Eyes on the Road

"Driving on the Freeway"


There's no denying. This song makes me want to go on a long drive. The problem is I don't have a car to drive and I don't even know how to. I might as well enjoy the song. In the near future, I'd have my own car too.

OVERDRIVE
Eraserheads

alam mo mayron akong pangarap sa buhay
sana matupad na

magda-drive ako hanggang Baguio
magda-drive ako hanggang Bicol
magda-drive ako hanggang Batangas
tapos magswi-swimming d'on sa beach

isasama ko ang girlfriend ko
isasama ko kahit sinong may gusto
kahit may kasama siyang aso
basta't meron siyang dalang sariling buto

magdadala ako ng pagkain
burger fries tapsilog at siopao

magda-drive ako hanggang Visayas
magda-drive ako hanggang sa Mindanao

magda-drive ako buong taon
magda-drive ako habang buhay
magda-drive ako hanggang buwan
please please lang turuan nyo
akong magdrive

gusto kong matutong magdrive
(kahit na wala akong kotse)

gusto kong matutong magdrive
(kahit na walang lisensya)

magdrive....drive
drive
magdrive...magdrive
drive...drive...drive...drive

Printed and Framed

I definitely consider photography as a metamorphic experience.



"The Tree of Life and Death"



"Half-life"



"The Blossoming"

I've been gathering photos I want to be printed out. Now that I'm getting more confident about my work, I guess it's just appropriate to frame them and hang 'em all on my wall. Furthermore, I will start giving photos as presents. I believe it's one of the best ways to share my passion for photography and it's more personalized since every photograph would be an expression of who I think the person truly is.

Life behind the Lens

This is probably one of the photos I took that never fails to make me proud and happy about what I do. This picture can tell you how I feel towards photography and how it has changed my life since I started doing it. It changed how I view life in general. I can now see and not just look. I can now live and not just survive. I'm living the life I should have had long ago.

Good Friday: Reenacting Christ's Passion

The Lenten Season, an annual event where most Catholics commemorate Christ's sacrifice to redeem people from sin. Today is Good Friday, the day when Christ was nailed on the cross. Here are some photos I took earlier today. This is how Filipinos reenact Christ's passion on Good Friday.

I'm on a Back-to-the-Future Mode

The fact that I still can't get over what I did last weekend is a proof that it was such a refreshing weekend I just had with a good friend. I just finished sorting out photos I have to upload and so I found time to blog about this recent trip I just had now.

Vigan is a province located in the northern part of the Philippines. It's ten hours away from Manila by bus so we departed Friday night and got there the next day. It was such a long trip that made my butt numb. I've been there once but that was years ago and I was too young to appreciate the beauty the province has to offer. Another good thing I was looking forward to was the interaction I'd built between myself and the people of Ilocos Sur. Traveling without my relatives was a first and I can't help but to embrace that freedom.

The morning we got to Vigan, we immediately walked around the plaza then to the famous Cultural Village. It was early in the morning and Calle Crisologo was totally free from shopping travelers. We took the chance to take pictures of the antique masterpieces that are fully exposed to the public to look at and be amazed about.

After an hour and so, we finally heard voices coming from our stomach begging us to feed them. All food chains were still closed then and so we waited. After the hearty breakfast we decided to drop by the church right across Plaza Salcedo. St. Peter's Cathedral is one of the oldest churches in the Philippines and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Inside were huge relics of Christ, Mary and other saints.

Next stop was Baluarte, a mini zoo created by the provincial governor, Chavit Singson. Admission is free. Even the horse and camel rides are free. The zoo is also famous for Chavit's Bengal tigers. Luckily, my friend and I got the chance to have our photos taken with the tiger. The animal trainer asked us to press on the tiger's nape and body. It was nerve-wracking at first, but after the first shot all I can think of was to have more. It was one of the highlights of the trip. Another thing I won't forget was when one of the caretakers of the zoo gave me a butterfly pupa from their butterfly garden. He assured us that we would have to wait for another two weeks before the butterfly makes it grand exit.

