The week that was (July 22 - 28)

Sunday: When I got up this morning, my right foot feel so painful as well as my right leg. I tried walking through pain as I took Migmig out for some fun in the sun but we got stuck at Mc Donald's as rain started to fall down. We spend the rest of the morning inside as we wait for her mom to get up and help me with some chores. After trying to put Migmig to sleep, I went online for a while before enjoying the rest of the afternoon here at home. Late in the afternoon, I went online again to check some of my profiles before having dinner outside. When I got back, Migmig was supposed to be asleep but she prefers to play until around 11:00pm before I went upstairs and go to sleep.

Monday: Got up a bit early as we need to get ready as its Migmig's visit to her pedia.   By 11:45am, we were able to hail a cab and get to the hospital, but when we got there, there were so many people waiting for their turn. Were 42nd on the list as the pedia was treating patient #10 (they started the clinic at 11:00am). Since w haven't had any lunch yet, we spend the next 90 minutes at Mongkok eating sub-par dishes. Well, I can't complain much as were already hungry. When we got back, the pedia was treating patient #22. We went down again and had some coffee at Starbucks. We spend some more time at the lobby for almost an hour as Migmig was so active at that point. By 4:30pm, we went back up as its almost our turn. Migmig gained some weight but her immediately changed the minute she saw her pedia. She cried right away and ran berserk. We tried calming her until her injection has been administered. After that, we took a cab home as all of us were really tired and good thing, I didn't made any reservations to any restaurant as we left the hospital at past 5:30pm. We got home 30 minutes later and my wife took our baby upstairs as I rest for a little bit before going out to SM Centerpoint. First, I had dinner at Adobo Connection to check the place and I think we could pay them a visit with my wife and Migmig. Then, I bought some medicine before buying Migmig's milk.When I got back, I went online for an hour before joining them upstairs in bed.

Tuesday: Got up at almost 8:00am as my mom paid us a visit. She just spend some time with us for a few minutes before leaving that made me able to do other things. They weren't able to go out as it was still drizzling outside. Her mom got up late so we got to move a little bit late plus I had a hard time getting a cab as I'm still limping from my swollen foot. I had a quick bite at Jollibee before getting a bus ride to the office. I arrived at the office a few minutes past 3:00pm and I didn't mind if I got late for more than an hour. Honestly, I was thinking if I should report to work or not since I'm not in the mood working. But since I'm having trouble walking straight, I just reported for work to save money and energy from my end. By 7:15pm, I went out to have dinner at Fish and Co. since I have a 50% discount from receiving an SMS from The Bistro Group. I noticed that most people are ordering the same food as well. The food took almost 30 minutes to be served but its worth the wait anyway. When I got back, I got to do a few tickets to help my colleagues before calling it a day. I took a cab so I could be home quickly.

Wednesday: Got up at around 9:00am as I had this terrible headache which probably prevented me from getting up early. I took Migmig down and feed her with some pandesal before we went out for a couple of minutes. For the past couple of days, I've been getting up at 8:00am or so which prevents me from taking Migmig out early. After my baby had her bath, I don't expect that she'd be going to sleep anytime in the morning as she got up late as well but I tried, and I failed. And without much time, I took her downstairs again so her aunt would take care of her while I get ready for work. Since my wife will attend a suppliers meeting at PICC, we took a cab and head straight to PICC. Since the taxi driver reset his meter, I had to walk for 15-20 minutes under the blistering sun to Harrison to get a jeepney ride going to work. I was able to arrive in the office early and I got to a good start. By 2:30pm, I do some bank transactions before having late lunch at Jollibee. I took some emails and convert them to tickets as I got to do some comments exchange in one of the groups in facebooks that I am actively participating. I also noticed that both of my feet were almost okay as I could walk straight again =). For dinner, I had Adobo at Adobo Connection which helped me save money in some ways. After shift, I went straight home via taxi and spend some quiet time before going to sleep. 

Thursday: Got up early at almost 6:30am as I got to scream in pain as my left leg went numb (cramps) again. Its so painful I kinda went upside-down on my bed. Eventually, the pain somewhat subsided and I we (me and Migmig) went down to have some fun in the sun for the first time in days. We had some breakfast at Mc Donald's before walking around the neighborhood. I'd let Migmig walk inside the church before we went back to Nanay's stall to spend more time. When we got back, her mom was still sleeping so we wake her mom up before I prepared my baby's bath. After she fell asleep, I was able to go online for an hour before getting ready. But Migmig got up already so I let Nanay take care of her as her aunt was still sleeping. I forgot an important piece of tool that made me go back home which wastes precious time. I had another set of ID pictures printed but the keeper told me that my USB drive had a virus. It took me a while before I figure it out where my drive got it. I took a PVP bus ride to Makati to kill some time as I'm on leave for the day. I was supposed to attend Sir Jo's Non-Print Day sessions but I was only on reserve list. I wanted to have some merienda at BFast but I didn't like their selection so I went straight to the office and stayed there for a while. I had no choice but to delete all my files from my drive after scanning it and its confirmed that it has been infected. I couldn't reformat it since I don't have administrator's access to my PC (WTH!!!). By 5:30pm, I went out to get ready for some night shots but the weather wasn't so cooperative so I had to stall for time at Caramia located at ATG (Ayala Triangle Garden). I ordered this dessert which I felt that I didn't get my money's worth and it was still raining. I had no choice but to kill some more time. I had dinner at BFast even if I'm not that hungry. I stayed there for an hour and left at 7:00pm. When I got out, the weather was pretty much okay now and I started to take some pictures of ATG at night. I noticed that my shots were pretty much better than I did two years ago. Perhaps it has something to do with the camera I'm using XD but then again, I need to do it more often and I'm thinking of doing night shots in our place. I got back in the office at 10:00pm to get some rest and wrap up. I took a cab going home and both my wife and baby were past asleep. I tried to go online but instead, I sorted some photos for me to edit using the other laptop.

Friday: Got up a few minutes past 7:00am as Migmig was already playing as well. Both of us went down and out to have some fun in the sun. I bought some snacks for my baby after having breakfast at 7-11. Day by day, shes growing big but a bit on the thin side as she's so active I'm beginning to have a hard time catching up on her. When we got back, her mom was still sleeping again so we spend some time resting before she had her bath. Good thing she fell asleep early so I had to prepare for wotk as I took the three-bus route going to the office. I got there just in time and set-up my work station for another round of work. By 7:30pm, I went down again to do some nighjt shots but the weather wasn't so cooperative so I got to take pictures on a shade near the underpass. I got some good pictures somehow but I felt I could have gotten more if it wasn't for the gloomy weather. By 8:30pm, the rain got much worse so I seek refuge and had my dinner at BFast for the 2nd straight night. Then I went back to the office at 9:30pm thinking my colleague would be swamped with tickets. It turns out to be that we didn't have much as we just enjoyed our shift until we went home. But it took me almost an hour to hail a cab as heavy rains continue to pour. I was fortunate that I got a cab by the stroke of midnight and got home safely.

Saturday: Got up at around 7:00am as Migmig was already awake and wanted to go out. We had breakfast at Mc Donald's before I let my daughter walk to her heart's content. Her uncle took her for a walk somewhere else before I went back home to do other chores. Then Migmig and I went back home to wake her mom up since its running late already. I noticed that the weather wasn't as bad as I expected the other night. By 10:30am, I'm already off to work but I couldn't get a cab for the past 30 minutes so I took the three-bus route again and got in the office at 1:00pm. With all excitement for the day I forgot to log-in on time and I logged in at 2:20pm XD. Instead of editing pictures for the day, I decided to upload most the my finished pictures at my blog to make some of my posts more interesting to read. My boss arrived a bit late and went out to get some RnR so I just stayed in the office to upload some more pictures. By 7:00pm, I went out to do some night shots again. So far so good until it rained so heavy again at 8:15pm. For the 3rd night in a row, I had dinner at BFast again before going back to the office at 9:15pm. The rain had already stopped so I took some more pictures before going back to the office. I edit and upload one picture and I think I improved a lot but I need to work on getting a better tripod and a remote trigger soon. I left the office at almost 12:00am as I rested for a while before taking a cab going home.

