Lost in Translation in EDSA

I was experimenting with the QL 19 and found out that the film would still be exposed at f/1.9 even at 500th of a second shutter speed.

This is the typical EDSA bus. A sign only our oriental neighbors can understand.

Add one to your age.

Ok, now I’m officially out of the teenage part of my life. To all of the people who greeted me, I appreciate it so much.

Pinhole Results

I had the results of the pinhole project. The first time I did this whole pinhole thing,  my receiving spool (Another blank film canister) was exposed (thus all of the shots were destroyed). So what did I do? I tried it the second time around. This time, I constructed a new pinhole free from light leaks, with a film with lower ISO rating and a more durable receiving spool. But what happened was another disaster. It’s really hard to tell how long should you open the “shutter” (electrical tape). All of the photos were either ghostly or exposed.

Oh well. I’ll think about doing it again next time.

Bloggerwave

Blogging becomes a popular hobby nowadays. But don’t you know that even your simple hobby could bring you an opportunity to earn an extra money or two?

Here’s the simple procedure how you can make your hobby to making money. There is this site called Bloggerwave. This site provides different opportunities for bloggers to make money through your own blog. You will of course write subjects with in your field of interest as reflected by your blog. Then its up for them to check and you have yourself a cash my friend.

As simple as that!

Now what are you waiting for?

Go make money through your blog!

Ka Bel

I only had the chance to attend to the burial of Ka Bel last Wednesday. The past few days, I was literally running out of funds. Even muggers refuse to mug me nowadays. In short, I had nothing even for travel expense.

Ka Bel lived to prove that there exist a type of public servant truthful to his title.

Everywhere the funeral march went, people raised their fists. Some are even chanting “Ituloy ang Laban” (Continue the struggle). I only saw him give a speech once (Majority of the time I spent in organizations was the same time he was being harassed by the government). It was in front of the House of Representatives. It was the time when Arroyo people tried to bribe him to support an impeachment complaint with a very weak substance. He came out and lambasted the Arroyo regime for its desperate attempts to stay in power. Ka Bel really gave detailed speeches. Everything will be discussed blow by blow.

Now that he is gone, he reminded us of the kind of leadership that is loyal to the working class and for the Filipino people. Just like in a movie line, “If I was asked how he died, I will tell you how he lived”.

Ituloy ang Laban.

Mug me. Mug me.

Today is enrollment day. End of days for the bums. I woke up 4:30 in the morning to get a dose of breakfast and to get to the university as early as possible. I typically don’t have the patience to stand in line and observe bastards cutting the line. What I thought of a glorious no-bastard-cutting-the-f####in-line day, turned to be a disastrous shitty day.

Attire: Be in Uniform with ID to enroll…… and to invite muggers outside the campus.

PS: Cops are useless.

My Mom told me I go ahead and fix the papers and she’ll see me in the university in a little while. So, here I go, buena mano for kuya jeepney driver for its really early in the morning. I was his first passenger. I sit my fine ass in the front seat to avoid sleeping. I handed him my twenty peso bill for the fair. He didn’t have any change so he bought a newspaper to have some coins. After passing by Morayta, another passenger came and sit beside me. I only noticed one passenger and that’s the one beside me but all of a sudden I realized he has a partner in crime at the back of the jeep. He showed me his knife and told me “Alam mo na” (You know what to do). I also felt someone holding me by my shoulder. That was the time I noticed I was surrounded by muggers in broad daylight with a helpless driver on my right left. The one at the back even gave me this look

——-> ( . ) (. ) …..What a stare. Makes you wanna laugh. (If you laugh you will die though)

I conditioned myself already what to do. I will give them my cellphone and head back to where my Mom is. I’ll just talk to the drivers so I can ride for free.

Here goes nothing. “Ito o’” (Here) handing him my phone. To my surprise, this mugger actually reacted “Labas mo na yung maganda. Wala na bang maganda?” (Give me a newer one. Don’t you have another one?). I suddenly realized that he refused to mug me because my phone looks like a war phone from Afghanistan, Iraq, Kosovo etc etc… I was surprised that this guy is actually expecting me for a damn new phone.. He searched my pocket for money and he got my wallet containing 100 pesos. He and his skinny staredown master partner went off the jeep telling me “Wag ka na lang maingay ah” (Don’t tell anyone bout this ok?)..

