Dive video from Bohol

Finally, I have edited the footage of my holidays on Bohol. They include underwater shots from Panglao (our beach) and from Balicasag Island (30 min boat ride from Panglao).
Hint: If your internet connection allows it, watch it in 1080p high resolution.

Dive video from Puerto Galera

Dive video of my week-end in Puerto Galera, when I did the PADI Enriched Air Diver course.
This is at the same time my very first underwater video, testing my new underwater camera case.

Unfortunately, the visibility was quite poor due to the Typhoon that had passed by a couple of days before.
My dive buddy: Alain

More non-work experience

I have named this Blog originally "Manila working experience". But let's be honest: You don't want to hear about my work. You want to hear about the Philippines and about the experiences I make during my stay here. Here we go. :-)

Condo

Recently the noise in my condo got quite bad due to the construction site next to our building. I am checking out if I can move to a different unit on the back-side of the building.
However the facility management was so kind to listen to my wishes and now they have bought a brand new gym device (even the better one than I suggested to them):

Cool, isn't it?! I have now started to go to our gym BEFORE going to the office. I hope this will contribute a bit to prevent gaining more body-weight.

Puerto Galera

One week ago, Alain, Roland and me went to Puerto Galera (Sabang) again. This time to a bit a cheaper Resort which is a typical dive resort: La Laguna Beach Club. Alain and me completed our Nitrox diving course there. Now we can stay underwater so long, that we only need to come to the surface to eat and drink. :-)

Bohol

This week-end was a long week-end because Thursday and Friday were public holiday here in the Philippines. Roland, Alain and family and me, we have used this opportunity to travel to Bohol where no one of us has ever been before. We stayed at the Amorita Beach Resort on Panglao. I loved that Resort and I can imagine to go back there one day. However, it was expensive and the cost-value ratio was probably not one of the best. But the food was excellent and the staff amazing. And the pool that overlooks the whole beach was breathtaking.

 

I made 1 dive at the beach right in front of the resort, and 2 dives at the small island of Balicasag which is 30 minutes by boat from Panglao. I am planning to post a video about those dives here soon. Unfortunately Adobe is currently struggling with their online shop and with their download site so I can't edit that footage yet (I need to download their software first). But here are a few pictures to start with.

Of course we also made the countryside tour and saw the Tarsiers, the Chocolate Hills and the Loboc River.

In the two pictures above, you can see the chocolate hills.

More diving, Singapore, and a visit from Hong Kong

Scuba diving in Anilao, Batangas

One week ago, I could spend a very nice week-end in Anilao with some friends. We went for 4 dives.

By the way: My dive computer automatically uploads the dive profiles to MoveScout. Check them out:
http://www.movescount.com/moves/move7440616

Thanks to Sherry Ann, who was taking those pictures of me. Finally I have some pictures showing me. Usually I am the one taking the pictures myself.

[picture removed :-)]

Thanks also to the team of the Anilao Beach Club. They have a superb scuba base. Only one hint for them: Label your air refreshener as such. Each westerner will mistake it as a hand soap and will use it to clean his hands. :-)

Avaloq After Work Party in Singapore

For the Avaloq After Work Party, I was given the chance to fly over from Manila and stay for 2 nights. It was nice to meet the staff of the Singapore office for once. And the city looks nice and certainly offers a lot of convenience and nice food options.
This was the view from the terrace of the Esplanade, where the party took place:

Visit of Sumi

Last week-end Sumi paid me a visit from Hong Kong respectively from England. We had not met for a long time, and it was nice to freshen up that friendship again and showing her around in Manila.
On this picture we are on a food tasting event called "Hungry Games" with Christian.

Funny things

In the Philippines, pay-day is twice a month. Usually 14th or 15th of every month, and 30th. This is how ATMs look on such pay-days:

What I don't understand is: It seems to be hip to show a German car registration plate underneath the Filipino registration plate. I have no idea where that comes from, or what the motivation behind is. This is how it looks: