.

hello world!

2009-04-17T17:21:00.003+07:00

this site is practically dead. still thinking whether i should revive it or just erase the whole thing (pero sayang naman).

see you when i see you!

2008-03-09T07:47:00.000+07:00

we shed a lot of tears today. pow, razi and i buried our big 'ol dog early this morning. vishnu passed away last night and we were right beside him till his last breath.

i've had this snobby oversized golden retriever for thirteen years. used to bring him around in my red kia pride car. we got separated for several years when i moved out of my parents house, and got reunited when we moved into our new home. since then, pow his new master (i seriously gave vish to pow coz it was too obvious that he loved paolo more than he loved me), has been taking good care of him. we all love this dog dearly. even razi would have his bonding time with his kuya vish. great companion and one of the best lookin dogs i've ever seen. vish is one of a kind.

we'll miss you vishnu!

2008-03-07T09:08:00.002+07:00

test shot
clang, raena and vernon

2008-03-07T08:58:00.001+07:00

woootwoo!!! someone's going to LA this year! haha.

...and maybe visit VA and NY na rin.

exciting!

2008-02-28T10:41:00.003+07:00

my life as a "photographer"

2008-02-27T20:35:00.003+07:00

yesterday...

my first time to shoot a runway fashion show. Gian's stuff are great. the seams, the cut, the style and everything about it are just great. this person knows his craft and he is seriously passionate about it. everything was all well thought of. congrats to gian!!!

today...

assisted steve with his fashion editorial shoot at this really really nice ranch in batangas. it was ok. was kindda sleepy most of the time. the breeze out there makes you wanna doze off (plus i was kindda hung over from gian's after party). i'm learning how steve fix his layout and spreads. sometimes i wonder if i can pull off a shoot like that. tsk.tsk. tsk...it's ok. i'll wait for my turn.

tomorrow...

gian fashion show again. this time i'll remind myself to shoot instead of gawking at the whole event. hehehe

day after tomorrow...

lingerie shoot with steve and the crew. interesting stuff. haha.

weekend...

hit the darkroom :)

2008-02-25T23:06:00.004+07:00

i am happy :) everything's turning out great over at the darkside (darkroom). brought out all the stuff, cleaned all the equipments from fernando, scrubbed my print washer and my trays, set up the room and this week all i have to do is hit sm department store to buy all the little things that will complete the room. hayayay. i will finally have my space where i can lock myself up and do things that will make me happy. i have ten millions ideas in my head and i can't wait to just hit the enlarger.

something really good to look forward to. love it!

-----

as for tomorrow, i have backstage pass for gian's fashion show! yehey! he asked me to shoot and i think this is going to be exciting!

now all i have to worry about now is what to wear...

.

2008-02-25T16:57:00.004+07:00

if
i
would,
could
you
?

in_lab weekend

2008-02-23T08:38:00.002+07:00

this weekend, i'll be stuck inside the darkroom cleaning and fixing all the equipments i'll be needing. afters long months of procrastination, i've decided to finish this room. my momentum building this darkroom got fucked up when this electrician messed up my wirings. kakainis. now that all electricals are done, i can now focus. yes raena, focus! haha.

yesterday, was able to get some stuff in hidalgo. loop, graduates, stop bath and a halogen lamp. got some really good magazines too.

well, that's it pancit. i'll keep you posted once i've started mixing the chems. will take photos of the room too.

enjoy the weekend everybody!

holy camote!

2008-02-20T14:37:00.002+07:00

kay tagal ko na palang hindi nagsusulat dito. i've thought of erasing this whole blog pero sayang naman. mejo got freaked out kse last year when i discovered someone stalking me. yep, seriously. as in this person copied some of my blog entries, gaya gaya ng trip, poser na photographer and lomographer, copya ng links, and this is the freakiest, she even copied my tattoo and she dated my brother. yes, VERY SCARY! anyhoo, i know she knows that i know. hehehe. but that was last year, and i hope that will never happen again.

for some blog entries, i have some in my multiply account. posted a lot of photos too. check it out na lang. will try to revive this site na lang.

hope all is well people! i'm still alive and still tripping on whatever i can think of. think happy thoughts and i'll be wishing good vibes your way :)

punchy

2007-12-14T15:17:00.003+07:00

"i want you to hit me as hard as you can..."

haha. i'm kidding. that's my game face while waiting for shamrock and gracie to show up. now THAT is true. steve and the ricevisions crew together with borgy and ava encountered a couple of mishaps (braved the friday shitty traffic plus b's car got a really flat flat tire) before we got to shoot a couple of brazilian fighters. i shot shamrock using a holga. hehehe. those bulky fighters are funny. they thought that the camera i used was an under water camera. hahaha. whatta werido. one of the fighters even said "goodbye submarine underwater camera girl". whut?! i guess that's what you get after getting ten million blows in the head.

2007-12-03T09:31:00.001+07:00

we had a mentorship program at g hotel and steve the master decided to tag me along. jake verzosa and his apprentice poi beltran plus 3 more photographers with their apprentices were there too.

steve and i checked in, had a quick briefing with the samsung people, went to quiapo to shoot, dinner at casa armas, waited for sara, went to fluxxe and partied all night. the night out was tiring and refreshing all at the same time. for a lola like me, going out late at night isn't really my thing but i'm proud to say that i was able to stay up all night and really enjoyed partying with the party monsters. pretty chicks rode the back of my truck as we drove around fort, was able to catch up with ronaldo, met some mowdels who were actually nice, and i was able to try new stuff that was quite refreshing for probinsyana raena. gian romano played and i had a blast rockin' and dancin' to his music. he is good. and that good music alone motivates me to go back to fluxxe soon to show off my hidden ultra dance moves.hehehe. i kid. i don't dance...much.

we zonked out at around 5am. had breakfast at 8:30am. tried to catch some more sleep but the donaire boxing fight kept me awake. hay. magaling si donaire.

i had a great time and i got a free phone. but the masters got the big ass tv. kainggit. haha. oks lang. will have me share someday :)

again, thanks to steve for the experience :) and thanks to samsung for the
phone

more photos in my multiply account

2007-11-22T09:19:00.001+07:00

that photo could have been taken anywhere but that's pow and i in delhi on our way to agra. hehehe. was using a fixed lens and was too lazy to change it. the story behind this is, minsan lang kme ni pow magkaroon ng photo together. we spent almost a week in malapascua cebu several years ago and wala kmeng picture together. we spent the holidays and new year's in new york at kokonti lang ang photos namin together. even in getherings and other events, we hardly have a photo together just the two of us. so when we met up in india (he went there ahead), i made sure that we'll have plenty of photos together. and tada! ayan and first photo namin in india. ayus.

2007-11-18T23:14:00.001+07:00

six days ago we rode a train filled with people. it was a train not for the rich but for the poor.

four days ago, woke up 4:30am just to hit the market to take photos and to feel what is like to be in a very very BUSY place. aftwards, i spent the whole afternoon in a cancer hospital filled with thousands of people getting treated for different types of cancer. what i saw broke my heart. imagine the poorest of the poor suffering in so much pain.

three days ago we travelled 4 hours by land just to see this place with a touch of french whatevers. french food, french architecture and french blah blahs, a quaint place right beside the sea.

day after that we hit the rode again. took a four hour of death defying drive back to the city, 3 hours plane ride to another city, and another 4 hour bumpy ride to get to this place.

and this afternoon, i saw the sun set in Taj Mahal.

tomorrow i will wake up really early to go back to that magnificent monument again. watch the sun rise and afterwards, bahala na si batman.

india is an incredible country.

2007-11-11T17:43:00.001+07:00

yiheee...

someone's going to India!!!

2007-11-11T08:44:00.000+07:00

my ninja master's crew

ricevisions - vernon perez, raena abella, clang sison and steve tirona

cagayan de oro

2007-11-06T17:44:00.000+07:00

it's hard to take photos when you're holding a reflector, reading the light meter, praying for sun, running around for errands, and endlessly debating which camera to use (forget the digicam when you have a 120, 135 and 110 camera to use).

spent three days in cagayan de oro and bukidnon with verns and my ninja master. it was an interesting experience for me coz it taught me how to deal with the sun (i'd like thank God na kahit umulan, we were able to get enough light for the shoot), the agency crew and the locals. as expected, the ninja master delivered really really good photos. galing! galing!

we didn't have enough time for white water rafting so we capped off our trip by getting a massage and having a couple of beers in a strip joint. yep, a strip joint. verry interesting place...sorry bawal ang camera sa loob. hehehe

Raena's darkroom

2007-10-08T18:02:00.000+07:00

i will call this space... IN LAB. hehehe. seryoso.

