Through Angel Eyes

Summer 2013: Burot Beach, Calatagan Batangas

2013-05-31T14:45:00.000-07:00

May 18-19, 2013. After weeks of planning for another Nagsasa Cove trip, we had to find another beach nearer and more accessible because one of our friends couldn't be absent from work the night before our supposed Nagsasa Cove trip. He works on a graveyard shift. So instead of heading up North, we settled for a trip down South.

Friends, I give you, Burot Beach!

Yes, that's where our fingers brought us. Yes, you read that right. Fingers. Days before the trip I had to go online and Google a beach camping place in Batangas because it is more accessible than Nagsasa Cove since we would be leaving by lunch time on a Saturday. (If you are planning to go to Nagsasa Cove Zambales I suggest you take the 4AM bus to Zambales so that you will be able to maximize your time basking in the beautiful beach that is part of Nagsasa Cove. If you haven't been there, maybe you can try to read my blog about it here.) So there I was, on Google, trying to find a very good place to have a quick summer getaway with my husband and friends. After a few searches, voila! Burot Beach was found.

To get there by commuting, you can take a van bound for Calatagan. The terminal for these vans can be found in Pasay (at the street in the middle of Kabayan Hotel and the stairs that leads to MRT Taft Avenue station). Fare costs 180Php per person. As soon as the van is full of passengers bound for Calatagan, you're good to go. P.S. On the same terminal you will find a van bound for Balayan.

the terminal

DAY 1
We left the terminal at around 12:30PM. Travel time should be 4-5 hours depending on the traffic and other unforeseen road mishaps or incidences. We arrived at Calatagan around 4pm. The van would drop you off directly at a market in Calatagan so there's no need to bring lots of food with you. You can buy water, ice tubes, fresh fish, meat, rice (cooked and uncooked) fruits and vegetables, coal for grilling, and condiments. As soon as you have bought everything you need, take a tricycle to Burot Beach. A trike ride costs 150Php and one tricycle can fit 4 people. Since we have lots of stuff including a cooler, tent, 4 gallons of water and our other provisions, we had to take 2 tricycles. From the marketplace, it would be another 30 minutes before you reach the beach. Much of the road that you will have to pass is unpaved so keep your heads cool.

Along the way you will pass by a guarded gate. This is because Burot Beach is not a public beach. As of the moment, it is owned by SMDC (yes, the developer of SM Malls). According to locals, it was previously owned by the Elizalde clan before SMDC bought it two years ago. There's no need to pay at the gate entrance. You will pay the entrance fee when you reach the beach. As you travel along the road that will lead you to the beach, you will be treated to the sight of 2 lakes, trees, mangroves, and a small fishing "village" nearby.

As soon as we reached the beach, we were welcomed by a uniformed guard who collected our entrance fee. It costs 120Php per person. As soon as you settle your tricycle payment and the entrance fee, you can now scan the beach for a perfect camping spot. (P.S. Don't forget to get the mobile number of your tricycle driver as he is also the one who will pick you up the next day or whenever you decide to leave the beach.) Since we arrived at Burot Beach a little before or around 5PM, we didn't have much of a choice as to where we would pitch camp.

view of the beach when we arrived

setting up our campsite

finishing touches on the tent

Once we were done with the tent, the boys went their separate ways. My husband, Jeremy, went looking for the place where they sell logs for the bonfire. A bundle will cost you 200Php. The guy selling them will also help you kindle a fire if you need help. Small amounts of gas is also available. Nico, on the other hand, went to setup our grilling area while Arvee went to fix the things inside the tent. As for me and Carrine (Arvee's girlfriend) preparing food is our task.

food prep time!

grilling stuffed bangus and eggplants (bangus stuffing include onions, garlic, tomatoes)

checking if it's already grilled to perfection

While waiting for our food to be cooked, we decided to take some photos to pass time.

i-Dawn Zulueta mo ako part 1 (me and my husband)

i-Dawn Zulueta mo ako part 2 (me and my husband again)

i-Dawn Zulueta mo ako part 3 (Karen and Arvee)

A few minutes after arriving at the beach and setting up camp, we were in for a treat! In front of us is one of the most beautiful sunset I have ever seen. It is a mixture of blue, orange, pink and red. I stopped taking photos after a few clicks because I just wanted to bask in the glory of such an amazing sunset. Here are some of my sunset shots!

