HOLDING THE SUN

My family and I were taking pictures to kill time while waiting for our flight at the Diosdado Macapagal

International Airport. Some shots were against the light and I remembered an email received wherein the subjects had the sun in their hands. The sun's shape wasn't well-defined but we had fun playing with what there was. Here are a few shots of my father holding the sun:

adjusting angles to get the desired shot

up top

fireball

sto nino

firefly

Try playing with sunsets, you'll get a more defined circle and a more colorful background :)

UNWINDING ON THE SHORES OF A PRESERVED COASTAL FORT

what makes perfect?
a sunny day at the beach, 
a long vacation with my siblings, 
and an ice cold coke in can. :)

in my efforts to come up with a creative pose,
this is what i get.

buried our sister in hea-vy sand
and captured the moment with a dubai-ish backdrop

straight down, baby. straight down. :)

my brother chillin' and 

secretly hoping no one would stumble on him.

reclaimed sand on singapore's artificial beach

My siblings and I visited the 3 beaches of Sentosa on our first visit. Tanjong beach seemed too private and secluded, with families and hotel tenants who reserve the area for parties. At Palawan beach, the crowd consisted mostly of Indian locals and tourists visiting the southernmost point of continental asia, while Siloso beach was flocked with Singaporeans and young adults.

We chose to hangout at Siloso beach on our second visit. We fitted in perfectly with the crowd. (physically, i mean) Our Asian looks had people mistaking us as Singaporeans. haha.. :)

My sister bought a new swimsuit at the souvenir store and got a free beach bag with her purchase. 

I was the official photographer since I decided to stay at the shore as I was wearing a beach dress which i bought for only 3 dollars. cool huh? :) We each brought a camera but forgot to pack the waterproof Olympus. Note to self: Bring waterproof camera on out of town trips. 

Fried ourselves for half a day, gazed at the beautiful sunset, and fell in line at the public bath just before closing time. A visit to the beach always completes a vacation. I'm definitely returning to the shores of Sentosa. I can't wait to bury my toes into the treasure trove that is Siloso. 

COUGHCOUGHCOUGHCHOKE

I always defend my hometown when encountering people who have visited Baguio and who give detailed comments on how polluted the city is. The city which was once the cleanest and greenest in the country is now dealing with trash problems, heavy traffic, and a black cloud that seems to permanently reside above the entire plateau. Tourists complain about how dirty their noses get after a day in the city (i'm sure a lot of us Baguio residents have heard of this side comment before). What can you expect in a place with jeepneys and taxis as their dominant mode of transport? Add to that, the never-ending uphill struggle on steep roads and high hills. Vehicle windows are confidently kept down, allowing the invigorating Baguio air to slap you right smack in your face every 2 minutes. Yes.... inhale.. exhale..

Visit Baguio to admire what's left of it, there's still much to be discovered.

Better not travel if your purpose is to fill your urge to judge and criticize.. That snot is one Kleenex wipe away. :) 

SHUCKS, MY CHUCKS!

What makes an original Chuck Taylor all-star more comfortable?..
The answer is DIRT. ohh yeeees..

Aside from the air holes and non-slip soles, its canvas and rubber material make this shoe preferred by.. well, me :) Don't you just dread its first few days when the soles are oh-so-white and the entire shoe is crease-free? You could just imagine how many people would notice you're wearing new footwear.
We tend to deliberately step on them to give that "aged-feel" and to make us 50% less conscious. :)

Recently, I went shopping while wearing my 9-month old chucks which I planned to replace -- Aged, Dirty, Soft, Comfortable. I was trying on a pair of the same converse shoes I had on when the saleslady asked me how long I've had mine. Without waiting for a response, she immediately suggested that I use mild soap in washing my shoes. "MIND YOUR OWN SHOES!" I screamed in my mind as I was annoyed by the nosy personnel, then politely answered "i like them dirty".

I glanced at my shoes, then stared at the display, then back to my shoes, then back to the display...... This went on for a few minutes..

My day ended with a debit swipe and a pair of Filas at hand. As for my chucks, I'm keeping em dirty. :)




for more info, visit:
http://www.converse.com/#/products/collections/ChuckTaylor

NIPPON (SUN ORIGIN)

The annual vay-k. :) Filed the longest leave i could probably get in a year for this visit. 


Nippon is the native name for Japan. I chose to title this post as Nippon since our visit was spent more on knowing the history of the island nation of Japan. With my father as our tour guide, we sight-saw and visited temples and museums as he explained the country's foreign relations, military governance, and other amusing facts. 

We also spent time with my aunts and met our cousins for the first time! Is that exciting or what? :D 


Don't be fooled by the wearing-one-sweater-during-the-entire-duration-of-the-vacation. It was f/r/e/e/z/i/n/g cold. Springtime is a supposedly warm climate for the residents -- @7 degrees celsius! hohoho.. With that temperature, you'd opt to wear the articles of clothing you had previously warmed your body heat with. haha. I did. No dirt, no pollution, no sweat. ;) The air was so clean and thin that i developed asthma in a day. Borrowed my cousin's nebulizer for that.


Everyone was so disciplined and quiet, the silence was deafening. It was as if we didn't have neighbors. Even malls were quiet -- you'd hear more machine beeps than human voices. This was a huge adjustment, especially coming from the Philippines. =p

Presentation is key in serving meals in Japan. It's where dishes actually look exactly like, if not better than, their pictures on the menu. The more presentable a dish is, the more delicious, it is thought to be. We ate ridiculously large servings of food thrice a day and hefty snacks in between meals. Had to finish em all, since take-out? No-such-thing. Omg. 

nearing our destination, 16 minutes away :)

spoiled by PAL :)

Appetizer 

Went western on the plane. No rice. =/

I just can't get enough

Hello0 pretty sushi

Impossibly fresh sashimi

Manjyu

Desserts @ Denny's 

Pa & Ma at Yokosuka Bay

Moi, with a beautiful sunset bouncing off Daiei mall

Love Love Love the toilet controls!

Cousins! by pair :) 3rds, 1sts, 2nds

Saro Soba and tempura and Indian sitting

My hearty bowl of ramen and condiments

Hey Mister, that's a Mister Donut doughnut!

Bike-friendly overpasses :) go lil bro!

Electric Bike <3

Sakura (cherry blossoms)

Roast. Grind. Brew. 

coincidental poses :)

panoramic view of japan, 69 stories high @ the landmark tower

shin by the porch

@ home

meat meat meat. 

a hot bowl of i dunno

bo0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oks

the war ship museum pass + cold bumps

Logbook comments :)

Upon return, I realized what I love so much about the Philippines. The tropical climate, the sleeveless tops, the short shorts, the noisy environment, the rowdy people, the manila pollution, the left-hand driving, the to-go counter.... The list is endless. 
But things that we love are bound to be missed. 


I want to see the other side of Japan -- The non-traditional futuristic country that we know.. The other side of Nippon.