bits and pieces of me

Repost from my blog - www.albylaran.com

 As I get into my mid-30s, I start to think of what the future holds for me. Not that I worry about the future. I know God has great plans for me and I completely trust in His promise of a full life. But that doesn’t give me license to be complacent and lazy. As the saying goes, do your best and God will do the rest. So what does “doing your best” mean? Well, if I know, and God-willing, I want Arts and Crafts, AND Photography to be a bigger part of my life (not necessarily making a career out of it, but why not?), then I have to take the necessary steps to make sure I get to that destination. As far as photography is concerned, that means equipping myself with the necessary skills to progress in this craft. How do I equip myself? Lots of practice and (instructor-led) training. And I am off to a good start.

Last July, I enrolled in a one-day Basic Photography Workshop with Ross Capili. Although I already know a bit about photography, I still learned a lot from the session. In August, I enrolled in a one-day Photographic Flash Lighting Workshop with Carlo Claudio. Studio work is not something I am crazy about, but this workshop opened my eyes on the possibilities of flash photography. So, what kind of photography do I really want to pursue? I love to travel so it’s a given that I love shooting places of interest – architecture, landscape, culture. I also would love to learn how to take candid shots of people in their natural “habitat” and tell a story with those photos. One professional photographer that I have discovered recently and who does the kind of photography that I like is Gunther Deichmann.

His photos are breathtakingly vivid, colorful, dramatic and emotionally perfect. I checked out his website and each and every photo never fails to inspire.

He also offers photography workshops all throughout the year. I checked them out and was instantly transported into dreamland – wishing and dreaming that I could be part of his classes, specially those that are done in gorgeous locations. The Siem Reap class looks absolutely awesome but it would cost about US$2,000 including airfare. The 7-day Nepal workshop looks very interesting but I assume it would cost around that much.

Anyway, there is a local workshop to be conducted by Gunther Deichmann on October 8-9 called Essentials of Travel Photography. This is organized by the Word for the World Christian Fellowship Photography Club. Details are posted at the club’s blog.

At P1,500, I thought it is a steal, specially with an award-winning instructor whose images have graced international publications including Time Magazine. I thought it would also be a good way for me to see how he works and see for myself if his style of teaching is something that fits my needs.

Registration and briefing happens on October 8. October 9 promises to be a long and tiring day (just like his international workshops – as noted in his website) but I do expect to come out of it with more knowledge and insights into taking better travel photos.

Moreover, the workshop is partly sponsored by Power Mac Center and they promised to give away some exciting prizes to participants with the best photos. Rumor has it that there is an iPod Nano involved. I also heard through the grapevine that Gunther will give away a copy (or copies?) of his coffee table book called Journey through Color and Time. I’ve had the privilege of previewing his (huge hardcover) book and it was inspiring. Pages and pages of jawdropping photographic perfection. It’s a compilation of over 300 pages containing images taken throughout his 30-year career, covering around 22 countries including the Philippines. Each page is just bursting with color. It made me appreciate the beautiful world our God created for us.

I am all the more excited because Ariel will join me on this workshop again, along with a couple of my friends. This will be fun! Can't wait!

I had a few "business contact" invites which I have not accepted simply because I meant for this Multiply account to be a way to keep tabs with my friends. I made the mistake of accepting such invites before and my inbox got flooded with product announcements, or worse, orders and inquiries from other people. So, to minimize unnecessary notifications, I decided to take them out of my contacts list.

Having said that, I also didn't have the heart to decline those invites thinking that I may offend someone, specially if the business happens to be owned by a friend. Which leads me to this post - I am declining all the pending invites and if you are one of those who sent business contact invites, please note that I bookmarked your sites and should I find myself needing your products and/or services (such as lechon, blings, etc.), I can easily access your Multiply site.

I'm actually thinking of setting up another Multiply account just for this purpose. Hmmm...some other time I guess.

I lifted this from Teejae's blog. My score is 63/100. What's yours?

Eaten the following...

(x) Balut (and penoy)

(x) Kwek-kwek (quail eggs wrapped in flour)

(x) Kambing (goat)

( ) Aso (dog) - NEVER, I love dogs!!

( ) Bayawak (giant lizard)

( ) Wild boar or wild deer I mean USA here ha

(x) Durian

(x) Palaka (frog)

(x) Adidas (chicken feet) or isaw (intestine)

() Soup #5 (bull's reproductive organ)

 

Rode the following...