That sunset was the climax of our trip. The tiring roadtrip, the unpaved road leading to it, the noise of other people on the beach were lost in thought because of the majestic beauty of this sunset.

So there we were, while the sun was still bloody red, we sat down to have dinner. Afterwards, when the boys have already finished cleaning up the spot where we ate, they started doing the bonfire.

But what's a bonfire without some marshmallows and hotdogs right?

While we were roasting our mallows and hotdogs, I remembered overhearing a comment made by the campers next to us. One of them said they forgot their marshmallows. So, I placed some marshmallows on sticks and asked Nico to give them to the group of young, fresh graduates camping next to our campsite.

When I made the decision to share our marshmallows with them, I never knew that that act of generosity will be rewarded the next day. Will tell you all about that later. :)

So after stuffing ourselves with mallows and hotdogs, we sat down near the shore to exchange stories and jokes. After a few laughs, Arvee brought out his smartphone and we played Pinoy Henyo. First it was just one person guessing while the rest of us were saying "Oo, Hindi, Pwede" or "Yes, No, Maybe" but then it became Boys vs Girls wherein the Girls (me and Karen) won. Because they boys lost, they had to clean up everything around camp. Girl power baby!

It was a full moon that night.

Later, the boys had some heart-to-heart man talk while me and Karen went inside the tent to go to sleep. This is how the inside of our tent looks like:

DAY 2
We woke up around 6AM. Now I tell you, when you sleep in a tent, the snores are amplified. Luckily, I was too exhausted that I slept throughout the snoring concert inside the tent. Peace boys!

Hungry, Karen and I started to prepare for breakfast. That's when the boys notice that we dont have any embers left to start a fire. Some other campers asked us the previous day if they can grill on our coal and after we let them, some other campers went ahead and took the hot coals to their own campsite. So there we were, without fire and already hungry. The boys tried their best to start another fire but without gas, it would take them a long time before they can make the embers hot enough for us to cook the corned beef we were supposed to have for breakfast.

But wait, remember the act of generosity I made the night before? Seems like it was destined to be rewarded. While our campfire was already reduced to ashes, the campers next to us, the ones we shared marshmallows with, still had their grilling fire hot and burning. They told us that we can cook our breakfast on their fire. I made me think that these young adults might not have shared their fire so readily and unselfishly to us if we had not shared something to them the other night. So gratefully, we accepted, and we started cooking breakfast. Not long after the food was cooked, the boys were finally successful in making fire. We knew that we were off to a good day!

Breakfast of Champions! A little bit of generosity + corned beef + a loaf of bread + cheez whiz and sandwich spread

After tidying our campsite and calling our tricycle driver Kuya Rodel on the phone so he can buy us some provisions for lunch, we went off to exploring the beach!

my husband and Nico

me and Karen

me and my husband

Karen and Arvee

P.S. While you are on the rocky side of the beach, please be careful and watch out for these creatures:

a sea snake

After exploring the rocky side of the beach, Kuya Rodel the tricycle driver arrived with our provisions (fresh tilapia, ice tubes, softdrinks and rice). He also gave us a big plastic full of Indian Mangoes. I think this is something that the tricycle drivers do for those they bring to Burot Beach because the other driver (the one who took Nico, Arvee and Karen to the beach) also told Nico, Arvee and Karen that he will give them a platic full of Indian Mangoes. After paying him the total amount of the things he brought us (the mangoes are for free) plus the amount of one tricycle ride to the beach, we started preparing for our lunch. Mind you, that was around 9AM. So yes, we were already preparing to eat lunch. :)

the 3 pieces of tilapia that Kuya Rodel bought was so fresh it was still alive and kickin'. When I saw Karen "killing" it, I felt sorry for the fish. I had to move away because I might not eat another tilapia my entire life if I stay and help.

The plastic full of Indian Mangoes. We gave a few of them to the campers who lent us their fire. So while Karen was cleaning the fish, I was peeling mangoes to be eaten with the tilapia and bagoong.

