As We Go

So like I was saying, the past week was packed. A lot of unfortunate events happened, but I was lucky enough to be preoccupied with friends and fun activities during the long weekend. I was tired, but it was a very productive kind of exhaustion.


Saturday... was a long, long day. I started off with finalizing the arrangements with the guy I bumped. Bro-in-law, Tini, went along with me for support as well as security that I won't lose the money and I won't be swindled by the guy. We went to his doctor to have his ear cleared first. Afterwhich, I went back home to regroup before heading the a marketing booth in San Lorenzo Village.


The marketing booth lasted until around 9 PM. I just had to fix the banners and arrange the tables then I read my Watchmen the whole time. I enjoyed chilling with the Head Office branch people though. After the whole thing, we all had an awesome time singing, eating and drinking!

It lasted a while... a long, long while. Basically, I met up with Carl just before the sun rose. It was all good. Despite some people getting surprised, scolded by their spouse, or wasted, everything still turned out well.


Sunday... just as soon as I got from karaoke and Carl's, I was already preparing to head out to shoot with the Studio 8 boys.


We shot models Arianne and Joyce with the awesome make up of Reia Ayunan. It was extremely nice finally meeting Chris, Aaron and Kiko, my fellow DPP-ers.


After briefly passing by Studio 8, I had to run back home to shoot with the Nikoners: Joel, Roger, Ten and officemate Marianne. We shot former Ms. Earth contestant, Dheza, at my house and I couldn't be happier! I learned a lot from the seasoned photo hobbyists! I can't wait to go shooting again. We finished aroun 8 PM and I was beat already.


Monday... though it was a holiday, I was out the whole day going all around the Metro enjoying my happy self. Great day. One for the books!

Tuesday... I went back to box so I can release my pent up frustrations. I kind of busted my right pinky, but that's the price you pay to be beautiful! So much work! I hate it!

Wednesday... so much work still. I just want to get through the week... so I will box some more tomorrow! Release stress!

Life is Not as Hard

The past few weeks, I have been incessantly complaining about how fucked up this (my) world is. Turns out, it could get a gazillion times worse... and I am already being cut some slack.

Add to the what I thought was already a hell start-of-the-week last week, an even more unfortunate end-of-week struck every facet of my being: physical, emotional, personal, professional and financial. Let's begin...

Wednesday... after being fed up with the stuff I will have to do the next couple of weeks, I finally decided to start boxing at Maic's Gym. It was amazing! I never thought exercise could be this fun! The whole experience was a stress reliever so much so that the very next day, I ordered a pair of kick-ass boxing shoes from Nike online. Downside is, though I felt fit and sexy, my back took an extreme beating that I didn't have much mobility the next few days. That's the price to pay to be beautiful.

Thursday... despite lacking mobility, I still played in our Office Basketball Friendly at a nearby court. If the office day wasn't long enough, now my aching back was contending with my swollen knees and thighs for most the most painful muscle/joint area.

Still not heeding my body's call to rest, I still hungout after basketball with some awesome friends. The result: me clipping a parked uber expensive Nissan Murano on the way home. I won't disclose the details, but basically I had to pay an arm and a leg for the damages, depleting all the savings I have, and hassling my sister, brother-in-law and dad in the process.

The whole thing was a wake up call. I need to grow up.

I am lucky to have a supportive family that could've just let me suffer the consequences of my action, but they helped out. No matter how small or big it was to their eyes, they played a part in not letting me get screwed. I may have lost all my money and one of my dear lenses to that accident, but I did find out that no matter how dysfunctional our family is, family is still family, and "dysfunctional" is the new "cool".

Wow! So much shit and I haven't even gone to my jam-packed Saturday Karaoke, Sunday Photoshoots and Monday Harbour Day! Will just do that after the jump. For now, I bid you an image that says...


"I'ma getcha, bitch!"

Oh, Life! V.5.9.1

I've been thinking -- life sucks!

I mean think about it, there are so many things that can go wrong compared to the things that you'd like to happen. Since you don't think about the things that you don't want to happen, almost everything that hurts or is unexpected or is not according to plan, foils that stuff that you do want to happen -- dreams, likes, loves and such.

I doubt that you get it... but still.

Like relationships, for example, is purely luck! I mean you can throw in hardwork, honesty, some prayers and stuff, but in the end, what are the chances that you will like the person that you are working with, and love the person that you can get to see on a semi-regular basis? Add to that, what are the chances that that person you like, likes you back? Add even more, what are the chances that when you get to know each other, you'd still like each other... or love for that matter?

Then you have to factor in stupid stuff that you did in the past, skeletons, mistakes and such, that you have to make up for or they have to accept. Also, the friends and family or the potential liked, you have to go through all the trouble liking them, them liking you, getting to know, getting all together and what not.

This is tiring. Such a viscious cycle!

Most say, it's worth it in the end. In the end? What if you don't get to the end? Nobody talks much about thwarted efforts and wastage of time. Gosh I wish I get to the end.

I was reading some posts from this photography forum I am member in and there is this wonderful discussion about waiting. No one can wait forever, that is a fact, but we can try. I can try. I want to try. I pray everyday that I have the fortitude to last... but you know that feeling that you know that it's not going your way yet still you want to go and try, you have to still do it? It's not that you're hopeless -- that'll mean that you have more reason to just go balls out because you have nothing to lose anyway. It's having that sliver of hope that's irritating. It's knowing that if you could just do what you have to, you may swing that chance your way. It's knowing that when you do indeed fail, it's because you weren't able to find out those few things that could've elevated you to a better position.

I Have Been Waiting

It's lonely and it's quiet.. but what can you do right?

It's been tough. You have no idea if it's worth it or not. You have no idea if it matters. You just do because that's all you can. Doing nothing makes you nothing. The masochist in you prevails. You wait... for nothing or no one.

It seems that all I've been doing is waiting. I don't think I'd do it different. I can't help but wait.

This Valentine's...

...I went all out for my friends, family and myself...

...Still nothing...

Jucar Raquepo Exhibit

Our neighbor and Hereforder Aimee's, cousin, Melanio "Bobot" Jucar Raquepo, has another rockin' exhibit at the Renaissance Gallery in Megamall, Ortigas Center, Pasig City. I must admit, I hate abstracts, but I am thouroughly impressed with his work! The details are really emotional and the paint is like carved on!


It was also the artist's birthday on their opening day, 11 February 2008. The above image is my feeble attempt on another Hill/Fiscus post processing. I don't know if it passes or not, but it's artsy so there.


A lot of other artists graced the exhibit, a lot of Manong Bot's frieds I guess. An artist's life looks really cool, really edgy. I'm sure they have their ups and downs as well, but when you commit yourself to what you love, your art, I'm sure it beats any corporate job no matter how much you get paid.


Like what was mentioned in my previous post, I was having an immensely bad day that day. I was lucky that some of my most favorite people in the world was with me to cheer me up a bit.

Clicketh here for more images during the exhibit opening.
Clicketh here for more awesome Jucar Raquepo.

We Now Interrupt Your Regularly Scheduled Program

Fuck! My awesome weekend was stolen from me!

After a weekend of beach bliss, I was greeted by a Monday of grief and separations, and a week of ball-busting useless capitalist shit. OK, I will admit I am a sissy girl and being technically single this Valentine's gets to me. So, I filed for a few days of leave to just sulk and wallow in self pity, fix some gifts, go boxing and maybe a bit of basketball, but I might not be even allowed that seeing that there's a mountain of tasks to be done. Now they add even more crap on my heaping plate!

Add to that, this will be the third time that my team quits. No one has turned anything over to me yet and I don't think they will, but how come the people I like at work, leave me? What's worse, the supposed "replacement" sucks ass big time. It's one thing to not contribute, but talk about pulling the team down. Plus, my friends/teammates that are leaving, are such wonderful people that I am scared if I find such type of human beings again. Fuck.

Also, I am self-confessed hopeless romantic -- and it fuckin' sucks that I am the only single guy in our entire floor! (I'm exaggerating of course, there's probably 5-7 of us, but I'm the only one in the immediate vicinity.) The past few days, I've been hearing planned dates to Antonio's, Santi's, Red, etc. while I can even plan something at Aysee's. I hate this. I want a bed and breakfast too, you know. I want a reason to pour my heart out in a poem and recite it by the riverbanks (of Marikina). I want to line up to buy over-priced flowers and get stuck in traffic going to over-booked restaurants. Sigh. I may celebrate Valentine's all-year long, but it's nice to actually label someone as a "Valentine", a "Muse", or a "Significant Other". Maybe next year.

Sorry for the rants. Later after the jump, I'll feature Manong Bobot's Art Exhibit and maybe more of Laiya Masterful Craziness. Thank God you and my dear, dear Hereforders saved me last night. I was this close shooting myself in the head over lunch yesterday in the office!

Full Stop: Crossing or "U" Die

Pohta! Ang saya ng Laiya!

It was a super steady weekend with the complete Quorum. We have now taken our friendship to even another level of craziness. I now present to you... the Masters!



Master Taker, Master Dater, Master Introducer, Master Sleeper and Master Blower! We are so awesome!

Taking off early Saturday morning, we surprisingly arrived Laiya on time! We immediately proceeded to lounging at our beach chairs while trying to ration the few beers that we bought on the way. We had a relatively early lunch at the resort restaurant then went back to drinking at our beach chairs for the rest of the afternoon.

Lots of drinks. Lots of stories. Lots of rest. Lots of pictures. It was a good weekend with friends.

We exchanged stories of love mostly, drizzled with a few familiar issues we tried to resolved together. We made the most of our weekend getaway just joking around, insulting every ugly person we saw on the beach. Fun!


At night, we ate some more... and drank some more. Some of us closed out the night early in anticipation of the prospectively cool sunrise (that never happened because of the morning clouds). The next day, we just ate some more and talked some more. We relished the beach for a bit and forcefully teared ourselves away from the too much happiness.


On the way back, we had an awesome late lunch and even met some interesting people at this house-turned-restaurant. Though we got lost on the way back, we still managed to get to civilization in one piece. Oh, there's so much more images and stories to share, but I'll reserve that for the coming days. Now, I have tons of anecdotes and images to post process. See you after the jump!

Clicketh here for the complete Liaya goodness!

A New Light

A new light has been dawning.

There are days, like this, that are immensely rewarding. Days that make you feel that, despite sickness, there are days that will make you want to live all your next days... just like this.

I have always been surrounded by darkness, but sometimes a little crack shines through. I will try to fight not to forget it, little by little.

Today was filled with whites, butterflies, angles and angels... and I will keep it forever.

Strobist Kit A

Luckily my work brought me to the Quezon City area, which was near this photo place I always wanted to visit.

I was able to swing by Aperture Trading today to get my Strobist Kit A. In it is a light stand, a spigot, a 42" shoot-though/reflective umbrella, a tilt bracket and some pre-cut Lee filters. Except for the Lee filters, I already assembled my own Strobist Kit way, way before, when I started learning about off-camera flash techniques. Now, hopefully, my second set of umbs and stands will give me more flexibility in lighting. I am so tempted to get another flashgun!

After I shopped for strobe stuff, I passed by the hardware really quick to get velcro to mount my gels to my flash gun. The result, fun and colorful shots!

Clicketh here for a few more strobist samples using makeshift Lee filters.

Hip City

After a measly 14-post January, I have been on blog overdrive this February. Weird because despite the office slow-down, I have been doing quite a bit of projects. Now that I've been a bit busy, that's when my puny brain decides to vomit ideas.

I don't think I have been on a writing rampage, but I do have this blog (mirrored in LJ also), my flickr, anther photoblog, a Multiply, my photoblog's Multiply, my Starbucks Planner/Journal (which is as close to a diary as I can get) and my Chaplin Poem Notebook. Wow. I didn't realize how pathetic my life is that I have so much time to waste that much cyber space. In my defense, I am an insomniac.

Anyhoo, I haven't had a decent "log" post in a while. So, I will waste more of your time and mine telling you about the cool shit I've downed and ripped recently.

Reviews, Reviews

Hip City by Electrico
First off, since I haven't purchased a real album in a while, I sought out this Singaporean band making its way in the ASEAN rock scene. Electrico has this certain stern, cool sound to them -- almost disco-ish. Closest I can compare them is to the likes of Sheila and the Insects (locally) and a lighter Interpol (internationally).

I was kind of disappointed with myself because my favorites were their singles. (When I buy and album, I usually look for the cool songs that aren't played over the radio and I share that.) Still, Walk and Love in New Wave are really nice songs, good beat, decent lyrics. Honorable mention would be their collaboration with the formerly Rico Blanco-fronted Rivermaya, All the World.

From TV
I've finally found the singer of the cool song played in the background of Grey's Anatomy's drama moments. Breathe In, Breath Out by Mat Kearney is this hopeful song of not giving up and moving on sung in a nice heavy string-laced arrangement -- not too cheesy and enough to still be rock.

From All Over
We move on to more pop-ish sounds (and yes, again, I listen to everything). Let's start with soem chick songs: Realize by Colbie Caillat and Love Like This by Natasha Bedingfield (featuring Sean Kingston) . Both songs have different themes but they have a nice hook and easy enough lyrics to understand. Just a few songs you can add to your iPod that will be OK enough for most people.

My alternative rock addition would be Secondhand Serenade's Fall for You. Another one of those emo kid bands talking about their love story not-working-out-then-working-out again. I like the song. It's sweet. Very imposing -- 'tonight will be the night that I will fall for you... over again...'

As for the Hip-Hop/R&B genre, it's a bit old but I love CRS, Kanye West's all-star collabo with Pharell Williams, Lupe Fiasco and other Hip-Hop movers. Us Placers has good beat, nice flow and ingenius use of a recent song loop.

Daym!
Boy, that was a long post! Complete with links and shit! Happy downloading, bitches! It's nice to just step away from all of lifes complication and immerse yourself in other enjoyable, albeit fleeting, things.

For all the songs, just go here to see the playlist. And don't be homo and acknowledge my greatness! Joke!

Perfume

He always loved female scent. His nose, though, was too sensitive to overpowering musk fragrances, aftershaves, and acidic men's colognes that he often resorted to scented baby lotion, cheap spray-ons and body butter. Until, one day, he sniffed what will be his favorite (female) scent -- Light Blue.

Alone and assured of his manhood, he wore the ladies' perfume himself. It was a good match for his blood type and body temperature. It was his staple scent; either that, or Cucumber Melon. He liked good, light scents.

One day, he met the woman he will soon love. She loved scents as well, though; she liked manly scents -- Paco Rabanne, Kenzo, Acqua di Gio, etc. She liked strong scents that linger even after a few packs of cigarettes or a big Cuban cigar. She wants to smell of her man after just a single embrace. That's why she sometimes uses the strongest of them all, Fahrenheit. This will definitely be ouch to his nose, he thought.

In the car, driving around with his, now, muse one day after dinner in a hole-in-the-wall; he did not want to smell of food when he hugs her to see her off. In his glove compartment he pulls out Fahrenheit. He puts a few sprays on.

She smiles. She pulls out D&G Light Blue, and a few sprays on herself... and his jacket he made her wear.

Hereforders'

This is what we do and we are steady when we do it.



My childhood friends, Aimee and Lianne, have been my constant companions of late. They provide sound advice and a lot of laughs when we are all together.


We proved that it was such a small world because Aimee's friends are also Quorum Cindy's friends from college. We all even bumped into each other one night when the Hereforders went out for Pivo! Cool, huh.

Clicketh here for more Hereforders with the LB gals.

The Hunt

I didn't know when this all started. It must've been the first time we didn't meet, you walking across the hall, sitting in your chair, studying. It must've been when I was born, and all the steps I've made was to meet you, to be with you.

All these obstacles are child's play, just mere delays to our inevitable happiness, just mere speed bumps. This is the hunt that I must play -- and you are the game. If I survive this, we will be another step closer to the truth, we will be a little bit closer to the heavens.

It's already within reach. You are already within reach. You're so near, so near that I cannot grasp you. So complicated that I can never comprehend. I just throw caution to the wind, and prayers to the air. I just hope to be answered, in verse or in action. Hunt me down and kill me -- or be my most prized trophy.

Convo

Conversations -- a powerful thing, it is. A wonderful past time.



I have been having some good ones the past month or so. After work, on the way to whomever's place, hanging out at home, during long drives, I just love spending time opening up and being opened up to. I like talking. I like the intimate exchange of words, thoughts and feelings.



I like being with the few friends that I have right how. I like listening, ranting, raving about the day to day stuff that we are all in and we are all trying to escape all together. From love to life and everything mundane in between, all seems worthy, all seems interesting of our time and effort of sharing.

I love having conversations with you. After a long day at work, I long for those useless ramblings. As I wake up, I rush to see if you've started the conversation with me again. The painful drive from coast to coast becomes a wonderful serenade of words with the road as music.

Oh and by the way, click here for a few more pictures of a quick conversation over Greek with officemates and friends.