Canon's First Mirrorless Camera (Canon EOS M)

Well, I'm on leave right now but why the hell I'm here in the office? XD

I just finished shooting some night shots at Ayala Triangle Gardens as I took a breather from carrying a heavy bag. Speaking of which, I have my Canon 7D for almost 6 months now. The only complain I have in this camera is that its so heavy and bulky, I need to use my camera bag most of the time. I guess its time to look for another camera I suppose. 

After browsing through some photography-related forums, Canon has release their own mirrorless version to compete with other brands. 

From Canon's Website

One thing I realize is that having a semi-pro DSLR has its pros and cons, the only con for me being its size and weight. Plus a big DSLR is pretty catchy to almost all security guards wherever you take photos or snapshots. That made me re-assess and realize that I do need a camera with DSLR-like functions but should be as small as a digital camera. 

For me, what I'm looking for in a camera are simple:

1. It should be light and compact especially when I take my family out for lunch or dinner. And also, it shouldn't attract attention especially security guards. 
2. It should work like a DSLR which is capable of taking superb photos and videos. 

With all said and done, the Canon EOS-M is like a Canon EOD 650D but smaller and lighter. It is also comparable with other mirrorless cameras that are already out in the market. 

But I have yet to read some in-depth reviews about the Canon EOS-M as I need to understand its pros and cons. Though eventually, I'll get my hands on this camera and give my own personal reviews soon. XD

#Project140. What it is?

I just saw this a few minutes back and since I won't be able to attend Sir Jo's non-print day (I ran out of slots), I'm hesitant if I'd shoot at ATG tonight or attend this one. Anyway, just read below to know more. ^_^

From Manila Mashable Comunity: It's hard to believe it's already been three weeks since the Social Media Day #SocialMediaCapital festivities! As this month comes to an end, Tweetup Manila's monthly tweetup objective -- and the demand from your wonderful feedback for #SocialMediaCapital -- calls for a July tweetup so that we can pick up where we left off.

On June 30, we unveiled plans for #SocialMediaCapital to extend beyond Social Media Day. On that day, we launched PROJECT140 -- a long-term "social media for social good" initiative that aims to harness the influence of social media and its netizens to help academically-gifted but financially-challenged students.

Project 140 stands for the 140 characters of a tweet and roughly the number of kids we wish to adopt and champion. Between June 30, 2012 and Social Media Day 2013, we intend to identify and select as many children in the poorest Philippine provinces and towns who finished elementary school but may not have the resources and opportunities to pursue high school studies. Based on need and merit, each selected student receives a one-year high scholarship, an allowance and a laptop computer with Internet access.

In exchange, we will ask each scholar to be a champion of his or her community. The scholar may choose to blog, to set up and maintain a website or to use social media as a tool to help him/herself and his community.

Project140 is a work in progress. As such, we would love for you to be a part of Project140 -- to help grow and promote this idea, to help catapult this initiative into an advocacy worth sharing and participating in, and to help realize this dream.

Join us this Thursday to relive the first-ever Social Media Day and to discuss the future of Project140!

Taken from here.

Noah’s Ark: A Patch of Pet Heaven

Swabeng Reminder: This is a PR Post. ^_^

Pinoys are natural pet lovers. To date, the Philippines is one of the top 5 countries in the world with the most number of household pets. But gone were the days when pets are merely trusty watchdogs at home. Many owners have come to treat their pets as companions, friends and even as kids of their own.

What used to be just veterinary clinics to give medical attention to our pets, now services are being offered for all sorts of our pet needs. From pet dental clinics, to grooming salons, obedience class for pets and even pet hotels. All are aimed to provide the best care for our beloved animal friends.

But one important need for our pet is often overlooked- the need for a decent resting place when they pass on. 

Last February 18, BM Cremation Services Inc. and Zoomanity Group, held a groundbreaking ceremony for Noah’s Ark, the very first pet columbaria in the country. The ceremony was held at the 300sqm area at Zoomanity’s Theme Park Paradizoo in Mendez, Cavite. Zoomanity President Robert L. Yupangco and Noah’s Ark Founder and President Tetet Zapanta-Huit signed a contract for the joint venture which coincided with the theme park’s celebration of the Animal Festival.

  “Noah’s Ark Pet Columbaria is the very first pet columbarium in the Philippines,” says Zapanta-Huit, “This is a haven that provides dignity to our beloved pets and memorializes the families' years of unconditional love and devotion. It will exist to provide a memorial and final resting place for our beloved pets.”

Animal advocate and Noah’s Ark PR Executive Karla Kangleon shares she asked Zapanta-Huit to create a crematorium for pets when the latter started BM Cremation Services, a crematorium for humans, three years ago.  

“I’ve lost many pets through the years due to illnesses or old age. Each time a beloved pet passes away, I asked myself, ‘Where can I bury my pet?’ I later found out that it was also a frequently asked question by many of my relatives and friends who also had pets,” says Kangleon. 

Noah’s Ark will be constructed within the Paradizoo Park vicinity. The garden themed pet columbaria will consist of 4000 vaults than can each fit ashes of dogs, cats and pocket pets. Owners of larger animals like horses may place their animal’s urns in three to four adjacent vaults.

“The client has the option to place an urn in the niche initially and reserve the remaining spot for the pets they have at home. The client may also have the option to purchase a single vault as bonery for a single pet if they don’t want their pets cremated,” adds Zapanta-Huit. 

Kangleon adds, “The privilege of choosing your pet’s burial is something that offers a sense of comfort and peace that pet owners are sure to appreciate. This inspired us to create Noah’s Ark, that way we can provide pet owners with a chance to properly say goodbye to their demised pets. “

Not only will you give a decent resting place for your pets, you are also helping other unfortunate animals in the country as Noah’s Ark also advocates animal welfare. With every vault that you buy for your pets, proceeds will be donated to Cara Welfare Philippines and Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS).  “We want Noah’s Ark to positively affect the state of animal welfare in the country,” adds Zapanat-Huit.

For most owners, pets are no longer just pets but as loyal family members that we truly care about. The bond between owners and pets can be very strong especially after sharing years of happiness together. Now this special bond can live even as our pets pass on.

With the opening of Noah’s Ark soon, our trusty pets can get the love and affection they deserve while with us on earth and even in the life after.

Swabeng Thought: If they have this conceptualized years back, I could have took my departed dogs there as they deserve proper resting place.

Monday Night RAW: Episode # 1,000

Today (I mean tomorrow morning) would be one of sports entertainment's greatest feats. Though its still morning in the US, World Wrestiling Entertainment would be airing their 1000th episode of Monday Night RAW.

Taken from Google

Since its debut in January 11, 1993,  Monday night has never been the same again especially when I discovered this show between 1998-2001. Its really good to be a part of history and witness this after around two decades. 

Starting this episode forward, RAW will be now a three-hour show instead of its usual two-hours with more wrestling action and entertainment.

I hope I could watch this later in the morning or if not, I'd watch this in the office.

The week that was (July 15 - 21)

Sunday: Got up early again as I got to do my usual daddy duties which includes taking Migmig out for a walk before having breakfast at Mc Donald's. After a hearty meal, I took Migmig to Nanay first so I could prepare her bath while my wife was still.fast asleep. When I was done preparing, I took Migmig from Nanay so my wife could give her a bath. After bath, I was about to put my baby to sleep but she doesn't want to. We went down to spend some more time with her aunts until my wife took her back up. That was my cue to get ready for another photowalk Sunday. I left home at almost 12:00pm and had a quick snack at Jollibee before taking a bus bound for Lawton. I got there at 12:30pm but I couldn't notice anyone attending the Postal Heritage Walking Tour until Mr Lawrence Chan arrived (I'll write a separate blog about it). Then we started the tour which lasted until almost 7:00pm followed by a foodtrip at a hidden restaurant in Binondo. I got home at almost 9:00pm as Migmig was trying to get some sleep but still couldn't so I took her down and spend some time with her. I went out for an hour so I could go online and catch-up. When I got back home, I joined my wife in our room and turned on the aircon. We didn't go to sleep yet as we try to catch-up with what happened for the past week as well as look into our daughter who was sleeping so beautifully. ^_^

Monday: Got up early and did my daddy duties as usual. My wife got up a bit early to help me with some chores before giving Migmig her bath. When I was about to put Migmig to sleep, she kept on playing hence she kinda perspired so I had to turn on the aircon to minimize it but I had to wipe-off her sweat first. She didn't sleep for too long as she got up after sleeping for an hour and went down to spend more time.We went back up after a few hours but she didn't want to get some sleep in the afternoon. By 5:30pm, we went out to visit Nanay. I was able to have my late lunch and buy some fries for Migmig which she enjoyed. We went back home an hour and a half later and let my sister-in-law look for her while I take a breather. My wife arrived later and she took over. I was able to read some of Sunday's paper before joining them in bed. But I decided to go online until around 1:00am before going to sleep.