I was surprised that even with a knife sticking on his side, I didn’t panic nor did it cause me to be rattled. I was composed even after the incident to tell my Mom and Dad and my girlfriend that I was mugged but ok. I also told them that they refused to take my phone.

I really didn’t feel any resentment against the dynamic duo of Espana.. I actually felt betrayed by policy of having to wear my uniform on the day of enrollment. Its purpose was to keep us identified within the campus. It is quite effective within their premises I suppose. But I still do think it was quite insensitive of them to make us wear such an inviting dress code.

PEOPLE IN UNIVERSITY UNIFORM = DOUGH SUPPOSEDLY FOR ENROLLMENT

It could have been an ID reader on the different gates. Or even a request on the typically couch potato policemen to increase police visibility within the U-Belt area.

I know that these are just suggestions and palliatives. To answer the question of why should a person even resort to stealing, that’s another topic of discussion and rambling….but hey just my two cents.

Those choosy lumpen proletariats

Unbelievable.

Funny Video.

I just couldn’t help but to laugh my ass off..

Pinhole Camera!

Yeah!

PALITA: THE PINHOLE CAMERA is Watching!!!

Under Construction: Pinhole Camera

I started showing interest on building my own Pinhole camera the other day. I was amazed with the sample photos posted in Flickr and other sites in the world wide web. My creation is still under construction and I still have to by a film. The Film you see is actually just the take up spool. I started to darken the inside of the match box to avoid any reflection. I won’t take my chance on having my film exposed. It is also preferable to guard the spots where light leaks might occur outside the body of the camera. I put electrical tapes around the take up spool so as to avoid damage to the film. Tomorrow, hopefully I place a piece of metal with a little hole in it. I’ll post the outcome of this project in the days to come.

Images Through a Pinhole.

I am actually trying to learn how to make a pinhole camera… It’s a nice concept to take photos from recycled materials isn’t it? I’ll post the photos once I got the hang of it.

Glimpse of Paradise

Lomo Series: People and Smiles

Lomo Series: The Road and I

“And the road becomes my bride”

——Metallica (Wherever I may Roam)

Its nearing 13 years ago since I set foot in Baguio. I was only 7 the last time I came. Now, the long wait is over.

Well, the Baguio I saw is still the Baguio I had in my memory. Nice climate, beautiful parks, a very relaxing atmosphere… everything.

But the story began on our way back to Manila. May 8, 2pm, it was departure time from Baguio heading to Manila. We were running at a constant speed of not lower than the 60km/h, a relatively good drive—For the first three hours that is.

5pm, We reached Tarlac. It was the end of the glorious run. The car suddenly stopped. No signs of letting up showed all throughout the first hours but it somehow stopped all of a sudden and guess what? It doesn’t want to start again.

We asked the locals if there is anyway we could get a mechanic. The locals lead us to the house of Mang Julio, an old man who once was a mechanic. He admitted to us that he is no longer  familiar with the newer car models since they no longer have the spark plugs he used to know. Mang Julio was kind enough to help us find another mechanic. He asked his grandson named Romnick to go fetch a mechanic to rescue us from the brink of being stuck in Tarlac. The mechanic came and said that he would need to call his electrician friend to determine the problem of the car.

My dad already had the idea that no electricity was running to the car. Though discarding the worst case off his mind, the electrician gave us the bad news. It was the fanning belt that was broken.

We had no choice but for the car to be towed. May it be a wrecker or another vehicle, we need to drag the car back home in Manila. The wrecker would cost at about 10 thousand pesos. That is a hell of a price. We have another choice though: To ask the good Samaritans to drag us to Manila (For a bit lesser price that is).

They agreed to take us to Manila. The plan: use a towing rod to keep us from hitting them from the back and drag the car via the provincial roads going to Mc Arthur Highway all the way to Manila. It was 8pm already when we sailed.