(x) Tricycle

(x) Karitela / Kalesa

( ) Trolley/push cart along the riles (railroad)

( ) Banka across pasig river,

(x) MRT / LRT during rush hour

( ) Jeepney where you had to stand (sabit)

(x) Bus where you had to stand (sabit) at the estribo (doorway)

( ) Top load on a jeepney

( ) Top load on a PNR train

(x) Rode in a Love Bus (Those were the days!)

 

Been to...

(x) The Rice Terraces or Sagada

(x) Star City

(x) Enchanted Kingdom

( ) Shooting the Rapids (Pagsanjan or elsewhere)

(x) See the Tarsier (small wide-eyed primate) or Butanding (whale shark) in Bohol

(X) See Magelan's cross

( ) See the Black Nazarene in Quiapo

(x) Manila Zoo

( ) Crocodile farm (Palawan or Davao)

( ) Seen the Philippine Eagle in Davao

 

Tried the following...

(x) Played Patintero

(x) Played Tumbang Preso

(x) Played Piko

(x) Played Sungka

(x) Played with Spiders (Gagamba derby)...

(x) Played Chinese Garter

(x) Played Chinese Jackstones

(x) Climbed a coconut tree (Not  very tall - we have coconut trees in our backyard in Cavite

( ) Caught fish in the canal during a rainy day

(x) Had a salagubang (beetle) for a pet (beetle fight)

 

Culturally oriented activities...

(x) Danced the Tinikling or any other native dance

(x) Attended Simbang Gabi ( Midnight Mass )

( ) Participated in Ati-Atihan

(x) Attended/participated in any religious procession

(x) Rode a kalabaw (carabao) or baka (cow)

(x) Used gugo for shampoo

(x) Tumulay sa kawayan (walked on a bamboo pole bridge)

( ) Kept Vigil at the Cemetery for Nov. 1st

( ) Visited 9 (or more) churches during holy week

(x) Greeted your grandparents or elders by kissing their hand or having them touch your forehead

 

Provincial living...

(x) Eaten fish head...

( ) Drank Lambanog (coconut wine) or Tuba (rice wine)

(x) Drank Batangas barako coffee or Cordillera coffee

(x) Told manananggal, aswang, capre stories during a brownout or rainy night

(x) Slept under a mosquito net or on a banig

(x) Eaten champorado with tuyo

(x) Eaten pandesal filled with condensed milk

(x) Dunked pandesal into hot coffee

(x) Ate crispy rice with coffee as your soup...

(x) Took a bath under a "poso" or by the "ilog"(river)

 

Young life...

(x) Gone to the beach in summer

(x) Rode horses at Wright Park in Baguio

(x) Eaten otap, piaya, or buko pie

(x) Polished the floor with coco husk (bunot)

(x) Seen Taal Volcano

(x) Called anyone "pare/mare", "tol", or "bos/bossing"

(x) Took a bath in the rain

( ) Got a tattoo (a real one)

( ) Attended an exclusive boys/girls school

( ) Cut class - and got caught and suspended because somebody squealed

 

Metro living...

(x) Got stuck in the EDSA parking lot (traffic)

(x) Walked in a flood

(x) Lifted furniture up away from the flood water

(x) Eaten Dirty Ice Cream

(x) Eaten fish balls / squid balls sa kalye

( ) Attended an inuman (drinking session) in the neighborhood

( ) Lived in a boarding house

( ) Gone to the casino

(x) Gone inside Malacanang Palace

(x) Gone shopping at 168 / Divisoria

 

Historic Events / Places...

(x) participated in EDSA 1 / 2 / 3 (ERAP resign movement! )

( ) Marched in Mendiola

( ) Attended a Makati rally

(x) Visited the Ayala Museum

( ) Visited Corregidor

( ) Visited Bataan shrine

( ) Visited Biak na Bato

(x) Visited Rizal's house in Calamba, Laguna

(x) Visited Lapu Lapu's shrine in Mactan Island

(x) Visited Ferdinand Marcos' resting place

 

Others...

(x) Got stuck in your office / car / elsewhere during a storm

( ) Experienced a strong earthquake while in a floor 10 stories or higher

( ) Attended World Youth Day in Manila with Pope John Paul II

( ) Watched the Thrilla in Manila

( ) Get stuck in NAIA because of a VIP coming in or out

 

Sports events...

