Seeking New Landscapes

“It has long been an axiom of mine that the little things...

Sun, 12 May 2013 19:55:06 +0800

“It has long been an axiom of mine that the little things are infinitely the most important”. - Sir Arthur Doyle

Bird Discovery Centre, Jurong Bird Park, Singapore

Seeing things at the micro level has always fascinated me....

Sun, 12 May 2013 19:37:00 +0800

Seeing things at the micro level has always fascinated me. Things that you would think to be quite ordinary are not so ordinary… They are, in their “littleness”, quite intriguing.

I’ve always wondered how we, as human beings, can forget to notice all these little things. After all, we are made up of cells… too small to see with our naked eyes. How can we, beings made up of these tiny little things, so absorbed with the big things? Maybe because we are all caught up in our own big world… Fleeting moments and the brevity of events or even things are somewhat invaluable now. I guess it is this consciousness that has made us forget the little things, even if it is the basis of our existence.

I find the little world quite fascinating. Little droplets, the stamens of flowers, bees flying around… How can these small things make so much impact in our world and yet we constantly forget them or even find no value in them?

I think this is what made me appreciate macro photography more. I’m no expert in any way but I find it fascinating every time I take pictures of these things. It has made me appreciate the little things more and recognize their significance in our world.

“There was a real sense of comfort but at the same time it felt oddly tense. The feeling that every little things we said, these conversations, at any moment, they could stop being possible, and so they were precious, it was that feeling, and the sense of the miracle of this shared moment, here and now. Why were we so far apart, even when we are together? It was a nice loneliness, like the sensation of washing your face with cold water.”- The Lake, Banana Yoshimoto

I’ve never said much about this photo of mine since I...

Mon, 06 May 2013 17:19:00 +0800

I’ve never said much about this photo of mine since I uploaded it in my blog last year. I just mentioned where it was taken without sharing much about why I had taken the photo in the first place.

I was in Porta Vaga that day. It’s just one of the places where one goes to instead of SM. I saw this blind man outside where the steep stairs of the Baguio Cathedral and the entrance to Porta Vaga meet. This man is not alone though. Along these stairs, other blind people are with their small cups or their musical instruments, begging. You can not feel anything but compassion and pity for them. I’ve always wanted to talk to these people but I’ve always stopped myself because I did not want to pry or perhaps I do not have the courage to do so. There are some things I can’t make myself do at times, even if I really wanted to. Maybe some day I will see this man again and have the courage to talk to him.

I took this photo because it seemed ironic that he is in front of a painting depicting Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. In the Bible, it was considered paradise, where one can feast his or her eyes on the God’s beautiful creation. I don’t know this man’s story but I wonder how he imagines our world. Does he deem it beautiful? Did he ever see flowers or animals in his life? Has he seen the beauty of himself and of the people that surround him? If I were to see him again and ask him one question, I would ask him of his vision of our world - how he ‘sees’ his world even if he has lost his ability to see.

Perhaps one day I can visit again and ask him that question.

This woman’s name is Chekney. She told me she is 94 years...

Fri, 03 May 2013 20:51:49 +0800

This woman’s name is Chekney. She told me she is 94 years old. When I asked her what the secret to living long was, “Awan ti asawa kon” (I don’t have a husband anymore), she replied with a laugh. (at Baguio Botanical Garden)

The abandoned Diplomat Hotel in Baguio City. It is believed to...

Thu, 02 May 2013 12:16:00 +0800

The abandoned Diplomat Hotel in Baguio City. It is believed to be haunted. It served as a rest house during the early 1900’s for Dominican friars. It was then converted into a school for two years and then made into a rest house again. It became a refuge during the Second World War. It was bombed by the Japanese which caused damage to the structure and death of many people. It was acquired by Diplomat Hotels, Inc. in 1973 and made into a hotel catering to foreign and local tourists. It is said that Tony Agpaoa, an entrepreneur and faith healer owned the place and later died of a heart attack.

