The Radar Out Experience

Keeping the sky and ground safe 24/7

If you think you have already seen the whole scenario of the radar out last week, well... think again. The media have only reported the scenes from the airport terminals where thousands of passengers got stranded due to delayed and cancelled flights brought about by the radar outage. What I am going to share is my experience at the control tower.

When I was still an ATC Trainee, we were taught on how to handle unusual air traffic situations. During our dry runs in Approach and Aerodrome Control, our usual scenarios were always out-of-this-world - an aircraft reported heavy tailwind during the approach and executed a missed approach procedure, quasi-emergency due to the departing Kalayaan 1 (Presidential flight), and an aircraft over Manila declares an emergency. All of these happen in one air traffic situation. I deemed this situation to be absurd and it will never, ever, happen in real life. Because if it does, you are the luckiest person in the whole world. The gods must be damn crazy!

The outage last week made me realize that I was wrong. In air traffic, always expect the unexpected.

Radar Under Maintenance: Expect Flight Delays this Week

24/7 Public Service

If you are flying in and out of Manila this week, expect intermittent flight delays due to the unservicable radar of Manila Approach. The radar is currently under maintenance and will last for about a week. But, before you complain about this inconvenience, let me explain how the ATCs, particularly assigned at Manila Approach, handle this kind of situation.

Gastronomic Adventure: Ginger's Café Bistro

Kainan naaa!

Work has been awesome so far. I have learned a lot from my recent facility rotations in Area Control Center and Radar Approach. But, I still believe that "all-work-no-play" is dangerous to one's health; sometimes we have to tweak our work schedule in order to play. Haha! A week ago, Brenna invited me to try this newly opened restaurant in Clark. Since it is my day-off and I miss road trips, I immediately accepted her invite. Woot woot!

Little did I know that this restaurant that we were about to try was no ordinary one.

How To Turn Any Foreign Visit Into Home

Photo of a homestay outside of Jodhupur by travelwayoflife via Flickr

Visiting another country doesn't always mean you have to feel like a visitor. Thanks to sites like Airbnb and CouchSurfing, international homestays are helping travelers connect with the culture by blending in and living like a local.

The Undying Filipino Spirit

Loboc Church (taken by @tokyodrastic)

The sun has finally risen and the fine weather looked promising. Nella, who works as one of the caretakers of Loboc Church, left her humble abode earlier than the usual. She arrived at the church around seven thirty in the morning and prepared for work, even if it's a holiday. She went outside, looked up, and admired its beauty. The exterior is made up of ornated corals and stones and had been standing there for centuries. For some, Loboc Church is their place of worship but for Nella, she already considered it as her second home. She had grown fond of it and decided to spend the rest of her life within the vicinity of the church. While pulling some weeds, the ground shook violently. Instinctively, she ran for cover but lost her balance and fell.

And right before her eyes, the once majestic Loboc Church was reduced into a pile of rubble in just a matter of minutes.

Sharm el-Sheikh - Divine Diving in Egypt

As anyone who has visited the Philippines will know there are a number of amazing SCUBA diving sites including the islands of Cabilao and Boracay. Once you have explored them it’s likely you will be thirsty for some more diving adventures, so where in the world might your travel adventures take you? Most enthusiasts will agree that there are few dive destinations in the world as spectacular as Sharm el Sheikh in Egypt. Here’s why.

Relationship with your Smartphone

Photo by: http://www.forharriet.com/2012/10/smart-phones-killed-dating.html

Do you ever stop and think, “Am I in a relationship with my phone?” Okay, not literally. But if you look around you, you’ll see more and more people engrossed in the little black boxes in their hands. At the mall, at a restaurant, at a bar, even at the movies - you can see people tapping away. Eventhough it could cost you a laptop such as iPhone 5 and BlackBerry Z10 price. And what are they doing? Updating Facebook, IM’ing with friends, and looking stuff up.

For many people, the relationship they have with their smartphone is kind of like one they would have with a significant other. They go out and appear absorbed by these gadgets’ every need and digital shout (beep!). Some people even sleep with their smartphone in their beds!

While things like internet addiction is becoming more and more recognized, you have to admit that smartphones can be just as addictive. This is especially true since the phone can allow you to access all sorts of addictive digital media, like social networking sites, unlimited television programs, and (dare I say it?) porn. And soon you find yourself missing out on real-life social interactions just to play with your phone. It can become so time-consuming that it can feel like a romantic relationship at times.

Afternoon Chill at Aling Foping's Halo-halo

MTS is the place to be.

A few weeks ago, I was craving for Aling Foping's famous halo-halo, and I blame my mom for it because she posted a photo of her, eating the famous Halo-halo on Instagram. Jeez. So I called her up and demanded to treat me at Aling Foping's Halo-halo when I get home. Spoiled brat lang? Hahaha. But kidding aside, I have reasons to be like that because their halo-halo is to die for!

Just this afternoon, I had the chance to revisit Aling Foping's at Matina Town Square (or as Davaoeños fondly call it, MTS) and tried their Durian halo-halo.

Wait... did I just write DURIAN halo-halo?!

Eat Like A King at Vikings!

Eat like a king at Vikings! Photo from Vikings SM Lanang Facebook Page

Eating is one of my ways to relieve myself from accumulated stress, aside from writing and listening to my favorite songs. Sometimes you would find me eating almost every hour. And whenever I go outside my house, I always make sure that I'd try all restaurants in my city. My palate is adventurous and I thank myself for being like that.

Yesterday, I had the most sinful gastronomic adventure to date. I ate lunch like a King at Vikings!

The Geek Travels: Finalist for MBA Best Travel Blog

Finalist for MBA! Yahoo!

I created this travel blog last June 2011 simply because I wanted to document my travels. I never thought that I'd get serious into blogging though. In November 2011, my blog was one of the finalist for the Philippine Blog Awards under the category of Best Travel Blog. Even though I did not bring home the bacon, it was the best moment of my blogging life during that time. My blog was barely five months old and it was such an honor to be part of that prestigious blogging event.

A few days ago, I received an email from Mindanao Blog Awards. And yes, it's official: The Geeks Travels is once again a finalist for the Mindanao Blog Awards - Best Travel Blog category. Yey!