Pangarap Ko (My Dream)

Mula nang maging interesado ako sa potograpiya, pinangarap ko ng magkaroon ng DSLR Camera. Minsan naitanong ko, magiging mas maayos ba akong litratista kung ako ay may DSLR camera? Maraming nagsabing oo, pero siyempre nasa akin pa rin iyon kung paano ko ima-maximize ang potensyal ng aking camera.

{Ever since I got interested with photography, I have always dreamed of owning a DSLR Camera. Once I asked, will I be a better "picture taker" if I have a DSLR Camera? Many said yes, but of course it boils down to me and how I maximize the potential of my camera.}

Ngunit hindi lamang ang pagkakaroon ng camera ang pangarap ko. Kaakibat ng pagkakaroon ng gamit na ganito ay ang mga pangarap na makasama sa mga photo walks ng mga kagaya ko ring mahilig sa potograpiya, ang makapag-aral sa ilalim ng pagtuturo ni Jo Avila, at higit sa lahat - ang makapunta sa iba't ibang panig ng Pilipinas at kunan ng litrato ang samu't saring elemento na magpapatunay na isa sa pinakamagandang bansa ang Pilipinas.

{But I am not just dreaming of owning the camera. Part of it are dreams of joining photo walks of people who are photo enthusiasts just like me, learning under the supervision of Jo Avila - and most of all - going to different parts of the Philippines, take pictures of different elements that would attest that the Philippines really is one of the most beautiful countries.}

Ang litratong ito ay kinunan Oktubre 2008 sa San Juan, La Union. Ako ay nandoon upang saksihan ang unang araw ng "Surf Break 3" pagkatapos kong bisitahin ang puntod ng aking ama. Natuwa ako sa grupong ito kaya kinuhanan ko sila ng litrato. Pangarap kong isang araw maging katulad na rin nila ako.

{This picture was taken October 2008 in San Juan, La Union. I was there to watch the first day of "Surf Break 3" after visiting my dad's grave. I really liked this bunch of photographers who shoot their hearts out that day. I dream to be just like them one day.}

*** Jenn ***

Alam Mo Ba? (Do You Know?)

Alam mo ba na kailangan mong humakbang ng 252 steps bago mo marating ang tuktok ng Lourdes Grotto sa Baguio City? Noong una akong pumunta sa lugar na ito, talagang nahirapan ako, pero kinaya naman.

{Do you know that it takes 252 steps before you reach the Lourdes Grotto in Baguio City? When I first went here, it was really a very trying moment, but happy I was able to handle it.}

Ang litratong ito ay kuha noong Marso, nang yayain ko ang aking pinsan na samahan akong maglakwatsa sa Baguio dahil hindi ako masyadong nakalakwatsa noong Panagbenga Festival, kaya imbes na mag-Vigan ako, minabuti kong mag-Baguio naman. Una naming pinuntahan ang Lourdes Grotto para marami-rami pa kaming lakas. Plano naming bilangin kung ilang hakbang papunta sa grotto, pero nawala rin kami sa bilang, siguro dala ng pagod. Sa isang palabas sa telebisyon ko nalaman kung ilang hakbang papunta sa grotto.

{This picture was captured last March, when my cousin and I went to Baguio. I wasn't able to roam around the city during the Panagbenga Festival, so instead of going to Vigan, I decided to just roam around Baguio that time. We first visited this place, so we still have lots of energy. We planned on counting the steps, but due to exhaustion, we lost count. It was in a television program that I learned the number of steps going to the grotto.}

Kayo, nakapunta na ba kayo sa Lourdes Grotto sa Baguio?

{Have you been to the Lourdes Grotto in Baguio?}

*** Jenn ***

Lahat Ay Payak (All Are Simple)

Maraming dahilan kung bakit gusto ko ang buhay probinsiya. Una ay sapagkat ang buhay ay simple, mabagal ang takbo ng oras at nae-enjoy ko ng husto ang kagandahan ng kapaligiran. Sabi ko nga, kung papipiliin ako kung saan ako titira habangbuhay, gugustuhin ko sa probinsiya. Pero siyempre, dapat may Internet! Hahaha.

{I could list down a lot of reasons why I love to live in the countryside. One is because living is simple, all is laid back, and I could get to enjoy the beauty of Mother Nature the most. I actually told myself, if I am to choose where to live forever, I'd choose to live in the countryside. But of course, there has to be Internet! Hahaha.}

Ang mga litratong ito ay kuha Oktubre 2008. Mula sa simbahan ng Balaoan sa La Union, ako ay pumunta sa may grotto ilang kilometro ang layo. Pagkatapos kong makuhanan ng litrato ang grotto, naglakad ako sa may bukid kung saan ang mga magsasaka ay naghahanda para sa pananghalian. Silang lahat ay nagsama sama sa may lilim ng puno upang pagsaluhan ang mga pagkaing inihanda ng kanilang mga kabiyak. Payak man ang pamumuhay, bakas sa kanilang mukha ang kasiyahan.

{These pictures were taken October 2008. From the church in Balaoan, La Union, I went to the grotto a few kilometers away. After taking pictures of the grotto, I walk at the nearby farm where the farmers were getting ready for lunch. All of them gathered under the shade of a tree to share the lunch prepared by their wives. Their living might be simple, but happiness can be seen through their faces.}

*** Jenn ***

Nang Matapos

Hindi ko alam kung anong eksaktong translation ng tema ngayong linggo kaya 'di ko na lang lalagyan. Aftermath kaya? Ewan. Hehehe.

{I don't know the exact translation of this week's theme so I would just leave it at that. Is it "aftermath?" I don't know. Hehehe.}




Nang magselebra ng kaarawan ang kaibigan kong si Andre, niyaya niya kaming ka-household niya sa SFC na kumain ng hapunan sa Shakey's. Bittersweet ang selebrasyon na iyon sapagkat isa siya sa mga nawalan ng trabaho nang magkaroon ng problema ang Accenture, kung saan siya nagtrabaho ng matagal. Pero kahit siya ay dumadaan sa problema, pinili pa rin niyang iselebra ang kanyang kaarawan.

{When my friend Andre celebrated her birthday, she invited us her SFC household sisters to eat dinner in Shakey's. It was a bittersweet celebration as she was one of the people who got laid off at work when the company she worked for many years (Accenture) had some problems due to the economic crisis. But even if she was having problems, she still chose to celebrate her birthday.}

Nakagawian ko nang kunan ng litrato ang mesa pagkatapos makainan. Natutuwa akong ipagkumpara ang itsura ng mesa bago at matapos kumain. Mas makalat, mas masaya. Pero dahil kami ay mga babae, ang mesang ito ay di naman ganoon kakalat.

{It has been a thing for me to take pictures of the dining table after eating. I find it funny to compare how it looked like with all the sumptuous foods and how it looked like afterwards. The messier, the better.. but because we were ladies, this table wasn't really that messy.}

Dahil napag-usapan na rin ang selebrasyon ng kaarawan, ako po ay nagpapasalamat sa lahat ng bumati sa akin.

{And since we were talking about birthday celebrations, I am sending out my gratitude to all those who greeted me on my birthday.}

*** Jenn ***

Tulay (Bridge)

Ang Quirino Bridge na nag-uugnay sa una at pangalawang bahagi ng Ilocos Sur ang pinaka paborito kong tulay. Tuwing pupunta ako ng Vigan, ito ang bahagi ng Ilocos Sur na talagang inaabangan ko. Pakiramdam ko kasi kapag nakarating na dito ay "abot tanaw" na lang ang Vigan. Hehehe. Ang litratong ito ay kuha noong nakaraang Mayo. Nakasama ako sa road trip ng akong tiyahin at ng kanyang mga high school friends at dahil walang aircon ang van na sinakyan namin, nagawa kong ilabas ang kaunting bahagi ng aking katawan sa may bintana upang makuhanan ng litrato ang tulay.

{The Quirino Bridge that links the first and second part of Ilocos Sur is my favorite bridge. Whenever I go to Vigan, this is the part of Ilocos Sur that I anticipate the most because I feel that once I reach the bridge, Vigan is just a stone throw away. =) This picture was shot last May when I went on a road trip with my aunt and her friends from high school.}

*** Jenn ***

Gusali (Building)

Ang aking lahok para sa linggong ito ay hindi dapat ang litratong ito. Una kong ninais na ilahok ang gusali ng Post Office sa Lawton sapagkat iyon ang aking pinaka-paboritong gusali, ngunit iyon ang ilalahok ng aking bunsong kapatid. Sunod kong naisip ang gusali ng Unibersidad ng Santo Tomas dahil doon nag-kolehiyo ang aking ama at isang ma-dramang pagkakataon para sa akin ang mapasok ang unibersidad sa unang pagkakataon nito lamang Marso, ngunit iyon ang inilahok ng aking kuya, kaya naghanap na lang ako ng iba.

{My entry for this week wasn't supposed to be this picture. I first thought of posting my picture of the Post Office Building in Lawton because it's my most favorite building, but it was my sister's entry to LP. Then, I thought of posting a picture of the University of Santo Tomas because it was where my late father studied college and it was a dramatic moment for me to set foot in the university just last March, but my brother posted that as well, so I had to find a different picture.}




Kuha ito noong ika-6 ng Marso 2009, sa ika-22 palapag ng Richmonde Hotel sa Ortigas. Hindi kagandahang litrato ngunit isa sa mga maituturing kong importanteng litrato sapagkat hindi ko inaasahang makapapasok ako sa Richmonde Hotel, at malamang hindi na ako makapapasok muli ng gusali.

{This was shot last 06 March 2009, on the 22nd floor of the Richmonde Hotel in Ortigas. Not a good shot, but I consider this as one of my important pictures because never have I thought I'd enter Richmonde Hotel, and come to think of it, this might be the first and the last time I'd enter the building.}

Mahirap kumuha ng litrato sa may bintana - dahil nakikita ang repleksyon ng camera o kaya naman ang kurtina ng kwarto. Pero kahit na, ang makita ang parte ng Ortigas sa ganitong lugar ay sapat na upang ako ay maging masaya.

{It was difficult to take pictures from the glass window because the reflections of the camera, the curtain, and the photographer can be seen! But, seeing a part of Ortigas in this perspective is enough for me to be happy.}

*** Jenn ***

Sapatos (Shoes)

Ako ay isang tao na hindi mahilig sa sapatos - siguro dahil lumaki akong walang pambili ng sapatos, o kaya siguro mataba ako at ang pwede ko lang isuot ay yung mga "flat" na sapatos at sandalyas, o siguro wala lang tindahan na malapit sa amin kung saan ako pwedeng makabili ng sapatos. Kabaligtaran ko, ang aking bunsong kapatid ay sobrang hilig sa sapatos, kagaya ng aming ina. Sa totoo lang, silang dalawa ay mistulang may kontest kung sino ang may mas maraming sapatos.

{I am a person who's not really much into shoes - maybe because growing up we didn't have the means of buying good shoes, or maybe because I am fat that I could only wear flat shoes/sandals, or maybe growing up there wasn't any near mall where I could buy shoes. My sister on the other hand was very much into shoes, just like my mom. Actually, they're having a little contest (although they don't realize it) as to who has the most shoes.}

Obviously, ang pares ng sapatos na ito ay sa aking kapatid. Minsan, umuwi siya at sinabing bumili siya ng bagong sapatos at gusto niyang isukat ko dahil iyon ay size 9. Kumasya naman, pero kung ako ang bibili ng sapatos na ito, siyempre size 10 ang kukunin ko.

{Obviously, this is my sister's shoes. One time, she got home and told she just bought a new pair of shoes and asked if I could try it on because it was a size 9. It did fit, but if I were to buy this pair of shoes, I would've bought the size 10.}

Noong araw na iyon ay nakahiga ako sa kutson na inilatag ko sa may sala, at dahil ako ay nanonood ng telebisyon, tinamad akong tumayo para isukat. Nagustuhan ko ang takong ng sapatos, kaya kahit nakahiga, kinuha ko ang aking cell phone para kunan ng litrato. Ito ay kinunan ko para sa aking Project 365.

{I was lying on the mattress I put in the living room when she came home, and because I was watching television, I was too lazy to get up just to fit the shoes. I loved the heels of these shoes, so even if I was lying, I took my cell phone, and took a picture of it. This was originally posted for my Project 365.}

*** Jenn ***