Tuesday: By 8:00am, I could hardly get-up from bed since the room was pretty much cold with the aircondition last night. Some of my toes on my left foot is a bit numb and it hurts when I try to wiggle it. Yet I had to get up and do some morning rituals first before taking my daughter down. We were supposed to go out for a walk but after watching a good episode of Kris TV, we just stayed home and bought pandesal instead. Her mom was a bit surprised on why we didn't went out this morning. Anyway, we got pretty much busy until my wife was trying to put Migmig to sleep. I went upstairs to feed my baby before she goes to sleep. As usual, she played a little bit more before she slept at past 11:00am. By that time, I got to have myself ready for my first day of the work week. Though I had some difficulty walking, I got to manage anyway. I rested for an hour when I got to the office before having my blood pressure checked (130/80) and went out to buy something to eat at Mc Donalds. Work was pretty much okay as my colleagues did the bulk of the work. By 8:30pm, I went out to look for a place to eat. I stopped by at Fully Booked in Greenbelt 5 and browsed some books by stephen Covey, Bo Sanchez, Richard Templar and Keri Smith. The entire night won't be enough for all of those books so I decided to move on. Again, it took me a while until I got to Serenitea in Glorietta and finally in Persia Grill after scouting the entire place and getting soaked in the rain. I should have gone straight to Persia Grill instead. By the time I got back in the office, I enjoyed the next few minutes before hailing a cab going home.

Wednesday: We all got up at 7:45am as my mom paid us a visit. Migmig was not in the mood yet and cried when she saw my mom. A few minutes after their bonding time, she kept on smiling and giggling. After my mom left, we went out to visit Nanay and then had some breakfast at Mc Donalds before going back home. My wife was already busy preparing Migmig's bath and after that, it was my turn in putting her to sleep. By 12:30pm, I'm off to work again. It's really painful to walk with a swollen foot that taking some pain killers didn't even help much. I rested for an hour when I got to the office before having my blood pressure checked (130/80) and went out to buy something to eat at Mc Donalds. By 5:00pm, we had a visitor from Singapore as our IT Manager introduced them to us. It was actually the one I liked having conversation with be it through email or over the phone. For the second night in a row, I had my kebeb-dinner at Persia Grill again to think and re-assess my goals. I know what I wanted to do after my contract ends but I have to make sure my plans go as smoothly as possible without worrying much. I got to make myself busy for the rest of the shift before getting a cab home.

Thursday: By 4:30am, my wife and I got awake as Migmig kept on moving. We noticed that she's already hungry and sweating at the same time so I had to turn on the aircon while my wife feeds her. I guess we slept again at 5:00am. Three hours later, Migmig and I went down so my wife could get some rest and for my baby to do her morning walk inside the house. I feed her with some pandesal while watching TV. My wife woke up a bit late and did her share of the chores in the morning before our baby gets her bath. My daughter slept late in the morning at 12:00pm so I need to hurry-up. As I don't have much time to commute to the office plus my left foot still sore, I took a cab going to the office and gambled on a route the taxi driver told me the previous night. Good thing the driver I am with is familiar with the route so I got to Makati in less than 30 minutes I think. I had some lunch at Mc Donalds which gave me my 5th glass collection before walking my way to the office. When I got there, my colleagues in the morning shift told me that my other colleague won't be able to report for work since she's not feeling well. I have to brace myself for some work today XD. Since I am the only one (together with my boss) here in the office, work was pretty much good as I got two calls and some emails and requests to attend to. I was pretty much busy from during those times I had dinner at past 9:00pm already. I had my dinner at Adobo Connection and I guess I need to frequent there to enjoy and save money at the same time. When I got back in the office, my colleagues were already enjoying the day indicating that its time for me to wrap up. I took a cab again heading home and got home in no time. I went online until past 1:00am for the 4th straight night.

Friday: My entire body felt weak and numb. Yet my wife and baby persistently wake me up to get going and by 8:00am, I took Migmig down for some breakfast. We went out also to have some fun in the sun but it was cut short by the sudden change in weather. We went back home and spend the rest of the morning watching TV and playing around. After her morning rituals, she fell asleep all of a sudden and I fell asleep too. By the time I'm getting ready for work, my daughter gets up and doesn't want me to go to work. Good thing my wife's sister got up and spent time with Migmig which helped me get going. For a change, I decided to have lunch at Adobo Connection which I enjoyed even if I reported for work late. When I got in the office, my colleagues were there already so I just did some of my usual stuff at work and online. By 7:15pm, I went out and braved the bad weather (heavy rains) going to BFast to have my wagyu fix. My feet got so drenched in water I feel a little bit uneasy wearing them. I got to watch BGK vs BMEG on a knock-out match but unfortunately, BGK lost. I went back to the office with a wet pair of shoes so I dried them up for the rest of the night before going home. For the 5th straight night, I was able to go online and checked some pages before finally going to sleep.

Saturday: Got up at past 9:00am (9:40am to be exact) as the weather was really cold I don't want to get up from my bed yet XD. Since Nanay didn't went out to their stall, she got to take care of Migmig while my wife got a little bit busy. I went out to do some errands for my wife before assisting her in giving our baby a bath. Then we spend some more time upstairs as I tried to put Migmig to sleep. I was a bit hesitant if I should report for work or not since most roads were already flooded. By 12:30pm, I was able to hail a cab going to the office and got there by 1:15pm. I didn't encounter much problem going to work as floods in some road have already subsided. I warmed my laptop for some post-processing marathon for the entire shift before going down to have some lunch. Adobo Connection was closed for the day so I had some at Lechon Republik. Their food seems to be pretty fair as I enjoyed my lechon paksiw for lunch. When I got back, I started my photo-editing marathon to keep me busy. By 3:00pm, the office is all to myself so I played some music as well. I kinda noticed the pace I am when editing pictures (about 2-3 pictures a minute when editing Jpegs) I got to finish a lot of sets. My boss arrived at 7:00pm to keep me company. Since I was able to edit 7-9 sets in 3-4 hours, I decided to have my laptop checked for viruses and malware. I uninstalled some unsuded anti-virus software on my laptop before installing the latest version of AVG. So far, I am impressed with it and let it scan my entire PC. I went out to grab some lunch by 9:30pm. While on the way, I accidentally slipped outside Greenbelt 5 on a rainy night. The fall was so bad, it took me 5-10 minutes before I could get up. I tried to walk through the pain but its too unbearable. I decided to have dinner at Ma Maison and use my e-voucher for a 50% discount on their Jumbo Hamburger Steak that turns out the promo starts on the 23rd. I got a different dish instead and studied its interiors. There are so many subjects to photographed as well as angles to choose from. After dinner, I went back to the office but my pace was much slower to prevent the accident as all roads seem to be slippery. It was almost 11:00pm when I got back and my laptop was done scanning for viruses so I packed-up and went online for a couple of more minutes before going home at almost midnight. Even I'm limping while walking down, I was lucky to hail a cab and got home in 30 minutes. When I opened the door, Migmig was still awake so I hold her and she gave her daddy a kiss ^_^. Chicken Macaroni Soup was my midnight snack as heavy rains still pour. I wasn't able to take a shower as the bathroom was flooded due to drainage problems every time it rains. I wanted to go online before I sleep but Migmig was also awake so I had to do it tomorrow morning instead.

KONY 2012 Update: Now what???

