Tago Fabic Photographs

Summer Palace in Beijing

2012-01-11T01:53:00.001+08:00

Location:

Summer Palace, Beijing
颐和园, 北京

Camera Used:

Canon EOS 400D

Date:

November 8, 2011

Posting another set of photos I haven't blogged from my BeiJing-Xi'an trip last November.

By the time we were on the 4th day of our trip, we were already getting used to the cool breeze Beijing weather was offering. We decided to visit and dedicate one whole day to the very big Summer Palace (颐和园), located at the north-west part of the capital, and have a very relaxing, leisurely walk around the park (after all, it was supposed to offer tranquility, lol).

Imagine, as a monarch, having this huge place as your summer resort and garden away from Forbidden City. There are so many hills and walks inside the compound, that you wonder if you will ever run out of names like "Hall of Benevolence and Longevity" or "The Cloud-Dispelling Hall" to name each portion of the palace - and that's even after naming all the small temples and pavilions inside the Forbidden City (must have been more than a hundred!)

The place is so huge, that by the time we reach the Temple of Buddhist Virtue in front of the lake, I was already sweating! It was the first time I was able to walk around without my jacket for more than 30 minutes - a feat I wasn't able to break anywhere else in cold Beijing.

One thing seemed clear to us when we were walking around: the Chinese' amazing attention to detail. Even the drainage holes have intricate designs and patterns that you wonder if even those small details have significant symbolism or meaning to the palace as a whole.

新加坡, 2012年01月11日。

A Three-Course Post-New Year's Day Meal

2012-01-03T00:00:00.001+08:00

Location:

Toa Payoh Apartment, Singapore

Camera Used:

Canon EOS 400D @ 50mm

Date:

January 2, 2012

Having one last day to celebrate before getting back to the grind, we decided to have a "simple" dinner with friends at home to bid farewell to the holiday season. A few set menu revision iterations later, we ended up having this 3-course meal, to kick the lavishness up a notch:

1. Leek and Potato Soup,
2. Mushroom Risotto,
3. Chicken with Romesco Sauce, and
(dessert). Rocky Road ice cream for dessert (not photographed, lol).

Cooking is courtesy of our resident chef, Chase (lol). Since my birthday is just a few days away, we considered it to be a pre-birthday celebration as well. The food was awesome, accompanied by the fun, chill conversation with friends. Thanks to Pao, Abs, Chef Chase, and Shan for a great time.

Aperture Priority

2011-12-31T18:00:00.000+08:00

Camera used:

Canon 400D, 50mm f/1.8

It didn’t seem right to not post anything for December, even if I was having difficulty recovering from a photo/writing funk after a laptop robbery (Curse you, thief! May the money you get from our stuff buy you your ticket to hell! – my last barb for 2011, I promise lol). Having lost most of my high res photos from China that I wasn’t able to backup, I had troubles starting my sentences to write and choosing photos to post.

Regardless, the past year was a great year for this hobby. I loved the photos I took and I really want to level up - maybe learn the business side of it, see if I could gain enough portfolios to get into it professionally. Let’s see.

So, to give myself something to look forward to, I decided to revamp my site (which I actually planned to do this December, but couldn’t find the focus I needed). Over the next few weeks I will slowly change the look and feel of this site based on what I’ve learned in CSS 3 and flexible web layouts.

I am still sorting out some of the remaining China pictures I will post. In the mean time, you can take a look at the photos I took from the December holiday celebrations with the Pinoy SG bloggers here in my flickr account (more appropriately, "Boss Alex and Ian Solo Pics" lol) - will blog it separately. And if you want to have some photo sessions, let me know. Let’s have some portraiture fun! :D

Happy New Year, everyone!

Chase and China

2011-11-22T00:03:00.001+08:00

Subjects:

Chase Freo

Location:

Beijing & Xi'an, China
北京, 西安

Camera Used:

Canon EOS 400D

Date:

November 5-12, 2011

I'm taking a break from posting the shots I took in Beijing and Xi'an to post some of Chase's portraitures we've collected while we're exploring the place. With my only willing model (lol), we were very fortunate that the backdrop was very inspiring to direct the tone and feel for the whole set.

Chase has been living in China for almost a year now, and he talks about China very passionately. He would fondly recall some of the stories from places he visited and would share the experience with me with gusto, so it was great to have my own little taste of experiencing the country.

One of my favorite stories would be our dining experience in Muslim Quarters in Xi'an (西安). We were hungry, so we decided to go inside this small restaurant where nobody speaks English. He ordered a bowl of noodles by pointing and acting, and while we were waiting for our food, one of the waitresses gave us a bowl of bread. She was trying to tell us something in Chinese, but things got lost in translation, and we thought she was ordering us to eat the bread while waiting.

So, we did - then we realized everybody is looking at us and laughing at us. We had no idea what we're doing, and the bread was not exactly the nicest bread to eat. Finally, another waitress demonstrated that we were supposed to tear the big bread into little pieces and return it back to them so that they could add the bread chunks to the soup that we ordered. It took us almost an hour to get the final product (which turned out to be delicious). It certainly added something special to the food we were waiting to consume.

Here's some of the portraits I took while we were going around Beijing and Xi'an. This set is but a sample of his fondness to the country he now considers the best place to retire in.

新加坡, 2011年11月22日。

Climbing the Great Wall of China

2011-11-17T19:34:00.001+08:00

Location:

Jinshanling section of the Great Wall, Luanping County
金山岭, 滦平县

Camera Used:

Canon EOS 400D

Date:

November 11, 2011

Undeniably inescapable, one of the key topics in all our world history classes would be this massive, man-made structure called the Great Wall of China (万里长城). To learn about the history of Chinese ancient civilization is to ensure that it's purpose and it's effect on our history are discussed. We learned that it was constructed starting 5th century B.C. to protect the kingdom from the nomadic groups of the north. Though later confirmed as a hoax, even if we could not see this structure from outer space, it doesn't take away it's grandeur.

You tell yourself in class that it would be a dream to be there and climb the wall. You imagine the fierce and scary nomads of the north invading the empire by trying to climb these walls (visualization & imagination made easier by the movie Mulan), and you scale how big the empire really is and how difficult it must have been to unite China as one.

Fast forward to 2011, I found myself on a 3-hour ride from Beijing to the Jinshanling (金山岭) section of the Great Wall. We chose this, instead of the Bedaling section (which is nearer to Beijing) because we wanted to see more of the ruins of the wall with an expected tough hike, but lesser people to deal with (of course, for greater photos. hehe).

On my very first step onto the wall, my jaw dropped when I saw the view. The wall elegantly follows the curves and contours of the mountains, and the farther I look, more and more towers become clearer. The vastness was amazing, and I realize the complexity of the construction must have been. We walked further one tower at a time, with the stairs slowly becoming steeper and more difficult to climb (there was a part wherein each step was 2-3 feet high, it's practically a wall and it seems almost vertical). After the 7th or 8th tower, exhaustion kicks in and we were very glad to have brought bread with us, so we chose our spot and munched while adoring the view.

I texted my mom and my best friend, saying how blessed I was to be able to see this. Not surprisingly, the signal on top of the wall was on full.

新加坡, 2011年11月17日。

Tiananmen Square

2011-11-15T01:28:00.001+08:00

Subjects:

Those who were visiting the square

Location:

Tian'anmen Square, Beijing, People's Republic of China
天安门广场, 北京

Camera Used:

Canon EOS 400D

Date:

November 5 & 13, 2011

Having decided to visit Tian'anmen Square (天安门广场) on a weekend, we prepared ourselves for a crowded tour of BeiJing's historic landmark. I, personally, did not expect taking a photo with zero or minimal people, so I decided to take portraits of the Chinese people with their square as the backdrop as well.

As we emerged from the subway, Chairman Mao's portrait welcomed us, together with the expected crowd. We saw his portrait on our right, the tall, proud flag of China on our left, and a sample of the billion people everywhere else. It was my first real taste of the Chinese people as a nation.

I couldn't help but notice the seemingly tangible sense of nationhood everybody was exuding. Everywhere you look, you will see children waiving their flag and the rest of the generation adoring this place with pride (that's how I felt it).

During that small period of exposure to their history and culture, I was left in awe with how big this country really is. I definitely would like to see some more.

北京，2011年11月13日。

eM by the River on a Sunday Morning

2011-10-25T00:32:00.001+08:00

Location:

eM by the River, Robertson Quay, Singapore

Camera Used:

Canon EOS 400D

Date:

October 9, 2011

This was meant to be the next post after our Breakfast at Cafe Epicurious. After our hearty breakfast, Abigail and I decided to look for a place where we could relax along the Singapore river while having a nice fresh glass of fruit juice and dessert. A couple of stores away from Cafe Epicurious, the ambience of eM by the River restaurant showed good promise.

I was craving for Tiramisu, so I ended up trying out their version while Abigail decided to order their Ginger Crème Brûlée. Both were really delicious. We slowly consumed our dessert while Abigail immersed herself in her book and I continued to take photos of whatever caught my attention, half-dreading the ending of a great weekend.

I haven't tried eating breakfast here, though. One of these lazy Sundays, I will.

Rey and Pola in Little Guilin

2011-10-19T00:30:00.000+08:00

Subjects:

Rey & Pola, engaged.

Location:

Little Guilin, Bukit Batok Town Park, Singapore

Camera Used:

Canon EOS 400D

Date:

October 16, 2011

Pola and Rey asked me if I could take a few photos of them before their big day in November. We wanted to look for a new place that is not too crowded but is very picturesque, so we decided to go to Little Guilin in Bukit Gombak. Some of the favorite pics we got last Sunday are posted below.

Everyday, we try to remind ourselves that it is of utmost priority to focus our energies on searching for our passion and that spark that keeps us going everyday. We try to achieve completeness and contentment the best way we know how and having someone to share it with (cheesy, yes I know), undoubtedly, will be just a bonus, but not necessary.

Every once in a while though, that “me-first” attitude breaks down and you find yourself reorganizing everything just because happiness on a different level, perspective, and dimension presents itself in a cinematic manner. That while we try to achieve this sense of completeness and contentment, somebody comes along to remind you that such journey need not be done alone. The rest becomes fuzzy and, for a moment, there was certainty. You hope and risk for the best, and with luck and hard work, that thing we consider as “just a bonus” becomes real. As it progress, you recognize the need for a commitment – to oneself with a promise to ensure that the self remains intact and the search for purpose remains with higher precedence; and to the other to ensure that a promise of growth on all the possible aspects you can help with exists.

