Just got back from my short trip to Manila last January 10-14, 2009 with Vince. The agenda was to buy my first DSLR, a Nikon D40 with a Nikkor 18-105mm VR lens. I initially wanted to buy the 18-200mm but I wasn’t able to conjure enough money :(
We arrived at Manila during lunch time where I was greeted by Bernie and Eric, my travel blogger friends, and my sister. Our first destination was Hidalgo St., in Quiapo – The mecca of anything that has to do with photography in the Philippines. The whole street is lined with camera shops selling cameras, equipment, and accessories at a price far lower compared to those sold in malls. If you’re interested in knowing more about Quiapo, the Digital Photographer Philippines Forum is a great resource that can help you.
I bought my first cam (Canon Powershot A700) at Henry’s Photo. I trust the store because my powershot has survived despite several years with me during my travels. Henry’s was my first choice for the new purchase but I also inquired at other stores like Avenue and Watsons, which also gave me a good deal. I’ve read about Mayer’s in DPP but I wasn’t able to inquire beforehand because I wasn’t able to find their email address.
While we were already in Quiapo, I was standing in front of Mayer’s and pointed out that I’ve read about the owner (Mang Ramon) being hot tempered and, at times, rude to customers. My sister insisted to inquire inside but I was hesitant because maybe Mang Ramon would unleash his temper at me for some reason. I finally sucked up my fear and took the courage to go inside. I saw a man behind the counter and knew right then that it was indeed Mang Ramon, while my lips were still shaking, I asked him for the prices. To my surprise, he was very friendly and accommodated us well. Maybe he already knows if a customer is a serious buyer or not, I read that he’s not very receptive to those who are just “canvassing”. Vince was able to buy a D40 with kit lens for P20,000 and I was able to buy my D40 with 18-105mm VR for P32,500. So cheap! and it even has a free camera bag and 4GB SD card. I was able to walk out of their store as a happy consumer :)
The next day, we returned to Hidalgo because Vince wanted to replace his bag but all the stores in Hidalgo were closed because it was a Sunday, totally forgot about that. I was able to read in DPP that there’s a stall near Henry’s that sells delicious siomai, the poster adds that the “siomai is worth the trip to Hidalgo.” Indeed he was right, the meaty goodness sold for only P20 / 3 pieces was indeed worth the trip to Hidalgo, I even ate two orders that afternoon.
On Monday, we went to Quiapo yet again and visited Henry’s to look at their bags. They were quite expensive so we checked out the store next door, Watson’s. The guy behind the counter showed me a Tamrac bag that was just perfect for me. It costs twice the money I planned on spending for a new bag, but I was attacked my impulsive buying so I bought it anyway. After walking out their store, I felt very guilty because I really didn’t need it and I used up all the money in my wallet (an ATM machine was just nearby). I could have bought a UV filter instead.
During our Manila trip, we toured the old streets of Quiapo, Binondo and Intramuros to try out our new cams. It took me a lot of time to adjust in using an SLR, most of my shots were not as good as I wanted them to be because I was still not familiar with the controls and stuff. I’m also not used to looking through a viewfinder and a wide angle lens so I didn’t pay to much attention to detail. I’m hoping to fine tune my skills in time for the Dinagyang Festival.
Self-portait at Lord Stow’s in Binondo
Next purchases would be a handy tripod, flash unit, and a set of filters (67mm) specifically a UV filter, ND Filter, and Polarizer
More about my Manila trip in future posts!
New year, time for a new life!
It’s the new year and it’s time for everyone to remember how their past year was like and what the next year will be. It’s a time of mixed emotions, on one hand, we could be thankful about having lived another year and, on the other, uncertain about the future. My 2008 has been quite bumpy because it was a time of letting go being in school. 2009 will be different entirely since I’ll be finally thrown in the adult world.
I’m back before the year ends
Toxic
My postings have been very scarce these past few months, I was quite busy reviewing for the Nursing Licensure Exam and then taking the test last November 29 and 30. I had to limit my computer usage and trips so that I can concentrate.
Read the rest of this entry »
Scars on Broadway
I’m a big fan of System of a Down and when I found out that their guitarist, Daron, and drummer, John, had formed another band, named Scars on Broadway, I quickly got myself a copy of their latest album. SOAD is not breaking up, they’re just currently undertaking separate projects just like their lead, Serj, who has his own solo album.