Since the last time almost all netizens posted and shared Kony 2012 so far I haven't seen any follow-up blogs about this event until I received an email from The Invisible Children.

It is hard to deny that the initial campaign was a success. In fact, I got some figures (taken from Google) to show that social media is an important tool. 

Taken from Google

We took the first step in making him famous. Now its time to make a call to your leaders and urge them this September at the UN General Assembly to collaborate on how to end the LRA crisis and commit the resources to make it happen.

Give them a call

We still have 167 days to go so let's make an impact and save our future generation. To know more about this event, you may check it here.

Postal Heritage Walking Tour Revisited: Manila Central Post Office

In the digital age, the word snail mail may be obscure as almost all of us who use computers rely on email (better known as electronic mail) to send our thoughts, information to someone in a flash. But twenty years back, there was once who reigned known as "The Snail Mail". I've got a collection of those from my dad (who is an ex-OFW) and from a few friends here and abroad. What I like about those mails back then were  the stamps that come from different parts of the world.

Last Sunday, I joined Mr Lawrence Chan for a tour around some of Manila's most interesting spots most people may not appreciate. I recall my first Postal Heritage Tour Experience and I am really looking forward to do a repeat someday. Our first stop was at The Manila Central Post Office. I kinda recall how my mom would take me there to send letters to my dad when he was still working in Saudi Arabia (that was around 20 years ago).Sad to say, they will convert the Post Office into a 6-star hotel. That's another heritage site gone in a few months time.

Compared to my first experience, Lawrence gave us a tour at the back of the Post Office, something that I think he wasn't able to do a few years back. I was able to take some pictures as it may be my last since they will convert it into a hotel. 

We didn't stayed there for long as we head off to other interesting locations that we need to visit.

Pictures to follow soon. XD

Swabeng Random Thoughts Part 4

1. It took me more than three months to follow-up this from my last Swabeng Random Thoughts.

2. I'm still thinking if I should load some of my software (Adobe CS5 and LR4) on our new laptop without having any problems.Though the old laptop still works, its only a matter of time before it dies out on me while I'm in the middle of something.

3. Now that my Project 365 (for Migmig) is done, I'm in the process of going beyond it. Though I'm still thinking of a new Project 365 but I don't know what would be my subject. I'm thinking of Danbo but I have yet to get one (or more). 

4. From 60 pending blogs, now its up to 84. Not counted are 30 more as it's still drafted on my Starbuck's 2012 Planner. 

5. I may get 2-3 planners for 2013 as I need to choose the best ones. I currently have 7 planners this year and I'm using only one of them XD.

6. With 10 photography books (plus several photography magazines), I guess I need a new shelf for them. 

7. With 2 months and a few more days before my contract ends, I need to update my resume for both print and online. At the same time, I need to edit some pictures on a Saturday in the office. So far, I'm making headway for 2011 albums as I got to edit around 15-20 sets.

8. With my dead tooth still with me, I need to stabilize my blood pressure first as I could compare it from a roller coaster. I know I cannot have it extracted in the afternoon as my blood pressure is high during those times.

9. Migmig really needs a "yaya" to free up everybody's workload at home.

10. I guess I have to start backing up every post I made already. Using MS Word 2003/2007/2010 would be a good start I guess XD.

The week that was (July 8 - 14)

Sunday: Got up early as Migmig was already awake. We just went out for a walk before coming back home so she could have breakfast there. We went upstairs to wake her mom up before going down again. That was a busy morning as the entire family will be out the entire afternoon. By 12:00pm, we took a cab going to SM North Edsa to spend the afternoon there. Two cabs were hailed as there were 9 of us waiting. We got there first and we looked for a stroller for Migmig. When the rest of them got there as well, we went to The Block to have lunch at Aristocrat (I'll write a blog about this). Then we went to The Annex as my wife needs to claim a new phone for her officemate. I was able to take pictures of Migmig while we're waiting for her mom. Then my wife told us to go ahead to trinoma as she may take a while to claim the phone. Well, we went to Trinoma via Sky Garden to have a different view and took a few more pictures. As we ascend Trinoma's escalator at North Ave., Migmig fell asleep on Nanay's (my mom-in-law) shoulders. We waited at the activity center for about an hour or so. I looked for an ATM as I fell we need cash later on and I was able to buy some Nutty Oatty again. Migmig got up an hour later as my wife has just arrived. We went up to the 4th (or 5th) floor to take more pictures. Then we went to The Landmark as my wife needs a bag for her new laptop. Again, the waiting game took another hour or so before she was able to buy what she needs. Then, we head off to the food court as Nanay wanted some halo-halo from Razon's and its already dinner time. After dinner, all of us head home and we took a cab. It didn't take us long to reach home. When we got home, my wife put our daughter to sleep and I went out to go online and do some updates. I joined them early so I could catch some more sleep for the next day.

Monday: Got up at almost 8:00am as I took Migmig out for a walk before having breakfast at Mc Donald's. An hour later, we went back home so she could wake her mom up and give her a bath. Then come nap time, it took me a while before she slept before I opened the laptop and check some stuff online. By lunch time, her aunt (my wife's sister) took care of her the entire afternoon as I went out to go online again. I find it hard to go online in the afternoon at home when Migmig is still awake and doesn't want to sleep yet. When I got back home, we went out again to visit Nanay and spend some time there. My wife arrived at past 8:00pm and took over from there. I was able to read Sunday's paper before going to bed. As the weather was a bit humid, my wife turned on the aircon so we could all sleep soundly.

Tuesday: I had to get up early as my mom will pay us a visit. She got here at almost 8:00am as my baby was throwing some tantrums on me and her lola before she behaved well. After she left, we went outside to visit her other lola and stayed there for a couple of minutes before we went back and woke her mom up. The usual parent-stuff were done before we left home for work. I got in Makati early so I did some shopping at SM for my baby's diaper, making sure her supply is still steady. I grabbed something to eat at KFC as I haven't had lunch yet. Work was pretty much okay as my colleagues handled it for me. By night time, I got to settle our internet bill before looking for a place to eat. I was supposed to go to The Cheese Steak Shop at Amorsolo street but it rain started to pour. Not just rain but heavy rain so I'm stuck at Greenbelt. I tried looking from there until I ended up at Landmark's food court and had chicken from Savory and took some bibingka from Ferrinos (to go) and grabbed a big bottle of Gatorade before heading back to the office. I enjoyed the rest of the day while having bibingka at my desk waiting for the clock to strike 11:00pm. By then, I took a cab so I could get home quickly. My wife and daughter were fast asleep when I got home but my wife woke up telling me to wake her up at 5:00am. 

Wednesday:  I got up at 5:00am as I need to help my wife with her things downstairs. She told me to feed Migmig as she knew our baby was hungry already. I was able to get some more sleep once our baby's done with her milk. We got up at almost 8:00am and we went out for some fun in the sun. I did some morning rituals before taking Migmig to Mc Donald's for breakfast. Then I took her to her lola first as I prepare her bath as well as our room before they got back at almost 9:30am. Her lola gave Migmig a bath which my baby quietly cooperates. By 10:00am we were upstairs trying to put her to sleep but she slept at past 11:00am. I went online for a few minutes before getting ready for work. By 12:30pm, I'm off to work XD.Good thing I got early to Makati and I was able to have lunch at Savory before heading straight to the office. I got  a few tickets before going out to have dinner. I decided to look for The Cheese Steak Shop's new branch at Amorsolo Street. But I have to walk for 15-20 minutes just to get there as their new store is much farther than the previous one along Pasay Road. The new place was much smaller compared to the old one. It didn't took me that long to finish my sandwich before I took another 15-20 minute walk back to the office. Since my wife won't be home for the next few days, I have to go home early to be with my daughter. Good thing Migmig was fast asleep when I got home which I was able to get some rest early.

