LIVE FREE

So I finally bought my La Sardina camera today, after waiting...

Tue, 21 May 2013 08:36:00 -0400

So I finally bought my La Sardina camera today, after waiting for FOREVER. It was a close fight between the Quadrat and the Copernicus but I settled for the latter since it was a limited edition design anyway.

I’ve been wanting to get into analogue photography for the longest time now, but it’s been hard saving up for a camera. If I had more moolah, I would’ve preferred buying the Canon AE-1 or Pentax K1000 cameras, but I’d still have to hunt them down in Hidalgo (and see if they’re still in good working condition). Maybe some other time, But for now, I’ll start with this baby!

I decided to buy 2 rolls of expired film from Kodak as my test rolls, since I’m just starting AND I’M REALLY CLUELESS. I’m so intimidated with film, because you’re never certain if the shots will come out the way you want them to. Ohwell, that’s the beauty of it I guess. Got to let go and JUST SHOOT! :-)

Team Manila didn’t have the 35mm color negative ISO 400 film which sucks, so I guess I’ll be buying film rolls outside for awhile. I just learned how to load film into the camera earlier and I think I might have screwed it up HAHAHAHA I’m pretty sure my first roll will be shit.

Anyways, I’m going to finish these rolls for our Ilocos trip this weekend and see how the expired film rolls turn out when I get them developed! Wish me luuuuck.

Sorry for the annoying close up selfiez, but I just wanted to...

Tue, 21 May 2013 08:24:00 -0400

Sorry for the annoying close up selfiez, but I just wanted to show how much of a lola I really am HAHAHAHA. Went shopping a couple weeks ago with my family in Cotton On, and I just had to buy these glasses! Also, I just finished reading (and watching) The Great Gatsby!

Realization: I should seriously save up for a tripod (for more ~hipster~ selfiez HEHEHE)

I just realized that I haven’t been documenting my life as...

Mon, 20 May 2013 11:05:57 -0400

I just realized that I haven’t been documenting my life as I should have been. The past couple weeks of this summer have been a bit more eventful, and I really should have taken some pictures but I’m always too lazy. Maybe I need new and better lens to motivate me? Hahaha! I now challenge myself to carry my camera around me everywhere I go (no matter how hassle).

Here are random pictures of me yet again trying to capture life as it is.

Backpacking south east asia plans - purchased this awesome backpacking guide filled with sketches from FLIGHT 001 (my new favorite store I swear)! really interesting read! excited to fulfill my backpacking dreams :-)
Driving lessons - pretty proud of myself because I’ve accomplished my 3rd and final goal for this year! I can now drive… ish. Drove from Taft to Makati and back twice. Can’t wait to get my driver’s license then my brother’s car. Til’ then, I need more practice parking and turning corners HAHA
Belgian Butters - not exactly a big fan, it’s alright. just posting cause it’s food and I love food… especially if it’s from S&R HAHA
Furry Carpet Fuuuuuun - got the carpet for my room. it’s kind of annoying and hassle but hey at least its furry!
China Glazed nails - me and little Audrey had our nails done the other day. She got neon pink and I got teal.

How To Fight Loneliness

Sun, 21 Apr 2013 23:05:00 -0400

Fill up the empty silences with music
Keep yourself distracted with TV shows and movies
Have books as your company, your temporary escape from reality
Sleep through the daylight, feel the days blur into each other

Ah, the inevitable loneliness summer brings

I had the blues but I shook them loose

Sat, 20 Apr 2013 13:15:00 -0400

Late Nights in my little space. My room is chill and home-y, I guess. It’s still a project I’m working on, though - still got to decorate and personalize it up a bit more (like add framed paintings/artworks/design/pictures, quirky stuff etc.), buy some more room furniture, fill the room up with all the art shit/film shit/books I hoarded and whatnot. I really have to drop by Heima one of these days.

Officially on summer break. It’s probably my last summer break ever (because I’m graduating after next school year, ew ew ew). I feel kind of pressured to make this the best summer yet, but I’m not going to expect anymore. Just gotta make the most out of everything and go with the flow. I know I’d rather disappear this whole summer, have my own adventures and get away from everything before THESIS YEAR beats the shit out of me. Next school year will just be SO HEAVY, I think I deserve a good summer break, at least. The calm before the storm, yeah.

