Quarantine

My blog turns 13 though I feel like I should take a year off of it due to its inactivity last year. I have broken the one-post per month (at least) streak that I held for 11 years. If not for the mandatory work from home set-up, and a reminder to renew the domain, I have totally forgotten about this blog.

Duyan

My three-week vacation is over. I spent 95% of my time at home because it was raining throughout. How did I forget that August is monsoon season in the Philippines. But still, it was still a good break from the 40 deg C temperature in United Arab Emirates. 

During my vacation, I gained 4 kgs. How can I resist my mom's home-cooked meals? For 21 days, I did not visit the gym. I ate, and ate, and ate until I fall asleep. Good times. And in that 21 days, only 2 days were sunny. That's the only time we were able to explore the city and the mountain side.

Duyan is the Filipino term for hammock. It is also a cafe in the Silay City, where the photo was taken.  How I wish the weather was better during my vacation but nature is beyond our control. So instead of regretting, just make the most of it especially if you are with your family and loved ones.

Oh - and I just recently saw the trailer of the movie Edie. It inspires me travel. If workload is a little lighter, I will pack my stuff and travel.

/totomai
2018/08/29

Boracay

When a friend asked me if I wanted to go to Boracay Island again, I immediately said yes. It’s been a decade since I first visited the island. The weather wasn’t perfect during our visit, it rained a lot and flooded streets welcomed us. But it did not spoil our quick escapade. Or there were no other options but to enjoy our stay.

photo by Julie

hums of splashing waves 

drown the sounds of the city 

temporary bliss

—
the waves of summer
crash and brush off a kingdom 
golden sandcastles 

/totomai

Bantayan

While waiting for the results of my job applications, I and a friend decided to explore Bantayan Island in Cebu to relax, and of course, to shoot. From my hometown, I had to travel by plane for 45 mins, by car (from the Mactan airport to Hagnaya port) for 3 hrs, and by ferry to the island for an hour. 

photo by Russel

lost in a blue world 

the waves of summer found me

a pearl for mother   

/totomai 

Mud

The Mudpack Festival in Negros Island Region is not as popular as the MassKara Festival but it has its own following. Now on its 21st year, locals and visitors still flock to Mambukal Resort every 3rd week of June for a 3-day celebration.

Lakawon

My first post since returning back to the Philippines. For the past two weeks, I busied myself eating my favorite food, visiting the gym every morning, and waiting for the results of my job applications. Current temperature in our province, Negros Occidental, ranges from 32 - 36 deg C, and coming from a comparably colder weather, I needed some splash to refresh. Luckily for me, the gym I worked-out at schedules a summer get-away at Lakawon Island Resorts and Spa.

crystal blue waters

did it come down from the sky?

a wishing starfish

/totomai

Decade

Today, my blog turns 10 - that is a decade of blogging, shooting, and distilling thoughts. For the past ten years, I always see to it that I have at least one blog entry per month. Checking the number of posts, I have a total of 354 including this one - an average of 3 blogs per month.

Photo by: Noli / Dave 

Bodypaint by: Tokyo Bodypaint 

Calatagan

I attended the wedding of my friend last January in Calatagan, Batangas. Batangas is known for its beautiful beaches. The wedding reception was held in Stilts Caltagan, so for convenience, I booked a room at the said resort for two nights. I stayed at the tree house which was very different and interesting at the same time. And outside of that tree house, the blue waters are always to greet me - have a nice day.

Election

Some thoughts while on the train on my way home. 

May 9, 2016. Millions of Filipinos will cast their votes to elect a new set of government officials. This is so far the most intense election I have ever witnessed. Everyone is so passionate and wants his/her voice to be heard for the sake of our country, the Philippines. At some point, I blame the social media for the occassional chaos it brings during the campaign period, but at the same time, this is the easiest medium to defend and sell our chosen candidates. 

Masks

Our city, Bacolod City, is known as the City of Smiles. But behind these smiles are a couple of tragedies. To hide the pain brought by the tragic events, the city decided to change the dark atmosphere into a cheerful one, thus the birth of MassKara Festival. 

The festival first began in 1980 during a period of crisis. The province relied on sugar cane as its primary agricultural crop, and the price of sugar was at an all-time low due to the introduction of sugar substitutes like high fructose corn syrup in the United States . It was also a time of tragedy; on April 22 of that year, the inter-island vessel Don Juan carrying many Negrenses, including those belonging to prominent families in Bacolod City , collided with the tanker Tacloban City and sank. An estimated 700 lives were lost in the tragedy. more here

Dim

I just had my very first business trip in the Philippines. It was a one-week assignment in Bataan to commission and start-up the equipment we supplied to one of the refineries in the Philippines. My work was finished a day earlier so I asked the approval of my superior if I can have a quick vacation to my hometown. He agreed. But that request is being threatened by the incoming super typhoon.

empty bottles were painted, and turned into a creative chandelier

saw this in a local restaurant in the Philippines

Guppies

My brother Dorb like animals since we were young. He has cats, dogs, fishes as pets and now he is raising hogs, poultry and freshwater fishes. Lately, he is addicted to small metallic fishes known as guppies. At first, I could not understand his obsession but that changes after he asked me to take photo of his fishes during my vacation since he is not into photography.