2007-09-30T17:55:00.000+07:00

yes, i am still alive.

september was fast. i turned thirty this month and it was ok. no biggie really. no surprise-you're-thirty-party, no c'mon-let's-celebrate-party, didn't make a big fuss out of it and it was good. instead we had a simple and heart warming gathering in ziggurat. six degrees talaga. parang everybody knows everybody.

what else...i missed the big nine inch nails concert in hk. and yes, i want to kill myself for letting that chance pass. i could've spent all my means para to get on a plane and watch that fantastic band play pero i didn't, and now i am pissed. should've. would've. could've. badtrip. still, i want to thank steve for getting me a nin shirt. even though i missed the concert, i still got a shirt. hahaha. whatta loser. shit. shit. shit talaga.

september was packed with extreme gigs for my ninja master. fashion, corporate ads, advertising plus a lot more. and as a side kick, i was there most of the time. i can't even remember what shoot we did for this month all i know is we finished a three day big time marathon shoot. can't tell for what client but it was one CRAZY shoot.

work's good din. mejo challenging pero ok naman. we're bidding for several projects this month. i am also happy that my brother's back in the biz and now that he's around, i can squeeze my way out of the ofc and do some personal stuff.

anyhoo, september was good and i am extremely happy :)

2007-08-22T07:08:00.000+07:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY RAZI BOY!!!

we got him a bmx bike. hahaha.

sheeesh, he's 8 years old na...

2007-08-13T10:16:00.000+07:00

my life as a sidekick...

ok. so for the past few months i've been busy tagging along my ninja master doing some of the basic stuff. reading the light meter, arranging the lights, changing the cf card and holding the reflector. menial stuff that i don't mind doing coz in return i get to learn and experience tons of new things. i've trekked the never been seen falls in tarlac, mingled with editors and ad agency people, set up HUGE lights for a tv ad, dealt with no english mowdels, met steve aoki and took photos for the getshot by lee event, chased quentin tarantino across town and spent 3 hours listening to him talk, tripped with toys for a stop animation thing, ad shoot in the middle of a storm, cold beer after a long rainy day and getting a list of amazing photographers that i should read up on. and so yes, i am enjoying my life as a sidekick to steve. it's not everyday that i get a chance to learn from the best and with that i am very very grateful :)

2007-07-28T17:26:00.000+07:00

had my first event shoot last night alone. really tiring but it was ok. formal affair filled with politicians, lawyers and old men. met a couple of photojournalists. interesting stuff they do. something i wouldn't mind trying. had my share of weird shooting experience din that night and one for the books talaga. basta, looong story and i'm lazy to talk about it. highlight for that night was when this funny man danced with me. he insisted that i put down my camera and asked me for a dance. kwela.

fvr and raena

p.s.
thanks jake for lending me the lens! as usual, had a couple of short talks about the camouflage paint. hehehe :)

2007-07-18T06:33:00.001+07:00

ablings. kids from resettlement area in sitio dueg san clemente tarlac. more photos in my multiply account.

2007-07-09T13:42:00.000+07:00

updates...updates...

june was generally ok. we had our share of sad news, but thank God for folks and siblings we were able to bear the sadness. happy thoughts for june was our whole family got complete. yep, first time in ten years. my eldest sis and the girls would visit us here every other year, but this time she was able to tag along her hubby. plus, we have a new member! my yougest sis got hitched thus adding alex (the guy who will finally finish restoring my mini) to the rest of the gang. so june was packed with reunions, lovely beach trips, parlor time, balikbayan's shopping spree at 168, food overload, endless kwentuhan and a lot of quality time. having the whole family complete was a bliss. every minute spent together was precious.

as for my photo trips... i have assisted master steve tirona for 3 shoots already. jag billboard, magazine cover (aga moooolach) and kengkoy rockstars (pepe, ely, mark, basti, reg and carl roy). every shoot was a trip, and i am very thankful to steve for letting me join his funky crew.

news about the darkside...the construction's done. pow gave me money for aircon, got some darkroom stuff from ate and i will have the room painted this week. yep, have to finish this project soon. been using the mamiya rb67 (humongous thingamajig) and i can't wait to process those films. jill said they had a hard time reeling in the 120s on the plastic reels. kakatakot. will probably practice muna on the negatives with shitty shots.

work... everything's good. super busy but all is fine. got to finish one project on time and papa got a couple of new projects din. might invest on a new business this month and hopefully it will turn out ok. have some rakets on the side and it will surely help me get this thing that i have been wanting for years now. all in all, business is good :)

what else... pow will be directing his first commercial. woootwooo! plus his concept show for universitv got approved and they will start shooting the pilot show this month. exciting! exciting! i've been insisting that i can be a pm for his shoot but i don't think we can work together. hehe.

ketchup...was able to catch-up with kerwin and reenanay last friday. haven't been going out lately and i know i've missed a lot of lomomanila gimmiks. i promise i will be visible this week.

weird news... the scary girl deleted some of her entries. saying someone or something is screwing up her files. was looking for the similar entries we have and it was gone. ewan. met her once since she's seeing someone close to me. hayayay. weird. weird. weird.

well, that's it for now. wishing everybody lots of good cosmic energy this week. take some time to loosen up, unwind and enjoy the little things. enjoy the rainy season everybody!

p.s.
congrats to razi boy! no more training wheels! haha.

p.p.s.
i want a sektor9

2007-07-06T09:39:00.000+07:00

been blog lazy. too many stories to tell, too lazy to write about it.

except for this....

thanks pow for my leica!

wooootwoooo!!!

2007-06-24T02:38:00.000+07:00

my idol.

someday when i grow up, i wanna create conceptual photography like misha gordin. ang galing galing! all of his photo art works were manipulated inside the darkroom. ibang klase 'to.

2007-06-22T17:16:00.000+07:00

yesterday we swam with the fishies

2007-06-13T11:37:00.000+07:00

"Whenever I watch TV and see those poor starving kids all over the world, I can't help but cry. I mean, I'd love to be skinny like that but not with all those flies, death and stuff."

*Mariah Carrey
quoted from a satrical interview 1st appeared in the web publication of cupcake 1996

- yan ang hirit. got this quote from steve's magazine.

btw, just wanna thank master steve tirona for teaching me some ninja photography skills.

2007-06-07T05:59:00.001+07:00

2007-05-31T16:28:00.000+07:00

bkk airport. olympus pen. xpro.

in one night i was able to... have my toes cleaned, cascada, chit chat with sino si kat?, saguijo with pow and dong abay, mid-week specials with ronald pasion in alchemy, enjoyed trippy music, FA boys, mixed drinks on a wednesday night (yare. hang over), steve tirona's photo trip, pow dancing, hayayay, went home really tired and really happy.

galing galing!

2007-05-30T14:13:00.000+07:00

was figuring out where to put the aircon when it dawned on me that this darkroom project is serious stuff. the room is HUGE. can fit 8 people, big work space, wet area that can hold big trays, dry area for two enlargers, huge sink for washing, white wall for slide projector show, efficient vents that can suck out all the chemicals, and several shelves for books. 3 carpenters and an electrician are working on it and hopfully they'll finish the room by next week. my money's all gone and i still have to puchase tiles and paints. hayayay. raenafe, ano nanaman ang pinasok mo. todo gastos. will have to start counting coins later. pogi pow's been helping me with the expenses and i have to ask him one more thing...buy me aircon. hahaha. seriosuly. pow, buy me aircon :)

2007-05-29T12:53:00.000+07:00

black pussy cat.

xa cam. super expired film.

2007-05-19T12:34:00.000+07:00

yesterday, papa and i went window shopping. not for clothes or shoes but for fuel tankers, backhoes and bulldozers. drove 3 hours to subic just to check out the units. it was fun. soooper hot but it was ok. love spending time with my father like this - kwentuhan about dozers, goats, plans, trips, work, and evrythings else. nothing beats a nice long drive with my father. galing! galing!

2007-05-17T10:50:00.000+07:00

hayayay. single white female. giving me the creeps. scanned her whole blog and saw some post that gave me goose bumps. really scarrrry stuff. same tattoo? similar posts with identical wordings and terms? coingkydoinks? i dunno. i know i will meet this person soon. seems like we're movin in the same circle too. this person is also moving closer to home. yikes. kakatakot.

2007-05-14T11:51:00.000+07:00

everytime i make a collection, 12% of it goes to tax. yep, freakin' 12%!!!! walang magawa kung hindi tagapin ang ganitong kapalaran. legit all the way. resibo and all. siguro naman that's reason eough for me to go out there and vote. i have all the right to whine, rant and solid magreklamo sa sistema ng gobyerno pero dehins na lang. negative vibe is not nice. will just pray that sana the pinoys will be wiser this time. let's learn from the past and let's excercise our right to vote. this is one way to prove that we still care for this country.

let's go mga pinoy! boto na.

