Always toward absent lovers love's tide stronger flows. ~ Roman poet Sextus Propertius

 F 7.1, 2.5 sec, ISO 200, 28 mm, post-edited with watercolor effect

Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it.  ~ Confucius

F 6.3, 1/200 sec, ISO 200, 50mm

Vendor of rice cakes in Calasiao, Pangasinan

Pasalubong (n. Tagalog, a variant of pansalubong, literally, "for meet-and-greet")

1. Roughly translated in English as "goodies," "keepsake" or "presents"
2. A souvenir brought for loved ones or friends

As common practice goes in the Philippines, you should never forget to bring home something from the places you traveled. Generally, a certain location in the Philippines is known for something, which you can find out from the locals. In most cases, if you buy these products from the locality, it would be cheaper than buying it from the urbanized cities. So, whenever you get the chance to go around the Philippines, don't forget to bring home your pasalubong!

Pasalubong vendors in Batac, Ilocos Norte selling their local delicacies: cornicks, banana chips, cassava chips, and their traditional liquor, Basi (sugarcane wine)

 Picture 1: F 4.0, 1/50 sec, ISO 400, 28mm; Picture 2: F 4.0, 1/40 sec, ISO 100, 20mm

The birthday boy. On his 65th birthday, business magnate and sports aficionado Manny V. Pangilinan celebrated through a fun run, dubbed The MVP Run, which was participated by about 2,500 runners early today.

This guy has companies spread out in several industries, from energy distribution, telecom, healthcare, to broadcasting. With that in mind, you can imagine the number of participants that joined in the fun run. It was a well-attended event, with participants from the companies under his ownership. Aside from the run, there was a program that was arranged for him after, where several members from his companies and his family greeted him. There was also a raffle draw wherein a new Toyota Vios was given to a lucky winner. This guy sure knows how to celebrate.

Once again, happy birthday!

Picture 1: F 7.1, 1/500 sec, ISO 200, 100mm; Picture 2: F 6.3, 1/500 sec, ISO 200, 100mm

Anchors Away

While we are still on the subject of theme parks, here are a few more shots of people in your neighborhood enjoying the rides in Enchanted Kingdom.

Flying Fiesta

Up, Up and Away (Before)

Up, Up and Away (During)

Dodgem!

Grand Carousel

Picture 1: F 6.3, 1/60 sec, ISO 100, 24mm; Picture 2: F 9.0, 1/60 sec, ISO 100, 22mm, Picture 3: F 8.0, 1/60 sec, ISO 100, 20mm; Picture 4: F 5.0, 1/125 sec, ISO 200, 26mm; Picture 5: F 5.6, 1/80 sec, ISO 320, 50mm; Picture 6: F 3.5, 1/40 sec, ISO 160, 20mm

Theme park visitors enjoying a pirate ship ride. There is no thrill like that felt in extreme rides in theme parks. When I was a kid, we would go to several theme parks, most notably Knotts Berry Farm (I remember going there with my brothers almost every weekend when we stayed in the US). In the Philippines, the most prominent theme park is Enchanted Kingdom, located in Santa Rosa City, Laguna, about 29 kilometers (16.1 miles) from Manila. Some of the famous rides here are the Anchors Away (seen in the picture), EKstreme Tower Ride (a tower drop ride), and the Space Shuttle Max (a boomerang roller coaster). Instructions to get there can be found on their site. On a regular weekend, a day pass would cost around PHP 500.

Anchors Away was one of the first rides my better half, Butet, and I rode when we went there. We actually did not expect that it would be that scary! And the worst part of it all was that the ride was long enough to make you tired of being afraid. Because of our experience, we decided to take a few shots of the riders after us. She was the one who took these shots. You can tell how much fun they're having! (kudos to the guy with the red shirt with white sleeves... you just have to love his expression)

Picture 1: F 5.6, 1/200 sec, ISO 100, 145mm; Picture 2: F 5.6, 1/200 sec, ISO 100, 145mm; Picture 3: F 5.6, 1/200 sec, ISO 100, 145mm; Picture 4: F 5.6, 1/200 sec, ISO 100, 145mm

Jaq Dionisio of the band Kiss Jane. When I was traveling in Laoag, Ilocos Norte, I happened to pass by their mall. Coincidently, Filipino rapper Gloc 9 and Jaq were scheduled to perform later that afternoon. So, I decided to stay and watch.

When you hear the name of the band, you'd think that the vocalist's name is Jane. Well, I did (so I guess it's just me). Their band is composed of members Jaq (vocals), Jeff (guitars), Heinz (bass), and Sheila (drums... yes, a girl on the drums, which happens to be their songwriter as well). Their music is somewhat unique, though it reminds me of 90's OPM hits from bands with female vocalists on them (Moonstar 88, anyone?). Nostalgic. Some of their famous hits are Kahit Na, Baliw, and Lagi.

What was surprising was that the female voice on the songs Elmer and Kung Tama Siya of Gloc 9 was actually Jaq... Amazing! Original Pinoy Music has gone a long way since I was High School, listening to bands Rivermaya, Yano, and Barbie's Cradle. Long live our music!

Here a few more shots of Jaq. Her Facebook Fan Page can be accessed here.

Picture 1: F 5.6, 1/30 sec, ISO 800, 200mm; Picture 2: F 5.6, 1/30 sec, ISO 800, 171mm; Picture 3: F 5.6, 1/30 sec, ISO 800, 200mm; Picture 4: F 5.6, 1/30 sec, ISO 800, 171mm