( ) Watched horse races at the karerahan (at the oval or an OTBS)

( ) Monitored the Tour of Luzon / of the Philippines

( ) Watched a PBA game live

(x) Watched a Pacquaio fight

( ) Bet in a cock fight 

I don't think there will ever come a time when my mom will need me more than I need her. Not even when she's sick on the hospital bed.

On Tuesday night, my mom was rushed to the hospital. She had an agonizing pain in her lower left abdomen. Just before they drove to the hospital, I was able to talk to her and it broke my heart to hear her cry. Actually, my parents didn't want to bother us so they didn't even call us. It was my parents' helper who sent me an SMS to let me know that they will go to the hospital.

By the time Ariel and my brother (who shares our condo unit) got home, it was already 10pm and my mom was already free from pain. She was admitted to the hospital and was given pain relievers and antibiotics for her UTI (a very bad one). She was in so much pain that her usual 90/60 blood pressure soared to 160/120. She dissuaded us from driving to Cavite as it was already late and she said it will just be an overnight confinement. However, this was one opportunity for me to give back to my mom so I insisted on driving to Cavite to be with her. Good thing my brother and I did because otherwise, my mom would have spent the night with our family friend rather than with family. My dad is in no condition to stay with my mom in the hospital as he is fighting his own battles with a couple of health problems. So, I spent the night with my mom who had to get up every hour to go to the toilet. I was so exhausted from the sleepless night, but it was also a rewarding experience to be able to care for my mom even for just a day. It was nothing compared to all the sacrifices my parents made for my brother and I.

I often hear that there comes a time when the parent-child role gets reversed, with the child caring for the parents in their old age. I pray that when the time comes, I will be able to take on that role joyfully.

I can't contain my excitement!

Remember my wishlist?

• A camera bag - I actually liked the ShootSac. But it's mainly for lenses. Karen Russell, a photographer-scrapper, blogged about it here and I liked the idea of interchangeable covers/flap. It's kikay and I get to choose one that fits my mood for the day. It's quite pricey at US$179 for the bag and an additional US$49 for the flap. Crumpler is also a good option, maily because I don't want a bag that's all black. BORING!!! I think the best in terms of functionality is Lowepro. I like the beltpacks, specifically the off road and the off trail bags. The backpacks are also cool. I like the micro trekker bags. I just hope other colors are available here, like red or blue. Last but definitely not the least is the Tamrac camera bags. I like the Velocity 7x (model 5767)  or 8x (model  5768) and the Travel Pack 71 (model 5371). I don't need a huge bag. Just enough to hold maybe two detached lenses, plus my external flash on top of the main camera with attached lens. I prefer a bit of color in my bags - red or blue, anything but plain black.
• Jewelry - nothing really fancy. Maybe a silver bracelet from Tiffany and Co. I hope they have this,  this or this at Rustan's. Or maybe a pair of silver earrings from Charriol to match my bracelet.
• This is wishful thinking but I also want some Canon lenses - a 10-22mm Ultra Wide Angle lens, or a 18-200mm IS lens.
• Another wishful thinking - a female Chihuahua puppy from a reputable breeder, not from a pet shop. :D I'd love to have another dog, one I can bring to our condo. It's not practical though, since we already have three adorable dogs. Maybe next year then.

I got most of the items in my list except the jewlery. Who cares about the jewelry when I got everything else!

I already posted about Cain who joined our family last Monday. Today, I got the camera bag (I opted for a boring black and grey Tamrac Velocity 5 bag. The 7x and 8x are way TOO big! The Velocity 5 is a shoulder bag that's convertible to a belt bag - I'd rather have the weight on my waist than on my shoulders. It is compatible with the Modular Accessory System which enables me to add accessories like extra lens cases, water bottle carrier, phone case, etc. I can easily take this when we go on our outdoor activities (I'll probably get two water bottle carriers for this purpose). Best of all, it's great value for money! Far cheaper than everything else on my list.

And then, the mother of all gifts!!! I opted for the Sigma 17-200mm OS Camera. It's tons cheaper than Canon and well, I'm not exactly an expert so I am not picky...yet. Thanks HONEY!!!

Now it's time to focus my attention on getting my hubby's gift. He wants an HP Mini now. :D

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

Our family of four humans (Ariel, myself and two helpers) and three furry friends welcomed our newest baby yesterday.

Meet CAIN. He's a two and a half month old cream teacup poodle and he's just the most adorable puppy ever. Look at those puppy eyes. He's only 7 inches tall and about 9 inches long.