Manila Zoo & Big Bad Wolf

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 12:20:00 -0400

Spent an interesting day in the Zoo with my friend, Zhiela. I was really glad because I haven’t been to a zoo in YEARS. I felt like a kid all over again. Although I don’t really like animals in general, I still felt giddy to see them. Hahahaha.

Mali the Elephant!! I don’t think I’ve ever been so attached to an animal. :( Set Mali freeeee! Seeing this elephant affected me so much, I really felt so sad for it. A part of me was almost convinced to visit Manila Zoo everyday just for this elephant. Yeah I want a pet elephant. Hahaha. If they can’t set Mali free, could they at least give her some company? Huhuhuhu I feel so much for this elephant, I can’t. :’(

Had a random adventure to Big Bad Wolf afterwards, with our friend, Jords. Been wanting to check the place out for so long! Definitely my kind of spot - chill and artsy.

Played dominoes while waiting for our dinner to be served.

The Buffalo Wings weren’t available at the time, so we settled for Parmesan Fries and Pizza w/ Anchovies. HELLA GOOD STUFF.

Ended the night on the rooftop of Fairways Tower, looking at airplanes and admiring the city skyline (After embarrassing ourselves by forgetting to pay our bill HAHAHA)

Hong Kong

Wed, 27 Mar 2013 12:50:00 -0400

Adventures everyday with the family. So glad I got to finally travel again after all these years. :-) Mostly shopped, ate, and walked around. I really felt like a little explorer navigating through the city, HAHA

Art in The Park 2013

Wed, 20 Mar 2013 15:46:29 -0400

Been feeling very inspired lately, so I decided to drag my artsy friend, Zhiela, to Art in the Park! Figured we needed art and creativity in our lives more, now that we’re in college. Definitely motivated us to continue being artists!

The place was full of artists, both young and old. Was definitely a different vibe. EWS was there also, oh my gaaahhhh. So sad I didn’t get to go to Art Fair PH though, only found out about it lately. Ohwell!

Skating Again

Fri, 08 Mar 2013 02:02:06 -0500

Went skating with Zhiela and Loise the other week. Pretty happy that some of my close friends are starting to get into Longboarding lately, which really helped me get back to it as well. I really do miss it, but I still need to fix up my board (and kind of get over my trauma from my battle scar HAHA)

Regardless, nothing can compare to the bliss I enjoy when I skate. Been skating again recently, and even found new skate spots and skater friends! Yaaaaay!

My First Climb: Mt. Batulao

Fri, 08 Mar 2013 01:07:00 -0500

Nothing else can compare to the satisfaction you feel after climbing your first mountain. For the longest time, I’ve been wanting to climb mountains - and now that I finally did, there’s no turning back. Here’s to the FIRST OF MANY! :-)

An Unexpected Journey: Ara’s Hobbit Adventures HAHAHA!

Climbing a mountain for the first time is definitely an exhilarating experience. I confess, I have underestimated this mountain. But the good thing about climbing mountains is the unique learning experience you take out of it, plus the good company you spend it with.

Camping overnight in Campsite 7

Stargazing and looking at Constellations in Camp 7 (Highest campsite). So happy! This is my first long exposure night shot! Much thanks to our “professor’s” tripod.

The moon was beautiful that night. Especially in the mountains. It was a really cold night, alright.

What made this climb even more memorable were the people - they were all strangers. Meeting climbers, hikers, trail runners, backpackers and basically just different people from all walks of life was just so humbling. Getting to know their stories and connecting with them was something else. So happy to have gotten to know these people, and I look forward to climbing more mountains with them! I am very thankful to have met kind strangers along the way, even the locals who were just so warm and accommodating to us.

Thank you, new friends!

THESE ARE THE CUTEST CHILDREN EVER. :( I swear, all those cute little children we met in the mountains WERE SO NICE I WANTED TO TAKE THEM ALL HOME. :(

At 800 MASL

Literally jumping for joy. Overwhelmed with too much feels at the moment.

When you reach your first summit, the feeling is just INDESCRIBABLE. All those grueling hours of hiking and climbing is SO WORTH IT. The view makes all the hard work pay off.

Before the Assault.