 

77th

Two years ago, I planned to surprise my mom on her diamond year but it didn't push through since I had problems with my passport. This year, however, I saw to it that I can go back to the Philippines to celebrate her 77th.

Santa

When I was growing up, Santa was always the first one to greet me "Advanced Happy Birthday!" On his gifts, he always included Christmas and birthday wishes. I thought, aside from being generous, he seemed to be very thoughtful human being. But that was more than 30 years ago.

Salamat

Maraming salamat po!

Thank you for helping the Philippines in times of need. In return, allow me to send you a photo taken in the Philippines as an act of appreciation. I did the same thing to those who helped Japan recover from the devastation caused by the March 11 Japan earthquake and felt there’s a need to do it again.

2012

2013. 

How time flies. Since I am still on vacation, I was able to look back on the photos I took last 2012. Every place I go, I'll turn it into a photographer's paradise. Photography will always be a part of me and of this blog. And from thousands of photos I took last year, here are my 12 personal favorites (with blogs to some of it).

missed by naked eyes 

chorus of flashing shutters 

frozen forever 

YOKOHAMA. My favorite city and the first place I've lived in Japan. Got the chance to visit it again last June and it brought back lots of memories. Took this photo handheld. NikonD7000 high ISO didn't disappoint.

  

Fun

It's more fun in the Philippines is the recently launched slogan of Department of Tourism. I think this is one of the few effective slogans that gained public interest. It triggered the creativity of the Filipinos and the results can be seen online. Just search "itsmorefuninthephilippines" on twitter. 

After seeing the floods of awesome images, I searched my photostream and looked for photos that I could use for this tourism campaign. One problem though, I didn't know how to place the wordings on the photos as I don't have a photoshop software. But thanks to pixlr and May. 

And since I came from the Visayas, most of my images were taken in our island. My way of saying, it's fun in our island too. Every June, Mudpack Festival is held at Mambucal, Negros Occidental.

 

Haunted

If I remember correctly, it was during the 80's when I first heard about a haunted house in Negros Occidental, specifically in Silay City. It was an abandoned abode and locals tend to believe that there are ghosts or supernatural beings residing on this ancestral house. A mere illusion. Or not.

I thought it stayed as a "haunted house" but was surprised to know that it was converted into a museum called Balay Negrense. My first visit to Balay Negrense was last Holy Week of 2007. I think during that time the entrance fee was 25 pesos only. There weren't too many people during our visit, thus it made the atmosphere creepier. At some point I was scared. Really.

Some history of the this ancestral house

The Balay Negrense was originally the ancestral house of Victor F. Gaston, a son of Yves Leopold Germain Gaston and Prudencia Fernandez. The elder Gaston is credited as one of the pioneers of sugarcane cultivation in this portion of the Philippine archipelago. A native of Normandy in France, he married a Filipina from Batangas where he initially began experimenting with sugar production before relocating to Negros.

Built in 1897, the structure housed Victor Gaston and his twelve children from 1901 until his death in 1927. more here

I had some weird experiences after the visit which I connected right away to Balay Negrense. After checking the photos I took, I tried copying them to my PC. Other photos were transferred except all shots from Balay Negrenses. I thought I am just scaring myself. A self-made illusion. Don't worry as I was able to successfully copy the pictures after a couple of days.

ghosts of yesteryears

escort travels to the past

preferred on evenings

The second floor is my favorite area since it's the creepiest. From the family pictures, bedrooms, toys, dining room, kitchen. A peek to life of hacienderos. I thought they were one of the powerful families in Negros.

Last 2010, I brought some of my friends to Balay Negrense but this time, the atmosphere was lighter since it's Christmas season and lots of visitors (mostly students) were also there during our visit.

If you are in Bacolod City, have a half-day tour to this place in Silay City. With only a 45 pesos entrance, you'll have a glimpse of the past.

totomai

01/30/10

MassKara

Last October, I went back to Bacolod City , also known as the City of Smiles , not only to attend the wedding of my brother but also to finally experience the MassKara Festival. The only time I watched this street parade was when I’m 4 or 5 years old. The next years were just in front of the television set. Bacolod City is synonymous to MassKara and vice versa. The theme of this year’s festival was “Celebrating 30 Years of Smiles”, after seeing this on numerous banners, I immediately thought, I am older than the festival!

After my brother’s wedding, my mind was set to capture the festivities. To be on the streets and be amazed by the flashes of colorful costumes and masks. To appreciate more the music I grew up but now with a different mix and flavor. To abuse Nikki until she complains. IT WILL BE FUN! And indeed it was fun! Non-stop shoot from Thursday to Sunday, and my mother started to worry if I am already obsessed with photography. I told her, not yet, but almost there. LOL! Personally, this is the happiest festival in the Philippines .

