The Joys of Traveling

For someone who has motion sickness, it is very ironic for me to have a strong desire to travel and discover new places here in my country. Some fellow citizens do have a lot of complaints about the country - a few even badmouth how ugly the country is just because they have seen different countries (rants on a separate post), and while I recognize that we all do have the right to voice out opinions, I just hope certain people would also see how beautiful their own country is.

I don't travel that much (due to financial constraints), but whenever I do, I make sure I not only savor the moment, I also take the time to taste their food, discover their culture, and interact with the locals. Last year (April 2012), I was able to travel north and here are just a few of the many pictures I took during the three-day adventure.


It really makes me happy to photograph different flowers... and if there's a critter next to it, all the better.


I love watching travel-related shows, I love to browse travel magazines, and it makes me happy seeing places with my own eyes after seeing them on TV or magazines.


Likewise, I also love it when friends share their latest travel pictures or blog posts, because it allows me to know of places in my country I never knew existed.


Traveling for me isn't all about photographing different scenery, I also love eating different food - like this Pinakbet Pizza at Herencia Cafe. Pinakbet is a native Ilocos vegetable dish (string beans, eggplants, tomatoes, ampalaya, and squash cooked in fermented fish paste), and eating it pizza style was such a scrumptious discovery. Of course, part of my travels is entering different Catholic churches, and this particular travel allowed me to enter the Paoay Church, one of the four baroque churches in the Philippines, and the last of the four I visited.


For me, traveling alone gives me joy, but traveling with friends and family makes me happier.

Textured with Kim Klassen's "Canvasback," set to grain merge at 65%

This quote by Jawaharlal Nehru was such a fitting words of wisdom. Each place can be ugly or pretty to someone, depending on how they see it. For me, even if I have to return to a familiar place, one lesson I have learned is to see the world with a fresh set of eyes, and in doing so allowed me to have a much better visit than I had before.

So far this year, I have only traveled to La Union and Benguet. I am not sure if this will push through, but my brother told me some of his friends are planning to do a church hop in the province of Laguna, something I am looking forward to. What's very certain is that in a few months, I will be traveling with my dear friend K, exploring places such as Guimaras, Corregidor, Bataan, Boracay, and Iloilo.

Quotography | Family

It has been four years since dad passed away, but I am happy that our family is still very united and that more than being family members, we are all good friends as well. We don't take that much family pictures, but every Christmas Day, it is already our tradition to set up the camera and pose for pictures.

This was taken Christmas last year. I could have used any other family pictures - pictures I took of different families... but, doing so would make me feel I have overlooked my own family, so I chose this one. Well, I did set up the camera on the tripod, so this picture is pretty much mine, or ours. :)

Among our family pictures, this has been the craziest. I remember us having formal pictures, but since I set up my camera to 15 seconds before it takes the shot, it allowed us to adjust our poses and doing so made us forget a bit that a picture is just about to be taken.

Here's what happened: My brother got a little tired doing the formal poses since we posed for about four pictures already, so while waiting for this to be taken, he entertained himself by opening the gifts near him. It caused mom to be distracted as gifts weren't supposed to be opened yet. Meanwhile, my sister and I were already doing our poses when my sister accidentally hit my mom's head, so she immediately held mom's head to say sorry. Then the camera fired the flash. We didn't know at first that this image came out like this, as after the flash fired, I set the camera again for another picture. After the shoot, I reviewed the pictures and this really cracked me up. My family couldn't help but laugh, too.

I will be running out of space if I'd still tell how much I love and how much my family means to me. God really loved me so much because He gave me wonderful people to become my family. Sure, buttons are pushed every now and then - that makes us normal, but I really couldn't ask for me. My family is my heaven on earth.

*** Jenn ***

ps - Thanks again to Nicolasa for choosing my Birthday Quotography as part of the Top 3 last week.

SLT - Self Portrait

I take pictures of myself once a week because I am doing the "52 Weeks of Me Project," but lately I haven't had the urge to take pictures of myself, so my post for this week was something from my files.




This self portrait was part of the "Brown" set I did for my personal project. I took this picture with my left hand holding the camera, and my right hand holding the necklace. I edited this picture just now, but my take for the "brown" prompt was to wear a brownish top, and brownish jewelry - my mom's locket and matching ring, and a necklace made from plastic and metal beads.

I have been reading a whole lot about the "I am Beautiful" project, and I told myself I'd join in, too, but I still haven't taken my picture. Hopefully I can set up the camera and take some self portraits before the week ends.