One important thing I learned about climbing? NEVER LOOK BACK. And I mean that in the literal sense. Looking back will make you lose your focus and balance, and god forbid, you will fall off that cliff. Alot of times during the climb I felt like backing out because I was so scared of the more challenging trails that we had to go through, but I really had no choice anymore. The only choice I had was to keep moving forward, no matter how slow, just keep going.

This was a heavy climb for a beginner like me. The trail was very challenging and difficult but the view from the summit is just as rewarding. I was honestly not prepared for the climb - I didn’t know it involved legit rock climbing, not just trekking. I was literally holding on for my dear life the whole time.

I have never felt more alive and scared in my whole entire life. In those moments I remembered just how fragile our lives are, how vulnerable we are to pain, and how God was seriously just THE MIGHTIEST BEING EVER. I really felt his greatness and majesty (am I making sense?) as compared to someone human and weak like me. I used to think I was invincible, immortal, or powerful but in that climb I realized that we all have our limitations. We are not limitless or powerful like Him.

Nonetheless, I really felt contented and satisfied after the climb, grateful that God had kept me safe through the help and guidance of my new friends. So happy to have learned and experienced new things. The mountains really do make you learn what is essential in order to survive.

It really is beautiful to be alive. :-)

Baseline The wildest, most intense rave/street party I’ve...

Tue, 22 Jan 2013 12:54:00 -0500

Baseline

The wildest, most intense rave/street party I’ve ever been to. I’m too chill for this shit. Was so fucking tiring partying for 6 hours. Fist pumping non-stop. I can’t even. I couldn’t stand being soaked in sweat, beer, paint and god knows what. I was squirming half the time.

We’ve been partying for 3 nights straight, heading home when the sun rises, aimlessly wandering the streets of Cebu trying to find our way back home, intoxicated. 3 NIGHTS OF INTENSE PARTYING = I CANNOT HANDLE. From LifeDance to Barhopping in Crossroads, Vudu and Barcode, then Sinulog Festival to Base fucking Line. Exhausted the life out of me, but I had pretty cool adventures nonetheless.

Til’ next year, Cebu!

Larsian, Cebu Had delicious lunch in this area before we headed for the Sinulog festival. I...

Tue, 22 Jan 2013 12:41:58 -0500

Larsian, Cebu

Had delicious lunch in this area before we headed for the Sinulog festival. I enjoyed it so much. And I was happy cause it only cost me 200, it was so sulit! Ate alot in Cebu, was not able to document the rest like when we went Island Hopping on the second day, we had grilled seafood and whatnot. IT WAS AMAZING. And Cebu Lechon of course. SO HAPPY.

Flying Haven’t been on an airplane for almost 6 years. I...

Tue, 22 Jan 2013 12:28:06 -0500

Flying

Haven’t been on an airplane for almost 6 years. I swear I was crazy nervous last friday night when we got on board for our flight to Cebu. The take off caused me to panic a bit, and I was pretty much restless and uncomfortable throughout the whole flight HAHAHAHA What is paranoid =))) 30, 000 feet Huhuhuhu. Scared me to think that we were up there with nothing but the engine to carry us, and the fact that there was only air between us and the sea/land.

But damn, it was pretty amazing to be up in the clouds again. :)

Calatagan

Tue, 08 Jan 2013 15:55:15 -0500

Spent a few days in my friend’s beach house along with our other friends. Had a pretty great time. Sad I didn’t get to explore though! There was prawn farm in our area, lots of mangroves, and all that. It would have been nice.

And so my brother finally got married.

Mon, 17 Dec 2012 13:39:56 -0500

And so my brother finally got married.

Taken right after our photoshoot in Mahogany park. Was just so enchanted to see all those Christmas...

Mon, 17 Dec 2012 13:28:21 -0500

Taken right after our photoshoot in Mahogany park. Was just so enchanted to see all those Christmas lights up in one of my favorite parks in the city. It was beautiful. :-)

Was so bummed out I couldn’t make it to the St. James Bazaar this year, so I dragged Dan to...

Mon, 17 Dec 2012 13:19:00 -0500

Was so bummed out I couldn’t make it to the St. James Bazaar this year, so I dragged Dan to watch the Lights & Sounds show at Ayala Triangle with me during our BFF hang out night. Of course, this has been a Christmas tradition for me ever since 4th year. Couldn’t eat in Omakase, or any of the restaurants in the park after so we settled for Cafe Breton. I forgot what I ordered, but I remember it being really good.