That’s why I admire all of my friends who took this amazing leap (Yes, I am having more and more friends getting engaged, married and having kids lately). I wish them all the best on this commitment to the self and the other. One day, if God permits, I will be a successful IT-professional-slash-photographer, who will spend his Sundays with his own family, playing by the park after church somewhere in the world where they shall call their own.

Congratulations and best wishes to the soon-to-be-married couple Rey and Pola. Thanks for letting me take pictures of you. I had a wonderful Sunday afternoon! Next time, we’ll come up with a themed shoot to make it more fun! :D

Sunken Cemetery, Camiguin

2011-10-11T22:37:00.000+08:00

Location:

Sunken Cemetery, Camiguin, Philippines

Camera Used:

Canon EOS 400D

Date:

March 14, 2009

The full set
Camiguin Revisited
was posted in my multiply account.

SG Blogger Dyowel a.k.a. Bulakbolero initiated a fun photo contest and it was a perfect timing for me to begin my plan of slowly phasing out my soon-to-be-obsolete multiply account. A couple of months ago, I was planning to repost one set per month here to finally make this blog the main site for my pictures. As predicted, the process of revisiting the pictures was very nostalgic, even if these photos are no more than 5 years old. It seems so long ago, though.

I remember the time I visited the Camiguin island for the second time. Having had the opportunity to visit the scenic spots a couple of years back, I was very excited to take photos using my camera (it was fairly new at that time, so imagine my excitement). I was with a different set of friends, so it was a fresh take on the places of the island.

This island is one of my favorite places in the Philippines. I imagine myself now back in the famous white sand bar a few meters away from the island, with the sun on my side and the majestic view of the island crowned by Mount Hibok-hibok on the other. I remember I was in deep thought for a moment, appreciating the view and the opportunity to see it again.

This photo below is also one of my favorite shots ever. We were on a boat from the Sunken Cemetery and, at first, I was very hesitant to take out my camera while we were on a very unsteady boat, even if it was just a very short ride. The boat was carrying an adult and a child more than I think it should handle, and the waves were a little aggressive at that time. Of course, I was worried for my camera's safety (lol). Thank goodness, I was courageous enough to take it out of my bag, change my lens to a wide angle one, and snap this picture.

Seeing these photos again is making me homesick. Goodness, I sure miss the Pastel, among other things.

Sometimes, it takes a little risk to capture a memory of a place you may never be able to see again soon. Camiguin, March 2009.

Breakfast at Cafe Epicurious

2011-10-09T23:29:00.000+08:00

Location:

Cafe Epicurious, Robertson Quay, Singapore

Camera Used:

Canon EOS 400D

Date:

October 9, 2011

I should have started taking and posting photos of our weekly restaurant quests a long time ago. There were places (like the Dela Creme cafe in Siglap) where I tend to find the place (and of course, the food) picture and blog-worthy, but with no camera at hand. Of course, these regrets can be easily remedied by going back there again, so no harm done. ;D

My friend Abigail and I decided to try out the breakfast food in Cafe Epicurious to kick-start our Sunday. The cafe is along the Singapore River in Robertson Quay, and most of the restaurant's tables are outside, so we got a nice, easy, and laid-back brunch to mark the end of the weekend.

Since the menu is for breakfast, we couldn't escape from ordering Eggs Benedict (even if a couple of weeks ago, we swore not ordering it anytime soon since we had an overdose from eating it), but it was good. I personally liked it, and the Full Monty meal (bacon, sausages, fried eggs, toasts, roasted potatoes, and beans) I ordered.

Aside from that, we had freshly-squeezed apple & orange juice and a cup of coffee to complete the meal. I loved the place and the food, and would definitely go back on another weekend just to try out the other options while adoring the nice view of the river and the people walking by.

Pao and Abs for Cambridge Satchel

2011-09-28T01:03:00.000+08:00

Subjects:

Pao Tan & Abs Tabios

Location:

Henderson Wave Bridge, Singapore

Camera Used:

Canon EOS 400D

Date:

June 25, 2011

I realized I haven't posted these photos we took from Henderson Wave a couple of months back here in my blog yet.

This was taken on the same day we went to see the Terra Cotta Warriors in Asian Civilizations Museum.

Since it was too early to go home, Paolo, Abigail and I decided to take some portraitures in Henderson Wave in Telok Blangah with Abigail's new Cambridge Satchel.

I didn't bring my tripod and external flash though, since I was only planning to take pictures of the warriors earlier that day, so it was a little bit of a challenge to shoot under low light conditions. Fortunately, the lighting was sufficient enough to provide a soft light to my dear subjects.

Special mention to Abigail's equally-photogenic bags as this shoot's main accessories. (lol).

Corazon de Angeles in Paradise

2011-08-28T21:24:00.000+08:00

Subjects:

Corazon de Angeles in Paradise

Location:

National Museum of Singapore Façade

Camera Used:

Canon EOS 400D

Date:

August 27, 2011

After watching the very dark and intense play Equus (watch it, it's amazing), my friends and I decided to go back to the Voyage Art Festival to watch the performance of Corazon de Angeles in Paradise in full. For good reason also, since we wanted to watch something magical after Equus to "lighten" up our mood.

The performance is like a wedding ceremony, beginning with the procession of the maids of honor and then the bride on the ground. Slowly, individuals are being hoisted up and they perform individually until the whole entourage is lifted up in a grand finale. All throughout the performance, either a singer or a violinist provides the background music.

The photos below are just a sample of how fun and great the show was. What a great spectacle. I'm excited to see what next year's festival has to offer.

Gesù, Revisited

2011-08-15T00:58:00.000+08:00

Location:

Church of the Gesù, Ateneo de Manila University, Philippines

Camera Used:

Canon EOS 400D

Date:

August 8, 2011

I remember one school day during senior year where I found myself walking to the Church of the Gesù inside Ateneo after visiting the admin building. It was right after my parents and I passed our nth promissory note to the registrar, repeating our cycle of semestral financial struggle.

I knew it was tough, but I was more focused on getting it done so that all our hard work (my parents struggling to finance my whole stay and myself trying to match that by doing well in school - I hope I did justice) will not be wasted. It was the last stretch, we told ourselves, as we faced the registrar yet again.

Last week, my best friend Joy and I revisited the school. There we were, six years after, and I found myself thanking Him for letting me be where I am and not letting us falter during that period. Recalling that last time we visited the registrar, I felt the sense of relief relived. There were no more notes to be passed, and it was the beginning of my turn to give back. I continued my mental prayer by thanking Him for the reminder of what needs to be done and proceeded to go back from memory lane.

Below are some of the pictures I took from the church during that day. It was a school day and classes were still ongoing so the church was empty, giving me a nice photo opportunity.

Joy in / and the City

2011-08-12T01:03:00.000+08:00

Subjects:

Joy Garcia

Location:

Eastwood City, Quezon City, Philippines

Camera Used:

Canon EOS 400D @ 50mm / f1.8

Date:

August 8, 2011

A few things I miss about living in Manila where my very best friend Joy is also currently based:

1. Our weekly food trip and new restaurant explorations;

2. Spur-of-the-moment crazy ideas conceptualized and materialized over dinner or coffee (e.g. Birthday celebration circa 2008);

3. Easy out-of-town trips with no concrete itineraries planned;

4. Going to events or places wherein I am usually required by her to attend; and

5. Visiting Ateneo once in a while to reenergize.

It's no wonder that every time I go home, I make it a point to spend as much time as I can with her in this place I still consider Home.

On Getting OEC in Singapore

2011-07-31T20:36:00.002+08:00

Camera used for photo:

iPhone 4

Pardon my slight deviation from my usual photo blog entries, I just felt I had to share my experience today especially to those who don't know the new procedure in OEC release yet. :D I still added some pics, if there's any consolation! LOL

With the news that getting Overseas Employment Certificate (OEC) exit clearances from the Philippine Embassy requires us to have an updated PAG-IBIG contribution, I decided to get my OEC from Lucky Plaza instead of getting from the embassy on a Sunday, since I knew that there are PAG-IBIG booths in the area.

Before, all we needed was the certificate of OWWA (Overseas Workers Welfare Administration) membership (a mere receipt of payment, actually) plus our employment pass and we can already get single or multiple exit clearances (sold at 5.50SGD each). Not a quick procedure (on the average before, it takes me around 1 - 2 hours on a weekday to complete the whole process), but it was somewhat acceptable with all the OEC requests daily.

Now, effective July 4, 2011, in addition to the requirements above, we must have an updated PAG-IBIG contribution (minimum of 100 PHP per month) before one can get issued OEC's.

Let me share today's experience, especially to those who aren't familiar with the new procedure.

Basically, you have to follow this one (if you just need the overall flow, here it is. A detailed explanation of the process follows, if you're interested to read on):

1. Register (if you are not yet a member) for a Pag-ibig account and update your contributions.
    Prerequisites: Passport, Employment / Work Pass.

2. Take an OWWA Form and submit it to the 2 people in charge.
    Prerequisite: Just get a form before their quota for the day is up.

3. Wait for your name to be called for validation.
    Prerequisites: OWWA Form, OWWA Membership, Employment / Work Pass, Passport

4. Wait for your name to be called for your OEC
    Prerequisites: Employment / Work Pass, Payment (SGD 5.50 per OEC)

Come Early

If you are like me who is slacking on PAG-IBIG contributions, go to LP (or to the embassy) early to update your PAG-IBIG membership. I arrived a couple of minutes before 10 AM and the lines for PAG-IBIG registration / updating in iRemit are already crazy. The OEC Booth is behind the iRemit office. You have to fill up a form like this:

Since I was a PAG-IBIG contributor when I was working back in Manila, I asked if I needed to register a new account or if I could use my old account. The lady in charge told me that my old account will be converted into an OFW account. No idea how they would know my old account and convert it to an OFW account, but nonetheless, I filled up my form and queued for the registration.

After around 25 minutes, I was asked to queue for payment. Around 25 minutes after, I asked the girl from iRemit if I need to provide contributions since the time I started working here in Singapore to be considered updated. She said no, and I just had to start from July 2011. Paid my contribution for July and August and proceeded to the OEC booth.

OEC Releasing in LP has a Quota

Once done in updating my Pag-Ibig account, I went back to the OEC booth to apply for OEC. The girl gave me an OWWA form and asked me to come back after lunch (it was 11:30 at that time). It was the same OWWA form I filled up before when I was renewing my OWWA membership. Confused, I asked if this was an OWWA application / renewal form and told her I was already a member. Apparently, everyone had to fill up the form to get OEC.