2007-05-06T20:51:00.000+07:00

poor man's cemetery

2007-05-06T11:07:00.000+07:00

yesterday...

razi left early morning yersterday to spend the night in malarayat with the alvero kids. was supposed to join some lomoheads for the lomo outing but had to show my face at work so had to cancel the trip. after a couple of meetings, i headed straight to hidalgo to have my yashica rf cleaned. love love that yashica. sobrang inet pero met up with some camera store owners who texted me last week informing me that they have a couple of rfs for sale. saw the canonet ql17 but i find it too big and shutter wasn't working plus the body didn't looked good either. saw a ricoh "35" de luxe rf and it really caught my eye kse ang ganda talaga! mint condition, lens is good, shutter's ok, no scratches and the film advance lever is located at the bottom of the camera. interesting! the owner said it's a collector's piece. dunno if it was a sales talk but didn't really mattered coz i fell in love with the look already. after purchasing the ricoh, i ate at chowking and decided to hung out with the old timers in hidalgo. one of them heard about my obsession with rfs and vintage cams that he decided to sell this precious little thing. a voigtlander vitrona. same as the ricoh, the cam was in excellent condition and more. it was still in a box with a guarantee card and tag. hataw talaga. it has a nice leather casing PLUS a flash gun with a leather case too. ibang klase. glamorous vintage camera. haggled with the price and bought it instantly. didn't even bothered researching the history and the reviews of the cams. love the antiquity of it. so, despite of the heat in hidalgo, i had a blast. a little bit broke but extremely happy :)

hay. yes i am addicted to rfs and vintage cams (will not stop till i get the ONE).

went home to alvero. took a bath. surfed the net and was satisfied with the results. met up with another rf enthusiast. learned a lot of tips and tricks when dealing with vinatge cameras. pagkatapos, i went to gou and tat's place and invited myself for dinner. haha. kapal. wine and porkshop plus lots of catching up. lovely time with good friends.

was supposed to go home to antips when a good friend texted and said he needed some company. pow called from india and told him about the cams. mix and i decided to hit saguijo. tagal ko ng hindi pumupunta dun. it was fun. took a lot of photos. was learning on how to take photos using a dslr and a color splash flash. ok naman. practice pa. left the place at 2am. drove home to antips and was so so dead tired.

today...

got up early after 4 hours of sleep, did my morning thing and headed to marcos highway to shoot the mini alex restored (papadala daw sa mini world magazine). that car won best of show in the concours d elegance. love the car and took millions of photos. ganda ganda talaga. imagined myself driving one. oh well, alex said soon na daw. sana. i still have Huge (my mini) and i promise i will drive that car someday.

later...

i have to shoot our project sites and our heavy equipments. decided to test drive the ricoh na din sa cemetery. i'm thinking of bringing the holga din and maybe the olympus rc35 since it's already loaded with b&w film. bahala na. thought of shooting sa sabungan but learned that meron pacontest ng sabong photos. dunno if itutuloy ko yung sabong shoot. it's a nice idea but thinking that there'll be thousands of sabong photos soon parang wag na lang. depende if i'll join the contest. oh well, bahala na si batman.

tonight...

i will wait for razi to come home, download the photos i took last night and send some of the nice chamba photos i took to the nice people i met. download din the photos i'll shoot later. eat plenty of becky's chocolate cupcakes and sleep early :)

tomorrow...

back to work. start the house repair project and will definitely go to podium to catch the world press photo exhibit.

well, that's it for nowz. looking forward to the days ahead. wishing everybody lots of love, happiness, good vibes and hight times!

enjoy life everybody!!!

2007-05-04T19:01:00.000+07:00

aaawwwww...whatta a sweet and cheesy shot! hahaha! pwedeng pang cover ng pinoy lab story pocket book. hehehe.

my sister and alex's freenap (prenup) shoot at cristina villas. sweetie-sweetie photo shoot for soon to wed couples. hay. had a hard time thinking of a not so cheesy pose. wasn't able to get a lot of candid shots too. maybe it would have been crazier if i got them both drunk muna. hehehe. thing is, she's pregnant and he doesn't drink. oh well,we still have another shooting sched. hopefully i get more candid shots next time :)

thanks jill for lending me your photon :)

2007-05-01T17:35:00.000+07:00

Om Mani Padme Hum

:)

2007-04-28T08:04:00.000+07:00

pow left for india yesterday. hay. i'm jealous. will do anything for a photo trip there. one of my dream destinations. i can only imagine the endless and colorful photo opportunities there. place with rich history, different religions, diverse lifestyle, and amazing culture. i know i'll get my chance to visit india someday. kakainggit!

----------

plan for the weekend: lazy daisy day, swim in the afternoon, test out razi's frog eye cam, cook lengua, prepare turon, fry croquettas, maybe invite friends over, watch ten million movies and eat loads of junk food. haha. lovely :)

p.s.
Hello to jo and a's little zoe bean!

2007-04-24T09:17:00.000+07:00

lomomanila class picture! (photo stolen from bong rojales :)

last saturday was fun. the photos were amazing and everybody were in high spirits (thanks to jeffrey the waiter who made sure that our glasses were never empty. in short, nilasing nya kme!) another badge of success for the lomomanila group. wootwoo!!

thanks to jill and dpi for the space, bong for leading the group, all the voulnteers, rene barbier for the wine, everybody who prepared the food, thanks to eric for the far-out medley song ride, for mozzie and outerhope, and for the lomomanila group - it was a blast! galing galing!

will post photos as soon as i have the photos processed. in the mean time, check out jill's photos of the event here.

-----------------------------------------------

camera addiction...

got a yashica 35 gx last saturday. love the look (all black) and the weight (not too light and not too heavy). love it. finished a roll already and i can't wait to have it processed. sana ok lumabas. ordered a canonet range finder din. still coming this week. not sure if the cam is still in good condition. kung ok, we'll definitely get it. ordered razi a lomo frogeye din. cute camera for a little boy who loves to swim. at least this toy camera can join him in the pool. will call the camera "ribbit" hehehe.

2007-04-19T08:49:00.000+07:00

funny how light leaks from a holga camera. it's a defect but it makes the photo interesting. love it.

the wedding shoot last saturday with jake and jill was fun. mejo kabado to be shooting with two really good photographers but everything turned out ok. i hope. (haven't seen my shots. sana ok)

had wine with raquel yesterday afternoon. haven't seen her in a looong time and it was so nice to catch-up with one of my bestest friends. marathon chit chat and endless stories. love you raqs!

the heat right now is terrible. got stuck at traffic last tuesday in makati and it was not nice. parusa talaga. basta, the freakin heat is just plain bad bad bad. ayon k jill, naglilimahid.

plugging:

Lakbay Lomo exhibit. Opening launch on April 21 2007, Saturday, 8pm @ DPI Gallery, 2nd Floor Astoria Plaza, Ortigas Center, Pasig City.
Exhibit will run until the end of May.

there will be lots of good vibes, bottles of wine (rene barbier. thanks to aaron palileo), pika pika food, good music, loads of camera flashes and most especially, walls of great photos!

congrats lomomanila!

2007-04-10T10:53:00.000+07:00

slurpee!!!

----------------

holy molly :)

last week was steady and lazy...except for some occasional migraine and sungit attacks. Maundy Thursday. went around manila to look for a nice spot for pow's video shoot. it drizzled a little bit which made the heat more bearable. was able to shoot some nice and depressing photos. street kids, malnourished kids, kids swimming in canals, adults swimming in (stinky) manila bay, basta photo ops that will either make you feel sad or cringe. arvs, nat and buboy spent the night at home. inihaw na liempo galore and tsing tao beer. Friday. two more visitors came. alex and rae anne. stayed at home lang, gardening, and watched movies the whole day. skipped the annual family prosisyon. wasn't really in the mood to shoot some more depressing shoots. Saturday was intresting. allan razo's large format camera. interesting camera. met some of the old timers. nice to know that couple of pinoy photogs are still shooting the old school way. would love to try that baby out someday. thing is, large format cameras are just way way too expensive. the camera, the film, and everything about it. really expensive. Sunday was another lazy day. lunch at my parents house and was just plain lazy. loved every minute of it. Monday- back to work and razi's first day at swim class. Tuesday - fernando's day. coffee at the fort, massage at libis, and beer at inihaw rep. met the lomo heads then villa cristina after. tripped and feasted on crispy pata. lovely.

things to look forward to...

