Unlearning

Unlearning is the hardest lesson to learn as an adult. To understand that the path, the vision, the principles I chose in life were wrong all along.

It's the part where I realize I only got older, but never really grew up.

A pruning, some would say. A part of life where you discard even the good twigs growing in the wrong direction, to make sure you bloom to where the sun's rays reach better.

An unsure sliver of hope for a better tomorrow.

Just words

 No photos, no imagery, no doodles, nor sketches.

Just some lonely words 

out of a lonely mind.

I don't even know why I'm writing. I've lost the confidence to take up writing jobs, too. I've already lost much interest in photography. 

I don't know what else of me I can lose at this point.

Mr. Lamppost,

Mr. Lamppost, one cloudy day
He looked down on the road
which was all so gray.
There sat a cat, the world his abode.
It looked up as if it wanted to pray.
Mr. Lamppost saw the sky in its eyes,
and came to know beauty,
as they say.

Kain #4: Sari Cafe in Dasmariñas

Sari Cafe: A Melting Pot of American and Pinoy Favorites

This was actually a trip made around July last year, but due to my own unparalleled procrastination I never made the time to write the article down. But! Here's the lowdown on the underrated star of a cafe in Dasmariñas City, Cavite: Sari Cafe!

If the flag ain't yankee enough, I don't know what else in this meal isn't!

Read more after the jump~

A Pretty Big Bump On the Road

I had almost a year of thinking and doing mostly nothing that it made me realize several things, to which I'd like to dedicate some time of thinking (or mulling... hope not) over.

Probably the most stressful "default" things ingrained to my brain is that self-defeating, pessimistic attitude. It's really hard to crawl out of - but I've decided some time ago that it doesn't deserve its place in my head. It's a pretty bad program to begin with, and while it keeps the insides ready for the worst, it doesn't bring out the best in me either.

There's been a lot of changes in my life since the last time I wrote here. Everything deserves an update. Even this so-so life, can use an upgrade.

Sure, my shots still suck, albeit having some of the best glass and gear of my camera maker. I go blank in the middle of shoots, I tire easily. I don't really make concepts, I'm really out of tune with creativity.

But in the middle of this black hole lies a well of hope, and that's where I'm going to start.

Maybe the key thought is, if I start from the bottom, there's nowhere to go but up.

Verses #3: Recuerdo

/Lead me nowhere like you used to/

Verses #2: Un Cielo Lleno de Estrellas

(click to read on!)

Verses #1: Where

"Where" | 8.27.2016

It's been a while since I last posted anything on this blog. Might as well refresh it. Lately, I've been writing more of poems as part of my experiences... told in an unorthodox way. So here goes, something I wrote a few days ago after a certain source of inspiration came by.

Laboy #1: Asia Pop Comic Con: Day 2 & 3

The biggest, baddest comic con this side of the planet? Probably!

Asia Pop Comic Con (APCC) is an event granted to third-world mortals of the Philippines by probably the gods of Disney and Marvel and whoever's at the helm of the organization. This unbelievably awesome event was one I'd probably look forward to every year as long as I have money to spare. This is the first time in a long time I flew above the clouds in nerdgasmic joy.

It's just about every overgrown kid's dream come true the moment I arrived at the event's doorsteps at the World Trade Convention Center in Pasay...
(click to read more about APCC!)

Lakbayin #6: Barkin' Blends Dog Cafe

Canines. You just gotta love 'em. Domesticated or wild, they're one of the most lovable things on earth, especially dogs. They're not nicknamed "man's best friend" for nothing. It was this fondness for these friends that I acted on a simple bit of info from my Facebook newsfeed.

Woof goes the dog, and I rushed to inviting my girlfriend Robie to the place for our anniversary date. Being the pooch lover that I am I really miss having a dog companion around, and it's even better that le girl is a dog lover too! So off we went, knowing what we're looking for, but definitely got a surprise beyond what we were prepared for.

Read on for more!

Lakbayin #5: Alabang CBD

Alabang: The fast-rising Metro of the South, just adjacent to Metro Manila. From sprawling fields of grasslands it has become second home to many of the Manila elite's investments, creating a mini-metropolis a stone's throw away from the capital.

Yes, it felt like I was in an intro to an RPG. 

The last time I've been here was around 14 years ago, when there was only one or two major establishments, the Alabang Starmall and Festival Mall, the latter which was so new it had a lot of empty stalls and spaces to be filled. It was an adventure for the high-schooler me back then, and a grand nostalgia trip for me as I rediscovered the place.

Good surprises await!

Kain 3: Kumpares Original Pares

Cavite is a province located in Luzon, one of the surrounding lands around Manila. It's full of farms, small mountains, some beaches, and is known to be inhabited by a fierce, protective individuals. With its close proximity to the capital, Cavite is now closely gaining ground in development particularly in real estate, and as such, lifestyle- as well as food choices- are also slowly trickling in from the metropolis.

Yes, Unli in Cavite!

Let's concentrate on the food for now. Jump!