Thursday: Got up at almost 8:00am as my mom went upstairs and paid us a visit. Migmig didn't recognize my mom at first not until a few minutes after we went down. They went outside as I was able to do some morning rituals before they came back, She had mamon for breakfast as we didn't went out for her usual fun in the sun.When Nanay came home, I was able to fix my baby's bath before she gave her one. I got to clean our room while Nanay takes care of Migmig. After her bath, I tried putting her to sleep but it took me more than an hour before she slept. Anyway, I didn't mind as I am on leave anyway XD. I left home at almost 1:00pm and went online to a netcafe nearby. By 2:00pm, I'm off to Digiprint along UN Avenue to some pictures printed. Then, my next stop was at Zark's to have a Jawbreaker for lunch. The place was packed and I have to wait for a couple of minutes before I got a table. I didn't stay that long and I took the next bus to WTC to attend FHM's 100 Sexiest 2012 (I'll write a blog about it). After the party, I stayed for a while to catch-up with some friends before I took a cab at Ayala Ave. When I got home, Migmig was crawling out of the bed so I changed and took a shower as fast as I can so I could put my daughter to sleep. But she didn't want to sleep yet and instead, played the laptop with me while I'm trying to upload some photos I took from the party. I think she wanted to spend some more time and I gave her what she needs. I just turn the aircon on so that our room won't be warm and humid. I think we slept at around 3:00am more or less.

Friday: We got up at almost 8:00am as Migmig was already sucking her thumb indicating that she's hungry. Even if I slept at almost 3:00am, I had to get up and make sure my daughter's needs were taken care of. We went down for a walk before having breakfast at Mc Donald's. She ate as much as she could but I guess she wanted to go out again so I took her to Nanay so I could fix her bath and our room as well. Then it's my turn to take care of my daughter. Good thing she fell asleep after feeding her 6oz. of milk. I got to go online even for almost an hour before I got ready for work. I had to do some stops as I need to buy vitamins for her and mouthwash for me. Then I took a quick lunch at Savory at Food Choices before going straight to work. Actually, I am not supposed to report for work because I should have attended a seminar for advanced blogging but my wife didn't let me so I just went to work anyway (Jinx #1). When I got in the office, my colleagues told me that my other colleague won't be working today as he needs to attend some interviews left and right (Jinx #2). When my boss arrived, he thanked me for reporting to work and had my leave for today canceled. But I had to answer several emails and 2 calls though (Jinx #3). By dinner time, I know I wanted to have some Wagyu but when I went down, it was raining hard and I forgot to bring my jacket with me (Jinx #4). When I went back down again, rainfall was so heavy my shoes got soaked in the water (Jinx #5). I got to enjoy my wagyu dinner before going back to the office. After work, It took me around 30 minutes to hail a cab as people were doing the same thing (Jinx #6). Instead, I walked a few more blocks before I was able to hail a cab. But I had a bad feeling that the cab's meter is not working properly so I was charged a bit higher than my usual taxi fare considering I walked some (Jinx #7). When I got home, Migmig was past asleep but she felt that I'm home so she cried that she's hungry. I got to feed her first before both of us went to sleep.

Saturday: I got awake at 6:30am as Migmig was already hungry for milk. I fed her and changed her diapers, then I fell asleep again. I got up finally at 8:00am as Migmig was already playing in our room.We went out a bit late but I'd still let her walk for a few minutes before leaving her to Nanay so I could prepare her bath, clean our room and prepare my things including my laptop before taking her back home. After Nanay gave her "apo" a bath, I went up and put Migmig to sleep though it took me a while (almost 12:00pm). I left home at 12:30pm and took the 3-bus route going to the office since I have a heavy backpack with me. Traffic was quite heavy yet I arrived in the office just in the nick of time. I bought some lunch at KFC before setting-up my laptop for another Photo-Editing marathon. I got to finalize 12 sets though I didn't do it in succession. I hope for the next Saturdays until my contract expired, I could finish all of my pending albums for 2011 before I start with my 2012 sets. After my shift, I took a cab going home and I was able to get home early. My wife has already arrived and was busy online before I went to bed to get some sleep.

FHM 100 Sexiest 2012 Victory Party

This would be my 6th in a row since I started attending this event. This also keeps me connected with some friends from the FHM Bullboard as well as my other photographer friends despite with my busy schedule, I made sure I won't miss this. 

Last Thursday (July 12, 2012) I arrived at The World Trade Center at 3:30pm (my earliest XD). A few minutes after, I saw some of my friends there as they fall in line as well. I was able to score some tickets from one of my friends who happens to be a Moderator of FHM-Bullboard XD. With luck on my side, I was able to secure a VIP Slot in which means I could position myself for a better shooting position.

By the time we got in, I scouted for a good spot to shoot. A few of my friends were able to get up to the photographer's ramp and I got up there as well. 

When the show started, I started taking pictures from the ramp. Unfortunately, I was pulled down by the bouncers as I couldn't show them an ID (I'm guessing some loser told the bouncers he/she can't secure a good spot like we had). When I got down, it was too crowded at the VIP area for me to take pictures. I strolled around the area before going back to the VIP to take pictures. 

I was pretty far from the stage plus I don't have a good position towards the stage. I guess I need to get a lens that can cover longer focal lengths in the near future for incident like these. At the end of the event, I enjoyed because I was able to spend some good time with friends that I only see once in a while. 

Unfortunately, I have to go home after the event as I had work the next day and my daughter was waiting for me back home. 

Pictures to follow soon. XD

Swabeng Thoughts: Things I've learned from FHM's 100 Sexiest Victory Party (Some Tips)

Since 2003, FHM always have this party as a tribute to the 100 sexiest pinays in the land. I've been attending this party since 2007 and somehow, I was able to collect all the experience possible. Anyway, I'll share what I have learned in the past 6 years. 

1. It pays to have a connection: As a member of the FHM Bullboarders (A Forum for FHM Fans and the like), they do have moderatos who maintain the forums clean and troll-free. At the same time, they also receive invites to share with their friends (you have to know them for a while for you to get their trust). And it happens to be that I'm friends with some since 2006 though I only got invites from them in the last two years (including this year) XD. Aside from that, make sure to be friends with people who always have access to the event be it on a regular admission or the VIP.

2. Prepare early: As early as two months prior to the show, some of the sponsors raffle off tickets to the party. Some personalities (from models, to admins), also raffle off some tickets to deserving winners so its not a bad idea to start early. I got my first four invites from joining contests even if I know my moderator friends would save one for me XD.

3. Know the stage: For the past six years that I have attended this event, the stage where all the beautiful ladies, would walk on changes every year depending on the concept of the show. The worst stage that I remember was in 2009 and the best so far was this year and last year. As a photographer, you should determine which spot would they (ladies) usually stop for a pose as well as the best position to take pictures at. 

4. Know your priorities when shooting: I remember taking pictures of all models on each booth a few years back that I forgot to secure a good position to take pictures of the show. For two year in a row, I've been more focused on taking pictures of the show that I forget that some good things do happen on some booths. If I only have an all-access pass I could cover both but I am happy so far. 

5. Be early at the venue: Some people would be there as early as 4 hours before the event. I got there at 3:30pm (my earliest XD) since I don't have a ticket at that time. But one reason its better to be early is to be able to take some pictures of the booths from the sponsors or go as close as you can to the stage (be it at the regular admission or at the VIP). Last year, we got close to the stage and got some decent shots. 

6. Make sure your nourished: Waiting outside for the doors to open and inside for the show to start can make one hungry. Have a heavy meal before you go in so you would have enough energy to last the entire night. Have sips of water or energy drink but don't overdo it as you may do frequent trips to the bathroom which you may lose your shooting spot to someone else. 

7. One or two steps up: Some photographers would bring a ladder or a chair to step-on to get a better vantage. Maybe next year, I'll try to invest on one and go a step or two up.

8. Have fun: Since the event is mostly dominated by guys like you and me with some ladies as well, have fun and enjoy the show. ^_^

Well that's all I can recall for now. I may add some more here or I'll put it on another post. ^_^

Anyway, here is a teaser of what to come soon.

A preview. Nice to look at but please, no stealing. God is watching you. ^_^

Enjoy this one. ^_^

Capture as it happens in Makati (A Photo Contest)

Last Saturday, I saw this event from Pinoy Photography Forums about another photocontest in Makati.Its been two years since I've took photos of Makati without being bothered much by security guards.