... setting up the dark room. i think i can start printing next month :) yehey!

...wedding shoot with jake and jill this saturday plus the drive going to batangas.

...sagada trip with fernando and if God will permit me, somewhere further up north.

...lomo exhibit at dpi. hopefully i get to develope my holga rolls today! layo kse ng studio 58!

---------

pow's going to india this april for a documentary shoot. hay. kakainggit!

2007-04-04T07:20:00.000+07:00

Galing! hahaha.

just wanna say hi to PAPI miguel and inez. our gorgeous and super talented friends from portugal. our new york days was a blast and the sisig promise will forever haunt me :)

we miss you guys!

2007-03-30T15:52:00.000+07:00

yuk. my soooper dusty toes. hahaha. kadiri. and yes, i need a pair of rubber boots.

spent the afternoon at the site with my dad. we checked on the progress of this 17 hectare project. saw the dozers at work, checked on my sickly backhoe, met up with the mechanics, the enigineers and the operators. sobrang inet and sooper dusty. but it's ok. this is what i do and i do enjoy it. haha. my uber glamorous job. while some girls buy shoes and bags, i go to caloocan to buy parts for my bulldozer. lovely.

today's a friday and i'm dying to just sit back, relax, drink red wine, and do gardening. anyhoo, wishing everybody lots of killer smile, plenty of good food, comic reliefs, and lots and lots of cool breeze! haha.

2007-03-28T14:06:00.000+07:00

photo i took in nepal. nakalimutan ko na till kanina while sorting-out my nepal folders. my first attempt in converting colored photo into grey scale.

2007-03-25T12:07:00.000+07:00

busy. busy. busy....

tons of work and i am not complaining. what used to be two projects became four. yep, we now have four projects. lahat simultaneously moving. i'm usually up by 5:30am and zonked out by 9pm. zero social life and that's perfectly fine. at least i still get to have few drinks after work with my dad and pow. tambay lang sa lanai infront of our newly landscaped garden. thanks to the sweetest uncle who inspite of having trillions of projects still managed to fix my garden. ang ganda na ng garden ko! thanks uncle noel! gardening has become my biggest breather; and to de-stress myself and to cool off, i water the plants. haha. went to divisoria a couple of times last week. divi hits. love the place, hate the smell. mejo out of this world talaga. met a lot of nice folks who helped me finsih my errands. text na lang if i want anything. my secretary gave birth the other day. mejo hassle coz no assistant, can't go to the office late and i have to figure out the fax machine. it might be like this till for a month i think unless i break down and find a replacement asap. hirap pala ng walang secretarya. makes work more challenging. no major photography trips yet but i was able to squeeze in a couple of hours to shoot the rice harvest at my uncle's farm yesterday. ok naman except that i started shooting noon time kaya the light was too harsh already. sayang. should've gone earlier but couldn't coz got stuck at work. hay. dami talagang trabaho. on top of the four projects, i have to fix 3 bulldozers, 1 backhoe and 1 dumptruck. Huge the mini cooper is set for full restoration this may plus i am dying to finish my darkroom soon. i also have to find time for a trip to sagada and bohol. hayayay.

todo na to.

:)

2007-03-10T21:42:00.000+07:00

lovely day

more photos in my multiply account

2007-03-08T14:08:00.000+07:00

mhehehehe!!!
two more baby goats popped out the other day. haha. dumadami na sila!

2007-03-02T13:30:00.000+07:00

i'm so happy :)

with one thousand pesos i was able to buy a durst enlarger with schneider lens, durst timer, and durst safety light.

next step: project darkside :)

2007-02-25T11:44:00.000+07:00

updates...

hay. work. been busy running around fixing insurance bonds for our new project. nakakapagod and i'm not yet done! our new project is in full blast and really exciting! two projects and thank God business is good :) plus, i have to monitor our equipments coz i have new clients and i have to bring some of the bulldozers to our new project site. hay. trabaho. trabaho...

...been shooting weddings for 3 consecutive weekends now. still not sure if i can do weddings forever. i do enjoy it but i don't think i'm cut out for it. it's a good way to practice photography but, to do it all the time... i'm still not sure.

ano pa ba... hit the beach last weekend. somebody proposed marriage. haha. hindi si pow! basta, it was a nice time away with folks and siblings. simple lang but it was really memorable.

i have two new baby goats! haha. wala lang. they popped out last week and they're really cute. noisy but cute. si mhhahaario and mhahaharia.

been driving my new second hand pick up truck. can't say much except that it is BIG and RED! hahaha. hot hot red! dunno why i picked that color but it's nice and fiery! haha. love it.

shamalentimes was nice. pow and i went to binondo to fix some papers, then proceeded to rockwell after. watched a flick and was forced to shopped. yep, was forced! had a gift cheque for 5k and i had to spend it all in one day. last day na kse. it was a stressful task for somebody who hates shopping. pow picked all the goodies that i bought. pow was laughing after coz hindi talaga ako natutuwa sa shopping. i get paniky. after shopping we stuffed our faces with korean food, pop corn and bread talk stuff. sarap! it was a really nice day. walking and talking...walking and talking with pow :)

this one is crazy...had a 15 course dinner the other night. yep, fifteen!!! it was a fund raising dinner for a church in batanes. basta it was crazy and so goood! started cocktails at 6, dinner by 7, finished by 11:30!!! non stop eating! buko lychees shooter in lime foam, lychees stuffed with roquefort and pistachio, apricot stuffed with fromage, figs stuffed with mascarpone, pear porridge with english stilton, smoked duck breast, 17 year old balsamic vinegar, artichoke with poached quail egg with joselito ham, tawilis, foie gras, souffle with old amsterdam cheese, guyabano sorbet, wagyu, lobster, sea bass, and sculptured sugar with creamy truffle. no plates were used coz everything was served in huge slabs of rock or art pieces. crazy and lovely. whew! food trip galore! a couple hosted the dinner at their interesting house in alabang filled with barredo art pieces. ganda! the pieces kept on moving. really fascinating. i've never had a dinner quite like that. everybody had a great and bundat time! galing!

what else...my personal project is still in the process. can't focus on it kasi ang daming trabaho. hopefully i can start doing it by second week of march. will write about it once i'm done with it.

well, that's it for now. wishing everybody peace of mind, exciting mornings, lots of crazy love, relaxed evenings, and countless of happy moments. kahit na soooper busy, don't forget to stop and appreciate the little things :)

more pictures here

2007-02-12T22:23:00.000+07:00

someone's fragrant!!!! (pregnant ba)

...and it's not me. hehe. sorry folks, i know most of you are wishing that i'd get fragrant this year but, the stork decided to visit someone else this time. haha! and minsan i catch myself laughing. hahaha talaga

2007-02-05T15:53:00.000+07:00

hay. i miss this place. this was taken near ICP. olympus 35RC. kodak tri-x 400. printed on ilford multi grain paper.

2007-02-05T13:54:00.000+07:00

ever since i got back, my mind's been all over the place. so many projects, loads of work, so many dreams and so many plans. ang dami ko lang talagang gustong gawin and i wanna do everything simultaneously! haha. nakakahilo at nakakaexcite! i have ten million things to look forward to this 2007!

starting this week, things are gonna get pretty crazy...

p.s.
thank you digital photographer magazine for including my photo. haha. my first photo to get printed on a magazine! :) nakanampuch...

2007-01-29T11:43:00.000+07:00

tambay. pare, anong balita?

haha. i love 'em. mga newspaper stands. feeling ko they talk. wala lang. actually pwede sila gawan ng kwento. stands sharing stories. hehehe.

2007-01-16T10:00:00.000+07:00

darkness. putting the film on the reel, preparing all the stuff, shaking the chemicals, timing it and making sure the tempreture's right.

waiting. waiting for the film to dry, setting up the enlarger, the easel, the focus, the grains, and the seconds.

thrill. a minute and a half, 15 seconds, a minute and a half more, images showing up, checking the contrast, the right tone, contact prints, print some more, making samples, and getting in the zone.

love it.

2007-01-15T06:56:00.000+07:00

i am so addicted...

i'm here in school waiting for my films to dry. lalalala...

been in and out of the darkroom for one week now. sarap. i'll be doing this till the day i leave or till the day i finsih one box of photo paper. nakaka addict!

went to central park kanina with pow. wala lang. took photos. walked around. nothing much then walked ten blocks going to school. it's a sunday and i can use the facilities for free! thank God for this great pinoy working at icp. got a big bag of expired films that i'll be giving away to friends when i get back to manila. basura ng mga americano na pwede pang gamitin. expired films for lomomanila! hahaha.

sya sya...balik na ko sa lunga. will post photos soon

:)

2007-01-13T00:28:00.000+07:00

bench near school

2007-01-12T14:04:00.000+07:00

one whole block covered with graffiti. galing!

