The Pinoy Shutterbug

My very first shot of the moon.  I used a Vivitar telephoto lens with a Canon entry-level camera.  I was lucky, don't you think?  The craters are noticeable in this picture.  No post-processing was done with this picture.

I love taking pictures.  I call myself, "The Pinoy Shutterbug".  For me, it's like capturing emotions.  Even an inanimate object when photographed on a certain lighting condition can evoke a certain kind of emotion in us.  I remember our very first camera.  It was an "instamatic" Kodak camera.  It was one of the few things my Dad bought in Japan in the 70's.  At that time, we have to load films (which are then available in rolls of 12's, 24's, and 36's) and use disposable flash bulbs (that cubic bulb that rotate each time it flashes).   Because  the film and flash bulbs are very pricey, we were only able to capture "Kodak moments" on special occasions.

My "Keep Calm and Carry On" Custom Poster

I hope that I'm not that late.  When I saw this app in Blackberry World from my PlayBook, that I could create my own "Keep Calm and Carry On" poster I immediately downloaded it.  From thee original orange background, I changed it into green with a classic print.  I could not change the crown icon at the top.  The "pro" version will have to be bought to replace the free app in order to get access to several other icons.  Anyway, here's my poster.  Do you like it?

The Union of Sau and Venus

Sau, in Chinese traditions, is the God of Longevity.  He  is one of the well-known three (3) Star Gods namely Fuk-Luk-Sau.  Venus, on the other hand, in Roman mythology, is the Goddess of Love and Beauty, counterpart of Aphrodite in Greek mythology.  She is one of the 12 Olympians.  I thought of naming this original artisan jewelry piece "The Union of Sau and Venus" because their symbolisms are represented in this necklace.

Con Te Partiro (Time To Say Goodbye) by Joe McElderry

The year was 1999.  The song was Con Te Partiro.  The hotel was the Bellagio.  It was not a tryst but a distant memory of an otherworldly time I was introduced to Andrea Bocelli's sad, haunting, and soulful song - Con Te Partiro.

The Outing of a Brand-a-holic.

My friend is a brand-a-holic.  (Is that a word?)  From his Cole Haan dress shoes, to his YSL socks, pair of Ice Jeans pants, Armani Exchange belt, Faconnable shirt, On-line tie, and up to his Diesel jacket, it's like he literally stepped out of a high-end lifestyle and fashion magazine.  Accessories?  Oh, yeah, he wears an Oris diver's watch and a Morellato men's designer bangle.  Sounds made up?  I assure you it's not.  He is sitting beside me while I am writing this post.

I wrote a post yesterday that tried to touch on (even for just a little bit) the relationship between fashion and happiness.  According to my best buddy, he is an exception.  I asked him to explain how.  This is what he said, "if dressing up well is already a way of life then how could you tie happiness with fashion?

"Happiness is a state of mind.  Therefore, rather than an end result, it's actually a means to achieving your end."

Cryptic.  He had it backwards, don't you think?  I really couldn't comprehend what he is telling me.  Probably because unlike him I was born in a modest family.  Any new item of clothing bought by my parents for me is a happy occasion.  I remember being ecstatic in receiving new shirts.  I could also remember the happiness of my little brothers when they receive new clothes and shoes that are not "hand-me-downs".   Somehow in these past scenarios, my siblings and I developed that mentality  about fashion and how it is tied, no matter how loose, to happiness.

I remember the first time I went to work.  Darn, this was nearly 20 years ago.  I was what you would call in the 80"s, "baduy" (grossly out of fashion,  and geeky).  The first real slap on the face is when I conducted a training-seminar for a commercial bank client roughly a year after I got hired in my first job in a Japanese software house.  The bank people looked at me from head to toe as if I should bring  them coffee instead of teaching them how to set-up and program their host security module.  I was thankful that my boss at that time (God bless her) was kind enough to teach me how to properly and smartly dress up.

Through the years, I've learned to buy clothes of high quality that are even though pricey, would definitely look good on me and would last for a long time.  My best buddy influenced me to invest on designer clothes.  As it turned out, when I look at my closet, my clothes now although not very many are all designer pieces.   Did they make me happy?  To be honest, yes, for a few minutes after I bought them.  I feel that I am blessed and very much grateful that I have the means to buy them.  Then I forget about the feeling afterwards.  Then when I wear them, again, I feel happy.  I feel confident that I am wearing something nice that I bought for myself (and to tell you frankly it's more on because the clothes are nice…).

