Monthly Archives: November 2008

Defender Of The Ancients

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I have belatedly discovered Defender of the Ancients or, as it is more commonly called, DOTA. Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you would know that it is a scenario map of Warcraft III. In the scenario map, you and the other players play heroes against each other. To aid in this pursuit, you have available weapons, armor, potions, and other items that enhance you abilities. Sort of like a It’s like a role-playing game in a nutshell.

Previously, I’ve only been playing Starcraft as that’s about the only good game I can play on my old IBM Thinkpad X22. However, when I got my Asus EEE PC, I found out I can actually play Warcraft III, and consequently DOTA, reasonably well. So now, after almost 5 years I’m  finally playing it.

Better late than never.

Alternator Problem

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It was bound to happen sooner or later. I was driving home when suddenly my airbag light started blinking. I put it off as some electrical ground but after a few minutes, it started blinking again. This happened two or three times before my car suddenly stopped cold. Of course it had to happen right in an intersection.

With the aid of a helpful bicyclist, I was able to push it to the side of the street, away from obstructing the intersection and the risk  of being towed by the ever vigilant boys in blue. I then called my Citibank Shell card’s hotline for a tow. Tintin, the CSR I talked to was very helpful but still, I had to wait a few hours for the flat-bed truck to arrive. Once they did, they loaded the car and drove to Fusion R, my favorite car repair shop.

The shop checked the battery and found that the battery was almost completely drained. To check if it was the culprit, they charged it from the mains and, after an hour or so, they were able to start the car. So it wasn’t the battery. Next possibility was the alternator. To check if it was the  culprit they removed the battery terminal while the car was running. It died. Meaning, the alternator is not producing enough power if at all. They took it down and checked further. And sure enough, it was the alternator. They recommend rewinding and replacement of a diode set.

I gave it a go. It’s not like I had a choice with such a critical system component. But at least they did a good job.

(Car repairs by Fusion R, E. Rodriguez, Q.C. Call them at +632-724-3921 or +63922-853-2700 and ask for Jona)

In-Yo

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In-Yo is one of Katipunan’s best kept secrets (so I guess now it isn’t). Actually it isn’t really along Katipunan per se so that would be one reason for the seclusion. It is located along Esteban Abada which is the street parallel to Katipunan. It’s a quite quaint place. You park in a small gravel parking area amidst a nice garden. There’s even a small koi pool. The interior is well done.

But of course the important thing is the food and, thankfully, it doesn’t disappoint either. The menu is gourmet so if you’re used to “American” size servings, In-Yo’s would appear relatively small, relatively expensive. They look like they’re meant less for filling up your stomach in the fastest way possible and more for tasting and viewing. But it’s perfect for a romantic dinner.

Behind Every Post Is A Trigger

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Before reading this, I suggest you read Jay’s post re Driving in the Philippines first, if you haven’t seen it yet.

Last Sunday was one of those days when Jay has shown his patience and love for *ehem* (sorry, it’s a bit cheesey but that’s how it rolled that day)…

We woke up early despite the fact that we played DOTA with his siblings until 2:30 am. We went to his favorite neighborhood car wash. He wanted to have the car cleaned in and out but since it’s a neighborhood thingy the only seats available are those monobloc chairs near the guys. So pulled out his car (leaving the car wash boys confused) :P and went to Petron where he had the engine, under chassis and everything that’s exposed washed. We waited in the shop where the food they’re selling is being mixed with the waxes and oils being displayed. We ate some biscuits and chocolates, browsed some magazines and then Jay watched Heroes in his laptop while I slept on his shoulder.

It took like 3 hours of waiting for that car, needless to say, I was so happy that it was done and Jay was so excited to see the newly washed engine.

We headed to Ligaya to buy an engine thermostat for his car, sadly the guy Nisway doesn’t know how to replace it. We left with a new thermostat, still in the box. :P

After that, we decided to watch Madagascar… Jay was thinking of Eastwood City but I insisted of Glorietta. I had a hidden agenda: go shopping after movie. :D

We’ve went through so much traffic in Eastwood area… MMDA flaunting the newly delivered trucks… literally a parade of trucks, as if people would be queuing to watch it.

We passed through Mandaluyong Bridge… hahaha I think Jay was just excited because he knows the way now but I thought it’s a long-cut of the trip. When we reached EDSA, Jay went through the yellow lane so those blue boys hailed him to stop.

Here they go again. What did we do wrong now?

SIr, yellow lane po yon, pang buses lang po.

The dialogue went on and Jay was able to prove his point that he needs to turn right and if he turns right too late, then it’s swerving. Good thing was that the blue boy just warned us and not to do it again, daw.

It could have been another Ninoy out of Jay’s pocket. He was mad at the MMDA, traffic, EDSA and Makati. I was so guilty of insisting to go to Glorietta. To add insult to injury, he hates the parking scheme in Glorietta. exit lane at the right side, what the hell, it’s the only parking with that scheme. He was able to get a slot after reaching Basement 2.

Then he sighed and said… buti na lang, love kita.

With all those things he hate about going and being in Glorietta, he managed to be sweet.

And since indirectly it’s my fault, I offered to treat him to lunch. :P

Asus EEE PC 1000H 2GB Memory Upgrade

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Two months and a big price drop later, I have finally upgraded the memory of my Asus EEE PC 1000H from the 1GB it came with to the  full 2GB. It was pretty straightforward unlike in some other netbooks. First, you’ll need to buy a full 2GB DDR2-667 SODIMM as there is only one memory slot on the machine and it’s occupied by the old  memory module. Unplug the adapter, remove the battery, and unscrew the access panel at the back and lift it up gently to reveal the expansion bay. Take out the old module by releasing the tabs on the sides of the module and gently lifting the module up and then out of the slot. Put in the new module by inserting the connector edge into the slot, pressing it in then pressing it down until the tabs click into place. Replace the access panel, the battery, and plug in the adapter. That’s it!