Morning passed and we decided to go back to the plaza and check into the hotel. For lunch, we had the world famous bagnet and sinigang. At 2 o'clock in the afternoon, we finally got into our room, took a bath and took a nap. My friend woke me up at 4 o'clock telling me that she can't walk because of an accident she had that morning. I asked the hotel staff if they have medicines available but they had none so I went to the nearest drug store to buy her pain killers. Good thing the medicine worked out pretty quick. I told her the pain was all in the mind. So we went back to Calle Crisologo to go shopping for pasalubong. We were amazed by how the street transformed from an empty antique stores-filled street to a shopping travelers' haven. It was not too crowded though and we still thought of it as another beautiful sight to behold. We both thought that whenever we drop by that particular street, something new emerges and continue to keep us in awe.

The last thing that made this trip a memorable one was that we were able to join the world in celebrating the Earth Hour. We switched off the lights in our hotel room, opened the window and watch the people pass by the hotel. After a few minutes, we came up with the idea of checking out the 13th anniversary celebration of Cafe Leona, a restaurant located in the Cultural Village as well. A band was invited to serenade the guests and to fill the night with such a romantic mood with their own rendition of some classic love songs.

For dinner we tried the province's specialty, empanada and longganisa. Even before the trip, we would make our mouths water whenever we talk about what we'd be eating during the trip. It was such a heavy and so we ended the night with a cup of hot tea.

It was such a short yet adventure-filled trip. It was definitely one of the best trips of my life. The Ilocano hospitality was just priceless. The smiles that greeted us the moment we got there were like blankets that kept us warm all throughout the trip.

Listen and Empathize

I just had an interesting activity with my student. I asked her to come up with a concept and a title for her own radio show. She had to pretend she was a disc jockey and I, the very weird-sounding caller, will try to talk about my current break-up. She handled the introduction well. Sadly, she forgot the two most important things she should remember in having a good conversation.

First, she kept on talking and never listened. She never asked me questions and continued talking until she ran out of things to say. Second, she failed to empathize with the person she was talking to.

Now, what are the things that we should remember in order to have a smooth-flowing conversation? Here are some tips I got online that I'd love to share with you:


HOW TO HAVE A GREAT CONVERSATION WITH ANYONE
http://public-speaking.in/guide/how-to-have-a-great-conversation-with-anyone/

The art of conversation takes practice, and is not as hard as you might think. It will take some knowledge, practice, and patience, and you can learn to relax and enjoy a great conversation.
With these tips you will be well on your way to having a good, meaningful and entertaining conversation with anyone!

• Make a good first impression. Smile, ask questions that require more than a yes/no answer, and really listen. Maintain eye contact and keep as friendly and polite as possible.
  


• Listen. This is the most important part of any conversation. You might think a conversation is all about talking, but it will not go anywhere if the listener is too busy thinking of something to say next. Pay attention to what is being said. When you talk to the other person, injecting a thought or two, they will often not realize that it was they who did most of the talking, and you get the credit for being a good conversationalist – which of course, you are!
  


• Find out what the other person is interested in. You can even do some research in advance when you know you will have an opportunity to talk with a specific person. Complimenting them is a great place to start. Everyone likes sincere compliments, and that can be a great ice-breaker.
  


• Ask questions. What do they like to do? What sort of things have they done in their life? What is happening to them now? What did they do today or last weekend? Identify things about them that you might be interested in hearing about, and politely ask questions. Remember, there was a reason that you wanted to talk to them, so obviously there was something about them that you found interesting.
  


• Forget yourself. Dale Carnegie once said, “It’s much easier to become interested in others than it is to convince them to be interested in you.” If you are too busy thinking about yourself, what you look like, or what the other person might be thinking, you will never be able to relax. Introduce yourself, shake hands, then forget yourself and focus on them instead.
  