Okay, I am coming out of the closet.  Are you ready?  Drumroll please.  Mom... Dad... ladies and gentlemen... I am... a brand-a-holic!  Woooh!  That's a relief.  He-he-he.  But, not so much as my best buddy who could afford to buy a single piece of clothing the price of which is almost the same as a minimum wage earner's six months worth of salary.  Yes, that's the Ralph Lauren Italian-made denim blazer.  The blazer's tag is posted above.

So, what's the most expensive piece of clothing in your closet?  Are you a brand-a-holic, too???

Lot's Wife

Improvements in the quality of life…  it's a lifelong objective and one of my goals.   I have allergic rhinitis and let me tell you that it's no walk in the park.  Mine's actually weird.  When I feel a sudden change in temperature, my rhinitis kicks in.  But the worst allergen is dust.  That is why it's important that I dwell in a clean environment.

I bought air purifiers and ionizers.  I learned that these gadgets eliminate unwanted particles, odor, and bacteria in the air.  More importantly is its function that generates negative ions which are beneficial to the human body.  None of these gadgets however, seem to be effective with my grave aversion to dust particles.  So, I just try my best to always keep my surroundings clean despite my lazy bones.

Two of the best natural sources of negative ions are waterfalls and the ocean.  It's apparently hard to go to these sources with all the traveling required.  So, I settled for a SALT CRYSTAL LAMP.  About 8 years ago, one store opened in a posh mall in Ortigas (one of the business districts in Metro Manila).  The store sells lamps that are carved from salt crystals.  At first I didn't want to believe that there are large chunks of salts crystals like those.  I am familiar with salt that are harvested from sea water.  The long ride to our province in the south from Manila especially in the summer, provides a scenic view of places where salt is harvested from sea water.  But salt mined underground and in the mountains is new to me.  So, I made some research before buying a salt crystal lamp that is mined in Poland.

I am happy with the salt crystal lamp I bought 8 years ago.  It has served me well all through these years.  Hence, I'd like to share it with you.  I call it Lot's Wife.  Am I that weird in naming my favorite objects in the house?  It's like a pillar of salt so I named it after that Biblical character who while fleeing turned into a pillar of salt after looking back at the destroyed City of  Sodom.  The salt crystal rock is mounted on a marble base.  A light socket is coursed through the salt crystal that holds a 10-watt incandescent refrigerator bulb.  It is relatively easy to replace the bulb.

Anyway, as I said, I am totally happy and satisfied with Lot's Wife (no pun intended) especially with what I learned from the literature of the product.  It says that the salt crystal lamp emits negative ions that significantly reduces indoor pollutants.  A microbiologist and experimental pathologist at the University of California, Dr. Albert P. Krueger, as explained in the literature, has found out that an astonishing small quantity of negative ions could kill bacteria and quickly take them out of the air so they would less likely infect people.  The salt crystal lamp promises among others are relief from allergies, a boost in the immune system, and reduction in the susceptibility to colds and flu.  Did the salt crystal lamp delivered?  Well, that would require a thorough analysis, but one thing is for sure.  Lot's Wife (again, pun not intended) is a great mood maker.  As such, I always feel good and soothed, especially in times of allergy attacks, inside my bedroom.  For me that's a far better deal.

Oh, by the way, a movie of Jennifer Ansiton, Along Came Polly,  has these gorgeous lamps in the lead character's bedroom.  Nice!

Gift of Thetis

The sea is the inspiration for this jewelry piece.  If you must know, I design artisan jewelry as a hobby.  My sister who runs an ebay store sells some of the pieces I create.  Well, the ones mostly sold in ebay are those with simple designs.  The more intricate pieces are made-to-order.  Some of my sister's clients would ask for a customized bracelet or necklace.  I would design and execute the requested piece.  From time to time, when I am in the mood, which is seldom nowadays, I would create a piece or two and just keep them for later posting in ebay.  Sometimes they don't get posted at all and end up as gifts for friends who need special jewelry for special occasions.  This one is still in the "vault".

I call this piece the "Gift of Thetis".  Thetis is a sea nymph and in some accounts a sea goddess.  The components of the necklace is from the waters.  I used Philippine freshwater cultured pearls and bamboo corals.

Freshwater cultured pearls are easy to source here in the Philippines and in some parts of Asia.  The same is true for bamboo corals.  The coral beads are pieces from actual branches of the bamboo coral.  Bamboo coral is one of the species of coral that grows quite rapidly. They are actually raised in coral farms specifically for its commercial value as jewelry component, and perhaps as medicine.  The natural blackish gray color of bamboo corals is unattractive.  This is the reason why bamboo corals are dyed in different attractive colors such as candy red.

Do not mistake the red-dyed bamboo coral as the precious red coral.  There are 2 species of coral that are considered precious in jewelry-making.  These are the black and red coral both of which are listed as critically endangered species.  Here in the Philippines, harvesting red and black corals are strictly prohibited.  You would know that the red-dyed bamboo coral is not the precious red coral because the precious variety has small and very thin branches.  The bamboo corals have big branches with unattractive black nodes most of the time.  You will have to use your imagination in designing a piece that would make this flaw into an attractive feature.

I designed and executed the piece as a "2-in-1" necklace.  One necklace is a strand of the freshwater cultured pearls combined with clear multifaceted Austrian crystals.  I used the "siopao" (dimsum-shaped) pearls because I like their puffiness that would perfectly contrast the baroque shape of the branch coral beads.  The other necklace is purely composed of the red-dyed bamboo coral disc-shaped beads and branch beads.  I used stainless steel for the metal findings.

The two strands are meant to be worn together but, of course,  the pearl strand can be worn separately from the coral strand.  The necklace is perfect for glamorous occasions as well as "white-shirt-blue-jeans" kind of day.

So, do you like it?

Keeping Up With The Joneses

So, you’re swiping that credit card for that 42-inch LED TV that’s bigger and more technologically advanced than your neighbor’s 32-inch LCD TV?  Oh, so you are taking that loan from the bank to buy that new Mercededs Benz C-class?  You are breaking your nest egg so you can make that down payment and show off the new car to your golfing buddies even though your old car is still in perfect working condition?  New fishing gear?  New Harley motorbike?  New IWC wristwatch?  New Faberge necklace?  New Harry Winston bracelet?  New swimming pool?  Ticket for a trip to the moon?  What else?  You are thinking, “I’ve got to keep up…”.

There is nothing wrong wanting or having these things in life.  If you keep measuring your worth however, based on the material things you are accumulating, no amount of consumer goods is commensurate.  What’s worse is that you could end up with a pile of debt!

Why is there an incessant need  to prove to your neighbors that you are much better or more well-off?  Why is climbing the social status important to you at all?  If you derive happiness, satisfaction or worth from the approval of others, you’ll never be genuinely happy.

Stop this madness now! Realize that you have within you everything you need to feel secure.  Material things and people approval are “nice to have” but never essential.  Antoine de Saint-Exupery may have simply put it: “…what is essential is invisible to the naked eye.”.

Do The Things You Love!...

Blast From The Past.


I was looking for some stuff in the document drawers when I stumbled on to a watercolor painting I drew more than 10 years ago.  The painting was amateurish, odd-looking, and devoid of any recognizable artistic techniques. I LOVE IT!


At a glance, the painting of a rather unusual set of four-petaled gumamelas (hibiscus) sent me to a happy and wonderful place.  I vividly remembered the drawing on the Japanese thermos I had back in the 70's.  I have always admired abstract impressionist drawings.  That thermos is actually the inspiration for this painting.  I remembered my mom filling up my thermos with hot chocolate while preparing my baon (pack lunch) for school.  Then, I thought of the crisp morning air and small swarms of dragonflies, a very familiar atmosphere during our early morning walks to school.  Oh, it's a very delightful memory.    

Art for me is something that “moves” you. The painting immediately transported me back to that time, a time when I would just go on ahead and do the things I love doing no matter what.  It has stirred in me a desire and longing.  It “moved” me.

Follow Your Heart!

I headed for the arts store and bought some watercolor supplies.  I started again painting and immensely enjoyed myself.  Yes, it doesn’t matter if I don’t have any training nor talent for that matter.  I just did it.  After several attempts, this is the best so far.  It is a Chinese watercolor rendition of one of my favorite flowers, the “lotus”.

The lotus just happened to be an appropriate first time painting after several years of hiatus.  The lotus represents “purity”.  It thus, represents the pure desire and intention in my heart to express myself through watercolor painting.

Is there anything you wanted to try out but for some reason you have always put aside?  Is there a desire in you to express that feeling in your heart?  Did you always wanted to do gardening, go fishing, go mountain hiking, design your own clothes, build your own furniture, mould and shape pottery, or create your own multi-function domestic-help robot?

I say do the things you love.  Just do it!