After convincing myself that if I don't eat the tilapia that they grilled I'd go starving, I made my way to the eating area we set up at the back of our tent to eat. (I am not allowed to skip meals because of my ulcer.) Forgetting about the fact that minutes ago, the tilapia was still breathing and struggling to survive, I took a bite. What I've tasted is by far the best tilapia I have ever tasted. The flesh is like melting in your mouth. That's the difference between fresh, newly caught tilapia and the ones that we buy in the market. After eating lunch and cleaning up the place were we ate, we were off to do what we came here for: SWIM and have FUN in the SUN.

fight club

last man standing

mano y mano

After getting our skin burned and having lots of fun, it was time to go. 2:30PM.

folding camp

Aside from the sea snakes, sea urchins and our slight disgust/annoyance over campers who took live starfishes from the sea bed (really big ones!), our Burot Beach experience was great! Still not as great as Nagsasa Cove but if you are looking for a nearer getaway, Burot Beach will do.

Now for your camping experience to be hassle free, here are some reminders:
1. Bring your own tent. I heard there were tents for rent there but if you are going there in peak seasons like Summer, expect that the beach would be almost full meaning there might not be any tent left for you to rent.
2. Bring a lighter or matchbox for your campfire.
3. Bring flashlights or those small emergency lamps so you would have a source of light at night.
4. Bring insect repellant lotion. You'll never know when it might come in handy.
5. It's better to bring extra food than to starve. :)

P.S. Don't kill those beautiful starfishes by taking them out of their natural habitat.

For tents, you can check Rent-A-Tent. Our tent was from them. Check their Facebook page here and their Sulit ad here.

thanks Cheska Fernando of Rent-A-Tent for the very spacious tent!

Enjoy your trip!

Yani xoxo

Nagsasa Cove Trip

2012-04-25T15:51:00.002-07:00

Last April 17, me and Jeremy went to Nagsasa Cove Zambales for some much needed R&R. After booking a banca and a tent for the trip to the island, we set out on the road to Zambales at 3:30 AM from Victory Liner Caloocan. For those commuting to Zambales, ride the Iba Sta Cruz Zambales bus and not the Olongapo Zambales bus. Tickets cost Php260 per person. Just let the conductor know that you will need to get off at San Antonio. We arrived at San Antonio Zambales a few minutes before 8AM. From there we took a trike to Pundaquit which is another 30 mins. Upon arriving at Pundaquit, we waited for the banca that we booked and it was another hour before we reached the cove. Note: There's a 7-11 store in San Antonio Zambales just a few steps from the bus stop so instead of buying liters of water from Manila and bringing them all the way to Zambales, you can just buy them there. By 9am, there's also a roasted chicken and liempo store thats open.

Leaving Pundaquit on a boat bound for Nagsasa Cove

So we got on the boat and made our 1-hour boat-ride to Nagsasa Cove.

that's my man enjoying the sun and the boat ride

Now here are some of the sights we saw while we were on our way to Nagsasa Cove. Photos are from yours truly, taken using my Nikon D40.

took a photo of this lone island because it reminded me of Calypso's island from The Odyssey

spotted another boat

hidden paradise

solid rock

When we finally got to Nagsasa Cove, I was in awe of how clear the water is. We set up the tent and asked the boatman the things that we needed to know about the island. Turned out, there is a mini store where you can buy basic necessities but do not expect ice from the store because they only turn on their generator at night and it would only last until 12 mn. But be comforted that they sell coffee, C2 green tea, softdrinks, and some snacks. You can also buy from them rice which costs Php50 a kilo, and if you will have them cook it, it will cost you around Php150. There's a common restroom/bathroom and there are drums wherein you will get your water for bathing or washing. Here are the photos of Nagsasa Cove that I took:

shot at around 9:30 in the morning

it's really not a vast open space anymore because there are huts like this already due to the court ruling that bestowed the land to the Aetas living there but you can still camp. The good thing about this huts is that you can eat in peace, in the comfort of a table. You won't have to worry about ants entering your tent. To campers, please do not eat inside your tents if you don't want ants to invade.

you won't see coconut trees on the cove. it's thickly populated by pine trees.

who says we need to travel to America to see a Marlboro Country? we have one in the Philippines like it just here in Nagsasa Cove.

