Love is dead.

It died a year ago.

I died along with it.

I thoroughly enjoyed being able to create the effect that I so much desired here that I really had to do it all over again, this time using pictures I took of my family.

Actually, I already had this plan to create three separate albums, one with pictures of my family, another of my friends, and the third, of random people in the street or places where I have been. I have already made the last two. So when I got back home a few weeks ago, I started shooting away and was a bit hopeful to get some good pictures of my family so I can finally start the third album.

Suffice to say that again, I’m very happy with the results. This time I tweaked my actions in photoshop a bit to get a more lomo feel. Lomography is this sort of aspect in photography where you use a sort of different kind of camera that helps you take photos devoid of the usual rules of photography, like unorthodox focusing techniques, not following the rule of thirds, oversaturated colors, vignettes here and there… and all those sort of things.

Here’s a sample shot I took with post processing already done, which I really liked. It’s a picture of my second brother, Rej. I just love how the color tone came out, with the darkened colors and sort of pale tones giving it a sort of early 80’s feel.

Rej and the effects of Vintage Contemplation

Here are a few more pictures in their post-processed look…

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This is probably one of those very few things that really remind me of the days when we used to go back home (from Saudi Arabia) every Christmas.

I was always a fan of kite flying, plus I always rode my bike during the late afternoons. So when everything is over and done with outside the house, I get back home, set aside my slippers, end make my way to the bathroom to get washed. As I walk along, I always pass by our living room and every afternoon this was what I heard (aside from Mel’s voice which was louder than all the others combined).

Anyway it feels good to finally be able to hear this tune again. Those were the days when ratings didn’t really matter and TV Patrol was as good as it can it. I miss the 80s…

Yes, finally I was able to sell my old laptop. Ye old notebook I dubbed SmallBook back in the day when I was still living over at our old condo unit.

Honestly speaking I have grown so attached to that notebook that I regard it as my next best friend of recent years, especially with my time here in Malaysia. That notebook was a testament of me finally being able to buy something that I have always wanted. I loved it to bits, and I still love it even if it is now, and hopefully, in safe hands. I have taken care of it so much for the past two years that when I sold it, it was still performing like new, no problems whatsoever.

I actually ran into some trouble selling it back home. But knowing how life can be very difficult there, I really didn’t expect it to get sold. Before I got back here, I already posted an ad over at lowyat.net . and immediately got a reply a few minutes later (yes it was that fast). I eventually sold it to a guy named Wan, who was actually buying the notebook for his sister. They are both students.

I suppose what is left for me now is to buy a new one. I’m actually planning on buying a 13 inch laptop from Dell as well. My friend Edrick has the same model and it’s really light and does perform well. Plus it’s a bargain at such a low price. I plan to make the purchase this weekend. I actually have two options, one to buy online or search for one in Low Yat Plaza. But I have a feeling I won’t be able to get one there so I might opt for the former option and buy it online eventually.

Anyway I hope whoever owns it now takes good care of my old notebook. It has definitely kept me sane for the past two years. I have never regret buying it.

So to SmallBook, goodbye and thanks for keeping me company!

Missing Max’s Fried Chicken

Well not really extreme north, but SM North Edsa at that. I have never been to this mall nor have I been to Tri-Noma, knowing that I’m a mall rat and all. I was hoping to actually just stay at home last January 1 but my family insisted we visit this mall and since this will be one of the few times I’m actually at home, I decided that we should go anyway.

We woke up quite early that day so we wouldn’t go thru all the hassle at the MRT station in Taft, which by far is one of the busiest stations in EDSA aside from the Cubao and Ayala stations. We actually were able to get a bus quickly and got to the station also quickly. Riding the train was easy as well since there weren’t much people due to the holiday.

We got there I think around late 10am and walked around a bit. We opted to go to SM North first and look at the Sky Garden there which was supposed to be the latest offering from SM. It was quite nice in a way that the design was sort of  like a strip on a second level with a couple of restaurants, cafes and hangout places along the way.

As we were walking I saw Max’s Restaurant and quickly asked my family that we eat lunch there, since I miss their fried chicken so much. Suffice to say the meal was delicious and very very cheap at that. I just spent around 1000 php for all of us and we were very satisfied with what we ate. I have always felt that Max’s is what Pinoy is being all about, really good food at an affordable price.

After lunch we happen to see this small marching band that the mall has asked to perform. I later found out that this was an effort for all SM Malls during New Year’s day where they ask a marching band to play inside with mascots joining the parade, supposedly for the kids to enjoy their afternoon.

After taking a few pictures, we went to Tri-Noma. Honestly, I was quite disappointed with its design knowing that it’s an Ayala Mall and all. The front garden was nice though, landscaping was good. But the mall interior was not really that of how other Ayala Malls are, especially the flooring which looked like was made up of tiles used for cheap bathrooms in the province.

