Patriotic Pugs (Plus a Cake!)

Wishing my fellow Americans a Safe, Spectaculiar and Special Fourth of July! These patriotic pugs were a scene-stealer in our town's Memorial Day parade last May, so I photographed them! How can one ignore these cute costumed canines?

And this is why I'm sharing this favorite photo to celebrate Photo Cache's 5th Blogoversary as well!

And in my efforts to continue the self-invented tradition of baking a cake each time my baby niece turned a month older, I humbly present my star-shaped red, white, and blue cake for her tenth month! This was hurriedly iced and decorated in about 30 minutes, and I was grateful for the Hershey's Kisses wrapped in blue foil that we had a bag of! I sprinkled blue and red over the white icing and drew random "fireworks" with the red icing (which I wished was redder).

Yup, my niece is a 10-month old Baby Firework!

Dark of the Room

I am swept off my feet by the Panoramic Sweep feature of the Sony Cybershot DSC-W510 12.1-megapixel camera I recently bought for my mom. I wanted to get her a simple point-and-shoot digital camera for her week-long solo trip to Los Angeles on Sunday so she can easily take pictures and tote it in her purse. This was my pick as it already came with a 4GB Sony SDHC card.

I am a little behind with technology, (I don't use an Android phone) so you may already be beyond bewilderment by this photographic function. It's like having built-in 180-degree scopes in your digital camera!

Another thing that surprised me with this Sony Cybershot camera is that it doesn't use the exclusive Sony memory stick (MMC) as was the norm in its previous Cybershot models. (I was a loyal Sony Cybershot user) Those memory sticks cost a lot more! It's nice that they finally jumped in the SDHC format bandwagon for mass appeal. We have other expensive things to worry about, like say, gas prices!

So here is my first test shot of the Panoramic Sweep feature: a partial view of our little dungeon office from where I usually sit. The left corner is my co-worker's station, in front of her is a small window where people would stop by to chat or bug us with stuff. The fax machine and printer are to the right side.

Why didn't I get this before flying to Puerto Rico? (As if I needed another camera to the five I already had at the time!)

Litratong Pinoy #96: Ito (This)

This is a partial view of the Chrysler Building, one of the famous New York skyscrapers which I photographed back in August 2010 when I first got my Nikon DSLR. I stood at a corner right outside Grand Central Terminal, a detail of which is the statues to the left.

A few months later, or in January this year, I went back to that spot. It was winter (it still is as I write this), and I had just spent a day with friends from Amsterdam I met for the first time (The Becky and husband Panelomo).

Same location, same camera, but different circumstances: day and night, summer and winter.

Ito nga pala ang isa sa mga una kong nakunan ng litrato gamit yung DSLR ko. Maganda palang idea yung malitratuhan mo ang isang lugar ng magkaibang panahon. Comparison and contrast, baga. Try niyo rin!

Rudolph's Ride

If reindeer chose to ride in cars, this is probably what their ride would look like. I parked right next to this car with plush reindeer antlers attached to both sides yesterday while buying more Ho-Ho-holiday stamps. I was so excited to take a photo with my celfone that I accidentally hit the panic button on my car keys while still inside, so the alarm went off. Then I panicked, because it took me like 5 minutes to figure out how to turn it off.

And then I took this photo.

So far, I've mailed over 50 Christmas cards since I started sending them out before Thanksgiving Day. The earlier batches were for the Philippines, because provincial mail takes longer to arrive. My sending spree can now simmer down with the U.S.-bound Christmas cards.

Fallen Evidence

 

Look Up, Look Down,

Look Around;

That's what makes a Photographer sound,

Yielding fun photos to be found.

Yes, I just came up with that! These amber leaves were on the ground at the cemetery: an example of simply looking down, then shooting it with my celfone's camera. I can easily print several copies of this photo via document imaging if I wanted to, and send it out as an Autumn greeting card perhaps. Or a postcard.

Owl Be There For You

It's been two months since I joined the populace of people owning Nikon DSLR cameras. Before that (way back in July), my Sony Cybershot spied these Halloweenish details at the Bethesda Terrace in New York's Central Park.

An owl with bat company. Speaking of owls, I have a Halloween owl shirt from Target. Not sure yet if I'm just wearing that on Halloween or dig up a black dress.

 

Witch in flight on a broomstick. 

Odd, but they were really there. It's easy to miss them if your eyes aren't keen on spotting little details that make up the whole. See if you can find them too when you visit Bethesda Terrace!

Paparazzi Aunt

That's what I've become eversince the day my niece was born. That was the day I believed in "love at first sight." I started making baby announcements the very next day, right in my sister's hospital room. I love mailing stuff, so this task was hardly a chore for me. I had to share this wonderful news to family here and abroad. Hey, not everyone's on Facebook!