(The ballpen in the picture is from Pizza Hut on the first floor of Lucky Plaza. I dropped mine while I was doing my PAG-IBIG application, so I borrowed from the manager of Pizza Hut lol.)

Grabbed lunch in ION and went back a few minutes before 1:30 PM. There was already a line outside the closed booth so I queued up. At 1:30, the booth opened and all hell broke loose:

The line was no longer followed, everybody went inside the puny booth and tried to make their way in. It went crazy. You could see SGDs being waved above like we are betting on a horse race!

The two people in charge were announcing the names of those with OECs already, but the thing is, they were nearly inaudible. Some of the people even clogged the small space and just waited inside. I had to fight my way to get inside just to pass my OWWA form and my passport.

With great difficulty, I was able to squeeze my way in and pass the form. Thinking that my requirements are to be checked, I was holding my recent PAG-IBIG contribution from iRemit and offered it to the other person in charge. He said that my name will be called again for validation.

So, I went out of the booth and waited outside. I had to find a corner where I was not blocking the way inside / outside the booth but at the same time could hear their announcements.

While Waiting, Entertain Yourself with "Updated ba ang Pag-Ibig mo?" Survey

Good thing waiting turned out to be a little tolerable since I saw a couple of friends and met a couple of new people while we were enduring the ordeal. My friend Wayne and wife Stesha were there too, so we were laughing the whole time while we were waiting to get called.

Almost everyone was completely clueless as to what was going on. All we know was we had to wait for our names to be called. A particularly funny thing I heard while waiting was this:

Girl 1: "Ano na raw nangyayari?!" ["What is going on?"]
Girl 2: "Hindi ko rin alam, basta may sinasabi." ["I have no idea, all I know is somebody's saying something."]

I met a guy while waiting and we shared our sentiments to each other. One time, I think we were expressing ourselves too loudly and the girl must have heard us and shot a glare at us. We called her principal since we felt like we were students applying for a slot in a class and she was trying to discipline us by that familiar principal's stare.

So, my name was finally called for document verification. The girl checked my stuff, asked how many OECs I am to get and jokingly told me to go around first while my OEC's being prepared. In all fairness to her, she's got the humor amidst the stress the whole thing was giving to us OEC applicants and to them.

I was laughing my way out of the booth when she told me, "Mamasyal muna kayo, pero 'wag sa Plaza Sing!" ("Stroll around first, but not in Plaza Sing!" which is a couple of MRT stations away). I thought she was hilarious.

Six Hours Later, I Get My Coveted OECs

Around 20 minutes after the validation of requirements, my name was finally called! The OECs were finally prepared and I am ready for payment. I requested for 4 OECs so that I won't have to go back there anytime soon.

Here are my OECs being presented by Sarah Geronimo. LOL.

Implementation Errors

The sad part of this day was that the procedure wreaks logistical and implementation errors. I don't blame the two people doing the OEC (in fact, I felt the frustration and stress they were having, considering the number of passports that they had to process, and it felt like two against the world actually), I blame the implementation of the process. I understand the need for this new revision to the process, but I hope efficiency will be achieved soon.

Critical issues found, and my suggestions for improvement:

1. Not one streamer or announcement is found regarding the whole process. Most of the people I heard got their procedure from other people, and not all understood the whole process. One goes to step one, only then they got instructions for step two, etc. It would be nice if we get to see a big cartolina or a tarpaulin listing down all the necessary steps and prerequisites to guide us all.

2. The validation of requirements were done too late. It could have been done on the first time we submitted our requirements instead of being called back just to be verified. I saw one girl who was there since morning, only to be validated too late to realize she didn't have an OWWA membership. One Sunday wasted, right?

3. The room was too small to accommodate us all and we couldn't hear the names called. Maybe get a megaphone or find another way to announce which number / names are being processed? Or reorganize the place to accommodate the number of people.

4. Announce and explicitly reiterate that there is a quota for OWWA forms being hand out. A sign at the opening that no more forms for the day would have spared the other late comers from squeezing their way inside only to be informed that no more forms are to be given out.

5. Minor one: I didn't understand the need to fill up the OWWA form everytime we get OEC. Unless there are changes to our details, the records should be there in the Embassy, right? I think passport number is enough as primary key for our records - lesser paper, lesser files piled, more trees spared.

I'm just so happy there are people to talk to during the ordeal or else I would have gone crazy impatient. What I like in the Philippine Embassy in Nassim Road is that they have a queue number system. I hope they could do the same thing here in Lucky Plaza to make things organized. The way to progress is to streamline the process. I hope somebody inside hears us, though.

Terra Cotta Warriors in ACM

2011-07-28T00:19:00.000+08:00

Location:

Asian Civilizations Museum, Singapore

Camera Used:

Canon EOS 400D @ 22mm & 50mm

Date:

June 25, 2011

About a month ago, me and a couple of PinoySG Instagrammers visited the Terra Cotta Warriors showcased here in the Asian Civilizations Museum.

While I may not be able to visit the rest of the soldiers in their original resting place in Xi'an, China anytime soon, seeing a few of them here in Singapore definitely is an experience. I loved the intricate details these warriors have (my favorite is the armor with metallic braces - see below!) and how so much history exude from these figures.

Imagine how difficult the construction of these must be during the Qin Dynasty with all the detail required. Isn't it fascinating that no two figures are identical? I also wondered how they originally looked like, considering that the outer paint is already gone due to air exposure.

I read in Wiki that only a few foreigners, such as Queen Elizabeth II, have been allowed to go near the army in Xi'an. Now how does one become of royalty, I wonder.

Pao, Abi and the Railroad

2011-07-17T23:46:00.005+08:00

Subjects:

Pao Tan & Abs Tabios

Location:

KTM Railroad near Rail Mall, Singapore

Camera Used:

Canon EOS 400D @ 50mm and 22mm

Date:

July 17, 2011

The news that the KTM rail roads within Singapore will finally be removed pursuaded the three of us (myself, Pao and Abigail) to take the photo opportunity to have a mini shoot along the tracks.

Since we went on the last day the tracks are open to public, we had plenty of competition to get a "secluded" place along the tracks. Some, I heard, even came from the Keppel station near central and walked / biked all the way to the west area of Singapore in Upper Bukit Timah road.

I was a little uninspired at the beginning when I saw the number of people trying to get photos. Fortunately for us, we were able to find our nice spot and snapped away.

[EDIT] Paolo's shirt is from a Singaporean designer Kenny Lim. Check out their shoppe Depression here.

Chase in Hong Kong

2011-07-08T00:45:00.000+08:00

Subjects:

Chase Freo

Location:

Hong Kong

Camera Used:

Canon EOS 400D

Date:

June 30, 2011 - July 4, 2011

Part Two of the Hong Kong 2011 Series

So here's a snippet of the majority of how time was spent in Hong Kong - photo shoot around the city. With Chase as the model (notice the many costume changes in the photos below), we toured Hong Kong while trying to capture a scene of Hong Kong daily life with him as the main subject. Fierce (especially the first pic), yes?

Thanks again to Chase for the fun, albeit short, weekend in Hong Kong. Would definitely go back just because of the dim sum. lol.

Hong Kong Panoramas

2011-07-06T12:08:00.001+08:00

Location:

Victoria Harbour, Hong Kong

Camera Used:

Canon EOS 400D.

Post-Processing:

Photoshop for Panorama Stitching

Date:

June 30, 2011 - July 4, 2011

Part One of the Hong Kong 2011 Series

I know it's a photographic cliche to take a panoramic view of Hong Kong's famous skyline in Victoria Harbour, but it is cliche for good reason.

This place was not in my original list of things to take pictures of, but my goodness, standing on the view deck in the Tsim Sha Tsui side of the harbour, I had to take a moment just to digest the amazing scenery in front of me.

So beautiful, that I had to take two versions of the skyline - one during the afternoon and one during the evening the next day where the buildings are beautifully lit.

Below are the scrollable versions of the view of the skyline and the Hong Kong Cultural Center.

Hong Kong Island Skyline at Night

Hong Kong Cultural Center and the Tsim Sha Tsui Clock Tower

Hong Kong Island Skyline in the Afternoon

La Luna 2

2011-06-19T01:37:00.000+08:00

Location:

Toa Payoh Apartment

Camera Used:

Canon EOS 400D

Date:

June 18, 2011

After watching a musical called I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change in the Drama Theatre inside National Library, I took a short walk to the bus stop and noticed the moon is exceptionally bright again today.

As I snapped the photo, I couldn't help but sing, "it helps to think we're sleeping underneath the same big sky."

P.S. In case you're wondering why I called this piece "La Luna 2", it's because I consider the Night's Birth blog entry the first one. :D

Singapore on Fish Eye - Orchard, CBD

2011-06-06T01:38:00.001+08:00

Location:

Orchard & CBD Area, Singapore

Camera Used:

Canon EOS 400D with Tokina 10-17mm Fish Eye lens

Date:

May 15, 2011

Second of the Singapore on Fish Eye series

Here's the second set of the photos I took when I rented the Fish Eye lens. I loved how I was able to get the whole facade of Ion Orchard in one shot, and how the skyscrapers in the Financial District area seem to converge (and bulge) interestingly.

Singapore on Fish Eye - Chinatown

2011-05-21T15:47:00.000+08:00

Location:

Chinatown, Singapore

Camera Used:

Canon EOS 400D with Tokina 10-17mm Fish Eye lens

Date:

May 17, 2011

First of the Singapore on Fish Eye series

I rented a Tokina Fish Eye lens a couple of days ago just to try out how to take photos using this kind of lens. Initially, I was expecting the fish eye lens to be nice only on landscapes and architecture, but it turns out, it's actually fun to use on portraits as well.

Here are some of the photos I took during last Tuesday's photowalk in Chinatown here in Singapore with some Instagram people (follow @pinoysg and @sgig if you're an Instagrammer). The sun was scorching hot! By the time we were done I was sweating all over. Good thing I brought extra t-shirt.

Cleo Runway Search for Audi Fashion Festival 2011

2011-05-15T13:04:00.001+08:00

Subjects:

Models for the Cleo Runway Search 2011

Location:

Tent @ Orchard, Ngee Ann City, Singapore

Camera Used:

Canon EOS 400D

Date:

May 14, 2011

My friend Pao invited me to go to the Cleo Runway show yesterday and I was very much excited to take photos of the models doing there thing on the runway.

Turns out, the show was for the Cleo magazine's model search and they announced the winner yesterday also after the runway show. All the pieces they wore were from River Island. Not my style, though. Hehe.