2007-01-10T11:56:00.000+07:00

had a very interesting day.

took all the wrong trains, missed my stop, took the wrong letter, took a local which took forever, basta everything didn't turned out the way i planned (regarding subway rides). still, i was able to get to all the destinations and i got back home safe naman. yung nga lang i missed a stop ulit. but...right after the subway back home, i discovered the best taco in the whole world!!! kadooper sarrrrap! it's right outside the subway near our place and they open at night lang. sa umaga they sell nuts pero sa gabi taco naman. spent my last $2 and ate it while walking. walked fast kse malamig, after three blocks, ubos. dinner ko na yun.

went to b&h today and syempre naglaway lang ako dun. bought 6 rolls of tri-x and 4 rolls of fuji. took all the prices of the dark room chemicals and went out as soon as i finished. no reason to linger inside. baka maiyak lang ako. after b&h i walked all the way up to grand central. ok maglakad. you get to see all the nice places. yun nga lang, parang hinahabol lahat ng tao. you have to walk fast. if you're gonna stop make sure you're on the side or else people will just knock you down and run into you. walking fast is a good way to fight the cold weather. if you stop, you'll freeze. kaya lakad lang.

after b&h i went to grand central to take photos. my assignment was to finish 6 rolls of b&w plus 2 rolls of colored negative. finished everything in 1 hour 30 minutes, then 4 policemen approached me. yep, muntik pa ko damputin. lecheng mga police. they said i was starting to look suspicous. i go, "seriously, do i look suspicious to you? there are hundreds of foreigners and visitors taking photos of the grand central, do you go around telling them that they look suspicous too?" syempre kelangan mejo matapang. told them that i'm a photography student and my assignment was to take photos. simple. they asked me to rest for awhile then just go back if i have to take more photos. labo. pero ok lang was able to finish everything. it was fun pero sobrang nakakapagod.

had my first experience inside a darkroom today. reeled in the film myself and fumbled all the way through. was 'duh', excited, and confused all at the same time. we're gonna hang dry the processed film over night then tomorrow we'll print it na. verrrry exciting! my teacher's really funny and very nice. magaling magturo and kengkoy din minsan. nagmumura kse habang nagtuturo. my classmates are from different walks of life. meron model/actress, a poker player, an unemployed, a pretty german girl, a jew, a mom, a french and a probinsyana (me). the class is very intense. if you don't have any clue about photography, you won't understand the lesson. the teacher don't tackle the basic stuff and she just goes right through the important matters. galing. i'm so happy i took this.

tomorrow's going to be a long day and i don't want to think of money matters right now. hay.

shoot 3 rolls of film and maybe catch my breath if i have time.

2007-01-09T23:04:00.000+07:00

it's official. i am now a student.

first day of class yesterday and i have to shoot 6 rolls of film by 3pm today. develop 4 rolls later and shoot 3 rolls again tomorrow. really exciting but i am seriously running low on cash. yari.

waah! this is it.

2007-01-05T23:29:00.000+07:00

stairs. smithsonian museum in DC

i'm back here in virginia to spend quality time with ate and her family. left pow in NY kse busy na magedit.

yesterday i went around DC the tourista way. yep, best way to tour the place without wasting anytime. hopped a trolley bus and spent the whole day looking at monuments, statues, landmarks, museum, and parks. baduy kung iisipin pero sulit naman. now i can say na i've toured DC at hindi nasayang panahon ko dito. went inside smithsonian museum and seriously enjoyed the exhibits. mejo pang bata kse mga dinosaurs and science stuff ang naka exhibit pero it was really worth the trip kse very informative and very entertaining naman. went to the gems section of the museum and saw huge diamonds set on really beautiful pieces. ang gaganda at ang lalaki. i'll post pictures next time.

after the tour i went to ate's office and tambay lang. went to the mall afterwards and bought pasalubongs for my girlfriends. after today i'll be in tipid mode na since next week will be the start of something sooper magastos but really exciting. will tell you more about it next time :)

2007-01-04T13:05:00.000+07:00

kahapon nawala ako sa manhattan. hehehe. it was fun except for the part when my feet almost died. walked around madison ave, saw some of the posh shops, the skyscrapers, the grand grand central, and the international center of photography. after the loooooong walk, i took several subways back to union square...don't ask me how coz i have no idea how i got back. bought cream cheese and bagel plus a cup of coffee then tambay sa park while i wait for pow to finish his editing.

got a couple of good news yesterday. kakakilig :)

2007-01-02T12:05:00.000+07:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYBODY!

yesterday was crazy. cooked dinner for housemates, pan seared then baked 2 humongous slabs of steaks. pang caveman ang dating. an inch and a half thick. ubod ng laki men! drank sparklies then pow and i rushed out of the house to hit the subway. walked hundreds of blocks half drunk, welcomed the new year with friends, drank a lot, jack and coke syempre, walked in the rain, obeserved and absorbed new york at 4:00am, got home at 5 and seriously tired. sobrang nakakapagod. tumatanda na yata talaga. di na kaya gumimik.

kaya today we just stayed in the whole day, watched tv, ate left over food and just finished the laundry.

tomorrow i'm off to the city. pow's gonna start editing his short movie kaya i'll be left all alone in the city.

something to look forward to... http://www.icp.org/

i miss razi boy

2007-01-01T01:00:00.000+07:00

1. What did you do in 2006 that you'd never done before?
- took a 45 minute flight for a closer view of the himalayas. walked the streets of nepal and new york
2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will?
- mmm...i don't make any resolutions.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
- none. but couple of friends got pregnant this year.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
-lola lourdes
5. What countries did you visit?
-nepal, thailand, US
6. What would you like to have in 2007 that you lacked in 2006?
- more time
7. What date from 2006 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
- summer- malapascua time with pow. november - nepal tripl. december- visited pow here in new york and my ate in virginia. every minute with razi boy. joining a bidding with papa and winning it. taxi rides with wash sycip in nepal.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
- got a canon 30d, an engine for the mini cooper, bagged a new project, got to fix all the paper stuff at work, got a second hand pick up truck, travels, savings, met a lot of new friends, got healthier this year too
9. What was your biggest failure?
- lost my a bag full of camera
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
- acid and migraine attacks
11. What was the best thing you bought?
- canon 30d and some lenses, a mini cooper engine, second hand pick up truck
13. Whose behavior merited celebration?
- ramon magsaysay 2006 awardees, papa, mama and ate raeza
14. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
- mmm...gma and bush
15. Where did most of your money go?
gadgets. trips and travels
16. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
- nepal and new york trip, photography, and new project at work
17. What song(s) will always remind you of 2006?
- led zep's cashmere, moloko songs, and smashing pumpkins
18. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder? – happier!
ii. thinner or fatter? – still the same but firmer?!
iii. richer or poorer? – richer!
19. What do you wish you'd done more?
- more time for crafts and farming
20. What do you wish you'd done less of?
- mmm...sapcing out
21. What was your favorite TV program?
- didn't get to watch tv a lot this year but i watched lost in dvd and i like it :)
22. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
- none. i don't hate anybody. its such a waste of energy
23. What was the best book you read?
- read a couple of interesting authors. tc boyle, sylvia plath and philip roth
24. What was your greatest musical discovery?
- pinoy bands rock! (yung good ones lang syempre)
25. What did you want and get?
- a lot and i got 'em all. hahaha
26. What was your favorite film of this year?
- departed, wong kar wai flicks, lords of dogtown, kiddie flicks
27. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
- worked, alone time at home then movie dinner date with razi boy. turned 29 (can't wait till i hit 30!)
28. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
- i'm really contented at this moment
29. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2007?
- yikes. i am totally clueless about fashion.
30. What kept you sane?
- our little house in the middle of the woods, photography, driving, happy thoughts, and future goals
31. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
- johnny depp and the guy in the movie love song for bobby long (not john travolta ha)
32. What political issue stirred you the most?
- some of gma's bad decisions
33.Who did you miss?
- inang tinay. right now i miss razi boy
34. Who was the best new person you met?
- ramon magsaysay awardees
35. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2006:
- enjoy the little things in life. be thankful and dreams do come true
36. What was the nicest thing someone told you about yourself:
- that i seriously look youn for my age. pwede pang teenager
37. The most touching experience you've had this year?
- ramon magsaysay awards ceremony and world press photo exhibit
38. What did you like most about yourself this year?
- was more appreciative this year and really thankful
39. What did you hate most about yourself this year?
- should've manage my time more
40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
mmm...can think of one right now.
41. Was 2006 a good year for you?
- it was fantastic
42. What was your favorite moment of the year?
- quality time with razi and pow, razi's birthday, the flight going around everest, alone time, long drives, boxing, catching the next flight.
43. What was your least favorite moment of the year?
- when i found out all my cameras got stolen
44. Where were you when 2006 began?
-in our small house in the middle of the woods
45. Who were you with?
-pow, razi boy and vishnu
46. Where will you be when 2006 ends?
- New york
47. Who will you be with when 2006 ends?
- pow and nyfa people
48. Do you have a new years resolution for 2007?
-nothing really. just be a better person
49. What was your favorite month of 2006?
-Summer. november and december
50.Did you lose anybody close to you in 2006?
-lola
51. Did you miss anybody in the past year?
-Yes.
52. What was your favorite record from 2006?
-rediscovered a lot of old songs
53. How many concerts did you see in 2006?
-Alot of pinoy bands
54. Did you drink a lot of alchohol in 2006?
-i think so.
55. do a lot of drugs in 2006?
-Nope
56. you do anything you are ashamed of this year?
-mmm...can't think of any right now
57. How much money did you spend in 2006?
-whew. a lot
58. What was your proudest moment of 2006?
-everytime i get some things done. winning a project with papa
59. What was your most embarrassing moment of 2006?
-
60. If you could go back in time to any moment of 2006
-and change something, what would it be?
should've parked somewhere more safe in greenhills. cameras got stolen
61. What are your plans for 2007?
-work on goals, save more cash, and just enjoy life
62. How are you different now that the year has ended?
-i am happier now :) no negative vibes
63. What are your wishes for the new year?
-love, happiness and lots of cash for all the people i care for.