there's a vast expanse of sand on one side of the island

this is part of an inner lake that springs of from an estuary. this lake leads to the waterfalls but we decided not to go to the waterfalls anymore because the Aetas said it's dry now and it's not much of a waterfalls in the summer.

shoreline

where the sea, the lake and the sun meets. estuary.

hiding

pink sky

On one side of the island is a vast expanse of sand with a lake. On the other end, there are huge rocks. The good thing about swimming at Nagsasa Cove is that the sea bottom does not have spots that go deep all of a sudden unlike Anawangin. The water is so clear you will see fishes play at your feet. Also, we didn't see sea urchins anywhere on the sea floor. I finally learned how to swim and float because the water is not too deep and calm. For the first time in my life, I've enjoyed the beach by swimming in the sea and not just basking in the sand and sun, or playing with the water.

But if there is one thing I did not like about the island is the fact that I spent a number of minutes cleaning up the sea bed and the water of some trash floating or already embedded on the floor. I saw a couple of plastic bags, a couple of tetra packs and plastic cups. In all of Nagsasa Cove's beauty, people still got to bring their disgusting self on the island and left their trash. Seriously people, bring your own black plastic bag for trash! Don't just litter them anywhere or throw them at the sea. Want a proof? Here's one of the cups I saw.

Now, here are some personal photos of us enjoying Nagsasa Cove. You won't believe how fun it is there if you don't see photos right? :D

our campsite

landed too soon!

cheerleader pose! :D

my Step Up pose :D

making the bonfire

bonfire near our camp. bonfire costs Php150

the rocky part of the island

the rocks is a good photo shoot place

sporting an Angelfish by Barbizon swimsuit. i love the back design of it!

building "sandcastles in the sand" (refer to How I Met Your Mother)

finally learned how to float in water so here I was, couldn't get enough of floating :D

Will we go back? Definitely! So to everyone who's heading out for some sun, sea and sand, please don't forget some sunblock! The climate is already insane.

Yani <3

Picture Perfect :D

2012-04-25T12:51:00.000-07:00

I'm a proud girlfriend and I can't help but share to you this photo that was shot by my man. I'm on it but not really the subject because the sun, the sky, and the silhouette outshone me. But who cares? I don't! :D So here's my man's picture perfect shot of me jumping, with the sky, and the sunset and the silhouette on the lake capturing beauty in its perfect essence.

P.S. This is not one of my good jump shots but the sun, the sky, and the silhouette on the water just made me fall in love and be proud of this photo. My man says I'm a better photographer than him but I dare say, we are just equals in terms of photography. You can see his photoblog here.

And because my jump wasn't in perfect shape at that photo, here's my PERFECT A jump shot taken by him as well. :D

GET SOLE

2012-04-20T14:18:00.000-07:00

While I'm still not up to blog about my recent beach trip with Jeremy because there are so many photos to choose from, here I am blogging about my most recent project, a pro-bono one but nonetheless, still a fun one. I shot a video with me as the Director for one of my dearest friends, Erika Ongtauco and her boyfriend Rhaniel Siy. It's a PR video for their footwear business, Get Sole. Here are some photos I took alongside the videos so that I can put some elements on the video I directed and will edit.

Get yourself a pair! Get Sole has 3 basic colors Black, Gray and Brown that would fit any outfit and any occasion. And a pair is only Php599! Check out their page here. Oh, and watch out for the video I directed!

Yani

God sees something different...

2012-02-27T15:35:00.000-08:00

Was on my last taping day for the show I'm doing for Knowledge Channel entitled K-High Math (you can see some episodes here) and I was having a very down day due to my flu and the fact that it's the last day we get to spend with each other on set. The future looked a little bleak because I won't have a fee to look forward to every month due to the fact that a freelance artist does not get a 15-30 pay. When I glanced at the trees, I was reminded the Hope Springs Eternal and that God sees beyond what we see. Here's the photo I took, with a quote I found thanks to Google.