How this event started?

The festival first began in 1980 during a period of crisis. The province relied on sugar cane as its primary agricultural crop, and the price of sugar was at an all-time low due to the introduction of sugar substitutes like high fructose corn syrup in the United States . It was also a time of tragedy; on April 22 of that year, the inter-island vessel Don Juan carrying many Negrenses, including those belonging to prominent families in Bacolod City , collided with the tanker Tacloban City and sank. An estimated 700 lives were lost in the tragedy.

In the midst of these tragic events, the city's artists, local government and civic groups decided to hold a festival of smiles, because the city at that time was also known as the City of Smiles. They reasoned that a festival was also a good opportunity to pull the residents out of the pervasive gloomy atmosphere. The initial festival was therefore, a declaration by the people of the city that no matter how tough and bad the times were, Bacolod City is going to pull through, survive, and in the end, triumph. More here

Yeah, it was to hide all the gloominess of the Negrenes during those times. And I thought it was a clever idea to counter the mood. We all need to cheer up and face the future with a broad smile.

Thursday street dance parade was for the school category. I raced through the streets alone and pressured myself that I must get at least one good shot to show to my friends when I return to Japan . Since the pace is a little bit fast, there was no time to check the photos except at home. I didn’t wait for the announcement of results as I don’t want to be squeezed by thousands of people rushing to hail a jeep or a taxi. I enjoyed the first day of the street parade and the songs kept on playing on my mind even while sleeping.

Friday was a let-down. I expected a lot for the MassKara Electric Dance Parade but was just left craving for more. My reaction was, that was it? Earlier that event though, I went to Photographers’ Night. It was an indoor activity showcasing some fantasy costumes and sexy models. And how frustrating it was? I didn’t known how to use my external flash. Can somebody help how to explore the flash? The good thing was I met lots of photo enthusiasts and was able to have my camera clean for free.

Saturday was for the Baranggay category. The number of participants was larger than the school category, which means there will be lots of people (local and tourists) along the streets of Bacolod City as well as the City Plaza , the final performance judging area. With an official photographer’s ID, it was easier for me to access / enter the dancing area. I am not really comfortable in capturing action shots but I was hoping that my camera settings will be just fine. For this day alone, I took more or less 500 photos. The day was particularly hot but I didn’t mind it as I enjoyed every second of it. Lots of photo enthusiasts were there too and we agree that perhaps this is the most colorful event in the Philippines.

Sunday was for the Open Category. It is known to be the highlight of the festivities but this year was particularly different. Most of the participants were from Saturday. Actually I was expecting a lot because during the past years, only the winners of the first two categories are eligible to join and the other participants will be coming from establishments and/or company-sponsored. Sunday was almost a replay of Saturday. But still it didn’t stop the Bacolenos to go the city proper to be a part of the celebration. As for me, it was a great experience. Finally, I can say, I was there everytime I share or invite a friend or two to visit Bacolod .

The moment you hear “Kari sa Bacolod , Dala Masskara (Go to Bacolod , Bring A Mask)”, consider it as invitation to visit the City of Smiles.

See you all next year!

/totomai
11/11/09

Rush

The past four days were fast-paced and everything was a blur.

Monday. I was anticipating for my trip to the Philippines on Thursday when an officemate of mine told me about the coming storm in Tokyo, strongest one in 10 years, the very same day of my departure date. Everything was set already including my flight to Bacolod on Friday morning.

Tuesday. Worried that I’ll miss my brother’s wedding should I be stranded in Narita Airport, I printed out the weather forecast and showed it to my immediate superior. I asked permission from him if he could allow me to go home a day earlier than my supposed schedule. He confirmed right away.

I re-booked my flight, called my brother to re-book my domestic flight schedule too. I wasn’t able to buy souvenir items and I started packing my things at midnight.

Wednesday. The rain poured heavily Tokyo. At the airport, I hoped that no announcement of flight cancellation will be heard. During the entire flight, the flight attendants kept on reminding us about the possibility of experiencing turbulence.

I arrived at 1400H and went directly to our office in Makati. Then at around 1700H, I check-in to an appartelle for a night. At 1900H, went to Greenbelt and met a good friend of mine for possible investment.

Thursday. Scheduled flight to Bacolod was 0455H. I woke up at 0400H to my surprise. I arrived at 0430H and was told that I am already late. I was asked to pay for extra baggage too. I was the last one to board the plane and as I’m about to take my seat, a familiar face was sitting near the emergency exit. It’s Senator Noynoy Aquino, a presidential aspirant this coming 2010 election. At the luggage area, Senator Mar Roxas was waiting for him. The latter took a different airline carrier. I heard that they were visiting universities for some inspirational talks. Hmmm.

After lunch, I went out with my father and brother to roam around the city. I have another idea though and that is to buy a Barong Tagalog for my brother’s wedding.

I had four sleepless nights already. Make it five tonight and six tomorrow.

ZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

/totomai
10/09/09