2006-12-30T08:25:00.000+07:00

2006-12-28T12:34:00.000+07:00

bought a pair of ultra sexy boots. knee high and mala trinity ang dating. pow picked it coz i have no idea what to get. it can be kinky din if i wear the right outfit. hehehe. pwede pang role playing. haha. ewan. at least i have something fashionable to wear on new year's...new york style! hahaha. pero here's the catch. that pair used to cost $100 but because of all the discounts, i got it at $10 na lang. hehehe. el cheapo talaga ako. love it. coz no way i'm gonna buy expensive shoes. basta i'm saving for something big :)

now where's my freakin' whip?!

DC

2006-12-27T11:58:00.000+07:00

mark rothko and raena

pow and i spent the whole day with frank stella, elsworth kelly, calder, max weber, roy lichtenstein, caro, jasper johns, ad reinhardt, hans hoffman, juan gris, warhol, jean dubeffet, barnet newman, claes oldenburg, franz kline, the iltalians, spanish, dutch, french, italian artists and mark rothko at national gallery of art in DC. enjoyed every minute of it. 11am till 5pm. nakatulog pa kme sa loob coz we got tired. ganda! i have one more museum to check out in dc before we leave for NY. dun naman 3 museums yata. yep, after this trip art will be coming out of my nose and ears pero ok lang. i love art.

christmas was ok. woke up late then watched movie the whole afternoon. good sheperd. mukhang maganda. not sure coz i fell asleep. hehehe. virginia's nice. too clean and laid back for me. good place to raise kids. saw a scrap yard full of backhoes with a sign that says - wanted: diesel engine mechanic. mmm...tempting pero di na lang. hahaha. i love my country too much.

tomorrow we're hitting the mall. after christmas sale. stressful nanaman to for me. i don't like shopping but i have to buy clothes and shoes. kakatamad! all i wanna do here is clean my sister's house. they have a nice home but it needs a little fixing up. they're too busy that they don't have time to do general cleaning.

i'm seriously freeezing my ass off here and i don't like it. killer ang icy wind. tagos sa buto. salamat at wala pa rin snow. pow and i have been stuffing our faces with a lot of lovely junk food. kaya maraming obese dito sa america kse ang daming masasarap na junk food. love it. pizza, chips, dips and chocolates + TV = perfection. hehehe. god bless america!

i want sinigang or tinola.

vermeer's woman holding a balance. lovely.

2006-12-23T16:02:00.000+07:00

ayayay. i miss razi terribly and i'm still in antipolo time. 4:14 am and i can't sleep. actually, i'm just waiting for the tylenol pm to kick in. whaa! i want to sleep but my mind won't let me. this is bad. jetlog.

we just got home after a long night of drinking stupor with pow's crazy film maker friends. japanese dinner, drank huge bottles of sake, almost got into fight, subway rides, walked in the rain and made fools of ourselves. it was crazy. just realized that putting together 2 filipinos, 3 french, a catalonian, one portugese, a mexican, a spanish lady, one indian guy plus one irish lady in one restaurant can be really REally crazy. basta ang gulo but it was fun. the sake got into our heads and we just bursted with good vibes. nakakapagod pero ubod ng saya.

earlier today, pow and i walked to union square (near nyfa), hung out in shool and had a burger in one of the diners near nyfa. the food was freaking huge. men, ang laki talaga. mejo exag. had coffee later on and malaki din ang cup. parang isang bowl ng kape. ewan kung bakit kailangan malaki. the food's ok mejo matabang nga lang. i miss patis. hahaha. ang laki nga, wala naman lasa. ewan.

i'm still not in a shooting mood. next week siguro. madami pa naman oras. i've been keeping in mind what to shoot and i have several ideas already. hopefully i get to execute it well. excited na rin ako mag solo trip kasi mukhang magiging adventure. the subways can be intimidating at first pero i think all you need here is a map. of course kabisado na ni pow. pero for someone like me doing a solo flight, mejo nakakatakot. i guess one of these days i just really have to sit down and read the map. hehehe. although i wouldn't mind gettling lost just a little bit coz adventure starts when you have to find your way back. hahaha. that's just me.

it started raining today. mejo hassle pero ok lang. hassle magdala ng payong. hindi ka din mabubuhay kung walang scarf and gloves. thank God na lang at hindi pa na nagsnsnow. kanina ko pa iniisp pero ano nga ba ang tagalog ng snow?

anyhoo, in a few hours we're off to virginia. christmas with ate raeza and her family. 4 hours bus ride i think. bahala na pero most likely i'll just sleep in the bus. come back to ny on the 29th and then new year's in times square. sounds fun? sana. have to wait and see.

haha. buhay new york. the longer i stay here, the more i love my country.

well, i'm drunk, drugged (tylenol pms lang naman) , and ready to sleep.

mabuhay ang mga pilipino and good night!

hahaha. labo.

NY

2006-12-22T13:17:00.000+07:00

tourista... syempre kailangan ng picture dito. hehehe. corny.

everything's great. catching up with pow, walking fast, watching some of pow's flick, hanging out, and basically just enjoying everything. pero naman, ubod ng lamig! seriously, nginig to the bones! i'm reserving my museum trip for next time although pow and i have been to places na din kanina. visited a leica museum, had coffee in greenwhich, walked around times square, had portugese dinner near hudson bay, lakad pa, subways, yosi breaks, so mejo madami dami na din. tomorrow might tag along with pow ulit unless i change my mind and just do a solo flight. bahala na. no rush, no worries and no pressure. love it :)

BBRRRRrrrr! shet talaga ang lamig!

2006-12-22T00:02:00.000+07:00

shet. ang lamig.

:)

2006-12-16T15:16:00.000+07:00

*aack! i'm leaving on wednesday and i still have to finish ten thousand errands.

nakakahilo.

i still have office work, christmas shopping to finish, general cleaning the house, delegate work to my staff, fix razi's sched, process some slide film, lunch with my girls, meet friends, and pack warm clothes.

can't wait till i fasten my seat belt and just space out.

hay.

2006-12-12T06:43:00.000+07:00

long drive, express way, sleeping in the car, jolibee breakfast, thick fog, baguio country club, raisin bread, staying in, razi swimming in baguio while raining, runny nose, stuffing my face with chocolates and chips (again), laughing with parents, ukay galore, razi teasing rae anne and alex, long drive to la union, got my new second hand pick up truck, loving north luzon express way, and long drive back to manila.

it was nice and perfect.

2006-12-07T21:10:00.000+07:00

i'm cominagetcha!

see ya in two weeks :)

2006-12-04T09:21:00.000+07:00

my idea of a relaxed sunday: waking up late, eating tons of chilli crabs for lunch, washing the car with razi boy (a.k.a boy vaccum) , playing chess complete with sound effects (yep, this game can be very noisy), eating ruffles, doritos, and loads of chocolates (i love duty free junk food!). love it.

more things to love...

- my dsl connection here at work. after years of waiting, we have dsl up here in the boondoks! galing galing!