It only takes a spark to get the fire going. These are pictures...

Wed, 28 Nov 2012 09:55:36 -0500

It only takes a spark to get the fire going.

These are pictures I took from the 59th Antioch Weekend’s Recon. Absolutely had a wonderful time. Bonding with old Antiochers and realizing just how much I love this community was worth everything. By the end of it all, I was just crying so much - not even crying, HAGULGOL seems to be the appropriate word - and hugging everyone. It was as if there was a crying epidemic going on, and everyone just kept on crying until there were no more tears to be shed. The music, the people, and just passing it on.

Indescribable, uncontainable. I swear to God I got chills from the songs we sang during the mass. It was so beautiful it brought me to tears. And from then on, I just couldn’t stop crying. Seeing everyone else cry just aggravated it even more! There was just too much love going on, I’ve never felt so grateful and happy in my life. Yup, that’s the Antioch High!

Hell Weeks of Death Can’t even begin to describe the...

Wed, 28 Nov 2012 09:41:00 -0500

Hell Weeks of Death

Can’t even begin to describe the stress and pressure I’ve been on for the past few days. To say I’m exhausted is an understatement. All my subjects this term demand so much from me, I don’t even know how I’m managing. Doing everything all at once while maintaining work quality is just so difficult. I’ve been mentally, physically, even emotionally drained for the past few days. My pile of work just keeps growing and the list of things I have to accomplish just keeps on getting longer. Not to mention, alot of drama’s happening in the midst of it all. My thoughts have been scattered lately, and I really don’t know where to place my focus on.

But I guess I just got to keep pushing just a bit more. Yeah.

HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL SONGS REALLY DO HELP IN MOTIVATING BTW. HAHAHAHA

anawangin cove adventures

Thu, 15 Nov 2012 04:11:00 -0500

traveling with strangers at night, venturing off into an unknown place awaiting us almost 5 hours away. from taft, we took the LRT (carrying all our heavy bags) and got off at Monumento, arrived at the victory liner bus terminal to catch our 9PM trip to Zambales.

Arrived at around 2 in the morning, found tricycles that would drop us off at the shore, and took a boat to Anawangin Cove. It was definitely an experience. There we were in the dark, sailing towards an island with no electricity and signal. Completely one with nature. The thrill of everything was overwhelming. What I saw was magnificent: It was as if I were floating in space. Nothing but complete darkness enveloped us, with stars scattered all over the sky and the sea seemed to stretch onto eternity. Stargazing couldn’t have been any better than that moment. Touchdown 3AM, everyone gathered around a bonfire with tents surrounding it.

woke up to the sun shining bright, with lush trees fencing us in. the breeze was refreshing. a good morning indeed.

breakfast just got served! living off canned goods and whatnot. Hahahaha. went to the sea. it was just beautiful and crystal clear!

decided to explore the island a bit since we were a day late (2nd batch). swam, climbed some rocks, peeked inside little caves and whatnot

the swamp we never got to explore since it was closed off. </3

later on we were off to capones island. what a beautiful day to go sailing!

sadly didn’t get to go to our destination which was the 222 year old faro de punta capones lighthouse since it was low tide and the boat couldn’t go sailing there. hiking would take about 4 hours, and we didn’t have time for it. :(

I guess what I’m most grateful for in this experience is the opportunity I’ve been given to meet kind strangers along the way. From the bangkeros to the tricycle drivers, and everyone else, I’m touched to have been able to interact with them. How I wish I had more time to get to really know them. They welcomed us warmly into their humble households upon arriving the island and we got to take a bath in the streets (ala tabo, balde and gripo style). Very simple, yet it stood out as a strong memory to me.

ate in the carinderia by the street afterwards, and it certainly did not disappoint! enjoyed a classic filipino spaghetti meal for only 15 pesos! (childhood!) the journey home was tiring and long. we were waiting by the curb for public buses to come (YOLO), and once we got in one we stood up pretty much half the time.

Absolutely drained by the time I got home but it was so worth it. Once again, I have stepped out of my comfort zone, and I’ve learned so much in just a weekend (how to build a tent, cook a meal, first aid, and whatnot). I know this is just the beginning of my many adventures. finally chasing after my wanderlust dreams! follow your bliss. :-)