there is no mobile data or your phone is not connected to any hotspot.

2. Get your number blocked ASAP

Get an affidavit of lost and bring it to your sim operator as soon as you can. This will help prevent calls or message that will be made by the one that stole your phone. I learn the hard way that this has to be the first thing I have to do to get my mobile number back. I had to wait 2 more days for the network to verify that it was my number I was trying to retrieve.

3. If you can have the IMEI of your phone blocked.

This will prevent your phone from connecting to any network making it useless to anyone that will get it. The process is tedious but it will be worth it. It can be done thru email or by going to one of the offices of the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC). I got this information in this forum post.

Here is what the site looks like.

Email from NTC

They have their own affidavit that needs to be notarized. You can download the form here.

I have yet to get a reply about my question about item number 2 in the form. It states that you want the number in the lost phone to be blocked. I'm not sure if you still need to do that if you have already retrieved the number. I will update this blog once I get the reply.