- my mini cooper engine. yep, finally! i got the engine. just have to find time to install it. nakakagigil but i have to have at least a week para makabit everything. have to budget my cash din since this is going to be all money out once i start on this old old project of mine. haha. mabuhay ang mini cooper ni raena! i love you Huge! you finally have an engine!

-my goats. i'm proud to say that they are 100% worm free! haha. mga alaga kong kambing sa aking office. this place is kindda quirky. in my office, you can find dump trucks, road rollers, payloaders, mechanics restoring a d60p caterpillar bulldozer, and beside it is my precious mini cooper, a scrap yard, and my goats roaming around eating my mother's plants. haha. i love this place.

-the small little cottage i call home. i just love everything about it. the vibe, the colors, the coziness, the ambiance, the big snob golden retriever, the very efficient kitchen, our collection of herbs, our very comfy little sala, and all the big trees around the house. love it. love it. love it! i miss cooking din kaya i'm inviting friends to come over. if you want free dinner, let me know. i will cook for you! haha.

-my anorexic wallet. after the trip, one mini cooper engine and one ultra wide lens, i am now offcially broke. haha. hindi naman. i just find it funny and humbling whenever i catch myself scrimping for loose change and coins. galing! it teaches me din that you don't need plenty of cash to appreciate and enjoy the little things in life. like...picking wild flowers for the house, making and eating home made sandwhiches, making ten million paper airplanes with razi boy, fun lunch with parents and raiding their grocery after, sleep over at their place and watching national geographic with dad while we munch on ruffles, wine at a and jo's house, and enjoying a cup of 3 in 1 coffee while i enjoy the scent of newly cut grass. love it. simple lang naman talaga dapat para maging masaya :)

-photography. i'm just an amateur and i love it when i get to learn new tricks. yun nga lang after the trip, i wanna shoot some more! haha. seriously, i'm dying to shoot again. wala lang time this week. pero i once i find time, i wanna shoot something nice and meaningful.

oh well, that's about it for now. i have a feeling my weekend is going to be wonderful. wishing everybody a simple but extremely content week. if ever we encounter something or someone pesky, breathe and count 1 to 20. don't be too masungit :)

2006-11-29T05:50:00.000+07:00

last

thank you mama carn for this unforgettable experience

Everest

2006-11-28T18:18:00.000+07:00

breathtaking

woke up 4:00 am just to hit the airport. took a 45 minute flight for a closer view of the himalayas and the everest

bhaktapur

2006-11-28T15:49:00.000+07:00

People of Bhaktapur Nepal

one of the oldest cities in nepal. full of historic places and amazing people. walking around bhaktapur is like going thru an art history book. very rich and mysterious. my 5th day in nepal

faces

2006-11-28T09:34:00.000+07:00

faces of nepalese cataract patients

thangka school

2006-11-28T08:55:00.000+07:00

visited a thangka school in dubar square. love the paintings. visited the school three times during my stay in nepal. got one thangka painting from tito wash.

more pictures here

Patan Nepal

2006-11-28T06:46:00.000+07:00

From Nagarkot, took an hour and a half drive to the city of kathmandu. dropped off our bags then we head straight to the city for lunch. drove around the city then we decided to check out patan. this place is amazing. one of the three major cities of nepal. Dubar Square is in the heart of the city of patan where ancient palaces, old hindu temples, great architectures, and exquiste buddhist shrines are placed. really old, super rich in history and bursting with colors. this is my third day in nepal.

more pictures here

Nagarkot Nepal

2006-11-27T16:19:00.000+07:00

nepali school boy

here are some of my nagarkot photos.

more pictures soon!

2006-11-21T18:33:00.001+07:00

today i am right here.

love it. love it love it!

the food is great, the place is fantastic, the people friendly and the weather is...shet, ubod ng lamig!!!

been here for two days now. went to bangkok din. bkk is so so. the new airport is ok. mejo inefficient lang ng konti. syempre thai food is good. had my dose na of ultra spicy foood! sarap kahit sobrang anghang! nepal is lovely. nakaka in-love everything. hindi pa masyado nagpapakita ang himalayas kse our whole place is covered with fog. took millions of photos na and got a lovely massage na din. hehehe. went on a small trek right after breakfast to a village nearby. saw this small cheese factory. took photos of nepali men pasturizing buffalo milk. hung out with the locals. kwento kwento while i munch on this cheese produce called rasbary. masarap. lasang pastillas de leche. the locals are good looking pero kulang sa height. they're very friendly at mejo bolero ng konti. hehehe.

sarap mag ladidah and mag space out dito. parang nakatigil ang oras.

pau and abba, got u guys pasalubong. kites! hahaha. minsan nga mag picnic tayo at magpalipad ng sarrangola.

timmy bear, you'll surely love this place. ganda ganda. sana maganda din kuha ko using the films i got from you. saw the everest sa plane. it was majestic.

lilipie, got you nice nepali jewelry. bagay na bagay sa yo.

jill, ang daming puge dito! hahaha. picturan ko for you! got you nice borloloys din.

jake! punta kayo dito next time. daming photo op. mainit jan sa cambodia. hahaha.

and to pow, mahal sobrang lamig dito. paano pa kaya sa ny?

tomorrow i'm off to kathmandu. have no idea kung ano meron dun. basta, sounds like an adventure. will post photos next time.

here's to exciting new places, warm smiles, and fantastic new discoveries! have a great week world!!!

2006-11-18T17:00:00.000+07:00

whew!

After a week of ten million errands and one panic attack, i am now ready to leave.

See you in Kathmandu Nepal!

2006-11-16T13:25:00.000+07:00

Pow's series of subway photos. galing!

2006-11-14T12:02:00.000+07:00

I am soooper excited!!!

2006-11-12T22:29:00.000+07:00

saturday feast! finally, the much awaited cookout! Pau, abba and i had a gastronomical extravaganza. we had steaks, corn, steam brocolli, prawns stir fried in butter and garlic, puttanesca and a bottle of shiraz. it was all goooood! till the next feast!

Inter elorde fight in sucat. blood, sweat and fear, agitated fighters, brawl-like fights, and good solid punches. after watching my gym mates fight, sometimes i wonder if i have what it takes to join a boxing match. i would love to try it someday just to guage myself if i can handle the pressure inside the ring. congrats to all the fighters! i am proud of your courage, discipline, and determination. astig.

2006-11-09T17:30:00.000+07:00

yep, that's me and i need a haircut plus a wide lens (haha. kulet!). pow told me about the new 12-24 tokina lens and i checked it out again kanina. read a lot of good reviews and pow said it even won a tipa award this year. it's a lot less cheaper than canon pero i'm still hestitant. if i can save up some more cash, of course i'll get the canon. bahala na. i still have a week to decide.

pau and abba- please set a date na for our cookfest. we've been planning this for months now. tuloy na natin. sayang ang prunes!!! sama natin sila buboi and mike. and para sa mga gusto sumama, let me know. our plan is to cook good food, eat all night, few bottles of good red wine (no more margaritas please!), pop a cheesy flick siguro and just enjoy each other's company.

btw, i'm also setting a dinner barbeque for jill and nandy and lomoheads too! tuloy natin to when i get the engine. para after fixing the car, dinner and drinks na!

tomorrow's a friday and it's going to be a fun weekend! wishing you lots of excitement, lovely dreams and peace on earth! enjoy the weekend world!!!

p.s. inter-elorde fight on sunday. woohoo!

2006-11-08T12:40:00.000+07:00

yesterday was fun. i had two meetings in cavite, one in laguna, met up with subcontractors, enjoyed the southexpress drive (thanks pa for the e-pass), rediscovered chemical brothers, ate quarter pounder for lunch, set a date for visa interview, and finally, i went boxing! todo boxing and weights kaya ayan, i'm sore all over. pero ok lang, i love it.

kaninang umaga naman after bringing razi to school, i went to UP to have breakfast in...casaa! hahaha. yep, good 'ol casaa. hehehe. after several centuries, ganun pa rin ang pagkain. power milo drink, greasy liempo with java rice, hamburger patties, sandwhiches wrapped in plastic, pancit palabok, pasta swimming in white sauce, turon with cheese, and dalandan juice in crushed ice. hindi pa rin nagbabago ganun pa rin ang ambiance and walang bagong stalls. took my time coz my meeting at libis was mid morning pa. plus, it's a wednesday so walang masyadong students. had bacon and eggs with java rice (?) and nescafe coffee (sana sa bahay na lang ako kumain). ang saya. mejo na flash back ako ng konti about my college days. problema lang parang wala na ko masyado maalala. haha. selective memory na yata talaga ako... oh well, it was kindda nostalgic pa rin. next stop this week will be barbeque sa beach house. i wanna find out din kung bakit pinangalan beach house ang beach house.

segue...after a month of shooting with one lens (walang kwenta yung lens na nakuha ko sa canon, anybody who wants it can have it), i have mastered the 50mm and i think it's about time that i get a new lens. waaa! really REALLY need a ultra wide zoom! sayang naman yung trip if shoot everything using one lens lang. basta, i have to get one soon!

empty casaa chairs.