I was a bit worried about how he would adjust to his new environment. When I took him home yesterday, he slept throughout the drive home. When we got home, he started playing with everyone! So cute! I specially love it when he wags his inch-long tail.  After playing for a bit, we gave him dinner - two tablespoons of dog food mixed with a bit of milk. He finished his food quickly and pooped on a sheet of old newspaper. Yup, he's potty trained!

Can't wait to buy him clothes and accessories! But he's gorgeous just the way he is. Look at him!  Welcome home Cain!

People ask me why we named hi Cain. No reason in particular. I would have named him Mr. Big after Chris Noth's character in Sex and the City but he looked more like a Cain to me so Cain it is!

Hubby is already asking me for my Christmas wishlist. Up until yesterday, I had no idea what to ask. On the other hand, he had been bugging me for these:

• Guitar hard case for his Ovation
• Nothing else at this point! I need more choices!!!
  

And these are the items in my list. Choose wisely honey!

• A camera bag - I actually liked the ShootSac. But it's mainly for lenses. Karen Russell, a photographer-scrapper, blogged about it here and I liked the idea of interchangeable covers/flap. It's kikay and I get to choose one that fits my mood for the day. It's quite pricey at US$179 for the bag and an additional US$49 for the flap. Crumpler is also a good option, maily because I don't want a bag that's all black. BORING!!! I think the best in terms of functionality is Lowepro. I like the beltpacks, specifically the off road and the off trail bags. The backpacks are also cool. I like the micro trekker bags. I just hope other colors are available here, like red or blue. Last but definitely not the least is the Tamrac camera bags. I like the Velocity 7x (model 5767)  or 8x (model  5768) and the Travel Pack 71 (model 5371). I don't need a huge bag. Just enough to hold maybe two detached lenses, plus my external flash on top of the main camera with attached lens. I prefer a bit of color in my bags - red or blue, anything but plain black.
  
• Jewelry - nothing really fancy. Maybe a silver bracelet from Tiffany and Co. I hope they have this,  this or this at Rustan's. Or maybe a pair of silver earrings from Charriol to match my bracelet.
  
• This is wishful thinking but I also want some Canon lenses - a 10-22mm Ultra Wide Angle lens, or a 18-200mm IS lens.
  
• Another wishful thinking - a female Chihuahua puppy from a reputable breeder, not from a pet shop. :D I'd love to have another dog, one I can bring to our condo. It's not practical though, since we already have three adorable dogs. Maybe next year then.
  

That's it for now. I may add to the list when I think of something else. :D

This is my official wishlist for the KO Marketing Christmas Party.  It's a bit easy to make this list because 1) we have a budget, and 2) I really want all of these and they all fit the budget easily.

Original DVD of Mamma Mia!  (This is the most fun movie I’ve seen this year and I can watch it over and over again!)

Original Soundtrack of Mamma Mia!  (I can listen to the music over and over again, too!)

Original Soundtrack of Twilight (I love the book so much that I’m bound to like anything remotely connected to Twilight.)

Twilight Companion : The  Unauthorized Guide to the Series by Lois H. Gresh -available at leading bookstores nationwide  (Can you tell how much I like Twilight?!)

The Twilight Saga: The Official Guide by Stephenie Meyer (It’s supposed to come out in December but not sure if it’s a worldwide release. Amazon doesn’t have it yet, but who knows, we still have a week.)

Scrapbook Central  -3 inches thick , it’s a plastic container that can hold 12x12 papers, available at Make Room  (You know how I breathe scrapbooking – though it’s currently overshadowed by my fascination with the Twilight Saga – so having one scrapbooking item in my list shouldn’t come as a surprise.)

Now, putting together my wishlist for Ariel is a different matter altogether. Hmmm...still need to think about that.

I met him Thursday night, November 13th, around 11:30pm. I was lonely and missing my husband who was away for the whole week. At that time, I was just glad to have someone to keep me company during the cool lonely night. He held my undivided attention until I couldn't keep my eyes open anymore. I said goodbye around 3am and promised to see him again in the morning. By 9am, I was ready to be dazzled again. I'm talking about Edward Cullen, the  beautiful, dazzling, and eternally 17yo vampire from the book Twilight.

I've heard of this book a year or so ago but I never paid attention. At that time, I was still very much into Harry Potter. Then, a few weeks ago, I read about my friend Lee's addiction to the Twilight saga. I knew another friend, Grace, has a copy so I borrowed the first book. I wanted to see if I would like it before buying my own copy. The verdict...I LOVE IT! I've found a new collection as engaging, if not more, than the Harry Potter series.