Taken from Google

With five categories to join to (join one or join all from Artsy Makati, Green Makati, Party Makati, Sporty Makati and Techie Makati). You may win up to 75,000 pesos in cash so if I were, you, I'd give it a try.

For more details, you can check their website at makeitmakati.com for more details.

I just hope the weather is cooperative enough so I could do some night shots again. XD

Thank You Tito Dolphy

As of presstime, the King of Comedy Rodolfo "Dolphy/Pidol" Vera Quizon Sr. has already joined our Creator at 8:34pm due to Multiple Organ Failure (He was 83 years old). There was even a dispute from twitter that he is still (I'm hoping) alive but sadly he already left us.

RIP Tito Dolphy (July 25, 1928 - July 10, 2012)

I still remember how he made everyone at our home (as well as our ancestral home in Batangas and Pampangga) laugh at his jokes. From the 60's up to the present, he never fails to tickle our funny bones. I grew up watching John en Marsha as well as Home Along the Riles every Wednesday (or Thursday) night and I do remember some of his antics that made me laugh.

He may not received the "National Artist Award" for now (he prefers to receive the National Arthritis Award),  but in our hearts, he is the one and only "Comedy King". By now, he is cracking jokes with Panchito, Babalu, Redford White, Pugak and Tugak and other famous comedians who are already with our creator.

You may read more news at The Philippine Star, GMA Network, Yahoo, Rappler, Inquirer, and FHM.

To the Quizon Family, we extend our deepest condolences for the departure of their King. We join the entire Filipino Community in praying for the soul of Mr. Quizon.

The week that was (July 1 - 7)

Sunday: Got up a bit early to take our daughter out for a walk. To kill more time, we took an LRT ride and dropped off at Santolan Station from Legarda (where we live). I kinda enjoyed it and probably do it a little more often perhaps XD. When we got back home, my wife was still asleep so we woke her up so she could get going. We made sure our baby was well taken care of before we put her to sleep. I transferred some files from our old laptop to our back-up hard drive but it felt like my set of file-transfer was running slow it took me almost 3 hours to finish. By 3:00pm, we were able to hail a cab going to Greenhills to have our late lunch at Torch's (I'll write a blog about this). Just in time that we got there when it started to rain cats and dogs. After almost 2 hours, the raid stopped and we waited for another cab going to Robinson's Galeria. In less than 15 minutes, we were there already. We head off to one of Sun's payment center as my wife was inquiring for some units that she may want to purchase in the near future. Then as we were about to go home, we had some refreshments at Serenitea before taking the bus back home. Well my wife took care of our daughter as I got to back-up some files from our old laptop to our back-up hard drive for me to transfer it to our new laptop. Fortunately, my data transfer was much faster compared to this morning. I got to read Sunday's paper to relax before going to bed.

Monday: Got up early so I could take Migmig out for a walk. Then we had breakfast at Mc Donald's but we didn't stay there for long as my baby got a little bit impatient and wanted to walk some more. When we got back home, we woke her mom up. Then I tried putting her to sleep but it almost took me that long before I got successful. When she slept, I got ready and left for SM North Edsa. It took me almost an hour to get there and when I got there, I didn't waste any time looking for good restaurants to visit when my sister-in-law celebrates her birthday this coming Sunday. While I was roaming around, I couldn't help it but feel sleepy and dizzy at the same time. After searching the entire SM North Edsa, I had my late lunch at Sakae Sushi just to be on the safe side. I thought having some food with wasabi would make me awake but to no avail. Then I head off to Trinoma this time to look for more options. After I felt I searched more than enough, I just strolled around the mall until I decided to take the MRT and go home. I passed by Fully Booked to buy some books. I got some titles for as big as 80% discount. Imagine for a 500-peso book, I just pay around 50-80 pesos each. When I got home, I guess they're sleeping soundly which I wasn't able to get in initially. I just went online until 7:30pm and went back home. I felt a bit worried to see Migmig having rashes again and having a hard time peeing. I told my sister in law not to put diapers on Migmig until her mom arrives. Everytime I carry her, she cries out loud probably in pain and I'm almost helpless as my mom-in-law took over until my wife arrived at almost 9:00pm. She took over as I followed them as soon as Migmig fell asleep. I hope the next day would be better for her.

Tuesday: Got up at past 8:00am on a rainy Tuesday morning as Migmig just got up as well. Thank God, her rashes didn't hurt her as much as the other day. Since we can't go out, we made the most of our morning inside as we watched TV while feeding her some pandeal (and she's liking it). ^_^ After giving her a bath, it took me a while before Migmig fall asleep and then I got ready for work. I left at past 12:00pm as it was raining hard I thought my umbrella won't hold it's own. I bought some ointment for Migmig's rashes just incase it re-occurs again before I proceed. I stopped at World Chicken in Glorietta for lunch as I haven't ate yet and then grab some drinks at Chatime. To my surprise, I got in the office just in time.Work was pretty much okay as I got to do two tickets and answer a call. I just had KFC for dinner as I don't want to trouble myself with what to eat. After my shift, I took a cab going home and when I got home, my daughter was fast asleep and she's not irritated with her rashes. I got to relax for a while before going to sleep.

Wednesday: Again, I got up at almost 8:00am as my mom paid us a visit while I'm still in bed. I got to fix some things before taking Migmig downstairs to spend some time with her other lola (my mom).  I got to do also some of my morning rituals before I took Migmig out for a walk. That walk lasted for only a couple of minutes before we head back home and wake her mom up. It was a pretty busy morning for all of us as we prepare for Migmig's bath. It took me a while (almost 12:00pm) to put our daughter to sleep before I got ready for work. I need to rush since I was almost late but not without passing by Fully Booked to buy some magazines. Since it's the 4th of July, we were expecting that there won't be any calls nor emails. Then my wife texted me saying she's already in Makati as she want's me to accompany her to claim something. I waited for her outside as it rained all of a sudden. Instead of looking far to where my wife and I would eat, we ended up at Bob's near our office. I showed her a paper on Manila Hotel's 100th anniversary and were considering booking on October 6. Then I walked my wife till we parted ways as she needs to go somewhere first. Well we got busy at work with an hour to go but we need to have the issue escalated to our counterparts in the US who are celebrating 4th of July. I took a cab home as the rain stopped already. When I got home, my wife was still up while Migmig was fast asleep. When we were about to sleep, Migmig threw-up all of a sudden that made me and my wife worried a bit. It turns out that our baby kinda ate more that she can handle as I notice the bulge in her tummy. We got to spend some time with her before putting her back to sleep. We joined her soon after and fell asleep too. 

Thursday: We got up at past 8:30am on a cool Thursday morning if Migmig didn't cry for milk. We didn't go out as the sun was already up high so we spent our morning indoors.We woke her mom at 9:30am so she could do her part and speed things up at home. Then it was playtime for me and Migmig until I was able to put her to sleep before getting ready for work. I grabbed some siomai on my way to work to easy my hunger before having late lunch at KFC. Well work wasn't much as our boss was away for a week. By 7:00pm, I went out to SM Makati to buy some milk for Migmig but there was a bomb scare there when they saw a box there unattended. Good thing no bomb were found so life just goes on for everyone. Then I need to look for something to eat as I ended up at Teriyaki Boy and ordered two different maki's. When I got back to the office, I enjoyed the maki and got so full since its heavy on the stomach. After shift, I took a cab and got home in no time to get some much needed rest.

Friday: Got up at 7:30am with some chest pains on the right side. I was able to take Migmig down for a few minutes of walking outside before heading to Mc Donalds for breakfast. One of the crew there liked her so much that she wanted to carry my baby but Migmig is not in the mood yet D. But she's in the mood to eat breakfast as she was able to eat as much as she could to my delight. Then we went back home at almost 9:00am to wake her mom up. It her mom's turn to take care of her while I'm resting for a couple of minutes.   After she slept as early as 10:15am, I was able to go online and edit some photos as Migmig didn't got up while I'm on the laptop and while I'm preparing for work. I left home at past 12:00pm so I could get something to eat while on my way. I didn't find the food that I want so I had some Nutty Oatty from Fruit Magic and some pretzel at Auntie Anne's  before reaching the office. I was able to make a call on one of the restaurants I wanted to visit sometime soon. I went down at almost 4:00pm to have my blood pressure taken (150/100) before doing some transactions in the bank with the voucher I bought from Cashcash Pinoy. I was suppose to have dinner at 7:00pm but I need to make sure my colleague can handle himself  before I leave. For dinner, I went to BFast to have my wagyu cravings even if I'm not feeling very well. I didn't stay there for long as the buffet spread was quite slow. I was  a bit full when I got back in the office. Well work wasn't that much as we got some emails sparingly. It took me a while to hail a cab after being rejected by several taxi drivers giving out their old lame excuses. Luckily, the one I got knew some shortcuts and took me home at the least amount of time (and taxi fare). When I got home, I did some laundry and got some of my things ready for the next day.