*** Jenn ***

Exercise 12 - Soles / Feet

I was able to take my picture today because I decided to watch the noon time show in mom's room. Well, theme for this week's 52 Weeks of Me (which I do over my personal blog An Autobiography in the Works) is "Feet," so it was hitting two birds with one stone for me this week. :)




Last Saturday, sister treated mom and I for some "pampering" at the salon. Mom had the foot spa, while I had manicure and a haircut. After the great time at the salon, we walked around the area and we saw a Garage Sale. Mom asked if we could check it out, and I am always game for window shopping (I am not really a shopper as I don't have much money to spend), but when I saw this pair of Anna Sui sandals, I fell in love with it quickly. The price tag was at p980, so I felt sad that I can't buy it. When I saw a woman buying three pairs of shoes, I was quite amazed. I asked the store owner if the prizes on the tags were the actual prize of the shoes, and she said "No... sandals were priced at p190 (usd4.27)." As soon as I heard that, I quickly grabbed this pair and bought it.

I told myself I'd give my toenails some good pampering by painting them, but I am still hesitant about my big toe (right foot), so I didn't push through with it. I will just start doing something about it mid next month... I seriously don't want to be in bigger trouble should I injure it again.

*** Jenn ***

Exercise 11 - Mirrors

I was supposed to share my take last Wednesday (so I could link the picture to B&W Wednesdays meme), but I seriously don't know how to execute the exercise so it was just now that I am able to share one. I took this just after eating lunch.




I got the idea of taking a selfie like this when I entered mom's room and saw my sister's reflection in the mirror. When she went out of the room, I just set up the tripod and the self timer of the camera and just posed like this. When I took my sister's photo, she was basically just lying on the bed, and for a while I got stuck with what I am going to do because the exercise was about "doing something." I received a phone call while setting up the tripod, and it just struck me to use the phone as my prop. However, my cell phone is quite small, so I unplugged the land phone and used it as my prop.

I used the closet's mirror in taking this; and it just dawned to me now that there were a few clutters in the image - like the closet keys and the top on the headboard, but I guess I could explain that sometimes, when you're "love struck," you tend to lose focus (like cleaning the room) and just concentrate on talking on the phone. Hahahaha.

Hope everyone is having a great Friday!

*** Jenn ***

Letters

I am a very sentimental person. I keep as much memories as I can, and these 5 boxes were just a few of the proofs that I really am sentimental. These boxes hold notes, letters, and some small gifts given to me. The boxes were just ordinary boxes (the two ones at the top were shoe boxes), which I revamped by doing some decoupage. The one with the numbers hold letters from elementary and high school friends, the one with business reply cards hold letters and cassette tapes from Doc, the black and white one holds letters and memorabilia from Hanson (the musical band) friends, the one with comics hold letters from my pen friends ...


... and the big box with designer labels hold letters and small tokens from my college friends. I tried to keep each and every one of them - even the little notes written just to say "hello."




There were so many good, funny, and inspirational letters in these boxes, and this card was one of my favorites. Given to me by my friend Ronald, who enrolled in our class last semester of second year. We instantly became friends, and one time he gave this to me.

Surrender? No Way! Friends? OK!

February 16, 1998

Dear Jayne,

"I know how the world works... If you jump, I jump..."
(Guess from what movie, I am not even sure if it's the correct and lines though.)

Jennifer, I have always admired your truthfulness and uniqueness. Please stay the way you are. That's the best reason why a lot of people adores you.

Many words have remained unsaid. I may have not be a good friend to you, but rest assured you have touched my heart and you'll remain and always be in my heart and thoughts FOREVER!

Please be my friend.

As this semester ends, it doesn't mean however that it will end from there. But instead, you will begin to spread your wings as you will soon your 18th year of existence on earth.

Enjoy your life. Don't procrastinate. Be optimistic. Be simple. Live a virtuous life. Love life. Love yourself. Love those who love you. Love God. LOVE. Always smile.

I'll be with you.

Your Friend,
Ronald

P.S. I painted this exclusively for you.

It's really great to know that I have kept this (and the other letters). Re-reading them gave me renewed strength, and the lessons the letters impart still apply even if this one was sent 12 years ago.

I don't receive letters anymore as most messages were sent either through e-mail or through Facebook. While I appreciate the quick messages, I still wish we could go back to the pen and paper thing, so that even if times have passed, we still can re-read the sweet messages given to us.

*** Jenn ***

ps - In case you don't know, the opening quote on Ronald's letter is from the movie, "Titanic."