I started reading Twilight Thursday night, just before midnight. Before I knew it, it was 3am. I reluctantly put down the book and went to sleep. By 9am the next day, I was reading again. When I finished the first book, I texted Ariel to tell him that I'm hopelessly addicted, maybe much more so than with the Harry Potter series. I told him I wanted my own copy, including the sequels. By Friday night, Ariel texted to tell me he bought me all four books in Thailand. (Move over, Edward Cullen. My hubby is the sweetest ever. And I love cuddling his warm body on cool, rainy mornings.)

Since hubby is scheduled to fly back Sunday night, I decided to read Twilight a second time on Saturday. This time, I read it very slowly, word for word. Darn, I missed a few details the first time. Not surprisingly, I loved it even better than the first time I read it.

Sunday night, around 11pm, I started reading the second book New Moon (yeah, I know, hubby just got back - but he was working!!!). I stopped at 1:30am. I have work the next day! I resumed Monday night and finished the book around 1am. This time, I was torn between Edward Cullen and Jacob Black, the werewolf. 

It took every ounce of self control not to read book three (Eclipse) right away. It's all happening so fast. I am afraid for it to be all over by weekend. I want to prolong the experience. So, instead of picking up the book now, I decided to finally connect to the internet and blog.

Might be a futile attempt though. Hubby is away again til Friday. I need distraction.

So, good night. I have a date with Edward. And maybe Jacob too. And I am beginning to miss Bella Swan, the object of Edward's and Jake's affection. Next to me, of course.

Ariel left for Bangkok last November 9th. He returned November 16th. That was the longest time we've been apart. 7 nights.

There was a point in time when we had been considering work outside of the Philippines. At that time, we said if either one of us will be given the opportunity, that person will go and test the waters for six months. If things work out, the other one will follow six months after. In between, the one left behind can just visit regularly - maybe once a month.

Last week, I realized I cannot bear six months of separation. Not even with monthly visits.

I've noticed in the past that when Ariel is away, I find it difficult to sleep. I would toss and turn til the wee hours of the morning. It was the same last week, though a bit more difficult since I was sick. I had been taking medication which made me feel very sleepy but I still couldn't sleep.

We planned to text each other twice a day - in the morning and in the evening - and I would call just before bedtime. We ended up texting each other throughout the day. I missed him terribly. I'm used to hearing his voice throughout the day. Sigh.

Fortunately, by Thursday, I found a distraction. I fell in love with another guy. His name is Edward Cullen. :D

I wanted to enroll in the 5-week Friday night classes at Powerbooks called The Five Stories You Want To Write. It's a writing class which I thought would improve my writing skills. But my main objective is really how to capture the relevant stories of my life that I can put into my scrapbook pages. Unfortunately, the schedule doesn't work for me. Three out of the 5 Fridays are already booked in my personal calendar (it starts Nov. 14 and every Friday til Dec. 12).

Fortunately, I signed up for Jessica Sprague's online class called Stories in Hand. It started yesterday so today is Day 2. The class is about the process of capturing the stories that matter. As a scrapbooker, I thought this is highly relevant because I want my scrapbooks to tell stories of how I lived my life. I don't want my scrapbooks to be just about pretty "artistic" pages but I want them to remind me of the good times and the bad, of the experiences that make life sweet, of the blessings I need to be thankful for, of the lessons learned, etc.

The good thing about this class is that I can do it on my own pace. I can access the site any time I want and print the materials on my own convenient time. Yesterday, Jessica shared some printable digital elements to be used for our "scrapbook". Today, she gave us what she calls "sparks" - questions about our ancestry, childhood, routines, etc. - that would, well, spark stories that can be captured in our scrapbook pages. I haven't had a chance to read through the very long list (there are three categories - Roots, Self, Family) but browsing through some of them already brought back memories. I am very excited and I am hoping to interview my parents to know more about my ancestry.

I think I am already doing a good job capturing our travel stories but I need to capture the everyday moments too. So hopefully, this class will help me do just that.

I will share what I can as the class progresses (it runs til Nov. 23!). Right now, I need to go to bed and rest. I still have low-grade fever (4 days already!), a terrible cold, and now, I have cough too! I'm already taking antibiotics so hopefully, the fever will subside soon.