Lord, help me get a wide lens para i can get a wider view of life. (shet. ang corny ko)

2006-11-06T22:49:00.000+07:00

this is so cute. i love banksy

and ray caesar's artwork.

galing!

2006-11-02T17:45:00.000+07:00

had 2 kilos of prawns delivered. so i asked razi's yaya to wait for it.

marivic: "ate, dumating na yung delivery. muntik ko ng hindi tanggapin."
me: "bakit naman e sinabi ko naman na intayin mo yung prawns."
marivic: "oo. pero akala ko yung dedeliver yung iniinom ni razi kung constipated sya"
me: "huh? ano?"
marivic: "yung prunes ba"

hehehe. ang galing.

now that i have 2 kilos of prawns, i'm inviting everyone for a dinner whatever sa bahay. miss ko na magluto.

miss ko na din si pow.

2006-11-02T06:47:00.000+07:00

Thank you fro, jo and a for my boy ninja's halloween experience. we had a fantastic time :) hataw ang halloween sa alabang. big production.

family reunion at inang tinay's resting place. loads of food, lots of laughter, and meron games pa! kengkoy kme minsan.

tambay. discovered a great place for relaxing and spacing out. american cemetery in fort bonifacio. ang ganda pala dun.

2006-10-28T05:33:00.000+07:00

kwento...

pow watched alice in chains with my brother-in-law in DC. yep, alice in chains without lane staley syempre. they got a new vocalist daw and they played all the great songs. sobrang nakakainggit. i love alice in chains.

papa's birthday last wednesday. dinner out. kwela time with folks ANd...met rae anne's boyfriend!!! hahahaha. woohooo! finally our baby sister is taken. even papa got sooper kilig with the news. sorry na lang mga boys, you just missed one of the most worth it girl. well, the guy's ok naman. 8 years older than my sister which for me is a good thing. he restores cars (mini coopers too), mukha naman maasikaso, and ok naman kausap (i guess to me kse puro mini cooper pinaguusapan). anyhoo, good luck to them. i have a strong feeling that this will last for a long time.

father-daughter tandem
thursday. interesting day for my father and i. it was our first time to join an e-bidding (hitech way of bidding. we bid thru the net) and MY first time to actually bid for a land dev project of a big corporation. my father is seriously teaching me the way of the force. on our way to there, i was totally freaked out, kinakabahan, and seriously nervous. alam ko kse na 5 ang makakalaban namin. we were put in a room with a computer, and hindi nakikita yung mga ibang competitors. all we could see from our monitor was the bid price, our rank, and the timer. syempre the lowest bidder wins. the bidding was for 30mins only but it kept on extending hanggang meron pang nagbibid. the whole thing lasted for a hour and a half. sooper kabado pero my father has this way of making everything look cool and relax. too relaxed that we ended up laughing and teasing each other while bidding. it was a funny way of bonding with my father- bidding for a project. anyhoo, long story short, we won. hahaha. we won the whole bidding thing kaya another big project for us!!! astig talaga. new project, fixed papers, business is good :) love it.

as for my mini cooper, was supposed to get the engine last night pero sabi ni santa sa monday na lang daw. eto na naman ang gastos coz once i get that engine plus progie the mechnic, wala na. tuloy tuloy na talaga to. ok lang. if there's a will, there's a way. hahahaa. corny. basta i will get that car fixed.

this weekend naman is going to be fun. lazy day, swim, sun bathe, photo trip, and quality time with my folks.

wishing everybody lots of love, laughter, funny moments, and looney trips this weekend. enjoy the day world!!!

Papa (a.k.a. Santa) and the dwarf, razi boy kulet, mama bee, the lovers with boy singit.

2006-10-25T14:43:00.000+07:00

si razi kwela. ayaw magpagupit kse magpapahaba daw sya ng side burns. hehehe

2006-10-25T13:13:00.000+07:00

fantastic site for hardineras. thanks lia!

you grow girl!

prepared my seedlings yesterday. okra, squash, eggplants and tomatoes. tomorrow i'm going to manila seedling to get some more herbs and plants. my basil plants are growing everywhere. as in nakakalat sa paligid ng bahay. hehehe. galing.
-------

the engine for huge is ready! kasama na ang front subframe, a/c compressor, radiator, and disc brakes. one good deal kaya ang galing! i guess God and Santa heard my prayers. kelangan ko na lang ng pambili. hehehe. mukhang i'll be able to finish this car soon. i'm so excited! once i get that engine tuloy tuloy na to. yiheeee!!!
--------

love it

2006-10-21T05:37:00.000+07:00

you gotta check this out!

ROCK 990!

galing galing!

2006-10-20T12:28:00.000+07:00

hay. after visiting solomon's heaven with nandy and jill, i'm starting to get that mini cooper itch again. super ithcy!!!

mini cooper update: talked to isoy and he'll overhaul my engine this weekend. 998 A+ series engine. port and polished para mas mabilis ayon k nands and omon. still have to look for disc brakes which might take a while coz wala na daw ganito dito sa pilipinas! but i'm still keeping my fingers crossed coz jill said she knows someone na meron ganito. kaya next week i will start assembling my brakes and suspension. bahala na. nakakagigil kung iisipin.

Dear God and Santa,

Please help me restore my mini cooper.

i need disc brakes, carburators, cash for general wiring, filters, gaskets, brake lines, tie rod set, shock absorbers, aircon compressor, cash for upholstery, weather strips, wheels, and hub caps.

raena

2006-10-19T23:12:00.000+07:00

The Classic Mini (documentary)

2006-10-18T18:09:00.000+07:00

razi wrote santa a letter kanina asking for a dino robot.

ako din kaya...

dear santa,

i want this for christmas.

razi: "mom, when i grow up i want to be a ninja."

me: "ako din anak. i want to be a ninja."

hehehehe. pano pa kaya kung mapanood ni razi ang ninja kids?

2006-10-17T17:26:00.000+07:00

crazy crazy day and i need a drink.

brought razi to school, had breakfast in jollibee, met the workers for the jocson roof repair, flew to cavite for a meeting with the engineers, checked on my heavy equipments, gave instructions to my mechanics and operators, drove to laguna to submit a billing, drove naman to makati to get my canon lens, had another meeting in eastwood, drive thru lunch at 4pm, then finally i had mama bee's laptop repaired at sm north. nakakahilo. nakakatulong talaga kung meron check list of things to do. and i'm proud to say na i was able to check everything! hahahaha. nakanampuch...hahaha. ang galing galing ni raena!

updates...

last saturday, after meeting the lomoheads at cubao x, i went home to our house in antipolo and spent the whole saturday night cleaning (again). this time armed with a vaccum cleaner. hahaha. drank vodka and sprite while cleaning, played matchstick men para sabay kme ni nicholas cage maglinis. hahaha. whatta weirdo. ok lang, i had a blast. now our house is immaculately clean. pwede humiga sa kitchen and bathroom. my next project is to fix my vegetable garden . i used to have a big veggie garden beside my office. when i get bored doing papaer works, lumamabas ako sa gulayan ko. was able to harvest a lot of okra, eggplants, pechay, small tomatoes, lemon grass, basil, and bell peppers. pangarap ko talaga magkaroon ng gulayan. i want a self sustaining place. kaya next week, i will channel martha stewart...hahaha. weird.

haven't done my photo trip yet. life was crazy last week. daming trabaho. sana matuloy ako on thursday. tomorrow kung hindi ako matuloy sa cavite with nandy and jill to get some mini cooper parts, malamang i'll have a movie date with ronaldo in the afternoon. bahala na. basta i'll reserve thursday for a photo trip.

btw, nakabili na ako ng book ni sylvia plath! bell jar. got it at powerbooks greenhills. was supposed t visit my ex office mates in music museum pero tinamad kaya i read the book instead while waiting for the computer to get fixed. it's a nice book. daming nice lines.

life is good. nakakahilo minsan pero at the end of the day i am happy. i may live an odd life because of my odd trips pero i am generally happy and contented with it. wala nga lang si pow dito pero i know we'll have a blast on december. there are millions of things to look forward to. love it. love it.

p.s. calling pau and abba, kelan cook fest natin sa house?