My and my brother stayed on the towing vehicle to lead the directions while our parents stayed in the car. Not far from where we stopped, two punk guys approached the towing vehicle. The one having spikes on his jacket on a summer night and the other one having a Ramones T-shirt. “Papunta kayong Laguna Sir?(Are you going to Laguna, Sir)”. The driver and his friend replied that we’re heading to Manila.. As a means of farewell, the punks thanked us and said: “Mabuhay ang mga Punks ng Tarlac (Long live the punks of Tarlac) “.

The driver and his friend were laughing from what they heard and said that there is nothing free in this world anymore so don’t expect to hitchhike anytime soon.

30 minutes elapsed from all the dragging. It seems that we will reach Manila in no time. Though running under 40kms/hr, at least we were moving. It was just that bad luck was really on our side that night. Next thing we know, the towing rod fell apart.

They had no choice but to find an open welding shop to have it fixed. We on the other hand had no choice but to wait and hope for the best. They returned with a “fixed” towing rod at around 9:30.

We installed it again.

From exit of Tarlac all the way to Angeles, Pampanga, it was no less than 8 times that we stopped and spent a 15 minute or so to fix the rod’s installation to the car.

Move under 40 km/hr-Fix the rod-get back in. That was the routine we did.

It was in San Fernando that all efforts of rescuing the rod is useless. Around 11pm-12 midnight, with no welding shops open to fix the rod, it was time to sink the facts and realities to our systems. We were stuck in Pampanga….

We decided to stay in Pampanga. We asked the “towing team” if its okay that we pay them half since we didn’t reach Manila. They were so kind to agree with our offer..

Thank God that we have relatives in Pampanga. We asked them if we could stay for the night. We decided to get the car fixed in Pampanga. It was a lot better than  traveling all the way to Manila with a vehicle refusing to run.

At around 10:30 am of the next day, we’re back in the road to go to Manila, this time on a bus (while the car is getting fixed). At exactly 1pm, we finally reached home.. The end of the 23 hour unforgettable experience of going back to Manila.

Lomo Series: Road Trip

This set of lomographs is way way overdue. Robi and I went to Ilocos last October during our semestral break to get a heavy dose of sanity break. From Vigan to Laoag to Pagudpod, Road Trip Baby!

This is also my first roll of 120 film in Holga.

I had the chance to see the beautiful culture of the north, and the place where Panday had his sword fighting antics!

Lomo Series: Badass Angel.

Angels + Tattoos = Badass

Yeahh.

Lomo Series: Holga in the Streets

Using an expired 120 Film, I captured a glimpse of the man called Chino Roces.

Though Mendiola is still quite far from the Palace itself. Concertina Wires will knock some sense out of your ass if you try to cross the line. Don’t prick with the wires or else it will prick you back. Ouch!

Lomo Series: Adventure in Sprockets (1)

This will be the first installment of the Holga Lomo series in my blog entries. I adapted a 135 film to a Holga and here are some of the results.

The Photos were taken from a jeepney ride.

It seems that this kid is also bored as hell in the middle of the Metro Manila traffic jam.

The typical Placard of a jeepney to show where they are heading.

I will post more photos for my Lomo series in the coming days.

Old Stories

Even up to this day, in my soon to be 20 year old self, I still can’t get enough of old stories. From the ones coming from my parents and grandparents, stories are stories, period. I like word of mouth history from people I know. One of the stories I love are the Vietnam War stories. It was from 1967-1968, when my grandfather worked in Vietnam. It would take me years to finish an entry regarding Vietnam if I will narrate everything, so let me just point it out in numbered form.

1. There was a story circulating in So Van Han (I’m not sure of the spelling but it’s pronounced as So-Yan-Han) that when Ngo Din Diem, the puppet president of US to South Vietnam, was murdered; there was a Filipino involved in the murder.

The murder happened when a coup toppled the Diem regime. It was according to accounts that he was taken to the villa in So Van Han and later murdered. The US pulled of support from the Diem regime because of its declining popularity among the South Vietnamese people.

2. The underground tunnels are common among people’s homes.

3. Before the Tet offensive came, numerous funerals occurred. It was believed as one of the ways to smuggle arms into the city. Coffins were filled with guns, mortars etc.

4. Tet offensive happened during the Chinese Lunar New Year (Tet). At first, sporadic explosions of firecrackers were heard but as the celebration went on, it was the music of guns and mortars that were heard. Officially the start of Tet Offensive.