Saturday: Got up at almost 8:00am and we went out for a walk. But the weather wasn't that cooperative and its drizzling a bit so we didn't stay out for long. After we got back, We went up to her mom at 9:30pm as she'll be having an appointment with her hair stylist as she wanted to dye her hair (again!). I wasn't able to put Migmig to sleep so I just took a bath and get ready for work. Since I'll be carrying our old laptop, I took the three-bus route going to work so I had to leave home at 12:00pm knowing that traffic would be inevitable. Heavy traffic along Taft Ave in La Salle where a lot of student queue-up for some discount. Thankfully, I got in the office with plenty of time to spare. I rested for a while before going down to have my blood pressure checked (130/80) and have lunch at KFC. It was a late lunch as I haven't ate any since I got up this morning. Then I bought a big bottle of 7-Up before going back to the office for our special session since our boss is away for the entire work week. By 3:30pm, I took the laptop out and started editing old pictures that I took since last year. And I was editing RAW pictures which was really tedious yet rewarding as I got to learn a lot from it. Together with a few shots, I guess I was able to edit more than a hundred RAW photos which I need to do some final touches before uploading them. We really enjoyed our shift as I also played some old school heavy metal music from my laptop. I had late dinner at past 10:00pm as I'm done editing for the week and maybe I'll do some more. By 11:15pm, I'm done for the day and took a cab going home. When I got home, I fixed some of my things to bring for Sunday's day-out with the family which includes my camera before going to bed.

Things I've Learned from my Photograhy Mentor: Composition

Note: This took me around 18 months to complete this XD

I was supposed to be the first one to arrive at his studio on the 15 of January (2011) but since it wasn't yet 2:00pm, I went to Yogurbud to have a quick bite. When I got inside his studio, I was the third one to arrived and waited for the rest of our classmates to come in before our second lecture starts.

But before Sir Jo started his lecture on composition, we submitted our assignments and have it critiqued by him and the entire class as well. My shot was the 3rd to the last that was critiqued.

Initially, I thought I did well on my assignment but I was wrong. There were some parts of the picture that needs improvement as well as with my composition. I guess that how my shot got critiqued by one of the best photographers in the country today plus I kinda noticed it just after Sir Jo gave his comments on my photo.

After the critique session, he gave us a lecture on Composition. I agree that to be a better photographer, you must gain ample experience for you to develop your vision as a photographer. To learn composition, there are no shortcuts to it and you only learn it through experience. 

Sir Jo gave us five simple rules. First is A cow eating grass isn't a pretty picture. This would be the time when you take a picture no one understands. The picture should be able to communicate with the viewer and it should have its story. Second is Fill the frame with your subject. This eliminates visual clutter in the picture which may cause distraction to the viewer. You may use your feet or your zoom lens when moving closer or away from your subject. Third is Get lucky. When you take a few shots, chances are that you may get only a few decent photos or worse, you won't get any decent photos at all. Try take more than one picture but try to vary your position from the subject and shoot from different perspective. Don't forget to check your pictures to check for any improvements. The more you shoot, the more chances you get lucky but don't overdo it. Fourth is The middle is often boring. Most beginners do fall for this thinking that every object placed in the middle would create a good image. Though this would be true for some, but for most images putting it in the middle makes it boring. Trust me, I've been criticized much because of this. You could put your subject above or below the center or to the right or to the left from the center to make the image more interesting. And Fifth is Never fall in love with the sidekick. What would probably insult any photographer is that the viewer would look at everything else on your photo except your main subject (the hero). The sidekick gives support for the hero to make the photograph more presentable. If the viewer cannot recognize the subject, the image would simply be wasted regardless of how much effort produced. 

Light is also important when taking a photograph as this is the most basic element in a photograph. This may make or break a photograph depending on your intention. But at times, available light can be ugly so good lighting should be recognized to produce good photograph. 

Visual elements was also discussed like color, shape, pattern, texture and form. But I'd leave the researching to you guys as this may lengthen my post if I include it as well =P. 

Anyway, here are 10 things I've learned for the day.

1. Take time to study wasted shots.

2. If its not good enough, you're not close enough. - Robert Capa

3. The quality of light is much more important than quantity.

4. Try shooting the same scene horizontally and vertically to see which is better.

5. Use active angles to your advantage

6. Never ask your subjects to say "cheese". Instead, have them say "A".

7. By getting the lighting right first, problems with composition will be solved.

8. Learn to look at the frame as a whole

9. Learn to recognize decisive moments

10. Always have a camera with you.

Want to learn more, enroll at his class. XD

Part 3 coming soon (I hope XD)

Summer Time Extended in July (Covergilrs for July)

I mean for a magazine collector like me, these covergirls would extend summers as they sizzle in their respective covers. 

1. FHM: Jackie Rice: Want more extra rice? After more than 2 years since she first grace the covers in January of 2010, she's back and got sexier. I'm currently reading it right now here in the office XD.

FHM July 2012 Cover

2. Esquire: Georgina Wilson: How would you spend 10,000 hours with her given the chance? Well there are a lot of ways to do it with the Fil-Brit Model, VJ and universally acknowledged "It-Girl".

Esquire July 2012 Cover

3. Rogue: Iza Calzado: Since her move to the kapamilya network, things went well for the former kapuso star. But I have yet to buy this as its not yet available as of the moment. This would be their fifth anniversary issue as well so get a copy while it's still available. XD

Rogue July 2012 Cover

Update (as of July 20, 2012)
4, Playboy Philippines: Juliana Palermo: Since May 2003 (FHM Cover), I haven't seen her pose for any magazine until now. I guess waiting for eight years is worth the wait. With the two cover tactics of Playboy, its pretty hard to choose which one to get. XD

Cover A

Cover B

Before stock runs out, better get a copy. XD

My Second Social Media Day Experience

When I got to Tea 101, I just had myself soaking wet no thanks to the map I got XD. Though I've attended another Social Media Day event at The Ayala Triangle Garden, I felt that most people there didn't have the liberty to socialize as much as they could. Probably the big space of the venue for the event plus with so many sponsors could be one of the culprit why people were spaced-out and pre-occuppied. XD

So much for what happened during the first SMD 2012. Now for the 2nd SMD (Social Media Day). 

And as I entered Tea 101, I got to meet a lot of people from different walks of life with different ideas but share the same social media addiction. With the rise in popularity of teas and milk teas  everyone of us got our stomachs full with unlimited refills. 

Spearheaded by King Del Rosario, we started the program with an interactive activity that requires us to meet new people. It was really fun meeting new people and seeing old ones as well. I liked his speech on how we should occupy social media in the country and comparing it to occupying Wall Street. 

Top-notch director Jose Javier Reyes also gave us an inspirational talk on an awful truth why we have friends on facebook and twitter the fact that we should live outside the virtual world and enjoy it to the fullest. The friends we have online may not be the same when were offline. 

At the end of the event, I really enjoyed good company, good drinks and a new sense of enlightenment that is The Social Media. 