It was a fun event - I snapped the shots using a wide angle lens to get the whole runway feel and zoomed in on the models for portraitures. I had to increase the ISO though, but it turned out pretty neat with the vintage tone.

Here are some of the photos I took yesterday. Thanks Pao for the free invite! Next fashion show, invite me again! Haha.

OFW Exchange

2011-05-14T12:41:00.000+08:00

Related website:

OFW Exchange

A little bit of shameless plugging is coming your way.

A couple of days ago, I was contacted through a common friend by Pinoy Exchange and said that they needed someone to feature in their new forum site for OFW's (aptly called OFW Exchange).

They sent over a couple of questions, answered it over lunch hour, and voila! I finally embraced my OFW status by being featured in the OFW forum site.

Thanks to Nico of OFW Exchange for letting me share my words there.

Hangar

2011-05-09T11:17:00.000+08:00

Location:

Old Kallang Airport, Singapore

Camera Used:

Canon EOS 400D

Date:

May 8, 2011

I was itching to take some new photos yesterday, so I decided to visit the Old Kallang Airport to get some shots. The airport was open for public because of the 3rd Singapore Biennale and a group of artists showcased their works inside the compound. Very interesting art installations, I must say (which I will blog about next).

A little bit of research prior to going, I saw that the airport's old hangar was open for viewing also (there was a big art installation inside), so I was very much excited to take snaps particularly in this area of the compound.

Once I got there, the feel was very old and industrial. The decay was part of the character of the place, and I loved it. They even said Amelia Earhart did a stop over in this airport, and I could imagine the time when the place was brand new and fully functional. Indeed, the tour takes you to a different time.

I will definitely go back to this place, but next time, I want to do portraitures here with the hangar as the background. Models, anyone? :D

Visita Iglesia en Singapura

2011-04-23T12:09:00.000+08:00

Location:

7 Catholic Churches in Singapore (See blog content for the list)

Camera Used:

Canon EOS 400D

Date:

April 22, 2011

Unlike in the Philippines, the only non-working holiday for the Holy Week here in Singapore is Good Friday. So, I told my friend Abigail that I wanted to do a Visita Iglesia on Good Friday, which is usually done on Maundy Thursday. I drafted the list of seven churches we planned to visita, carefully choosing the churches that we haven't been to and ordering them in such a way that each church is just one bus away from the next one.

At around 10 in the morning, me, Abigail, Sam (our friend from the Philippines), Pao and (His Excellency Ethics Crew President) Jay met in Pasir Ris MRT (the last station of the East-West Line) to begin our spiritual journey of the day from East to West.

Here's the list of churches that we visited. The weather was a little gloomy after lunch, but overall the weather cooperated, thank goodness. :D

1. First stop was the Church of the Divine Mercy in Pasir Ris. I used to go to church here when I was still staying in Punggol. I really love this church because reminds me so much of the Church of Gesu in Ateneo.

2. After Pasir Ris, we took our longest bus trip for the whole Visita Iglesia to the Church of the Holy Family in Marine Parade area. It's a really nice church - very large and high-tech! The offertory candles we usually find just outside a church was electronic (no real candles, just bulbs and switches).

3. A short bus ride to Siglap Hill led us to the Church of Our Lady of Perpetual Succour. This church reminded me of UP, for some strange reason. Sam agreed.

By the time we finished visiting the 3rd church, we were already famished and decided to eat lunch in KK Hospital near Little India (since the route now began to go westward). A quick lunch and we were off to the 4th church.

4. The St. Joseph's Church in Upper Bukit Timah road was very interesting, with its Chinese-influenced architecture. By this time, the rain began to drizzle, so we were hoping and praying that a heavy rain won't pour, since none of us brought a single umbrella (toinks!).

Supposedly, the 5th church was the Church of the Holy Cross in Clementi. However, when we got there, the rain was already pouring so we decided to skip this church and proceed to the next one (we were in the bus stop). Ironically, just as we boarded the bus, the rain stopped. We valued the saying "Patience is a Virtue" more after that.

5. We arrived at the Church of the Blessed Sacrament in Commonwealth area at around 4:30. I haven't heard mass here, but I am familiar with this church since most of the people living in the west I know usually go here.

6. As per plan, the Church of St. Ignatius was supposedly the last church in our list, but since we skipped one, we decided to just continue the order and add a last church to visit. This church is near the Farrer Road area, and the vicinity reminded me so much of Loyola Heights.

7. Finally, the last church we visited is Church of St. Theresa's in Telok Blangah. By the time we finished, it was already 6 in the evening, but everyone was grateful that we accomplished the feat. Good job!

Some of the photos of the places we visited today are posted below.

Night's Birth

2011-04-17T14:20:00.000+08:00

Location:

Pinnacle @ Duxton

Camera Used:

Canon EOS 400D

Date:

April 16, 2011

It was an easy chill Saturday with a couple of friends, and after a loooong lunch and fantastic dessert, my good friend Pao and I went to his building and decided to take some shots of the view from the 50th floor of Pinnacle.

I was able to get a picture of the view where the lights of the streets and buildings below are slowly being turned on and the moon begins to become more prominent in the view. The sun, behind us, was slowly retiring.

When all the lights were lit up, we ended up taking (mostly wacky) pictures of ourselves with the "bright lights, big city" effect as background. Great way to relax on an easy Saturday before watching the 4th installment of Scream.

The King and Queen inspect Street Boys

2011-04-15T02:38:00.003+08:00

Subjects:

Dea and King Cruz

Location:

Universal Studios Singapore

Camera Used:

Canon EOS 400D

Date:

April 10, 2011

Dea and King Cruz, the first couple who tied the knot in our college block went here in Singapore for a couple of days this week for a training. As part of my OFW duties and responsibilities, I accompanied them around Singapore and obeyed the standard formula most of us follow whenever we need to tour visiting friends here.

As most of my destinations were food-based (e.g., Steam boat experience in Beach Road, Chili Crab, Makansutra, Ikea meatballs), it's a good thing this couple is not that picky when it comes to food. In fact, King expressed his enthusiasm to try out everything he haven't tried yet (a real trooper, I must say). The only requirement I noticed though is that they must have chicken wings wherever we go (lol).

Seeing Dea and King here in Singapore seven months after their wedding was a real treat. Dea, on her 5th month of pregnancy, is as radiant as always and this motherly aura I always get from her doubled, if it is possible.

Here are some of the photos I took from our Universal Studios visit. Yeah, I just had to post the last picture of the two with the Streetboys now dancing daily in USS. LOL. Other pictures to follow. :D

PinoySG Instameet

2011-04-02T17:38:00.000+08:00

Subjects:

Pinoy SG Instagrammers

Location:

Bonifacio Restaurant, Singapore

Camera Used:

Canon EOS 400D

Date:

April 1, 2011

One of the iPhone apps that I am very much into lately is Instagram. Simply put, it's like Twitter for Photos. As of writing, I have posted more than 250 photos already! I am an addict, I confess! :D

So anyways, a couple of weeks ago, the group of Pinoy people based here in Singapore who followed each other in Instagram decided to meet up for dinner. Of course, it was really nice to finally meet Instagram legends like @fabpinay (aka Madame President) and @silly_human (especially for his very popular spongebob photos)! I still have difficulty remembering their real names vs their Instagram usernames, though (come on, how can you still remember the name behind @daomingza or @pilyongcute? Peace! hehe)

The dinner (and the drinks after) was very fun and easy. I thought it was hilarious when there were moments when all of us tend to concentrate our energies on posting newly taken photos in Instagram and nobody would physically talk to each other, but instead, via posts and comments in Instagram. Define Instagram addicts. Lol.

Here are some of the photos I took from last night's meet up. It was really nice to meet new people again. 15 less strangers from the world, I tell you. Next IG meetup, Barbeque daw!

P.S. If you are an Instagrammer, follow me (@tagofabic - I know, shameless plugging lol) and especially @pinoysg for announcements and updates on the next instameets. :D

Ethereal

2011-03-30T10:25:00.000+08:00

Location:

Toa Payoh Apartment, Singapore

Camera Used:

Canon EOS 400D @ f/2.8, Light Source / Background c/o 580EX II and umbrella

Date:

March 29, 2011

My good friend Nick gave me this really interesting souvenir from his Southeast Asian trip last week. As soon as he handed me this marble Buddha head from Cambodia, I knew I had to take a photo of it!

Thanks Nick for this piece!

Welcoming Summer One Destination at a Time - Year 2

2011-03-20T14:37:00.000+08:00

Subjects:

Joy Garcia, Karl Ng, Crystal Espinosa, Ryan Liwanag & Yours Truly

Location:

Mactan, Cebu, Philippines

Camera Used:

Canon EOS 400D

Date:

March 5-6, 2011

I'm sharing some of our photos from our weekend getaway in Mactan here. As mentioned in my previous post, since this is our second year marking the beginning of the summer season, we can call it an annual thing already.

Thank goodness the weather cooperated. There was a little downpour during the first few hours after I arrived in Cebu, but the majority of my trip was sunny and cloudy. Perfect beach conditions, indeed.

I'm also going to share an expression we coined during the trip: Sutukil Decision. It means a bad choice during a getaway summer trip (please take note that it cannot be used on any other kind of vacay, okay? lol) The etymology of which is when we decided to have dinner in one of those Sutukil eateries (similar to Paluto / Dampa in Manila that we know of) wherein we spent at least PHP 400 each only to be served with precooked seafood which we unanimously regret eating. Don't be discouraged though - I'm pretty sure this was just from the eatery we selected and there may be better Sutukil restaurants within the area. Lesson learned: Choose or ask around for the best one.

Sutukil decisions aside, we loved the weekend. It was a wonderful time to relax, bond, and have fun. I will definitely go back.

Next year, we promise to tone down the star level a little bit and opt for a lesser expensive resort. Not unless one of us becomes a millionaire or all of us forget this promise.

The Kids Are Alright

2011-03-17T22:56:00.000+08:00

Location:

Mactan, Cebu, Philippines

Camera Used:

Canon EOS 400D

Date:

March 5-6, 2011

(First of the Weekend in Cebu series)

We can officially call it our annual getaway trip, since this is our second year going to the beach (last year was in Boracay) to mark the beginning of the summer season. Our destination of choice: Cebu.

Prior to this trip, we decided to draft a rough itinerary involving a city tour and a three-day vacation on an island near Cebu City. Since I will be flying in just for the weekend and having to put more priority on hitting the beach (yes, I did miss it), we decided that Joy, Karl, et al will do city tour starting Thursday that week without me and, once I arrive, we go straight to the beach until it is time to go back to reality.