• Practice active listening skills. Part of listening is letting the other person know that you are listening. Make eye contact. Nod. Say “Yes,” “I see,” “That’s interesting,” or something similar to give them clues that you are paying attention and not thinking about something else – such as what you are going to say next.
  


• Ask clarifying questions. If the topic seems to be one they are interested in, ask them to clarify what they think or feel about it. If they are talking about an occupation or activity you do not understand, take the opportunity to learn from them. Everyone loves having a chance to teach another willing and interested person about their hobby or subject of expertise.
  


• Paraphrase back what you have heard, using your own words. This seems like an easy skill to learn, but takes some practice to master. Conversation happens in turns, each person taking a turn to listen and a turn to speak or to respond. It shows respect for the other person when you use your “speaking turn” to show you have been listening and not just to say something new. They then have a chance to correct your understanding, affirm it, or embellish on it.
  


• Consider your response before disagreeing. If the point was not important, ignore it rather than risk appearing argumentative. If you consider it important then politely point out your difference of opinion. Do not disagree merely to set yourself apart, but remember these points:
  


• It is the differences in people–and their conversation–that make them interesting.
  Agreeing with everything can kill a conversation just as easily as disagreeing with everything.
  


• A person is interesting when they are different from you; a person is obnoxious when they can not agree with anything you say, or if they use the point to make themselves appear superior.
  


• Try to omit the word “but” from your conversation when disagreeing as this word often puts people on the defensive. Instead, try substituting the word “and”, it has less of an antagonistic effect.
  


• Consider playing devil’s advocate – which requires care. If your conversation partner makes a point, you can keep the conversation going by bringing up the opposite point of view (introduce it with something like “I agree, and…”). If you overuse this technique, however, you could end up appearing disagreeable or even hostile.
  


• Do not panic over lulls. This is a point where you could easily inject your thoughts into the discussion. If the topic seems to have run out, use the pause to think for a moment and identify another conversation topic or question to ask them. Did something they said remind you of something else you have heard, something that happened to you, or bring up a question or topic in your mind? Mention it and you’ll transition smoothly into further conversation!
  


• Know when the conversation is over. Even the best conversations will eventually run out of steam or be ended by an interruption. Shake hands with the other person and be sure to tell them you enjoyed talking with them. Ending on a positive note will leave a good impression and likely bring them back later for more!

Warnings

• Choose carefully when asking personal questions. You do not want to venture into overly personal issues. Even if the other person might be willing to talk about it, you may end up learning things that you really do not want to know. You certainly do not want the other person to think afterward that you coerced them into revealing personal information.
  


• Be sincere! Compliments are great, but too much flattery is obvious and will reveal you as being insincere.
  


• Beware of topics that can be inflammatory – such as religion and politics – and don’t venture into them unless you know the person has roughly the same convictions as you, or the circumstances otherwise allow for pleasant discussion. Again, it’s fine to disagree and can be nice to talk about differences, but it can also be a quick step toward an argument.
  


• Try not to argue! You do not have to agree with everything someone says, but you do not have to tell them all about how you disagree. If you feel the need to explain an opposing viewpoint, express it simply and without putting the other person on the defensive. It is better to simply change the subject in a casual conversation than to get involved in an argument.
  


• Try not to nod or respond with “Yes” and “I see” so much. It might make the person think you are bored and sometimes it may seem like you are rushing them along. Never say anything hurtful or offensive to the other person, this may project a bad feeling between you.


• If it is a planned conversation, try listening to the news in case you run out of thing to say, it is always a good solution.
  


• Also try not to cut the person off mid-sentence. It seems disrespectful and it makes it seem like what you have to say is more important than what the other person has to say. Let the person finish their thoughts and then continue on with thoughts of your own.

A Piece of Heaven on Earth

Here we go. I've finally managed to satisfy my French macaron craving today. It was my first time to try these cherub-like cookies. Take note, I was not exaggerating when I said that it was like a piece of heaven on earth. The experience was beyond words.

Need I say more?