Mrs Q Cakes and Pastries

2012-02-09T09:45:00.000-08:00

I was blessed to shoot with Tito Joboy Victor (you can visit his blog here) a quaint pastry shop in Antipolo City. When we got there, the place was so quiet and calm, very different from your usual hangout place in the Metro. One would really enjoy having a relaxing morning sipping tea or coffee while enjoying mouth watering cakes and pastries baked by the owner herself, Mrs. Q. :-)

learned a lot from Tito Joboy on how to shoot food, how to compose the elements and what settings to use for that day. I appreciate it a lot how he was generous about his knowledge and skills and shared it to us (me and Jeremy). If you think my shots are mouth watering, I owe it all to him. But wait until you see his!

So for those who live in Antipolo City, please do visit Mrs. Q Cakes and Pastries Shop! They are located at Village Corner, Beverly Hills Subdivision, Antipolo City! Even if you're not from there, I suggest you visit their place and have a great time! :-) You can visit their website too here. Anyway, here are my shots! I hope they make your mouths water and your tummies crave! :-)

Pistachio Cake

Sour Cream Coffee Cake with Pecan Nuts

Carrot Cake

Banana Cake (my favorite among all the cakes we shot!)

Red Velvet Cupcake

Brownies

my blog printed on a school publication

2012-02-09T08:29:00.000-08:00

blogged about a former special friend, who was getting a lot of heat from unsatisfied ball fanatics and die-hard school ball supporters, a few months ago (you can read my blog here) and my alma mater's high school publication printed it and was included in its latest issue. took a photo of the article. :-)

P.S. I was once the editor-in-chief of that publication. :-)

Isaiah 40:13

2012-02-02T09:02:00.000-08:00

Last February 1, me and my guy was at the bay area watching the sky, the bay and the birds and I was taking photos with my handy but busted yet reliable Nikon D40. I was having fun taking photos of the birds even though I only had a kit lens but nonetheless, the birds were such a sight and they seem to be playing with me and my camera because they would swoop down near me, they would pass directly in front of my lens or do tricks in my sight. One of them though was at the right place at the right time and we just made a decisive shot together. What followed after the shot was a Bible verse popping into my mind. Here's the photo and I hope you all get refreshed and inspired by it. :D

solar flare

2012-01-26T05:41:00.000-08:00

as we were was walking towards the trike place from Jeremy's house, I saw how the sun was glaring and causing flares whenever I look toward it. having my camera inside my bag, I took it out and took some photos... here:

f/22, exposure time 1/320 sec., ISO 1000 focal length 26mm

f/22, exposure time 1/320 sec., ISO 1250, focal length 24mm

night rooftop shoot

2012-01-26T05:30:00.000-08:00

I was at Jeremy's house last night and we just had the urge to go to the rooftop and shoot. since we had our tripod and his friend's flash and 50mm lens, we just were two people shooting and having fun in the night.

You can see his photoblog about that here :)


my favorite constellation, The Orion (f/1.8, exposure time 30 sec, ISO 200, focal length 50mm)

f/1.8, exposure time 30 sec., ISO 200, focal length 50mm

f/4.2, exposure time 30sec, ISO 560, focal length 26mm

The View (f/3.5, exposure time 30sec., ISO 450, focal length 18mm)

my first photo

2012-01-21T09:31:00.000-08:00

since my guy started his new photoblog (click here to go to his page) and posted the first photo he took, I went back to the first photo I took using a DSLR (that time, it was a borrowed DSLR now I own one). the owner was surprised to see the shot because he knows that I have no formal training in taking photos, nor have I taken any lessons. From then on, our friendship deepened and he was one of the first ones to teach me how to take photos the right way. it was also the reason why my Nikon D40 is named BADZ, because I call the guy who taught me how to take photos "Badz". To Miguel "Leu" Medina, thank you for playing photography with me back in college.

Prayer and Fasting 2012

2012-01-13T11:11:00.000-08:00

The annual 7-day Prayer and Fasting at church (Victory Christian Fellowship a.k.a Every Nation) has ended. But even though it has ended, I'm praying and hoping that everyone who sought God those 7 days will not end seeking Him for the rest of the year, and for the rest of their lives. Here are some of the photos I took at the prayer meeting that happened on the 7th (and last!) day of Prayer and Fasting. Breaking the fast happened right after this.

Happy New Year! 2012!