A few hours before my flight to Cebu, Joy called and informed me of their plan to stay in Shangri-La Mactan for an overnight stay just to experience the hotel. A little negotiation after, we decided to extend another day so that I get to experience this hotel as well.

I knew it would be a little costly, but it was worth it. Imagine everything you needed for your much-needed rest & relaxation all there in one resort. I needed my fix of Philippine Mangoes, and it was there, served continuously during our morning buffet. Wanted to go kayak? They have it there, too. Spa? Yes, of course.

It was a fantasy, I reminded myself. With all things needed there, we had more time conversing and having fun by the pool or by the beach or in our rooms, coming up with a complex plot involving the lead character of our drama-horror story, Mrs. Salces (a semi-fictitious person whom we characterized as a land lady constantly nagging her tenants to pay or else they will be locked out – a thrilling tale, I tell you, but that needs to be placed in another entry).

Oftentimes, we caught ourselves discussing how time flew really fast and how old we are getting. Can’t be helped, I guess, especially if we only get to see each other once or twice a year. It was less nostalgic unlike last year where we spent a good chunk of our discussions about the past; it was more about the things we are excited to do in the future now. We’re alright, I tell myself. So far, so good.

Having said that, it is interesting to note that most of the pictures I took were of kids playing by the beach.

Bashable Entry 2011-01: Anjo

2011-03-07T23:14:00.006+08:00

Subjects:

Anjo Abiera

Location:

Azeus Office & Office Outing in Batangas

Camera Used:

Canon EOS 400D

Date:

February 28, 2009

Complete Album:

Taken from my photo archives: Maita Returns and
Azeus in B&W (Multiply)

There are some people who are just effortlessly witty and funny. My very funny and kalog friend Anjo (follow her on Tumblr!) is one of them.

I remember back in circa 2008-2009 when we would cross each other's paths to the rest room in our old office and we would just exchange funny tongue-in-cheek one-liners one after another (and, mind you, in straight English, san ka pa?)

Only a few people I know can bring this out in me, so it was really nice to have another funny conversation with her today online. Here's a shareable snippet of our discussion:

A: Tago, may ask ako.

T: Yo, may answer ako.

A: Kelan nag next IT show?

T: This thursday. Tapos June ulit.

A: Would you know kung magkano ang mga macbook dyan? Cheaper ba or same lang dito?

T: Same lang usually, ndi mashado nagbababa ng price ang Apple e. Usually dinadaan sa mga freebies.

A: Pero for other brands, bonggang bagsak presyo?

T: Oo. Or, if same price, binabawi sa freebies. Minsan may kasamang printer, or mouse, or pag maswerta ka, may kasamang love life. Joke!

A: Chos! Yun ang gusto ko! Kesa sa printer kasi wala na akong mga term papers na kailangang iprint! Haha! Pero kung gusto at willing naman silang mamigay ng printer at jowa, why not dba? Gamitin ko na lang pangprint ng aming wedding invites. HAHA!

T: Hahaha! Korek! Or pagprint ng marriage certificate para get one, sign and pass kaagad sa huwes! Haha!

A: Or kahit love letters lang. Baby steps muna tayo.

T: Haha, sabagay. CTRL+P sa Word document containing "Irog…"

A: Shift+F7 ng "Giliw" at "Sinta"

T: LOL!

Here's some of my shots of her when we were still Azeus employees (it seems so long ago already). Guess which picture we named as "Halukay sa St. Francis, DEEBEEDEE at Skenny Jeans po deto".

Sarah, Olivier & Tago in Kuching, Malaysia

2011-03-06T16:35:00.002+08:00

Subjects:

Sarah Padre, Olivier De Man & Yours truly

Location:

Bako National Park, Kuching, Malaysia

Camera Used:

Canon EOS 400D

Date:

February 26-27, 2011

Here are some of the photos I took of us during our weekend vacation in Kuching, Malaysia (mostly in Bako National Park, the rest in the airport, waiting for our flight back to SG).

Notice the common theme in the photos - Rain. And yeah, our favorite boat driver Mr. Gigi makes a special appearance in the photos below. So, if ever you go to Bako National Park, look for Mr. Gigi, boat # 31. He's the best! :D

Thanks to Sarah and Oli for the great, albeit short, getaway. I had fun. :D

Surviving in Bako National Park, Kuching, Malaysia

2011-03-05T11:11:00.002+08:00

Location:

Bako National Park, Kuching, Malaysia

Camera Used:

Canon EOS 400D

Date:

February 26-27, 2011

How to survive in Bako National Park without signal and food but with lots of rain and South China Sea waves:

1. Upon landing in Kuching International Airport, book a cab from the airport to Bako National Park’s boat terminal for around 25SGD. Daily flights from SG via Tiger Airways will arrive at around 3:30PM to 4:00PM, so make sure you make it to the terminal by 5PM or else the last boat to the park would have left.

2. Take a boat from the terminal that prominently warns tourists of crocodile attacks near the river and proceed to ride the boat from the river to the South China Sea to get to the park. This will take around 15 minutes and, if you visit during the monsoon season, expect a shaky trip.

3. En route to the park, expect a barrage of fishes jumping out of the water and, on rare occasions, the projectile of which is directed toward your forehead (you gave me a fright there, Mr. Fishy). Hope and pray that those small incidents will be the only casualties of this short trip to the park.

4. Trust your boat driver (Mr. Gigi of Boat # 31 is our favorite!). He will tell you some interesting facts about the place, and if lucky, he will show you where a proboscis monkey is lurking before he drops you off to the park. Luckier if you get to take a picture of these endemic creatures (damn, I wasn’t paying attention. :( )

5. Go trekking, as it is the main thing-to-do here in the park. There are a lot of trails to follow, so standard trekking preparations are required. Give around half a day or full day to perform such task.

6. Eat good food at the only cafe in the park where the lady computes how much your food will be by just looking at it (until now, we are puzzled on what algorithm she’s using). Expect a lot of spicy stuff and chicken meals.

7. By 8 PM, after eating dinner and minimal light available, you head back to your lodge and start discussions about anything and everything - from the most mundane of topics, to the deepest philosophical crap you guys could discuss. Nicer if somebody brought cards to play with.

8. Try not to sing your night away as it may cause tremendous effects on the weather. Especially if you’re planning to go to the beach the morning after. You may end up staying within the area because of the rain you’ve caused.

9. If, indeed it is raining, continue to appreciate the place by taking photos of everybody by the bridge and then by deserted beach near the area. Monkeys and wild boar will be a common sight.

10. Should the weather turn a little better, take advantage and book a boat to take you to the other nicer beaches in the park. Since this is South China Sea, expect strong waves still. The boat may be unsuccessful in docking due to the waves. Just breathe and enjoy the ever so large and vast greenery you will see all over. Then ask the boat driver to just tour you around some more and go back to the park headquarters instead.

As it is a rainforest, expect, of course, more rain.

Head Count

2011-03-01T21:38:00.002+08:00

Location:

Toa Payoh Apartment

Camera Used:

Canon EOS 400D @ 25sec exposure at f/22, 10mm

Date:

March 1, 2011

Let me make a quick mental math here and count the number of housing units that I can see. On the left side, the nearest building has around 18 units per floor, and the building has 9 floors. Assuming that the number of units per floor on all other buildings visible is the same, and it just varies on the number of floors, the number of buildings visible is around 40, with each building having at least 12 floors.

Assuming that the number of people living in one unit is 4, we count the number of people living in this sample of the Singapore’s busy urban life to be the following:

4 people x 18 units per floor x at least 12 floors x at least 40 buildings visible ~ at least 34,560 people within this scope.

Inaccuracy and errors in assumptions done in sampling aside, we wonder on the more important thing on this exercise: How will we matter?

Maita, Pao & Kuala Lumpur

2011-02-06T21:44:00.002+08:00

Subjects:

Maita Farre & Pao Tan

Location:

Petaling Street, Central Market in Kuala Lumpur & Putrajaya, Malaysia

Camera Used:

Canon EOS 400D

Date:

February 4-5, 2011

It was the CNY holiday season, and with 5 days of non-work, we decided to dedicate 2 of those days in Kuala Lumpur. Having visited this city once before, we ended up not taking the usual tourist track (i.e. Genting, Batu Cave, etc) and instead opted to go to places like Petaling Street in Chinatown, the Central Market, and visiting Maita's residence in Cyberjaya.

On the morning of our arrival, we decided to head to an obscure place called Kepong Village Mall for our Adidas factory outlet find. A train ride later to a place where the famous KL skyline is no longer visible, we found ourselves talking to taxi drivers to go to that place, only ending up in a small shopping mall kilometers away from our desired destination. By the time we decided to head back to the central area, it was mid-day already and the sun was scorching hot.

After meeting my dear friend Maita, we decided to go to Petaling street and have some street-inspired photos along the bargain and thrift shops that filled the street. Then we went to the central market to check out some souvenir shops and here we ended up loving the place for its cultural feel. It was an awesome experience, touring the city that way sans the normal tourist spots.

We ate dinner and had a few rounds of drinks in Bukit Bintang to celebrate our friend Abigail's birthday, and the rest were spent traveling from one place to another.

Here are some of the photos I took of Maita and Pao while we went around. Notice that I have a new love for nice backgrounds already. As always, thanks to Maita for accompanying us and lending me her pout.

One thing didn't change though. The Petronas towers remain as powerful and majestic as before. Haay-inducing, the view is.

MacRitchie Reservoir

2011-01-22T23:38:00.003+08:00

Location:

MacRitchie Reservoir, Singapore

Camera Used:

Canon EOS 400D

Date:

January 15, 2011

Complete Album:

MacRitchie Reservoir (Multiply)

For my birthday weekend, I decided to go somewhere that I haven't been to in Singapore and thought of crossing the HSBC TreeTop Walk in MacRitchie Reservoir. I invited along my friend Paul and his girlfriend Anna Lynn (since asking Abigail is out of the question - she would cringe at the idea of trekking - lol) and decided to burn a little fat mass the Saturday after my birthday.

We agreed to meet at the Venus Entrance (this is in Venus Drive near Upper Thompson Road) at 8:30AM since based on Paul's research, the hike would take half a day to walk inside the outskirts of the reservoir, go to the bridge and back out into civilization.

