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

A girl enjoying her afternoon coffee in the mall. I took this shot while waiting in line in an autograph signing event. The girl may be waiting for someone, or just passing the time.

Filipinos in general consume a lot of coffee daily. You would expect to find coffee in every household, as it is generally considered to be a household staple in the country. According to the USDA GAIN Report, instant coffee accounts for about 90% of all the coffee consumed in the country. The report also suggests that the Business Process Outsourcing industry, which usually operates at odd hours of the day, is expected to contribute to the increase in coffee consumption. What is more interesting is that coffee is considered more of a social drink, as are alcoholic beverages, than a drink to perk you up when needed. It would have been great to share a cup or two with someone just passing the time.

F 4.0, 1/15 sec, ISO 800, 28mm

DJ during Spirit Night. Every year, my High School Alma Mater, University of St. La Salle, would stage this event where the graduating batch would welcome the incoming freshmen. This night would usually be filled with performances by the students themselves, from dance numbers to bands to solo song numbers. This year's theme was "Urban Brights, Neon Vibes."

While I was watching the performances, I couldn't help remember what we did during our Spirit Nights. For one thing, when I was in High School, I loved the stage. Any opportunity I had to perform, I would grab it. And Spirit Nights were just the beginning of it. It felt good to be there again, remembering where it all began. Ah, High School... what a wonderful period in our lives.

F 4.5, 1/15 sec, ISO 800, 64mm

A kid overexcited to see the Transformer Cosplayer. Two weeks ago, the third sequel to the Hollywood blockbuster Transformers, entitled "Dark of the Moon," was released in theaters all over the country. The movie obtained the award of being the second-largest opening of all time on its first weekend worldwide, making $382 million, just behind that of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince ($394 million). To date, the movie made a total of $645 million.

Being someone that was a kid in the 80's and 90's, Hasbro's enjoyable cartoon of robots transforming to vehicles was something that stuck to us during that time (together with the ThunderCats and He-Man). Seeing them come to life on the movie screen was something exciting for my generation. In the last movie, however, I kind of found it too long. Don't get me wrong, it was nice with all the action sequences and explosions, but watching it for almost 3 hours just makes the viewer a bit weary, constantly asking him/herself, "when is this going to end?" Nevertheless, if you want bang for your buck and if you have 3 hours to spare, this is a movie worth watching (just a side comment: that was an awkward way of getting rid of Megan Fox).

Picture 1: F 2.8, 1/15 sec, ISO 500, 20mm; Picture 2: F 2.8, 1/15 sec, ISO 640, 20mm

A picture of a rice cake vendor and her child. In Calasiao, Pangasinan, there is a stretch of vendors that sell various Philippine rice cakes, like the famous puto and kutchinta. These vendors claim that their rice cakes don't spoil that easily, but considering that it doesn't last a day until it gets eaten (they are quite tasty), you wouldn't have to worry about it. If ever you get to go to this area, don't forget to drop by and buy a kilo or two of these treats for your loved ones back home or for a snack while on the road. A kilo of their puto would cost around PHP 70.

When I went out of the car carrying my camera, this vendor particularly approached me and asked if I could take a picture of her and her child. I noticed that the child was particularly camera friendly. What's even more strange was that she asked me if I could add her in Facebook! Sad to say, I forgot her name. I hope she finds this set of pictures!

Picture 1: F 5, 1/15 sec, ISO 500, 38mm; Picture 2: F 3.5, 1/20 sec, ISO 400, 20mm; Picture 3: F 3.5, 1/25 sec, ISO 400, 20mm; Picture 4: F 3.5, 1/25 sec, ISO 400, 20mm; Picture 5: F 3.5, 1/25 sec, ISO 400, 20mm; Picture 6: F 3.5, 1/25 sec, ISO 400, 20mm

A woman views the Cebu skyline from inside the mall while she takes a call. I wonder what they were talking about on the line that made her look out the window. I guess the green is a good stress reliever.

This shot was taken in SM City Cebu.

F 6.3, 1/500 sec, ISO 400, 100mm

The First Shot

What happens when a photo hobbyist has traveled around? He gets a hard drive filled with pictures, some good, some bad. What does he do with them? Ideally, as for any form of art, these should be shared, for people to view and appreciate (or criticize). In any case, that is what I plan to do in this blog.

Hi, I am Master Joh. I am not a professional photographer, and I do not have a professional camera system. I, however, have a passion to capture memories, and photographs do just that. I cannot assure you that you they will be the best shots in the world, but I do hope, for what they are worth, you enjoy viewing them.

This is not a word-filled blog, per se. It's a collection of the many shots I have of ordinary people doing ordinary things... The people in your neighborhood.

(photo taken in Enchanted Kingdom. F 5.6, 1/80 sec, ISO 100, 38mm)