I can’t remember every detail of the bits and pieces, so there you have it.

Another of my favorites were the Tales from Angola. My grandfather worked here for 10 years (1979-89). Angola was a colony of Portugal. It was during the 70’s when the internationalist efforts of Cuba helped in liberating Angola and Mozambique from colonial powers of Portugal. The workers party of Angola, MPLA (more commonly called by its people as “Mapla”), gained control of the country and headed towards socialism. So I’m going to enumerate bits of facts about Angola that I remember:

Note: Bits and pieces I’m going to enumerate are in the context of 1979-89

1. Angola being a socialist country runs to the idea of “Each according to his needs and his capacity to produce”. If you work your ass off and you get promoted and given bigger responsibilities, the bigger your ration will be(Each according to his capability to produce). Two people having same occupation, but the other has a family, the one with a family gets a slightly bigger share (Each according to his needs).

2. There are no Blood Diamonds in Angola as portrayed in movies happening in Africa. The essential industries are all state owned giving no chance for profit driven kingpins to run the show.

3. Ali is also big in Angola, He fought George Forman in Congo a bordering country of Angola.

4. Some remnant cannibals run to Zaire.

5. Right to till the land is given permission by the government. There are cases when the government doesn’t allow people to till the land if its near diamond mines, since diamonds can possibly be excavated.

6. Money is nothing but for luxuries. You have everything you need in your ration and education is free.

7. Since it was in a time when glasnost is fast approaching, leaders are corrupt. They have long gone submitted to revisionism of their ideals. President Dos Santos is like a rapper with gems in all of his fingers.

8. Cubans in Angola are really gentlemen.

9. UNITA is a counter-revolutionary group funded by the CIA.

I guess that’s it.

Torches of Hope

Railroad Less Travelled

Naiipit sa Galaw ng Buhay

Footprints in Black and White

Mahal na Araw.

Oo, Easter Sunday na ngayon. Tapos na ang hay-day ng walang kamatayang marathon ng 7th heaven at ng mga pelikulang malakas magpatama ng antok. Nakaugalian ko na tuwing Holy Week na di ako sasabay sa dami ng tao na nagsispuntahan sa kanikanilang probinsya o kaya naman e nagpuunta sa mga resort na malayo sa Metro Manila. Unang una, di ko gusto ang maipit sa trapik. Pangalawa, Di ko gusto ma stress sa dami ng tao na kasabay ko sa isang lugar. At pangatlo, nagtitipid ako para sa masmatinding pagkakataong makapaglibot sa labas ng Metro Manila. Pangarap pa rin para sa akin ang Batanes (na mukhang suntok sa buwan). Gusto ko rin pumunta ng Mindanao. Kung anuman ang mapagdedesisyunan at mapagkakasya ng kaban ng bayan edi dun. Sa ngayon magpapalusaw muna ako sa tindi ng init ng araw.

Diyalogo: Mula Taxi Hanggang sa Kawalan

Matapos ang sagupaang Manny Pacquiao-Juan Manuel Marquez. Naging maganda ang umaga sa akin. Sinabay ako ng Mommy sa taxi para makatipid sa pamasahe. Dito ko narinig sa nasakyang taxi ang iba’t ibang ideya na kwela at nagpaganda ng aming pagsakay. Bago ang lahat, matapos ikabit ang seatbelt, mapagobserba ako sa katapatan ng pagpatak ng metro at napansing totoong tapat ang taxi ng mama’. Habang nakampante sa kanyang sasakyan, agad na humirit ang mamang taxi “Ang ganda ho’ ngayon ng byahe, walang trapik”. Natuwa naman kaming mag-ina dahil mukhang makwento ang nasakyan naming taxi. Dagdag pa ng mamang taxi driver e ” Lalo na po kahapon maganda ang byahe, ganun pala kapag may laban si Pacquiao walang trapik”. Agad ko namang tinanong kung napanood niya ang laban ni Manny. Sinabi niyang napanood niya ang laban pero hanggang third round lang daw siya dahil kumakain siya nang pinapanood ang boxing. “kung walang knockdown malamang talo pa tayo, sadyang may lakas lang si Manny kaya niya natalo si Marquez” .Nalulunod ang usapan sa boxing at sa mga bagay na kapaloob ang pangalang Pacquiao at dahil diyan di nakaligtas sa mama ang pagtatanong sa akin kung bababa na ba si Gloria. Inunahan ako ng mama at sinabing di makakababa si Gloria kasi walang hagdan. Natawa man ako sa biro ng mama’, alam kong di hagdan ang kulang na rekado.