When I met up with Paul and Anna Lynn that morning, they were ready. They had a backpack filled with a canteen of water, charsiew paos, extra tshirts, and chocolates for energy. The scope of my preparation for this walk was just setting up, cleaning, and packing my gear.

So we started walking the 4-KM trail inside the reservoir to the bridge. Since it was still relatively early, our main enemy was the mud and the mosquitos. By the time we got deeper into the forest and our 3G signals disappeared, constant "what the hell were we thinking" expressions just get passed from one person to another. It was fun, don't get me wrong, but there is nothing much to see except more trees. I was expecting to see monkeys but I guess it was their resting time and I only saw one near the ranger station.

At last, at around 11:30 AM, we were able to reach the bridge. We are all sweaty, but when we crossed the bridge, the breeze was just amazing. It instantly dried our sweat and exhaustion. Even if we just saw more trees, vines, and water, there is something about the view that makes it worth it. I guess it's because it offers a view not peppered by HDB flats, buildings, or buses. It was a good feeling, even if we we just stayed on the bridge for 15 to 20 minutes.

While we're walking, we shared our personal trekking experiences back home in the Philippines. A fond memory of Paul's and mine was our epic Pagudpod experience where we walked for hours just to go and see the falls inside the forest. The trail was harder then, since we had to cross a river (which I distinctly remember because that's where my slippers got torn and I had to buy that ridiculously expensive Islander slippers back in the resort).

With the promise of good food waiting for us once we got out of the reservoir, we finished the trail and were out of the forest grounds quicker that we thought. Too tired to walk along the roads encircling the area, we called a cab and proceeded to Bukit Timah Road to eat a well-deserved lunch.

Fabic Kids for Rossini Street Apparel

2011-01-07T00:27:00.001+08:00

Subjects:

Ivana, Isaac, Inigo and Basti

Location:

Fabic Residence, Fairview, QC, Philippines

Camera Used:

Canon EOS 400D

Date:

December 28, 2010

Complete Album:

Fabic Kids for Rossini Street Apparel (Multiply)

Some of the pics I took last December during my brief stay home for the Holidays. I just couldn't believe how fast these kids grow. Notice how Ivana and Isaac love to be photographed? Inigo will surely get this bug soon, and Basti, all chubby and cute, decided to join in the fun.

They're so cute. Can't get enough of them. See you kids soon! :D

Life Goes On

2011-01-03T18:00:00.000+08:00

Location:

Merlion Park, Singapore

Camera Used:

Canon EOS 400D at 16mm f29.

Post-Processing:

Photoshop for Panorama Stitching, Lightroom for Post-Processing

Date:

January 3, 2010

Having one more day of non-work before 2011 officially begins in the office, I decided to do a "photowalk" around the city area and practice taking panoramic shots. A walk that could be considered as rediscovery (or better term would be "re-appreciation") of Singapore of sorts.

My first initial choice was the Merlion Park, as it is one of my first memories of this country (me and the rest of the first-time visitors, agree?) and it has more sights now compared to the view two years ago (with the help primarily of the Marina Bay Sands). So, I prepared my stuff and went straight to Esplanade to kick start my photowalk.

I selected a spot, set up my gear, and behold - the sky immediately turned dark and poured rain without warning. I had to run from my spot for shelter since I didn't want my camera to get wet.

A few minutes after, the rain stopped and it gave me an opportunity to try again. I thought it was a little blessing too, since there were now lesser people in the platform. I set up my gear again and fired away.

Voila! A panoramic view of this famous Singapore skyline:

It dawned on me that there at that specific place, everywhere I turn I would see something iconic. You have the Merlion, the CBD skyline, the Fullerton Hotel on one part, and the Marina Bay Sands, Singapore Flyer, and of course, the durian-shaped Esplanade everywhere else. Something I guess I didn't realize the many times I went there.

Despite the heaviness and gloominess of the place, the rest of Singapore goes on and the rest of us foreign workers proceed in working for the future and the place we temporarily call home.

A bigger, scrollable version of the photo below:

Best if Padded with Diaper

2010-12-31T17:35:00.000+08:00

Subjects:

Basti Fabello Fabic

Location:

Fabic Residence, Fairview, Quezon City, Philippines

Camera Used:

Canon EOS 400D at 50mm f1.8

Date:

December 25, 2010

Complete Album:

Best if Padded with Diaper (Multiply)

My mom woke me up on Christmas Day, telling me to take pictures of Basti riding a bicycle. I didn't expect Basti to be wearing complete gear! He giggled, laughed, and shouted with enthusiasm the whole time he was on the bike.

He's so cute, yes?

Two Noche Buena Dinners

2010-12-31T14:56:00.002+08:00

Camera Used:

Canon 400D EOS @ 16mm f5.6

Our second noche buena last December 29 (a late noche buena dinner, since my sister and her family were not able to make it last 24th evening) was one for the books. Since we cannot fit in our dining room inside the house, we decided to eat noche buena al fresco by setting up our dinner table outside the house.

The menu was great, too. My sister's mother-in-law prepared a traditional Portuguese dish called Arroz de Marisco (seafood rice) while my mom contributed to the table her famous Kare-Kare. I had to digest the whole scenario, since it has been quite a while since the family reached this near perfect attendance (my other sister and her family were terribly missed).

I wondered when will the complete attendance could be reached. Not that it made me sad, but it actually made me feel more blessed as to how the family had grown - with 3 migrations, 3 marriages and 5 (the 6th will come early next year) really cute pamangkins after.

In true OFW fashion, I rushed packing my bags after the dinner & exchange gift session as my flight back to SG is a red eye flight a couple of hours after. No tears this time when I bid farewell (but I admit, I was holding it in), and instead I kept in mind a reality my dad told me the moment I arrived the house - to prioritise my savings, because, indeed, what's the point of working overseas if I couldn't save for the future the same way I couldn't back home before.

I felt that the series of events these passed few days ignited that dormant drive within. I hope me stepping back to reality would not dampen it again. So, the next leg is for the people whom I consider family, wherever 2011 may take me.

Happy New Year, everyone.

Three New Things

2010-12-19T12:11:00.002+08:00

Software Used

Photoshop, Dreamweaver

Three new things I'm very excited to share:

1. Site gets revamped and becomes more focused.
I really wanted to showcase some of my favorite pictures into a site so that I can easily persuade new people into taking their photos (LOL - to build my portfolio further, and of course, to practice photography). Kidding aside, I wanted to have like a showroom of pictures, which will be complimented by my existing Multiply site.

As you can see from the menu items, I broke the entries down into four: Portraits, Sights, Designs, and Blog entries. I hope through this, I get to actively post more stuff and backtrack into my old photos, thus inspiring me to take some more. :D

2. Officially has a tagofabic.com!
I remember back in high school when Internet was pretty much new and it was way expensive to buy and host your own .com domain, I promised myself I would have my very own tagofabic.com site (of course, I wasn't interested in photography yet back then, so what my site I envisioned would contain were geeky stuff. *I cringe a little bit, lol*)

3. Is planning on completing the Singapore Map through portraits of Pinoys
I thought of this initial plan to sort of build the Singapore map through Pinoys living and working here in SG. I have been here for a year and a half now, and I am seeking ways to see this place in a different, new, and exciting point of view. It would also be a great way to meet new people. Come let me know if you are interested, I would gladly take photos of you! (as you can see, West coast is barren lol) :D

We Get All Festive

2010-12-19T11:17:00.001+08:00

Subjects:

Abigail Tabios, Yours Truly

Location:

Edgefield Apartment

Camera Used:

Canon EOS 400D

Date:

December 10, 2010

Excited about celebrating Christmas back home, I decided to update my profile picture into something Christmas-y. With our tree as my background (thanks to Daiso and Takashimaya for the new ornaments, btw), I used the dining room light as my light source.

After getting my shot, Abigail comes home and immediately asks me what I was doing. After explaining, she changed outfit into a red sweater, put a little make up and decided to update her own profile pic, too.

Merry Christmas, everyone! :D

Paparazzi

2010-12-19T11:03:00.002+08:00

Subjects:

Chase Freo

Location:

Universal Studios, Singapore

Camera Used:

Canon EOS 400D

Date:

November 4, 2010

Channeling a sought-after celebrity (who occasionally gets annoyed by the paparazzis, but most of the time secretly loving the attention), Chase and I spent a couple of hours taking shots inspired by these photographers. I snapped my zoom lens in place and asked Chase to go a little farther from me while I wait for the crowd to surround him.

I realized it was quite difficult to keep yourself composed all the time, knowing that there is at least one camera snapping away at you.

Singapore Zoo

2010-12-19T10:42:00.001+08:00

Location:

Singapore Zoo

Camera Used:

Canon EOS 400D

Date:

March 20, 2010

Complete Album:

Singapore Zoo (Multiply)

I was pretty much psyched about taking photos of the white tiger in the Singapore Zoo. Turns out, the primates (including the ones I was visiting the zoo with, lol) were quite photogenic, too.

Wasn't able to get decent shots of the giraffe, though. It was too tall!

Ahn's Bridal Shower Invitation

2010-12-19T10:05:00.001+08:00

Software Used:

Photoshop, Lightroom

Here's the invitation I did for Ahn's wedding send-off party last October 13, 2010. It rides on their overall wedding theme - Travel. I may reuse this design one of these days for a website. Maybe. LOL.

King & Dea Ties The Knot

2010-12-19T05:50:00.001+08:00

Subjects:

Mr. & Mrs. Cruz!

Location:

White Rock Resort, Subic, Philippines

Camera Used:

Canon EOS 400D

Date:

October 10, 2010

Complete Album:

Them Who First Tied the Knot (Multiply)

My October 2010 trip back home had a lot of wedding-related events (and responsibilities). The first wedding, appropriately scheduled on 10/10/10, was the first wedding (that I know of, lol) from our college block. Time really flies fast! Next thing you know, baby showers are being planned.

Congratulations again to Mr. & Mrs. King and Dea Cruz! It was a great wedding and God bless on your fruitful years of matrimony ahead.

Here are some of the pictures I took from the wedding by the beach.

Space.

2010-11-21T12:49:00.004+08:00

Camera used for photo:

iPhone 4

Gotta love Daiso. They have a solution to all organization-related problems in our room right now - and they solve it through 2SGD (~ 66PHP) items!

Feeling a little industrious, I spent the last non-working holiday last Wednesday cleaning the room. I was trying to think how to store some of the stuff I won’t be using anytime soon efficiently. Then, I remembered that infomercial with those plastic bags wherein you put your clothes and suck the air inside using a vacuum cleaner and, voila! Space!