Anyway after Tri-Noma we finished off the day with a hearty dinner meal in Tropical Hut, which I also missed very much.

So there, I know this is a late entry as I have been very tired the past few days. Here are some of the pictures I took…

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Ok so this is officially my year ender entry, which is late by 3 days, but nevertheless the year-ender.

2009 was kind of mixed year for me. I feel it has been one of my most productive but also trying years but not as difficult as the year before it. 2008 was more of a year that had me down in spirits, tired in work, and challenged emotionally and mentally. 2009, on the other hand was more of a revelation, where I have discovered things that I have never thought I could do.

I suppose the pinnacle of last year was my first serious attempt at a hobby with which I have poured a lot of time on and money as well. Photography has always interested me before, but only in the sense that I wanted to document everything I do and post them as entries in my blog. However last year I realized how much passion I have in “capturing the moment” and eventually I have spent a lot of money in being able to get the things I want so that I can explore this new passion of mine.

Suffice to say I am extremely happy with what has happened. True enough, a picture is worth a thousand words, and I myself never get tired looking at the photos I took last year, especially when I had a few printed (I left my albums back home for my family to see from time to time).

Hopefully this year I will improve more in taking pictures and at the same time stop myself from buying any more things related to photography lol…

Another thing about last year that made me extremely happy was when my brother Rex graduated (early in the year) and eventually passed his board exams, making him our second official engineer in the family. I am extremely proud of my brother, who has always been one of the most persevering and talented people I have ever known. I always wish him well in his endeavors and hope that he will be more successful than me in the future.

Oh and last year was a year of natural calamities as well. With all that, one word comes into mind… Ondoy. It has been a very long time since my family endured natural calamities of that magnitude and I have been very very concerned about how my family was doing at the time. Luckily and with help from God, we were all able to go through those things.

If natural calamities struck us here and there, the economic crunch also had us gasping for air for almost half the year. I myself thought I would have been going back home sooner than expected. Then again, I suppose God had other plans, and now I’m still here, hoping that I can save a wee bit more before I eventually go back home.

There have been so many other things that have happened last year and I can’t all put them here. I suppose I can just say that last year was one hell of a year both having its ups and downs.

This year however, I feel a sense of urgency to accomplish something I have always wanted to do: make an investment. I haven’t fully decided in finality what would it be, but hopefully I would be able to decide soon. I suppose this decision will be the pinnacle of the years that I have worked.

Aside from that, I have this weird feeling that this will be an extremely trying year for me. I have no idea why, but it seems I will be emotionally challenged this year, perhaps none like I have ever imagined or went through before. I hope and pray that I will be able to handle things like I have done in the past.

I hope that this year will equally be a fruitful year for me like last year. I hope to accomplish a lot this year and bring things to the next level.

So here’s the what 2009 has offered and what twenty-ten will be offering. I sincerely hope that this will be a productive year not only for me, but for my family and friends as well.

Cheers and good luck to all of us.

I’m back in the land where the money is. I have been here for more than 2 years already, and still 3 new year celebrations later, I am still here.

Will post my year-ender entry perhaps later. For now I need to hit the sheets…

San Antonio de Padua Church, Silang Cavite
Where Angel and Debbie were united in Matrimony

This is only the fourth time I have attended a wedding at my 20’s. The first the wedding of one of my closest friends, Mozee. The next was the wedding of my childhood friends’ Aldwyn and Joy. The last, before this, was my cousin Mark’s wedding.

By far, I would have to say that this wedding is one of the best I have attended. I suppose it was because I felt the simplicity of the event itself and also felt very happy for my friend Angel, whom I would have to say is one of the kindest and most down to earth persons I have ever met in my entire life.

I wasn’t expecting much from the event since I knew only a few people I know were attending. Also it was my very first time to take wedding pictures, so I was nervous as well. I wasn’t able to take much shots since I wasn’t really that confident moving around. I was planning to just tag along with the other photographers there who were taking pictures. But when the ceremony started, everybody sat down, so it was kind of awkward for me to roam around and take pictures of people there when I wasn’t really the official photographer.

Anyway, needless to say, I still managed to take a few shots here and there, and I was fortunate to have been able to take a picture of the bride and groom, despite their very very busy day.

Oh yeah, and I forgot to mention. The wedding was held in San Antonio De Padua Church, a small and simple church in Barangay Pooc, Silang. What I liked about the place was that it felt so private and simple. It’s one of those Churches that you can imagine to be the setting of a simple wedding in those cute and cheesy romantic movies…

Reception quickly followed at the Tagaytay International Convention Center, where I was lucky enough to be able to take a picture of the bride and the groom during the toast ceremony. I keep on saying lucky here since there were also so many of their guests who had cameras and they all knew each other (both families of the couple have been very very close friends since they were children), so usually I had to give way to most of them.

Anyhow here are some of the pictures I took. I enjoyed having been able to take them and hopefully I’d be able to improve taking wedding photos in the future…

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