My mom is loving grandmotherhood. I gave her this picture frame last Sunday, as it was her first ever Grandparent's Day celebration (an American holiday). She is an avid fan of the Filipino telenovela "Agua Bendita." Apparently, one of the lead characters there called her grandmother "Wowa," an affectionate variation of "Lola." Therefore, that's what she wants her granddaughter to call her.

My niece's name is Adrianna, by the way. Her parents named her after that Victoria's Secret model, Adrianna Lima. Babies are so blessed to not have to worry about body acne for a long time yet. Little Adrianna has plump lips which she got from her mother and long eyelashes which she got from her father.

You can bet that the baby aisle is now regularly part of my shopping itinerary.

Backyard Bees, Bokeh-fied

One doesn't have to go far to tinker with a new camera's features. Sometimes your own backyard can be a wonderful photographic playground. (But if you have something like a travel reward card to let you roam far from home for some shooting practice, then that's great too!)

Here, I risked being stung by getting dangerously close to bees. A bee sting can earn you a trip to the emergency room if you're not careful. Hey, art/photography is also about sacrifice, right?

I was playing with my Nikita's macro mode and tested how far the zoom lens went. The honey bee (Apis mellifera) is New Jersey's state insect, by the way.

Holy bumblebees! Look at them ravish that spiky blossom! I especially love how the camera captured the fragile detail on their wings.

Suh-weeeet!

Mi Motorola Ha Muerto

My Motorola Razr has just died.

I stuck it out with its imperfections for far too long than most people would endure. But it was time to move on to a Samsung Upstage. I still live in a cave with non-android/smart phones. In memory of my recently departed celfone, here are some of the last photos I took with the celfone's camera during my temporary gig in New York City last month:

















I liked how the Razr was slim and lightweight. Domo Arigato, Mr. Moto. You have served me well.

Nikita

So I finally took the DSLR plunge and ordered a Nikon D3000 from Amazon.com recently. The free shipping and 6-month-no-interest financing offer convinced me further. Three major reasons prompted me to this photographic purchase:

1. Any moment now, my sister will give birth to a baby girl--I'm an aunt-to-be! And I will be that shutterbug type of aunt who will keep snapping away. I already have a Baby Memory Book ready to be filled with photos each month until the baby turns a year old.
2. This camera is my early birthday gift to myself. 
3. I want to take my love for photography to the next digital level. I want to challenge myself to take better pictures. The price tag alone should keep motivating me. Haha. Seriously, though, I would like to consider it an investment.

I named the camera "Nikita," partly derived from the Nikon name brand, but more greatly influenced by this billboard I saw in New York City while test-shooting the camera for the first time. It was a convenient christening coincidence. Plus it rhymes with Chiquita, the banana whose stickers I'm obsessed with. Nikita's a keeper.

I smiled when I saw that I was like the other tourists in NYC toting huge cameras around their necks. I didn't mind the weight at all.

Rush hour inside Grand Central.

I know the resized photos don't do justice to the actual resolution, but you get the picture. Literally. I'm going to have to explore the features and settings that Nikita has to offer.

Bride On A Budget

As I was lulling myself to zombiehood the other night tying name tags onto wine stopper favors for an upcoming birthday, I happened to channel-surf to a show called "Battle of the Wedding Designers" in which three wedding designers in Southern California are challenged to come up with a "Laid-Back Caribbean"-themed wedding for a couple with only $5000 to spend. Being in California by itself is already a major budget challenge, when weddings usually range to multiple times that amount they're constraining themselves to.

The wedding planners ended up having to pull all their cards for discounts based on long-time business relationships to dramatically, and fantastically, cut the wedding cost to a mere $5000. The ideas they came up with were interesting, but the budget really put them in a knot on some vital elements, such as the cake and food. To see the gist of the show and who the winner was, click here. It's also interesting to note that the couple did not have an entourage at all, just their guests and family.

These photos are of a couple being photographed at Chicago's Navy Pier. I stole a few shots myself. My cousin who's now a nurse (her second degree), has been with her boyfriend since highschool. She observed how "juvenile" it was to have wedding photos taken at Navy Pier, with the ferris wheel and giant carousel in the background. I suggested that maybe that was where they first met, or otherwise that place may be special for them in some other way. She complained about how expensive it was to get married when you're also trying to save money for your own house, making sure you get qualified for social security benefits in the future. She even joked that when she gets married, the reception will be at a Chinese buffet and her souvenirs will be the restaurant's chopsticks with the words "Thank You" and the date of their wedding inscribed with her own handwriting. Chinese buffet or not, I'm attending.