After a little research over the internet, I found out that they have such product in Daiso! I should have known. Lol. So, I bought 3 large-sized bedding compression bags to try it out.

The first one was a dud because I accidentally ripped one side while I was vacuuming the air out of it. Learning from my mistake, I was able to store all of my stuff successfully!

A before and after shot is needed, of course:

Now on to a more pressing problem – our weekly battle against crazy dust accumulation. Daiso, help? Lol.

College Nostalgia Repost # 1 - "yey, no classes tomorrow"

2010-09-08T13:11:00.003+08:00

Original Blog Source:

LiveJournal account (Obsolete)

I came across my very old college blog site while taking a short break from work. I had to minimize the browser at one point while I was reading because it made me cringe! Lol. It was as if I was writing a philo paper! Lol! Hahah. Anyways, I read one entry which made me remember that week so vividly. I was graduating and looking at the prospect of working in Azeus at that time, and I remember the feeling of hope and having endless possibilities. Good times.

Sometimes they say you gotta get the kid back in you for you to be able to dream again. To a degree, I feel the truth in that statement. Sometimes, I think it is good to pluck reality out of your system for a bit and let yourself imagine the endless possibilities, but this time you know you are grounded enough to acknowledge that, despite all things you wanted to do, you are indeed limited. That commitment comes from understanding that while you cannot do everything, the choice of doing and trying to excel on the few things you could actually do are fulfilling altogether, thus making it worthwhile.

Now I am sounding like a Philo paper again, amph. So, 6 years ago, here was one of my regular daily stories. It is timely too, as the holiday season slowly creeps into my system and my playlist.

-----

November 22nd, 2004; 12:52 am

"yey, no classes tomorrow!"

este, today pala. :D

hay. what a week! sobrang daming nangyari! aside from the usual classes [na naging Monday ang Thursday, kya 1 beses lang kami nagPhilo at Theo [aaww...]], eto yung mga interesting na mga events:

Azeus company talk, Friday afternoon

Friday was super fun. Although I had a long test sa PoS100 in the afternoon [which I really didn't prepare for, dami kasi ng readings], the whole day was very interesting. Early morning, I did a last check on my resume before going to school. While in school, I wanted to go to AMC lab to get my gift for this week [something continuous and bounded], but it turned out, SARADO! Walang key! Kakainis. 2 weeks na akong walang gift! Anyways, sharing ng resumes kami buong araw, sobrang dagdag-bawas ng entries as people comment on the contents and give suggestions. Astig. Looking at our resumes is so fun - especially Interests [joy wrote "listening to happy songs" haha].

Sa Cravings [kaya lamon kami ng lamon after the talk] yung company talk. they basically discussed their company profile [astig nila] and showed the potential careers in their company. Ok naman. Impressive company... that's why Azeus is a possible career option for me - probably a Software Developer. Ok sobra.

Blue Christmas, Saturday morning

Blue Xmas 2004! AMS held a "Christmas Origami" class, sa Ateneo High School. Supposedly 28 kids from Consti Hills yung amin & the class was supposed to start at 10am, but there were problems dun sa transpo, kaya naiba yung kids namin [naging 16 lang] at late na kmi nag-start [10.45 na ata yun]. The 4 of us [Lady, Joy, Abs, and I] would teach 1 origami each: Toj> Christmas Tree [na lagi nyang sinasabing mukhang tinapakang papel! hmp!], Joy> 8-pointed star, Abs> "Christmas" box [which is actually a candy box, but I can't find of anything else, so I gave a Christmas "feel" to it... hehe], mine was a Snow Flake Card.

It turned out, we need more than 1 hour to teach the kids these 4 origamis. Hanggang 2 lang ang nagawa namin: the 8-pointed star and the Christmas Tree. It was even harder to teach the kids because, for the kids to see what are the steps clearly, we were using Cartolinas! Ang hirap i-fold! But, it was still worth it. May natutunan naman [sana] ang kids sa amin. Kainis nga lang kasi it would have been better if there was more time.

Visit sa Eagles of Hope Bazaar & Halikinu Radio Festival, Saturday evening

Joy, Abs, and I wanted to go to the Halikinu Radio Festival [Henry Lee grounds]. Sobrang early birds kami dun na mga 5 PM, andun na kmi [losers!], so kumain na muna kami sa Grade School. Dahil wala pang nangyayari, we decided to visit the Eagles of Hope Bazaar [Cov Courts]. We ended up eating [again] there. Daming stalls na astig! May malaking kawali [as in ang laki!] na nagluluto ng popcorns.

I was particularly drawn to the JesCom [Jesuit Communications] booth because of the CDs they were selling. Something More, Himig Heswita, Bukas Palad... wah! Kung sino mang nakabunot sa akin, ok na ako sa CD - sana ung "Something More" o kaya "Himig Heswita" o kaya "Best of Bukas Palad Volume 2"... hehe.

So anyway, after eating dinner [I only ate a pretzel from Auntie Anne's busog pa kasi ako sa kinain namin sa GS, sila Joy ung kumain na naman, di ko gets... hehe], balik na kami sa Henry Lee... only to find out tapos na tumogtog ang Boy Elroy! Hindi ko pa sila naririnig! Pero anyway, sobrang astig pa rin kasi we saw the babble, players [sobrang happy nina joy tuloy] at iba pang banda. Special mention sa CADS... grabe. Amazing nina Kit, Kristina at Anj! Grabe! Mga idol!

Although sobrang weird... may rap groups pala dito sa ateneo. hay...

hay, extensive pala tong pagkwento ko ng mga pangyayari. Got to go. I have to do our thesis program.

Again, Merry Christmas!

Christmas Party Presentations

2010-09-07T23:02:00.004+08:00

Video Source:

Youtube

My dear 90's kid,

Let me take you back in time when you were in Grade School and the Class Christmas party is coming up. As leader of the programs committee, you were assigned to ~~ask~~ coerce your classmates to form into groups and perform dance numbers for the party.

You include all your classmates, except four - a female and a male, who will be the master of ceremonies (you didn't know emcee meant that before, you just assumed emcee meant host); and the resident male and female crooners of your class (the ones you always suggest to compete in inter-class singing competitions).

Naturally, since you head the Programs Committee, you are to be part of the dance group who actually wanted to perform - those who start practicing a month before the party and adhere to the MWF-practice schedule after class. Practice sessions are just 30-45 minutes only, as the second trip of the school bus leaves at that time.

So, the roster is ready. To ensure that no group performs the same song, you meet with the team leaders a week after the initial assignment meeting. You meet the four team leaders (you being the 5th leader of the elite group) and discuss the songs. It is agreed that each group will perform two songs.

You casually tell the other group leaders will perform three songs. The other groups do not mind. At this point, the order of presentation has been decided as well, via draw lots. You love it that you got the 5th slot. Finish the party with a bang.

All teams will perform great songs, you tell yourself. Hyped, you add two-Saturday practice sessions in one of your groupmate's house just to give more time to perfect the routine.

You list down all the songs to be performed in the Christmas party. You unearth your cassette tapes and begin your practice sessions soon.

---

For your reference, here are the songs your class will perform:

Your group will perform a medley of a remixed version of Shanice' "I Love Your Smile" (start a little slow), then Black Machine's "How Gee", followed by Wreckx-N-Effect's "Rump Shaker":

The first group to perform will dance Timmy Thomas' "Dying Inside to Hold You" and the Universal Motion Dancers' Remixed version of Erasure's "Always".

Ok, the second group performs the hits "Informer" by Snow and "It's A Beautiful Life" by Ace of Base.

Third group (the one to perform before the singers' performance) shall perform these: 69 Boyz' "Tootsie Roll" and DJ Chumbe's "Extasi Extano".

And the fourth group mashes up these two songs (you didn't call it mash up before, it was just the way you recorded it in cassette tape lol): 2 Unlimited's "No Limits" and The Bucketheads' "The Bomb".

--

Ok, we need to pay homage to our idols back then first. LOL.

Them One-Liners, July ed.

2010-08-07T13:04:00.003+08:00

Camera used for photo:

iPhone 3GS

Even when I was working in the Philippines, my work station would always have a piece of paper and a writing implement within my reach. Usually, it would be a blank side of a printed functional spec that's already done or, in a classic grade school manner, the back pages of a notebook.

These sheets would contain random geometric shapes (from simple lines, triangles, parabolas (I know, geeky!), to this figure that I always drew but never knew what it was called (for the lack of research on my part), so I coined it as "Calisthenics" lol - which later I would find out its name was Tangent Bundle (okay, geekier)).

Anyways, apart from these shapes, I would also doodle some random lines or brain farts that would have persistence qualities in my head. As I am a person who couldn't work without playing any music, majority of these lines would be one-liners from songs.

This habit continued and until now, my workspace will be incomplete without these papers. I snapped a photo of my notebook containing these one-liners that have accumulated this past month:

It contains 13 lines from songs that had LSS-ing effect on me this month:

Please try to avert your attention from the high emo-level of the lines I've written.

Can you guess which songs are these? Of course, a couple of these lines have their titles already in it, but the rest :D One who gets all song titles correctly gets a Kabuhayan Showcase! Lol.

Vote Wisely

2010-05-04T02:41:00.006+08:00

Subject:

Yours truly

Location:

Edgefield Apartment, Singapore

Flight Home/Home

2010-04-14T15:37:00.002+08:00

Actual Date Written

April 11, 2010

Wrote this entry while I was on board my MLA-SIN flight last April 11.

Filipino time had a new meaning for me these past few days. The hours seemed longer and power naps (a.k.a. “mini-sleeps”) seemed more effective back home. I thought it was just in Boracay, which I considered a fantasy island because of how away you are from reality, but I seem to get longer hours when I was back in Manila as well.

In one of the stories in Alan Lightman’s “Einstein’s Dreams”, the genius dreamt of a world with two times – the mechanical time and the body time. The former, I say, is similar to my life in Singapore – where I am greeted by alarm clocks and calendars to remind me of milestones and deadlines. The latter, i.e. translated to living in Manila, in my opinion, is more natural and more flowing. I wake up after a satisfying nap without any alarm clock interruptions feeling rejuvenated. What’s more interesting is that the whole nap time just took an hour.

I began to ponder whether the “vacation factor” played a major role in this disparity of the concept of time between these two locations. Maybe it did, but I shall fully understand it once I go back home for good working as a part time IT professional and part time professor, while occasionally doing some photography work on the side.