Naging mabilis ang pagdating namin sa aming bababaan at kinakailangan nang putulin ang mga usapang nasimulan.

Lights and Sounds

Estranghero

Gustong gusto ko maligaw sa mga lugar na di ko alam. Mga di pamilyar na lugar, mga ilaw na minsa’y nagbibiro habang nakikipaglaro sa lansangan at kalye. Meron dalang kaligayahan at halong pag-aalinlangan ang pagdaan sa di pamilyar na lugar. Ang mga daan na sa masmaraming panahon ay di natin matantsa kung ano ang kayang ibigay sa para sa ating mga napapadaan. Ganunpaman, pipiliin ko pa rin mangahas na sumuyod sa mga kalye, kalsada at iba’t ibang sulok ng mundo—mga lugar na labas sa aking kaalaman.

Chronicles of the North: A Paradise Called Pagudpod

Chronicles of The North: Bangui and the Windmills

Baon na Katanungan

Saan ka Papunta?

Chronicles of The North: V for Vigan

Paalala sa Mga Bumibisita

Hindi ito kwento ng kagilagilalas na mga tao ng kasaysayan. Hindi rin ito isang pagtatangkang magbigay taning sa mga problemang kinapapalooban ng tao sa kanyang lipunan. Anuman na maiguguhit na letra at anupamang sinasaloob na mailalabas sa pahinang ito mula sa cyberspace, ay isa lamang produkto ng tao. Para sa mga nagtatanong kung sino ako na nasa likod ng desktop , hindi na mahalaga. Ang mahalaga’y marapatin sa sarili na bahagdan man ang kayang ibahagi mula sa sariling kakayahan, para lamang sa inyo, kapos man o maliit ang maging mabuting epekto; isipin na lang na ito’y isang pagtatangkang maging tapat. Maging tapat na blogger, maging tapat na mamamayan ng mundo, maging tapat na Pilipino, Maging tapat na tao.

Ito ang aking blog.

The Perfect Peep

Ilocandia

Colors of the World

Lost in Translation

When my day gets tough, when all I feel is a world clouding over; I try to look for unfamiliar places. With every chance, I try to get lost in the streets with names only heard or read on some printed material. With every chance, I try to be lost in translation.

I guess this is one of those days …

Manila

Musmos

Jeep at Pag-iisip

Habang naiipit sa gitgitan ng bawat sasakyan sa kahabaan ng mga kalsada ng Maynila, Di ko maiwasan na maisip at pagmasdan ang itsura ng mga taong nakakatabi ko sa jeep. Andyan ang taong tulog at mukhang pagod na pagod, taong wala nang ginawa kundi mag text, andyan din ang mahilig pumapak ng kung ano-ano, at ang matindi meron din naman na may masamang intensyon sa cell phone ng bawat pasahero.

Ano pa man ang mga dahilan ng aming pagkikita. Ano pa man ang mga sirkumstansyang bumuo sa posibilidad para kami magtagpo sa ganap na pagkakataon at oras, hindi ko alam. Pero alam kong bakas sa bawat mukha ng taong nakita ko sa jeep ang bigat ng buhay. Buhay na kung minsan mahirap matimpla. Buhay na kung minsan walang pakialam. Buhay na kung minsan kasing bilis ng mga sasakyan kung dumaan. Pero ano pa man ang dahilan, pinipili nating tumawid. Pinipili nating tumawid na kung minsa’y parang mga asong nakikipagpatintero sa mga sasakyan.

Dahil na rin bulok ang sistema. Ginagawa tayong mga aso— Mga asong nakikipaglaro sa kapalaran. Walang tiyak na patutunguhan at masmarami ang tsansa nang pagkahagip ng sasakyan kaysa ang pagdating sa paroroonan.

Flashes of Lights and Hope