Boracay Never Bores

Sharing with you a photo taken with a Lomolito camera that Ody graciously sent me as a birthday gift last year. So happy to be able to use Digiprint's satisfactory film-to-CD + free courier delivery via LBC while in the Philippines as well. So here's a little slice of Boracay Beach with seaweed flavor (See green stuff on the sand).

It was my second time to visit this paradise island since 2005. It has remarkably become more crowded and commercialized. Although our hotel was in the far end of Station 3, we were thankful for its distance from the bars and restaurants and other sun-worshipping tourists that easily washed away the serenity from these shores. Besides, we could use the walking workout. I finally got myself a photo by a sand castle which is built daily with the current date and the word "Boracay."

What we noticed right away was how the ferry boat that took us from Caticlan did not drop us off by the beachfront like it did five years ago. It was on a different part of Boracay that we entered, and we had to take their mini passenger trucks to get to the strip. The one we rode weaved through tiny residential streets that eventually led us near the hotel we booked, which we reached by foot upon alighting from said vehicle, dragging our suitcases on the sand.

Two days were enough to get reacquianted with Boracay, and we were rewarded with skin nourished by its refreshing waters, caressed by powdery white sand, and sun-kissed to the point of a glorious tan. Souvenir-shopping is more wallet-friendly when done in the Old Talipapa, which is quite near the less frenzied Station 3.

I left Boracay with a mineral bottle filled with sand and some seashells, two pairs of earrings, a red Boracay sarong with coconut trees and hibiscus flowers (my favorite tropical bloom) drawn in the design, and a Boracay buri tote. After all, I knew it would still be summer when I fly back to New Jersey (and I already have).

I'd love to be in Panglao or Coron next time.

Mikasa Es Su Casa

Sometime last month, my friend and I had the privilege of meeting Gingmaganda's family in her home in Cainta. I've followed her blog even before I invited her to the Miss Igorota Sisterhood so I'm already somewhat familiar with her family's faces. Stepping into the house the address of which I've already memorized from years(!) of sending her postcards was like arriving at a tourist destination. Even meeting Piggy got me starstruck.

I met Karl for the first time (sitting at photo above) who sounded like a Philosophy professor. He was busy studying Rick Astley's dance moves on Youtube and the many variatons done by other people. I had no idea how much joy a tiny box of Peeps marshmallow chicks can bring, but Ging squealed to confirm that.

The cameras arranged in the photo above are all mine, which I lugged around in a huge bag. It's so big and bulky you'd think I also have a spray disinfectant in there.

I tested my new Fuji Instax Mini inside Ging's household, and these were the results that preserved that night of Jejemon madness. It's such a fun camera that fills the gaping void left behind by Polaroid.

We feasted on pinakbet and barbecue, among other tasty delights, served on heirloom-quality, vintage Mikasa plates owned by Ging's mom. Ging's parents were so cool and even opened up a karaoke session after dinner. Me opening up my repertoire with an Abba song didn't quite get Karl's approval. However, it was a Jejemon night to remember with the most Iggy sisters in attendance to date!

Cirque Du So-HARE

It was the first time I ever saw Rockefeller Plaza covered with flowers: azaleas, easter lilies, and colored daisies...and the floral centerpiece of it all? This Easter Bunny made of ivy and daisies. It didn't have any bow ties on it, but it did have a big striped egg on its nose. I don't know what's up with the purple and yellow color scheme, though. I suspect an L.A. Lakers fan was behind this somehow.

I consider it a personal triumph to be able to get a stranger to take my photo at photogenic places such as this when I'm by myself. I asked a guy with a cap and backpack to please take my picture with the Easter Bunny. I think I heard him say "sim" which may indicate he's Portuguese. He even knelt on one knee just to photograph me. It turned out nicely. Today, I was lucky. I thanked him, of course. I'm glad I stopped and smelled the Easter Bunny.

When The Brits Go Marching In

"Quick, take my picture while the Royal Guards march behind me!" I hastily instructed my sister, shoving the camera in her hands while I frantically posed, clutching a camcorder and a Windsor Castle brochure in one hand.

For a split-second, I turned my head to see where the scarlet-clad men were.

*CLICK*

That was the exact split-second that my sister snapped my photo. And here it was: my less-than-perfect photographic souvenir of having witnessed the Changing of the Guards at Windsor Castle back in 2007.

That's part of the majestic and historic St. George's Chapel in the background. It was forbidden to take photos inside any of the buildings in the castle grounds, so we committed the interior details to our feeble memories.

While inside, the grandeur of this chapel's Gothic design that has endured for centuries command you to be silenced with awe as you study the floors that lay beneath your feet.

When we went there, the Queen's flag was flying over the Round Tower, which meant that she was there at the time. Windsor Castle happens to be one of the official residences of Her Majesty The Queen.

Part of this royal tour was Queen Mary's Dolls' House Collection, which showcases what kind of dolls royalty preferred to play with back then. The intricate details of the miniature houses--from actual carpets and miniature furniture pieces--would make you think that they're dioramas of real castles. I was floored, to say the least!

Barbie would wish she existed in Queen Mary's time!

Winter So-NADA

Welcome to "The Pond," Bryant Park's skating rink. Admission is free, and that's a big deal when you're in New York City. Yesterday was supposedly the last day for this skating rink. I got to see it in its deserted state at around 7AM on a freezing Saturday morning.

It was the earliest I've ever been in the Big Apple. It was a little surreal seeing Times Square so calm and almost people-free. I've come to the conclusion that "The City That Never Sleeps" actually does sleep on an early Saturday morning, or at least takes a quick "power-nap" before getting busy again. How long, you ask? Probably in just a "New York minute!"

Everytime I visit Times Square, I love to see what new eye-catching billboards they have up. I'm as wide-eyed as any tourist, although I'm just from across the Lincoln Tunnel. I love the cartoon-style, white-as-snow and bullseye-red billboard that Target has. It has Olympic snowboarder Shaun White on it. I didn't get the upper part which says "Good Luck in Vancouver." (Referring to the Winter Olympics next month)

A more complete photo of the entire Target billboard can be gawked at here.

Check him out at this credit card commercial which has him traveling around the world chasing snow with points. What a lifestyle!

Smile Though Your Heart Is Aching

Can't believe it's time for a year-end report. I hardly felt Christmas and it's already New Year's Eve. Time to toss the old calendar and hang up a new one, with the realization that I weigh about the same as last year, forcing myself once again to seek out the best diet supplement, or simply crash the treadmill again.

So here's a New Year's postcard I digitally designed using a photo that a friend (a cousin's boyfriend) took of my back while I was photographing one of the "Crown Fountains" in Chicago's Millennium Park. I've always wanted to step inside Millennium Park, and I got to do that on my birthday this year.

A look back at 2009:

TRAVELS:

• New York City: A city I never grow tired of visiting. I was able to tour the United Nations headquarters, attended a free lomography workshop at the Lomography Store in Greenwich Village, saw the Statue of Liberty twice, ate at Cafe Lalo (where "You've Got Mail" was filmed), signed the condolence book at the Philippine Consulate for the late President Aquino, met my Croatian friend for Irish beer at Times Square, among others. Surprisingly, I wasn't able to catch a Broadway show this year. Recession much?
• Myrtle Beach on Easter weekend, with a sidetrip to Savannah, Georgia and the kooky South of the Border. I loved how there's Calabash Seafood Buffet restaurants and Sonic fast food places everywhere in Myrtle Beach.
  
• Florida: Finally basked in the sun in the "Sunshine State!" And it's a proud driving moment, too--as I was the substitute driver for an uncle. Drove from South Carolina all the way to Kissimmee, Florida...then visited all four theme parks at Disney World (where I met Capt. Jack Sparrow) and Universal Studios in nearby Orlando. Rode nearly all of the neck-breaking roller coasters they had, except for the Everest ride in Animal Kingdom. Also had photos with Mickey and the gang.
• Niagara Falls, New York: Rode the Maid of the Mist yet again in America's oldest state park.
• Ottawa, Canada: The only international trip I've taken this year, and it's by road. Toured the Canadian capital by amphibian bus guided by a French-Canadian monsieur. Feasted on falafel for the first time!
  
• Thousand Islands, Ontario: Discovered the origin of the famous condiment by the same name. Climbed their view deck via high-speed elevator. Bought a bottle of the dressing from the duty-free shop before crossing the border.
• Eastern State Penitentiary: Visited Al Capone's cell in this Philadelphia prison institution that is said to be haunted.
• Atlantic City: New Jersey's gambling playground by the ocean is still part of the itinerary, primarily because of my grandfather. Little did we know that the week-long stay in September would be his last. Finally saw Absecon Lighthouse. Discovered celebrity handprints on the Boardwalk.
  
• Margate, New Jersey: Just minutes away from Atlantic City is the home of Lucy the Elephant, whose belly we invaded and whose back we climbed.
• Chicago: Totally unplanned, but a last minute invite to an aunt's 50th birthday celebration had us flying there. Actually ended up as two golden birthdays with another uncle in Plainfield, then I celebrated my birthday in downtown Chicago at a Greek restaurant, a walk in Millennium park (and a lightning fast parking ticket), and a birthday dinner in Aurora, Illinois. Also went speedboating down the Three Rivers.