The song that I really liked is chemicals:
Embracing my inner geek once again
Going into college and taking a course that I don’t consider to be the ideal profession for me, I had to make a lot of sacrifices both intentionally and unintentionally to finish all the requirements for graduating on schedule. The obvious of which was setting on hold what I really wanted to take. This post is not about ranting or regrets, its about getting back some of the things I lost unintentionally.
Some movies I recently watched, please don’t flame me!
Here’s a list of movies I watched since a few weeks ago, a lot of them are just random flicks that I did not “hand pick”. Some are new but most are kinda old, some are great and some are quite sucky. They get me through the day anyways, so I find them worthwhile.
- The Other Boleyn Girl – World History was one of my favorite subjects in high school and I’m quite a sucker for these kind of movies. There’s just something romantic about the medieval times that draws me to like them.
- The Machine Girl – Just another one of those twisted, sad, and gory Japanese flicks.
- Jack and Jill vs the World – I like movies that evoke strong feelings from people the audience, this is definitely one of those movies. The ending is especially remarkable.
- The Spiderwick Chronicles -I was expecting the movie to be full of fairies and flowers and such but to my delight (lolx), it had a nice “dark” touch to it. Although the movie was more “for the kids”, it was am amusing to watch.
- Closing the Ring – zzz
- Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay – funny, nothing much I can say more.
- Mr. Woodcock – I recommend this movie. Really funny
- DeJa Vu – I don’t like it. Even though the acting and the plot was superb, the time line and concept of time travel in the movie is flawed and inaccurate. It’s just so wrong!
- Secret Diary of a Call Girl – It’s actually a mini series. Really enjoyed watching it. I especially like the closing message. The main character lives in London and said that she liked it there because one could live in anonymity (which is kind of sad in my opinion), she points out further that the best thing is having even just one person be with you and accept you for who you are.
- Charlie Bartlett – Thanks to Starr (she’s in my blogroll) for mentioning the movie in her blog. It’s not your ordinary teen movie … it’s a lot better!
- Shrooms – The concept is a lot like “One night in Paris.” The movie was thrilling, creepy, and wicked cool. Imagine going to Ireland just to get high on mushrooms!?
- The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian – There was considerably less of those creepy “lucy wandering in the forest” scenes , which is good. If it weren’t for the cute mices I would’ve thought that the first movie was better.
- The Incredible Hulk – Awesome action scenes!
- Hancock – I thought it sucked and was more of a visual effects movie than anything
- Horton Hears a Who – Really really good.
- Love Guru – Mike Myers totally lost his mojo in this movie. It wasn’t very funny …
- Wanted – Wicked Awesome Move. One of the best car chase scenes I’ve seen. Two thumbs up!
END
How To Reach Internet Stardom
This is a blog post to “Internet Killed the Radio Star” over at A Moviescript Ending.
Starr mentioned about Boyce Avenue, an unsigned band who posts videos of themselves playing cover songs of their favorite artists on YouTube. They’re amazing, some of their songs are quite better than the original. Well maybe it’s because I’m biased because I find acoustic songs better than ultra pop or R&B but still, you gotta give these guys some credit.
Here’s some of their videos that I really liked:
Living La Vida Loca Viva La Vida – Coldplay
Read the rest of this entry »
Iloilo Needs Your Help!
Please check out my post over at ExploreIloilo.com about the Flood in Iloilo caused by Typhoon Frank (International name: Fengshen) and some links to Iloilo Flood Pictures and Videos. If you are willing to give assistance to those affected by the tragedy please visit this page for contact details of relief efforts.
Life Goes On!
Finally after almost a week, the electricity is back is Mandurriao! A devastating storm had just swept across Iloilo (and the rest of Panay). For a moment, all activity in affected areas stopped as flood waters ravaged farmlands, homes, and urban areas. Right now, the rains have stopped and the flood waters have receded leaving a thick layer of mud inside homes, buildings, on roadways, and open spaces.
Almost everyone have lost property because of the storm … even their lives. The city currently looks like a war zone, many homeless families have turned the roadside into a big shelter and resorted to begging for money because it is their only hope for survival. I’ll blog about the relief effort tomorrow after I do a bit of research. For the meantime, I still got to clean our house, which got flooded for the first time since it was built 20 years ago.
Blocked
I can’t even think of a better title. Right now I feel so unmotivated and uninspired, I don’t know why. I’ve been quite silent online these past few weeks. I can’t find the drive to write anything useful, not even commenting on blogs or forums. So I decided to just write this post to get this frustration out of my system.
Browsing the archives for the Life Journal category
Just got back from my short trip to Manila last January 10-14, 2009 with Vince. The agenda was to buy my first DSLR, a Nikon D40 with a Nikkor 18-105mm VR lens. I initially wanted to buy the 18-200mm but I wasn’t able to conjure enough money :(
We arrived at Manila during lunch time where I was greeted by Bernie and Eric, my travel blogger friends, and my sister. Our first destination was Hidalgo St., in Quiapo – The mecca of anything that has to do with photography in the Philippines. The whole street is lined with camera shops selling cameras, equipment, and accessories at a price far lower compared to those sold in malls. If you’re interested in knowing more about Quiapo, the Digital Photographer Philippines Forum is a great resource that can help you.
I bought my first cam (Canon Powershot A700) at Henry’s Photo. I trust the store because my powershot has survived despite several years with me during my travels. Henry’s was my first choice for the new purchase but I also inquired at other stores like Avenue and Watsons, which also gave me a good deal. I’ve read about Mayer’s in DPP but I wasn’t able to inquire beforehand because I wasn’t able to find their email address.
While we were already in Quiapo, I was standing in front of Mayer’s and pointed out that I’ve read about the owner (Mang Ramon) being hot tempered and, at times, rude to customers. My sister insisted to inquire inside but I was hesitant because maybe Mang Ramon would unleash his temper at me for some reason. I finally sucked up my fear and took the courage to go inside. I saw a man behind the counter and knew right then that it was indeed Mang Ramon, while my lips were still shaking, I asked him for the prices. To my surprise, he was very friendly and accommodated us well. Maybe he already knows if a customer is a serious buyer or not, I read that he’s not very receptive to those who are just “canvassing”. Vince was able to buy a D40 with kit lens for P20,000 and I was able to buy my D40 with 18-105mm VR for P32,500. So cheap! and it even has a free camera bag and 4GB SD card. I was able to walk out of their store as a happy consumer :)
The next day, we returned to Hidalgo because Vince wanted to replace his bag but all the stores in Hidalgo were closed because it was a Sunday, totally forgot about that. I was able to read in DPP that there’s a stall near Henry’s that sells delicious siomai, the poster adds that the “siomai is worth the trip to Hidalgo.” Indeed he was right, the meaty goodness sold for only P20 / 3 pieces was indeed worth the trip to Hidalgo, I even ate two orders that afternoon.
On Monday, we went to Quiapo yet again and visited Henry’s to look at their bags. They were quite expensive so we checked out the store next door, Watson’s. The guy behind the counter showed me a Tamrac bag that was just perfect for me. It costs twice the money I planned on spending for a new bag, but I was attacked my impulsive buying so I bought it anyway. After walking out their store, I felt very guilty because I really didn’t need it and I used up all the money in my wallet (an ATM machine was just nearby). I could have bought a UV filter instead.
During our Manila trip, we toured the old streets of Quiapo, Binondo and Intramuros to try out our new cams. It took me a lot of time to adjust in using an SLR, most of my shots were not as good as I wanted them to be because I was still not familiar with the controls and stuff. I’m also not used to looking through a viewfinder and a wide angle lens so I didn’t pay to much attention to detail. I’m hoping to fine tune my skills in time for the Dinagyang Festival.
Self-portait at Lord Stow’s in Binondo
Next purchases would be a handy tripod, flash unit, and a set of filters (67mm) specifically a UV filter, ND Filter, and Polarizer
More about my Manila trip in future posts!
It’s the new year and it’s time for everyone to remember how their past year was like and what the next year will be. It’s a time of mixed emotions, on one hand, we could be thankful about having lived another year and, on the other, uncertain about the future. My 2008 has been quite bumpy because it was a time of letting go being in school. 2009 will be different entirely since I’ll be finally thrown in the adult world.
Toxic
My postings have been very scarce these past few months, I was quite busy reviewing for the Nursing Licensure Exam and then taking the test last November 29 and 30. I had to limit my computer usage and trips so that I can concentrate.
Read the rest of this entry »
I’m a big fan of System of a Down and when I found out that their guitarist, Daron, and drummer, John, had formed another band, named Scars on Broadway, I quickly got myself a copy of their latest album. SOAD is not breaking up, they’re just currently undertaking separate projects just like their lead, Serj, who has his own solo album.
The song that I really liked is chemicals:
Going into college and taking a course that I don’t consider to be the ideal profession for me, I had to make a lot of sacrifices both intentionally and unintentionally to finish all the requirements for graduating on schedule. The obvious of which was setting on hold what I really wanted to take. This post is not about ranting or regrets, its about getting back some of the things I lost unintentionally.
Here’s a list of movies I watched since a few weeks ago, a lot of them are just random flicks that I did not “hand pick”. Some are new but most are kinda old, some are great and some are quite sucky. They get me through the day anyways, so I find them worthwhile.
- The Other Boleyn Girl – World History was one of my favorite subjects in high school and I’m quite a sucker for these kind of movies. There’s just something romantic about the medieval times that draws me to like them.
- The Machine Girl – Just another one of those twisted, sad, and gory Japanese flicks.
- Jack and Jill vs the World – I like movies that evoke strong feelings from people the audience, this is definitely one of those movies. The ending is especially remarkable.
- The Spiderwick Chronicles -I was expecting the movie to be full of fairies and flowers and such but to my delight (lolx), it had a nice “dark” touch to it. Although the movie was more “for the kids”, it was am amusing to watch.
- Closing the Ring – zzz
- Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay – funny, nothing much I can say more.
- Mr. Woodcock – I recommend this movie. Really funny
- DeJa Vu – I don’t like it. Even though the acting and the plot was superb, the time line and concept of time travel in the movie is flawed and inaccurate. It’s just so wrong!
- Secret Diary of a Call Girl – It’s actually a mini series. Really enjoyed watching it. I especially like the closing message. The main character lives in London and said that she liked it there because one could live in anonymity (which is kind of sad in my opinion), she points out further that the best thing is having even just one person be with you and accept you for who you are.
- Charlie Bartlett – Thanks to Starr (she’s in my blogroll) for mentioning the movie in her blog. It’s not your ordinary teen movie … it’s a lot better!
- Shrooms – The concept is a lot like “One night in Paris.” The movie was thrilling, creepy, and wicked cool. Imagine going to Ireland just to get high on mushrooms!?
- The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian – There was considerably less of those creepy “lucy wandering in the forest” scenes , which is good. If it weren’t for the cute mices I would’ve thought that the first movie was better.
- The Incredible Hulk – Awesome action scenes!
- Hancock – I thought it sucked and was more of a visual effects movie than anything
- Horton Hears a Who – Really really good.
- Love Guru – Mike Myers totally lost his mojo in this movie. It wasn’t very funny …
- Wanted – Wicked Awesome Move. One of the best car chase scenes I’ve seen. Two thumbs up!
END
This is a blog post to “Internet Killed the Radio Star” over at A Moviescript Ending.
Starr mentioned about Boyce Avenue, an unsigned band who posts videos of themselves playing cover songs of their favorite artists on YouTube. They’re amazing, some of their songs are quite better than the original. Well maybe it’s because I’m biased because I find acoustic songs better than ultra pop or R&B but still, you gotta give these guys some credit.
Here’s some of their videos that I really liked:
Living La Vida Loca Viva La Vida – Coldplay
Read the rest of this entry »
Please check out my post over at ExploreIloilo.com about the Flood in Iloilo caused by Typhoon Frank (International name: Fengshen) and some links to Iloilo Flood Pictures and Videos. If you are willing to give assistance to those affected by the tragedy please visit this page for contact details of relief efforts.
Finally after almost a week, the electricity is back is Mandurriao! A devastating storm had just swept across Iloilo (and the rest of Panay). For a moment, all activity in affected areas stopped as flood waters ravaged farmlands, homes, and urban areas. Right now, the rains have stopped and the flood waters have receded leaving a thick layer of mud inside homes, buildings, on roadways, and open spaces.
Almost everyone have lost property because of the storm … even their lives. The city currently looks like a war zone, many homeless families have turned the roadside into a big shelter and resorted to begging for money because it is their only hope for survival. I’ll blog about the relief effort tomorrow after I do a bit of research. For the meantime, I still got to clean our house, which got flooded for the first time since it was built 20 years ago.
I can’t even think of a better title. Right now I feel so unmotivated and uninspired, I don’t know why. I’ve been quite silent online these past few weeks. I can’t find the drive to write anything useful, not even commenting on blogs or forums. So I decided to just write this post to get this frustration out of my system.
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What is Ambot-ah?
In the Philippine Ilonggo dialect, ambot ah literally means "I don't know." After graduating in college, I decided to hold off pursuing my profession and embarked on a free spirited journey of adventure and self-discovery. My travels have led me to many places across the Philippine Islands and South East Asia. I don't know where this path will take me but I'm certain I'll get a lifetime of stories out of it.
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