2012-01-02T08:38:00.000-08:00

happy new year to everyone!

ran to 3 different spots here at my place so I can take photos of the fireworks. Had to even venture into the roof of my cousin's house just to get a good view. Here are some of the photos I took. Enjoy!

Manual mode.
Aperture is f/9
Shutter Speed is 3 seconds
WB is Auto
ISO 200
Shot using my Nikon d40 18-55mm lens (busted but still reliable)

the night sky

2011-12-30T07:17:00.000-08:00

the tripod was at home and I picked up the camera tonight just to take photos of the clear night sky. this is what I took! :D

Candlelight: the best birthday surprise yet...

2011-12-22T11:21:00.000-08:00

last December 17, I celebrated my 24th birthday. Much to my surprise, my man Jeremy organized the biggest, most precious, and the best birthday surprise ever for me. Here's some of the photos of that night.

Candlelight dinner with rose petals around the table

A heart shaped group of rose petals on the floor next to the table

This is what I walked on while I was blindfolded

Oh yes he tried to cook pasta for me! :D

My birthday bouquet

slow dancing while a violinist plays

"how did you know I needed someone like you in my life..."


he is the sweetest man

food trip!

2011-12-05T04:24:00.000-08:00

and because we both love to eat, here are our photos of the food we've eaten, loved and appreciated. :D couldn't pinpoint which ones were shot by him and which ones were mine but nonetheless, enjoy viewing the photos!

Earle's version of a Subway sandwich and their Cheese Frankfurter

Earle's. Tastes better than Subway in my opinion. Must have.

Chicken rolled in pandan leaves from Kitchen, Greenbelt Makati. Must have.

Salpicao (named Sand Bar) from Kitchen, Greenbelt Makati

Herbed Chicken Breasts from O'sonho, Eastwood. Must have.

Steak with mushrooms and mashed potato from Gilligan's. Soft meat - good.

Grilled Squid from Gilligan's.

Gambas al Ajillo from Blufish, Eastwood

Crispy Tilapia from Blufish, Eastwood.

Buffalo Shrimps from Blufish

Pesto Pasta from The Old Spaghetti House

Baked Ziti from The Old Spaghetti House

Chicken Parmigiana from Caffecino by Dome, Eastwood

Porkchop steak (can't remember the exact name) from Caffecino by Dome. Must have.

Pesto Pasta and Chicken Wings from Bigoli

Lasagna from Bigoli

Beef Shawarma rice or something like that from Cafe Mediterranean

Chicken Shawarma with pita bread from Cafe Mediterranean. Must have.

Eggplant Parmigiana with Penne Pomodoro from The Olg Spaghetti House. My favorite dish from TOSH.

Pasta Aligue from PenPen's Resto

Bicol Express from PenPen's Resto. Must have.

Chicken Burritos from Agave Mexican Cantina. My most favorite burrito in town.

Ortigas Park

2011-12-03T23:47:00.000-08:00

shot in P mode of Canon and Nikon cameras. :D
my favorite hangout place in Ortigas.

shot using Canon 550d, 18-55mm lens

shot using Nikon D40, 18-55mm lens (my ever reliable yet busted Nikkor lens)

Katrina Manlutac's Debut Party 11.27.11

2011-11-28T07:10:00.000-08:00

I was just supposed to shoot videos for that event. But Wella Fan, the main photographer of the event and the person who got me as videographer, had her flight from a wedding in Boracay delayed. So I helped Mao, her 2nd shooter to shoot some photos. Two pairs of eyes are always better than one right? :D Wasn't supposed to bring my Nikon D40 that day but at the last minute I decided to put it on my backpack with the intention to use it to shoot some BTS.

Preparation Venue: Eastwood Richmonde Hotel
Debut Party Venue: The Glass Garden

Shot under Wella Fan Photography
Check out her photos here:
https://www.facebook.com/wellafanphotostudio

www.wellafan.vze.com

The Glass Garden

The Debutante

fishball food trip

2011-11-23T22:24:00.000-08:00

was out yesterday and we were at Metropolitan Hospital in Masangkay and we decided to go for that fishball stand we were so fond of when my mom was confined at that hospital. so here's a few photos of our food trip. :D

the fishball stand at Masangkay. there's the kwek-kwek (quail eggs wrapped in flour), fishballs, squid balls, and kikiam.