Universal Studios Singapore under construction {old photo}

Wed, 01 May 2013 08:39:53 +0800

Universal Studios Singapore under construction {old photo}

The Universal Studios Singapore under construction (2009).

Wed, 01 May 2013 08:37:16 +0800

The Universal Studios Singapore under construction (2009).

Sri Veerama Kaliamman Temple on Flickr.A Hindu temple located in...

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 15:21:03 +0800

Sri Veerama Kaliamman Temple on Flickr.

A Hindu temple located in Little India, Singapore

The Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple is dedicated to the Hindu goddess Kali, fierce embodiment of Shakti and the god Shiva’s wife, Parvati. - Wikipedia

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One of the few things I enjoyed during my brief stay in Singapore in 2009 was being able to explore Singapore more. Although I’ve studied and stayed there for five years when I was younger, my days were spent studying, doing my extracurricular activities, reading books and reading more books. (yawn)

At first, Little India seems like a place where old shop houses are the only things that you can see. When you do see the temples and the Little India Arcade though, you will know why this place is called as such. When I saw this temple, there were a lot of people inside - locals and tourists alike. I was debating with myself if I should enter the temple but I did not (doh!) because I wasn’t sure how to go about it.

Should I remove my shoes? Am I wearing appropriate clothes? Should I do some kind of ritual before I enter? You know… Stuff like that. I told myself better be safe than sorry. I didn’t want to offend anyone with something inappropriate that I would do. So I stayed outside, marveling at the fine details outside the temple, half-wanting to enter the place.

Of course, in retrospect, I should have just asked around and entered the temple like any tourist would do. It just goes to show that you have to do research before you actually go to places like this! That’s a big note-to-self right there.

Anyway, while in Little India, you might want to check out Little India Arcade. You can buy souvenirs and traditional clothing there. I did buy some Singapore magnets somewhere in Little India, but you know what? If I’d have gone farther down that street and asked around, I would have paid less for it.

You can actually assume from now on that I don’t usually ask a lot of questions. Which is bad, of course. Remind me next time to open my mouth and just ask.

If you’re wondering how to get to Little India, take the northeast MRT line to Little India MRT station and do something I never do - ask around! (Or you can just actually exit at Racecourse Road)

Don’t Mind Us, We’re Just Walking on Flickr. It’s amazing what...

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 14:31:00 +0800

Don’t Mind Us, We’re Just Walking on Flickr.

It’s amazing what buying ice cream can do for your photography. Case in point:

I was buying an M&M choco fudge ice cream in front of this shop. I liked the display obviously – the clothes. Not the couple kissing. I can’t remember if it was my first bite of the ice cream that gave me the light bulb moment but I wanted some people to pass by before taking a shot. I must have been there for about 20 minutes when I spotted the two men walking from the right. I took aim, framed the shot and took the photo.

Of course I haven’t been always this lucky. I’ve been meaning to take a shot of some store displays in SM but I get scared of sales ladies who glance outside, waiting for their next customers. Sometimes, I get scared of guards who tell you to stop taking pictures because it’s forbidden (although this doesn’t happen much if you’re using a phone compared to a DSLR). When I am in SM, I just take pictures of the Atrium down below or the architecture. Seldom do I take photos of people there because I get scared they might whack me with their bags or something (not a pretty sight). I think what happened in this shot is I ACTUALLY had the courage to take a photo because of the sugar rush I got from the chocolate fudge ice cream I was eating.

Kidding aside, I liked this photo because I WAITED. I didn’t want to take a picture of the display. I wanted to take a picture of the display with some human element in it. I guess, for candid photos like this, it’s important to wait for the right moment. And that right moment for me was these two guys walking past, oblivious to that frozen kissing scene in the display.

Viva le chocolate fudge ice cream.

The Bangui Windmills, Bangui, Ilocos Norte, Philippines on...

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 09:07:26 +0800

The Bangui Windmills, Bangui, Ilocos Norte, Philippines on Flickr.

The gate at the Mansion House, the official summer residence of...

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 18:37:51 +0800

The gate at the Mansion House, the official summer residence of the President of the Philippines.