Kwento #4.5: Gearhead-gasm at ManilaPhoto

ManilaPhoto was more than just a string of talks and a fine gallery of masterpieces - it also served as a platform for camera and related accessories manufacturers to strut their stuff and attract potential markets. Numerous gizmos made it to the stand both for consumer- and commercial- level photography, and I believe many enthusiasts had the time of their lives testing out different cameras and lenses made available for the occasion.

Look at all those shelves. Drool.

Limited in time and funding (for dinner lol), I made the most out of exploring the gear gallery of the exhibit at the 3rd floor of SM Aura Premier.

Jump!

Kwento #4: Learnings at Manila Photo

It’s been a while since I last wrote, pretty much because of business or boredom, but while those hours passed without any visible progress in my photography work I’m glad to have come across things that have enriched my experience and learning along the way.

One such event that gave me a good insight and really good points to learn was Manila Photo, an event organized by DPP, one of the top photography magazines in the country. I had been looking forward to listening to unsolicited advice from several renowned professionals in the field. Turns out the experience will be one of a kind and the learning I'll receive very useful for many years to come.

More stuff after the jump!

Kwento #3: Throwbacks, Flashbacks, and the signature kick of "film"

Photography began in the Age of Analog, long before all the digital thingamajigs were invented, the medium was made up of something only chemists probably understand the most: film. But the surprising thing about it is that digital has only gone mainstream recently, in fact, it's probably only a little beyond a decade.

Not dead yet. So far.

The look and feel of a photograph shot on film is still strong (like it was the force...) in people's tastes today that aside from keeping the medium alive, many digital-only applications and even camera manufacturers employ software to make images give that classic "film look." We even have a new tradition for it (sort of): Throwback Thursdays (and for the late posters, Flashback Fridays)

Unbelievable? Read on and find out :)

Kwento #2: Shooting dietary delights

Portraits are the "in" thing today. From selfies to glamor shoots, they're everywhere (but here in Manila, it's mostly at NAPAW haha). Taking a break from the sea of faces (and occasional heavenly bodies, as well as cats, and cat-related memes), I took the opportunity to join a local camera store's in-house food photography workshop.

And in that short two-hour lecture, I learned how to shoot stuff like this:

I was successful in my attempt to restrain myself from eating it on set.

Click "read more" to ... well, see more!

Lakbayin #4.5: Way older than I thought- the San Juan del Monte Church

Right after my leisure trip around Pinaglabanan Shrine I came across this church - which reminds me of Castlevania with its old stone walls and bell towers. Situated along F. Blumentritt St., in San Juan City, the church is named "San Juan del Monte" and its proper name, Santuario del Santo Cristo.

There's no mistaking that almost-Renaissance architecture.

Lakbayin #4: Pinaglabanan Shrine, San Juan City

Metro Manila is actually a messed-up metropolis with a lot of history. Aside from the main spots like Intramuros, its neighboring cities - Quezon City, Taguig, San Juan, among others - have pockets of Philippine history worth visiting.

Scenic? Yes. Historic? Yes. That building to the left? SPOILS IT ALL, YES.

Aside from the usual Spanish this, Spanish that features left behind by 300+ years of colonial rule by Spain, the world's most notorious texting hub possesses small, fascinating finds worth looking into, if you're into reviewing Philippine history (or its formation into the republic we know today). I found one with the limited range I can get with my bike currently, nestled comfortably in the quiet heart of the old city of San Juan, Metro Manila.

Kwento #1: A resurrection of the body

Photography is a risky thing, especially when being done on assignment.

Recently, I was hired to take on a video shoot in Bulacan, where I needed to get the help of a fellow Pentaxian who happened to specialize in video. Due to circumstances my friend couldn't attend the shoot so I took over the role and borrowed his Pentax K-01 for the mission.

Everything was going well until we were shooting in a tight location at the edge of a river, with the house we're in on standing on stilts, and dank, murky water all around us. I did what I could to keep the gear safe, but in that ONE moment I had to put the tripod and camera down, the inevitable accident happened.

The setup fell off-balanced on the WeiFeng tripod it was mounted on, into the water, and took me some time to get it back, probably around 5-6 seconds. Attached to the K-01 was my dear DA* 50-135, and the body was promptly dead, with the lens having some focusing issues afterwards.

Dazed, broken and embarrassed, I went on with the shoot until the job was done. Of course I had to let my friend know his cam was dead, so I promised to replace it with a brand-new one, which I did the next day.

I took the unit and was conclusive the water damage can't be undone, but somehow, hoped for the best and kept it in a drybox with a dehumidifier for three days. It stayed dead for three days...

Lakbayin #3: A Synapse Trip from a Citrus Fill to Across the Universe

Daydreaming has been my hobby for a long time.

It's unhealthy, sure, and is probably a good (or bad?) sign of a mental illness or something.
I don't know, maybe I'm a little depressed.
or as the old Matchbox Twenty song puts it,
a little unwell.

I've been dreaming of an adventure, the kind that sounds a little like a trip across Middle-Earth...

with sights like this, who needs a desk job?*