Pictures to follow soon. XD

The week that was (June 24 - 30)

Sunday: Got up a bit late as we went out again to do some walking. Instead of having breakfast at Mc Donalds, we just had some bread back home so I could save some money. I just had to enjoy as much time as I could before we get back home. Then we woke her mom up so she could give our baby a bath. When its nap time for our baby, I let my wife took care of her while I got to watch some TV later in the morning. By the time our baby got up, we got ready since we need to go somewhere. First, we had our late lunch at Florabel and spent around an hour and a half before we went to SM Megamall to look for a laptop for my wife to use on her upcoming trip abroad. Since Migmig was feeling sleepy late in the afternoon, we need to look for a place to put her to sleep and I got to spot Mondo Juice on the 4th floor. Eventually, Migmig fell asleep so I had to watch her and be her guardian angel while my wife is canvassing for a good laptop. I almost fell asleep as I didn't have much sleep the other night. I entertained myself by reading magazines and to keep me awake. I was a little bit surprised that our daughter was able to sleep for an hour before my wife got back. She told me of a good laptop and she wanted my opinion. We went to one of the shops at Asus and checked the laptop and its specifications. Well, I'm quite convinced but I wanted to let my wife have the last say. After another 30-45 minutes, we bought the laptop since its on sale (I'll write a blog about this). By 8:30pm, were all tired that we took a cab and by the time we got home, I went out to go online for an hour before joining them to sleep.

Monday: Since my phone died on me early in the morning, Migmig and I got up late at 8:30am as my mom paid us a visit. She spent a few minutes with us as my wife went down as well to do other things. By the time my baby had her morning nap, I kinda joined her as I'm still sleepy. Then by 2:00pm, we got ourselves ready as I need to accompany my wife to the DFA for her passport application. We took a cab and good thing, traffic was not heavy. My wife dropped of at DFA before Migmig and I head to SM Mall of Asia to spend time there. Well to kill some time, we went to Swensen for some ice cream fix. On a cold and windy afternoon, eating ice cream works best for me that my daughter liked it as well. Then my wife texted me saying she's on her way back as her application was pretty much quick and easy. She met us at Swensen before we rented a cart for our baby. since neither one of us had lunch, we decided to have a blue-plate late lunch at Rack's. After placing our order, I dashed to Jamba Juice's kiosk and buy myself a new flavor for me and my wife to try. She liked it while enjoying our lunch. Then we stroll around the mall and we didn't notice that Migmig has almost fallen asleep on the cart so I carried her on my shoulders and let her sleep for as long as she can. I got another Smoothie from Jamba Juice as its so addicting. I tried their Chocolated Moo'd flavor and its good XD. By 8:00pm, we took a cab on our way back home and got back faster than expected. For some reason, I felt annoyed with my dead tooth hurting again and it took me a while before I could get some sleep.

Tuesday: I got up a little bit early as my tooth is still bothering me. Anyways, daddy duties in the morning as usual and I let my daughter enjoy walking everywhere she wants before we had our breakfast at Mc Donald's. However, I guess she's not much in the mood for eating as she keeps on playing with her food so we got back early to let her play some more. I was able to use our new laptop after putting Migmig to sleep. Though I felt I'm in an unfamiliar domain as its on Windows 7 and I've been so used to Windows XP. I guess I need to do some reading on how to navigate through our new laptop to add to my skill-set. By 12:00pm, I'm already off to work via LRT2-MRT route. I got to grab a drink at Chatime and some diapers for my baby at SM before reporting for work. When I logged-in, I saw an unfamiliar face which happens to be our new team mate. She'll be replacing one of my colleagues who went AWOL. I got to do some emails before grabbing something to eat at KFC. When I got back, I did some stuff online and killed some time with our new colleague. By the time I logged-off, I took a cab so I could get home right away and get some sleep. 

Wednesday: Got up at past 7:00am as Migmig was already playing and wants to go down. Well my wife doesn't seem to want to get up early so I always do some daddy duties every morning whether I have work in the afternoon or not. Well, I let my daughter walk the length of St Anthony's aisle and she keeps on shouting though there were a few people inside. Then we went to her lola's stall near Mc Donald's so she could do some more walking and I could take a breather. Then we went back so  could get some breather and get some rest. My wife went down soon after.She spend some time with our daughter while I'm preparing her bath. After her bath, we went upstairs so she could get some sleep but she slept late at almost 11:00am. I went online until 12:00pm before I got ready for work. I just got in the office in the nick of time as my colleague from the other department celebrated his birthday that day. We had some heavy snacks that made me full and helped me save some money for food. After having my blood pressure checked, I went to Watson's at The Enterprise Center to buy some dental stuff for me. I didn't need to buy dinner tonight as I'm still full from the food I ate though I had some bananas to keep me nourished. After shift, I took the cab so I could get home safe and sound.

Thursday: I was already up by 7:30am and took Migmig out with me but not after changing her diaper and feeding her with 4oz. of milk. Since I need to do some morning rituals, her lola took her out to do some walking and I got to follow 5 minutes later. I saw my daughter playing with other little kids almost her age and I was delighted to see how she was able to socialize at a very young age. Since it was a bit gloomy early in the morning, we had no choice but to go home early and let her play inside. Good thing her mom got up a bit early and helped me took care of our baby. By the time she put her to bath, I got to relax a few minutes before going upstairs to put her to sleep but she had to poo first. Then I was able to go online using our new laptop for an hour before going to work. We haven't touched our old laptop since    Work was a bit  okay until after taking my soup. I had to do some printer surveys that I need to follow a new procedure. Eventually, I was able to get the hang of it. Then I went down to have my blood pressure checked and I was a liitbe bit surprised that it was at 120/80, something that never happened in the past few weeks. I was relaxed when my BP was taken. I just hope and pray that my BP would go continue to go normal so I could have my dead tooth extracted once and for all. I grabbed a soup from the soup kitchen and enjoyed it on my desk. By 8:00pm, me and my colleague went out for a smoke and for a breather. Then all of a sudden, I feel I craved for something more. I went to The Cheese Steak Shop for some Philly Cheesesteak. When I got there, I thought they're already closing shop. It turns out that they're moving to a different location and a bit farther too. I enjoyed my order before I went back to continue my shift until it ended at 11:00pm. I took a cab again but he seem he doesn't know the best way to go to our place so I need to shell-out extra money just to get home.

Friday: I made sure I'm up at 7:30am as I do some morning rituals before taking Migmig down. It turns out that my daughter did her own morning ritual (pooping) as well. I cleaned her up first before we went down and out for some fun in the sun. Instead of having our usual breakfast at Mc Donald's, I bought some food from 7-11 so I could save some money while spending time outside. By the time we got back home, her mom was still sleeping so we woke her up to keep herself busy. After giving Migmig her bath we went upstairs again so she could get some sleep but she slept late again so I got to make sure she's asleep when I leave for work. I got in the office with a couple of minutes to spare so I got to do other things online. Then I went down to have my BP checked (130/80). For dinner, I rewarded myself with a wagyu buffet at Bfast which really made me so full after staying there for more than 90 minutes.I felt a little bit dizzy because of the wagyu overload but it felt a bit good in a way as I head back to the office to complete my shift. I got to do 2 more service requests before taking a cab home.

Saturday: Got up early as I got to take Migmig out for a walk. Then we had breakfast at Mc Donalds, as she ate a lot for breakfast ^_^. At the same time, there were a lot of little kids my daughter looks at to her delight. It felt like she had some playmates during those times when we were there. When we got back home, we wake her mom up so she could give her a bath. My baby fall asleep a few minutes past 11:00am and I fell asleep for a couple of minutes as well.By 12:00pm, I took a bath, got dressed and ready for today's event. I missed lunch at home so I stopped by at Zark's and ordered a jawbreaker (I'm thinking if I'll write a blog about it or not). When it got to my table, I took some quick photos before enjoying my food. I went to the office not to report for work but to print some vouchers that I need. I made a reservation at Torch's for the next day before heading off to Ayala Triangle Garden to attend the Social Media Day spearheaded by Tweetup Manila (I'll be writing a blog about this). I didn't stay there for too long as I had to attend another Social Media Day at Tea 101 at Tomas Morato. I took a cab to get there but I got wet since I was reading the wrong map, hence I ended up initially at the wrong place. I went online for a couple of minutes to check their exact location. Then I took a cab until I'm finally at Tea 101 to attennd my 2nd Social Media Day (I'll write a blog about this). After the event, I took a cab home and stopped by at Jollibee to buy some food as my wife was craving for one. My wife was online as I got to go to sleep early and slept beside our daughter. ^_^