Nonetheless, this trip back home reminded me to reevaluate my reasons and my goals. Though lost as I am right now, I see a microscopic light at the end of this tunnel, which is good enough for now. Time may be lost during states of confusion and impulsion, but it is still forgiving and giving. That’s what I hold on to for me to continue the fight.

I return to my book an hour and a half after takeoff hoping to finally finish it this time around (current read: Boris Pasternak’s “Doctor Zhivago”). Meanwhile, the captain’s announcements, which reminded me so much of Ernie Baron, narrates , “We will, ah, cover a total distance of, ah, 1347 nautical miles,” made me laugh a little bit, taking the excess baggage off my shoulders and reminded me, it will all be well and things will fall into place.

In a few more minutes, I am back home in Singapore, ready.

P.S.
To my friends whom I shared my short Pinas stay, I shall see you again soon. Mabilis lang yan.

MRT Literature

2010-02-21T11:03:00.005+08:00

Original Date Written:

February 20, 2010

My phone battery ran out while I was on my way home last Friday night. I felt a little annoyed, considering I have approximately 30 more minutes of idle travel time before I would reach the calm plains of Punggol where we live. See, my way of killing the travel time is by listening to music or playing games installed in my phone (recent addiction: Plants vs Zombies).

So, with no diversion at hand, I easily got tired of looking at the MRT subway signs and waiting for the familiar voice telling everyone what station is next. I had no choice but to play with my other phone (the one I have my Globe SIM on, the very classic Nokia 6230), which has been with me for more than 4 years now.

A few seconds after playing Prince of Persia (oh yes, they have apps before), I began to click the pad towards the My Folders part of my phone and began reading some of the messages I never thought of deleting.

I have a lot of saved messages actually. People close to me know that I am indeed a sentimental kind of guy, and I save even the simple texts like "I miss you, too", even if that person tells me that as often as she can. That's why I find it very hard to delete some of the kept ones when some new one needs to replace the existing ones due to memory constraints.

I even categorized them into the following: “Ouch”, “Aww”, “Inspiring”, “Hehehe!”, “Bday greetings”, “Strength”, and “Roaming”. A little explanation though on some categories that may not be intuitive in title: The “Aww” messages are some of the messages which I thought were sweet; the “Strength” messages are the ones that I usually read when I am feeling lost; and “Roaming” ones are the messages from service providers welcoming me to their country (I just thought it was nice).

So, I will boldly share some of these cherished messages and I am going to take a leaf out of my dear friend Cee’s great blog and will post my own version of “Inbox Residents”.

On a side note, as I write this one this early Sunday morning, while I was looking for the said entry from Cecilia’s blog to get the link, I reviewed her other entries and couldn’t help but feel nostalgic. With a lot of news back home I am receiving here, the statement that time indeed flies fast presented itself to me in a somewhat tangible manner.

Oh, how times have changed since then. There are days when I remember walking along the streets of Makati or Ortigas at night looking for the next great restaurant find with Joy or just going around Megamall by myself looking for nothing but ending up buying something.

So, here are a few messages I keep. Feeling senti again. It is a combination of quotes and messages. LOL! Guess who. Lol.

“An0 ang ga2win m s bgy n nawawala? Hinahanap…
Kung d m mhnp? Pinapalitan…
Kung nde mo mplitan? Kinakalimutan…
Eto ngaun ang tan0ng – ano ang ga2win m s bgy n nwa2la n nde m mhnp, nde mo mpalitan at ayaw m klimutan?
Tinatanggap.”
(Category – “Ouch”)

“Alam mo, gs2 ko lng sbhin syo, hwag mo gawin sa ibang tao yng pag sshhh mo, nakakabastos eh, bka mainis syo yng ganunin mo.”
(Category – “Ouch”)

“Why does the phase ‘I love you’ need an answer though all of us know it is not a question?”
(Category – “Ouch”)

“Sobrang thanks sa lahat ng na-share natin, Tago. It’s been one unforgettable trip. It will last a lifetime, just like the friendships we forged in Kalaw.”
(Category – “Aww”)

“Things I’d like to thank you for this past year, Tago:
1) for making me laugh whenever u coin words or make GQ poses.
2) for popping “be still my heart”, “eval”, “badstrips” whenever appropriate
3) for sharing cool song lyrics from your current playlist
4) for introducing me to RENT
5) for amusing dinner conversations
6) for encouraging me in work wen I feel down
7) for everything that makes you one of d coolest person I’ve ever met.
Happy New Year!”
(Category – “Aww”)

“Called in sick and went home. Thanks.”
(Category – “Aww”)

“Thx dn, it wudnt hv bn ds fun wdout ur frenshp.”
(Category – “Aww”)

“Bat snabero ka today? :-)”
(Category – “Aww”)

“Yan din yung nasa taxi ko! I will not cry! Cause you will be back again soon! I rly missed having you around. How easy it is being with you. Huhu!”
(Category – “Aww”)

“I miss you too! Antanda na naten! Hahahah! Thanks Tags! Super mwah!”
(Category – “Aww”)

“Mamiss dn kta,tags:-( nde p lng ngsink in sken. Waah sa txt ngdrama.ikaw un buhay ng bwat gimik ntn.mamiss k0 usapn ntn 2.sery0s0 man 0 un wlang mga kwentng bgay.pro we’ll dfntely see each 0thr again:-) kung nde kme dyan work.magbaksyon kme. Hehe. Ingat ka lagi dun ha. L0ve u too,tags :-*”
(Category – “Strength”)

“The longer the wait, the sweeter the prize. I like that! Hehe.”
(Category – “Strength”)

“Grbe tago! I miss u so much! As in. Sana nga mtwagan kta kesa sa nag aantay ako plgi sa twag m. Kya lng mas mahal ata un sayo. Hay tago grbe miss n kta! Have fun 2m! Tska God bless… I knw ul impress them. Hehe. Kw pa! Nyt nyt!”
(Category – “Strength”)

"To Rule My Life, Only For Me"

2010-02-10T04:20:00.002+08:00

Video Source:

Youtube

This is one of my favorite scenes from the JOLOGS movie. It really cracks me up every time I watch this.

Ready na kumain si Iza ng soup. Pasubo na sana siya nang hawakan ni Inigo ang kanyang kamay para pigilan siya.

Inigo:
Pwedeng magdasal na muna tayo?

Iza:
Um, okay, okay.

Nagsenyas si Inigo na si Iza na ang mag-lead ng dasal.

Iza, praying:
Amm... Ummm...
Angel of God, my guardian Dear
To rule his love
To mix me here (?)
Ever this day be at my side
To rule my life
Only for me.
Amen.

Laugh trip!

I was able to find that part in you tube (see below). The complete restaurant scene starts at 1:26 and this particular funny dialogue starts at 2:37.

Happy Birthday, Isaac!

2010-02-07T12:55:00.001+08:00

Camera used for photo:

Canon EOS 400D

It's my inaanak's birthday today!
Happy 4th Birthday, Isaac!

Continue to be as makulit, maingay, and mabait, like me! (lol)

I shall see you soon, okay? Do well and be good always. Miss you! :D

CR Break

2010-01-23T22:21:00.004+08:00

Original Date Written:

January 21, 2010

Last Wednesday, the hired help to clean the office came to do weekly scrubbing. It was the first week our company hired somebody to do the cleaning (thank goodness, because I really don’t want to practice my cleaning skills here in the office, too… I get to do that at home every other week).

Not surprisingly, she is a Filipina. I was on my way to the lavatory when I saw her cleaning the other side of our office. With a gift of having a hunch as to whether somebody is Filipino or not, I casually smiled to her and asked her if she is, indeed, a kababayan.

“Pilipino ka pala.”

I said yes, and asked casual questions – where she’s from in the Philippines, how long she has been here in Singapore, etc.

She asked me what course I graduated from. I said I was a Math major. She asked me what course her son should take so as to get a job similar to what I have. I suggested taking IT-related, like CS.

“Buti ka pa nakaupo ka, ako 7 na taon na kong nagkukuskos.”

I try to not make sympathetic responses to make the situation awkward. Favorite response to situations like this: “Aw, talaga?”

I casually said that I should go back to what I am doing and smiled. While she was preparing to leave, I heard an officemate commenting how good the cleaning service was. Cheesy as it may sound, I really did feel proud.

“Paalam, Ate!” I shouted across the room as she heads towards the door.

Interestingly enough, I was listening to Gary V’s “Babalik Ka Rin” prior to that little encounter.

25.

2010-01-14T00:43:00.001+08:00

Camera used for photo:

Canon EOS400D

Blog to be posted later.

Something More

2009-12-30T17:16:00.007+08:00

Camera used for photo:

Canon EOS 400D

This is one of my favorite spiritual songs, with themes of our struggle to look for who we are and our realization that the world has a lot to give. Driven by possibilities, Magis – the willingness to take the extra mile - remains existing innately.

However, no matter how insatiable we all are, we (hopefully) reach the point of acceptance with pride and dignity that we have lived as best as we could.

Let’s try to welcome the New Year with humility, serenity, and endless possibilities.

Happy New Year, everyone! :D

Photo taken last November 2007 (oh how time flies :D). See the complete album here: Lightposts and Thy Will Be Done.

Meet Akiko.

2009-12-25T21:25:00.004+08:00

Camera used for photo:

Canon EOS 400D

Thanks to Ahn and Bem for this cool gift this Christmas. :D

And here's a photo of Akiko with her twin, Krissy (Chase's polaroid from Ahn and Bem also. We all have one Polaroid cam! :D)

Live. Get it Right.

2009-12-17T11:49:00.003+08:00

Camera used for photo:

Canon EOS 400D

Taken last August 2008 at Chocolate Hills, Bohol, Philippines
Full Bohol set here.

Hello World.

2009-12-15T07:10:00.001+08:00

I was trying out this blogger site, and I loved how customizable it is! I like the fact that you can edit the HTML template, making it more controllable, and the widgets that we could add are HTML and JS friendly. Love it.

Anyways, most probably, I would buy www.tagofabic.com and redirect it to this site. Wala lang, just in case I eventually become a famous photographer-slash-IT-specialist (That's the hope! Lol!) Then point my multiply account and other online stuff from this page to make it more centralized.

So there - blogger for my written stuff, and multiply for my online portfolio.

That's it for now. I would still have to fix the look and feel of this site before I am completely happy. Give me until the end of this month to fix it. Similar to my quarterly Multiply theme updates, I would of course, blog about how I designed this site! Right now, I'm leaning towards an all-Black and White site theme. We'll see if my mood sways me into another direction one of these days. Yay! Exciting!

Merry Christmas and a Happy Hello World to everyone.