Jeremy holding a plastic cup filled with 10-peso worth of fishball.

here's my cup of fishball with the combination of sweet sauce and onion-laden spicy vinegar

Intramuros is ♥

2011-11-15T03:03:00.000-08:00

Today is November 15, 2011 here in Manila. A year ago, on this same day, I went out for a photowalk with a guy named Jeremy Sauza Cruz. Little did I know that he would soon be my better half, my soulmate, my God's best. So in remembrance of that day, here are some of the photos I took that day of the walled city named Intramuros.

WISH, My Persian Cat

2011-11-13T13:25:00.000-08:00

With Puss In Boots showing in cinemas nationwide, I decided to feature my uber-adorable persian cat named Wish. Some says she looks scary because of her eyes. But boy, wait til you spend time with her! She's as moody as yours truly, she's a snob when she doesn't want to play with me, but she's as crazy as any cat could be. She knows when we're talking about her, she sleeps in a position the exact same way that I do, and she lounges around like Cleopatra. Oh! And she would love to eat adobo, cheese, menudo, sinigang, nilaga and pandesal but we don't allow her to eat rice meals. :D

She loves chewing on my neighbor's plants esp. the sabila plant.

Wide-eyed

Snob

Always guarding the refrigerator.

Sleeping on my bed

♥ weddings! ♥

2011-11-10T13:50:00.000-08:00

this year, I was blessed to cover 2 weddings at church already. both were a learning experience in terms of wedding coverage for me. and why I am photoblogging on weddings? because most of the girls from the Victory group I attended last night were already engaged. oh yes love love love is in the air! ♥ so here are some photos of wedding symbols and extras that I took.

[EPHESIANS 5:22-33]²² Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. ²³ For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. ²⁴ Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. ²⁵ Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her ²⁶ to make her holy, cleansing^[b] her by the washing with water through the word, ²⁷ and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. ²⁸ In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. ²⁹ After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church— ³⁰ for we are members of his body. ³¹ “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.”^[c] ³² This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. ³³ However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.

[THE COINS]

[TWO HEART] Two butterflies plus a heart under them.

[LOVE FRAME] This was the photobooth design for the wedding.

the bouquet and the candles


[THE RING]

♥♥♥

relationship stages

2011-11-09T04:02:00.000-08:00

was dining out tonight when i saw lots of couples having dinner and it reminded me of 3 photos I took a few months ago on different occasions. all 3 photos were of couples in different stages of a relationship. let's meet them! :D

The GETTING TO KNOW EACH OTHER stage. In this stage, you won't get to see holding hands yet, or the guy putting his arms on the girl's shoulders. All you'd see would be lots of talking, lots of slight brushes on each others' skin, and lots of giddy smiles.

The HONEYMOON stage. In here, they've gone past the getting to know each other stage and they are now too close for comfort. You would often see them walking hand in hand, hugging each other in public, and doing lots of romantic things together. Just like this couple. Biking in a park.


The LOVERS QUARREL stage. Or some would say, the STRANGERS AGAIN stage. If it's just an LQ stage, the couple would be seen aloof towards each other in public, with one of them casting nasty looks toward the one who made a mistake. If this is the STRANGERS AGAIN stage, then the couple has now grown apart from each other, without a need for the other in their life that they have drifted apart. Soon they'll be bound for HEARTBREAK AVENUE.

Franco

2011-11-08T03:54:00.000-08:00

was listening to my iPod today when I suddenly missed all the loud music i used to have in my iPod Touch (stolen months ago). So in remembrance of my iPod Touch, here's some photos of the band Franco that I took when Jeremy and I attended OPPAP and Dakila's Rock for Peace concert a few months ago. :D

Buhawi Meneses on Bass

Gab and Buwi

Franco

Buwi

Gabby Alipe

Buwi, smoked.

lensflare indoors

2011-11-07T04:58:00.000-08:00

I was at Robinson's Galleria a few months ago when I noticed this indoor plants placed directly under some lights. When I took a few photos of them, the photos looked like I took a photo of the sun in the Sahara. Here are the photos: