Manila: First Flight

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off to Manila

Let me tell you a secret: I've never flown anywhere. I guess I've never been anywhere aside from Cebu and Negros my entire life. My travels have always consisted of long bus and boat rides to wherever I was heading. I've never been on a plane until early this year.

Due to my work as a writer in a local publication in Cebu, I get to travel and go to different places to attend corporate events. My editor sent me to Manila last February to attend Daikin's product launch. It was my first trip to Manila and my first time on a plane.

my view from the hotel room

I was pretty excited about the trip so I readied two rolls of films and my well-loved CD-R King film camera. I googled pretty much the places I wanted to visit within the vicinity of our hotel, the InterContinental Hotel in Makati. I guess the hotel's location made going around the city easier. I only had to walk around the area.

I was nervously excited about flying. It was that kind of feeling that makes you want to wail and puke at the same time. I also have acrophobia so flying was definitely scary for me. 

Aside from that fear of flying, I also had reservations about Manila. Although I know a lot of friends in Manila, watching all those news about robbery, murders, and accidents all happening in Manila was pretty horrific.

fishpond in Greenbelt

My colleague and I went around the malls in Makati, especially those near our hotel. It was just a simple stroll in their massive interconnected shopping malls. I visited the Ayala Museum, which probably was my best experience during the trip. I love museums and I especially enjoyed looking at their intensive gold collection. I was also able to meet up with a close friend, who now resides in Malate. He took me around the city and invited me to a late dinner at Aristocrat along Manila Bay.

I know I sound like a probinsyana in the city, but it definitely was invigorating seeing new stuff in Manila. I frequent provinces and the beach when traveling, and being in a bigger city than Cebu was a first for me.

looking up in Greenbelt

Manila was good to me despite that scary experience with traffic on the way to the airport and the taxi driver asking for more than what was due. I definitely want to be back and discover more of what the capital has to offer. What places should I visit next?

all photos taken with CD-R King camera x Fuji XTRA 400

The Blogger's Back

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I know. I know. I've done it n times already. I've been foregoing blogging for the demands of my multitudes of work and I wasn't quite happy about it either. However, I've promised myself this year to make time for blogging. Lately, I've found myself down without any outlet to express myself.

Even if I'm already working full-time as a writer in a newspaper, blogging will always have a special place in my heart. It was through blogging that I was able to cope with my angsty and problematic teenage and college years. When I 'formally' blogged, I met a lot of readers and fellow bloggers that made me more attached to the trade. It just felt right to go back to blogging.

So, I'm officially back! Yay!

To make up for all the lost time and undeveloped film rolls, I will be posting all of them nine rolls of film soon. I know I have to make that important trip to my film lab this weekend to start the ball rolling. I'm super excited! Aside from that, I'll be making a few trips in a few weeks so just keep posted.

So let's start with this photo I unearthed when I randomly developed a film roll from my stash. I took this two years ago. Just shows how much I've been neglecting (and keeping) my films.

Balloons. CD-R King x Centuria DNP 400

Btw, I REEEEAAAALLLYYYY  miss this part the internet! Hugs!

I'm back to blogging! Watch out for my upcoming posts next week! ;)

Portraits: Cyrine

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I've known Cycy for almost three years now, meeting her through a hiking group. She's got a really vibrant personality and she's a friend that you can rely on during the most frustrating times. She's a  really pretty girl, though she may act boyish with this new pixie hair (which I envy by the way). She used to have long curly locks, which is why many of friends call us kambal (twins). Her middle name is Ortiz, which is also my last name. However, we're not related by blood nor by law. I fancy her being my sister from another mother though.

Cycy is a free spirit. She has this sweet disposition that's just so contagious. You'll also feel happy and carefree when you're around her. She knows how to make you feel comfortable with her. She's the epitome of all things feminine, but she's one of the hardcore women hikers/climbers I know. This goes to show that you can never really judge someone with just looks.

I requested her to be my model for my little online store, Spektra, while it was still active. This explains these photos, which I took from UP Cebu's volleyball court. I haven't really updated the store recently since I'm busy with my new work. Spektra is currently in hibernation. I'm still thinking whether or not to reopen the store again soon with the schedule permits.

PS. I honestly have a fear of taking other people's photos. I've always felt that I can never justify how they look. I think there's just so many things in a person and being a noob as I am, I can never provide that spark in people's eyes that are very much alive in real life. Since I took that leap of shooting portraits, I realized there's so many things to learn and master. Although I'm still a newbie with portraits, I'm enjoying every bit of experience I'm having and every piece of information I'm digesting. 

Pescador Island

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Pescador Island is a small island located in Tanon Strait in between Cebu and Negros. Who would have thought that this islet have so many wonderful things to offer tourists? Pescador is a diving and snorkeling destination for many foreign and local visitors. This is a marine sanctuary that hosts a wide variety of marine life species.

Pescador was part of our itinerary for our Moalboal trip. However, I wasn’t that excited since I don’t really know how to swim. I had no idea what was in store for me and the rest of the gang.

mga bangka (multiple exposure)

pose. *

Pescador is like a haven filled with different fishes. To tell you the truth, I’m not a snorkeling type of person. I would rather lie down on the sand while the boyfriend hits the waters to take a look at the fishes. Maybe one of the reasons is that I’m afraid of the deep sea. But when you're out in Pescador and you see the different fishes below your boat, you would definitely forget your fear. You'll see many other tourists and scuba divers around the island, as well.

There are many different fishes near the island. Corals of different sizes and colors are abundant. You can clearly see these from your boat because the water is clear. You'll definitely enjoy the place and its beauty. It  is among the most beautiful places I've been to. I think it's a small paradise and I would definitely want to come back and go scuba diving, if I learn to swim. 

the island's rocky terrain. **

shabby place. **

You can rent a boat for a four-hour stay in Pescador for P2, 500 or so. This price depends on the boat size and the equipment it has. Our small boat costs around P2, 500. It has a couple of life vests and can carry around 10 people or less. You can get a bigger boat depending on your needs.

We went to a short excursion of Pescador Island that ended so  soon. We thought there were enough space to walk around Pescador, but there isn't. There's a lighthouse in the island though and some abandoned structures that looked like houses. We were amazed to find two lonely cats in the island. Our boat driver said that a fisherman left (or threw) these cats here in the island. I really felt bad for the cats, especially when one of them looked ill. We fed them our leftovers instead since they were purring all throughout our excursion. They were pretty sweet cats and I felt bad when we were leaving.

sweet kitty

PS. I hope there's someone who can adopt the cats who are in the island. Has anyone seen them lately?

Note:    * - taken with Samsung S II

          ** - taken by Paw with Smena 8M

To Bayawan and Back

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The boyfriend and I had a short vacation in Bayawan, Negros Oriental, where my folks are currently residing. It was his first time to visit Negros so we were pretty much excited. It was also the first longest trip that we've had together.

Anyhoo, I was supposed to bring with my my CDR-King 35mm camera. However, I forgot it at home and only remembered when we were already on the way to the bus terminal. I wanted to castigate myself for forgetting my camera. I was planning to post film photos of the trip. So, we have to make do of what we have, which are just photos from the boyfriend's SII camera.

beach near Santander port.

fast craft to Sibulan.

We were heading to Bayawan City, Negros Oriental, which was a bit far from Cebu. We opted to go there via land trip, which means we had to sit in the bus for a few hours. It usually takes seven to eight hours to get to Bayawan from Cebu City. This includes the ferry ride from Santander to Sibulan and the jeepney ride from Sibulan to Dumaguete City. From Dumaguete, you'll need to ride another bus to Bayawan City. It's a pretty long trip when you think about it, which why I rarely go there.

Here's the list of vehicles and the fare we spent per person:

• Bus (aircon) from South Bus Terminal to Santander - P140 (student's fare)
• Ferry/Fast craft from Santander to Sibulan - P54 (student's fare)
• Jeep from Sibulan to Dumaguete - P11
• Tricycle from the jeepney terminal to Robinson's Place Dumaguete - P9
• Bus (non-aircon) from Dumaguete to Bayawan - P100

roro from Sibulan to Cebu.

short bus stop at Siaton.

passing by Boljoon.

You have to take the same route on the way back to Cebu. Instead of going to Robinson's, you can immediately head on to the Ceres bus terminal. It's just a walking distance from Robinson's, which is why I prefer having lunch there. So, the boyfriend and I had our brunch there in Robinson's and spent some time walking around with our bags. We, then, continued our trip to Bayawan, which was two to three hours from Dumaguete.

There are also other routes to get to Dumaguete. You can ride a plane from the Mactan International Airport or a boat from the pier. The plane's definitely faster but expensive. I'm also not that comfortable with an overnight boat ride to Dumaguete, even if you can sleep the entire trip away.

*photos taken by Paw*

Beach-ing at Moalboal

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Moalboal has a special place in my heart. This place brings back good memories. I would never be bored of  the blue waters and white sands of Moalboal.

We frequent Basdako in Moalboal, mainly because of the affordable huts there. We've also befriended one of the owners, who always give us nice treatment during our stay. I don't know about other places in Basdako, but in Victor's, you can get a small beach hut with your own porch and bathroom for P1, 000 a night. It already has a double bed and a ceiling fan. You can pack your friends inside the hut. I think six to seven people can fit in the hut. Just use a mat for those sleeping on the floor.

beach.

doggies on the beach

To get to Moaboal, look for the Bato via Barili bus in the South Bus Terminal. You'll be paying around P110 for your bus fare. From the town proper, hail a tricycle that can take you to Basdako where you'll pay around P25 per person. Although the trip can be long, you'll definitely thank yourself for spending time to visit the place.

Basdako has a long strip of white-sand shore. I am never afraid to walk barefoot in Moalboal, unlike when I'm in Mactan. The shore has fine sands which I love. The waters are clear and ever so blue. Although it can be packed with people during weekends, it is still a refreshing place to be in.

I always enjoy my stay in Moalboal. During the day, you can knock yourself out with playing beach volley, swimming, or going snorkeling. There are karaoke machines that you can use if you feel like singing your heart out. You can also rent a boat so you can go scuba diving or visit Pescador, which I will write about next time.

manaygonay (caroler)*

almost sunset *

random local kids *

me reloading my Smena *

At night, you can lie down on the sands while watching the stars. Maybe I'll do that next time. You can also opt to spend the night outside, which is safe. My cousin spent her night drinking on the shore with her friends until the break of dawn, which is also cool. However, it's not really my thing. I opted to sleep the night away with my little nephew and the boyfriend.

It is good that many people already visit Moalboal as it helps in boosting local tourism. However, as many people flock, the condition of the place deteriorates. I hope visitors will be responsible enough and throw garbage properly.

PS. I wasn't able to shoot as much during our stay in Moalboal. I found out, after I DO-ed my rolls, that my Smena 8M is broken. I was really disappointed since I only got 14 shots from my 36-shot roll. 

photos taken with Smena 8M

note: * - photos taken by Paw

Review: Smena 8M

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I mentioned in my post a few weeks ago that I recently got a new addition to my cameras, the Smena 8M. This is a vintage lomo camera that was made in Russia. The word smena translates to "young generation" in English, which was the main market for the camera.

Smena 8M (taken with 500D)

I have a Slovak friend who told me that he bought a Smena 8M 20 years ago, which was only sold for €1. The films he used on the other hand were more expensive than Smena since they were from Germany.

The Smena 8M is made with lightweight plastic materials, which makes it a bit flimsy like other toy cameras. However, it looks like its durable on the outside. Looks can be deceiving so handle your Smena with care. Smena can come with a leather strap with a Lomo logo. It looks really cool and vintage-y. When I wear it in school or in the mall, I get a lot of stares. Well, not really me but my camera.

Smena 8M with its leather case and strap (taken with Samsung S II)

The reason why I love Smena 8m is that you can take multiple exposures with it. My other film cameras cannot do this, unless you manually wind back the film roll and stop somewhere to take another shot. This really got me hyped up when I got my hands on my Smena. 

If you're using Smena 8M for the first time, expect to do a couple of boo-boos. You'll forget to adjust the focus point, the shutter speed and even forget to cock the shutter. I even did those a lot. It's just like shooting manual on your DSLR. However, you need to be absolutely sure that you have properly exposed your subject and adjusted the settings correctly. This is probably one of the hassles of Smena 8M. You'll need to adjust everything. If you're used to shooting automatic SLRs and P&S film cameras, like me, it'll take a lot of practice.

Framing can be a bit of a problem with Smena since it's made like a rangefinder. So, you've got to develop a technique in shooting that can give you an estimate of how your shots will look like. My boyfriend taught me this technique wherein you look at the viewfinder and see how your subject is framed. Then adjust your camera.

multiple exposure (in Smena 8M)

love (in Smena 8M)

Another thing worth mentioning is the frame counter in Smena 8M, which can be erroneous at times. A number of Smena 8M users do not really rely on the frame counter, I don't too sometimes. Since it's manual, you'll need to adjust the counter yourself, when loading your film cartridge in your camera. I'll make a tutorial on how to do that soon.

The nice thing about Smena is that it has a 40mm T-43 triplet lens with the widest aperture of f/4. This gives you photos a unique saturation. The Smena takes good photos. Light leaks and vignetting are to be expected since this is, of course, a Lomo camera.

cat in Pescador Island (in Smena 8M)

peeking cloud (in Smena 8M)

I couldn't say that Smena isn't a bad camera, because to tell you the truth, I'm in love with it. I've been wanting one for so long. Smena isn't really for those who like to shoot without thinking. Like shooting manual, you need to estimate and adjust your settings. It creates the images that I love and I'm happy with it.

PS. The Smena 8M that I actually got isn't working quite well. The shutter won't open at times resulting to black and empty frames on the film. I will need to send my Smena over to the camera technician for some fixing. This happens when buying vintage cameras online. Make sure that the cameras have been tested with films first. However, it's a risk that one has to take for the love of collecting old cameras. ;)