TRIUMPHS:

• Nearly passed an exam. I guess that makes it a near-triumph instead of an actual one.
• Became a Yankee: a mad fan rooting for them in the World Series, and a real one by naturalization.
• Conquered my fear of driving on the interstate highway when I drove my share of miles from Jersey to Florida and back. Also mastered the art of pumping gas by myself. Got too pampered in Jersey whose gas stations have gasoline boys to do it for you.
• Joined a Breast Cancer Awareness Walk on my birthday month and helped raise money for such cause.
• Danced for a fundraiser with the Philippine Nurses' Association in our county, albeit I'm not a nurse. Unleashed the sleeping folk dancer in me and danced the Muslim "Malong" dance and the upbeat "Subli." The last time I "folk-danced" was as a college freshman, in Phys. Ed.
  
• Got lucky in quite a number of online contests in which I won things such as a lamp, a Papemelroti handcrafted necklace, a watercolor organizer and Dutch souvenirs from Malaysia, and a National Geographic Traveler magazine one-year subscription. I'm a bit miffed that two contests I won did not send me my prizes, namely a back issue of National Geographic about China from Manila, and a Rirakkuma plush toy from Japan. Boo-hoo!

TRAGEDIES:

• My beloved grandfather passed away earlier this month due to complications from stroke. We spent three weeks watching him at the hospital. It's therefore a sad Christmas for me and my family.
• One of my cats, Maki, died mysteriously shortly after my grandfather died. We suspect he ate something poisonous. My other cat Siomai's firstborn kitty also died soon after being born.
• Lost my camera on my last day in Orlando, and lost my celfone on the eve of my birthday in downtown Chicago. What a way to ruin two vacations!

I also realized that some of the disappointments or delays in life have a particular reason that we usually don't understand at first. There is a grand scheme of things, and the events in our life are pieces of that puzzle.

From my snowy neck of the woods to you, I wish you a New Year filled with 2,010 reasons (and more) to SMILE!

Soy Joy

When I visited family in the quiet, countryside town of Homer Glen, Illinois last month, I had to stop and gaze at this yellow soy field right at the entrance of their little subdivision. The golden hues just had "autumn" written all over it. This scenery really made me understand why Illinois is known as the "Prairie State."

There's a big banquet hall just across the road from here. I was told that it's a favorite backdrop for wedding photos. I have to agree on that.

And to add to my yellow streak that day, a yellow school bus passed me by where I stood next to the soy field. This one's for you, Ging!

And speaking of soy, I just started drinking soy milk...because they say it's a healthier alternative to regular milk. I am loving chocolate-flavored soy milk! ♥

Pirates of the Hudson River?!

I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw this pirate ship sailing through the Hudson River on Columbus Day! Was it a privately-owned ship or was it a new sight-seeing boat ride I wasn't aware of? Or maybe it was just a fancy-looking schooner that looked like a pirate ship. I mean, there were no skull-and-crossbones. I wonder if Jack Sparrow was in it?

Anyway, here's the closest postcard I have to a pirate ship--something I got from "The Original Benjamin's Calabash" Seafood Buffet restaurant from my trip to Myrtle Beach. This model ship is the first thing you'll see upon entering this mansion of seafood madness:

Original Mayflower Ship from the Academy Award Winning Movie "Plymouth Adventure" starring Lloyd Bridges and Spencer Tracy. (1952)

A piece of Hollywood...right on Myrtle Beach!

Lady Liberty on Columbus Day

We had a family guest for a night, a distant cousin of mine (whom I've never met) who works in the hotel industry in Maryland. She hopped on a bus from Baltimore to New York City, then rode another bus to New Jersey. Yesterday, Columbus Day, we took her to one of the must-see sights in New York: the Statue of Liberty.

I've been to the Statue numerous times already, being the designated tour guide/photographer to guests from out-of-town who visit us. We take them to Liberty State Park in Jersey City, where we go on a ferry boat to Ellis Island and the statue. The ferry boat is equipped with a concession stand, life vests and even an AED kit for heart-related emergencies.

I've never been up the pedestal where she stands. It's only this year that they've allowed tourists to climb her again since the 9/11 tragedy. The collective reaction our guests have upon seeing Lady Liberty is how small she is compared to her movie likeness.

These shots were taken from my second-hand Motorola Razr celfone camera. Apparently, too cloudy and too sunny conditions yield the same dark result.