Hanok Village

If there is one place in Jeonju that I will never get tired of going, it has to be  Hanok Maeul (한옥마을). This place is Jeonju’s historic center and a major attraction for tourists. It is known for its elegant, sloping slate roofs. Hanok are the traditional houses of the Korean upper class while maeul means village. There are over 800 traditional Korean hanok houses maintaining Jeonju’s historical charms and traditions.

Last Saturday, I went there for the fourth time to take photos of this amazing village. I’ve taken so many shots of this place in so many angles, but this is my favorite…a shot from the terrace of Jeonmang Cafe (전망). One is able to enjoy this splendid view while sipping a piping hot mug of Cafe Americano.

A place called Jeonju

I am on my third week in Jeonju and the place is slowly becoming more familiar, the coffeeshops in every corner,  the almost empty streets even though it’s rush hour, the e-mart that closes every second Sunday, the acquiescent look of people.

If you don’t speak the language (like me), Jeonju can be a resolute place for you. It’s hard to start a conversation and even harder to sustain one. It’s like singing a very familiar song and finding out later that you’re the only one who knows the lyrics. I live my days practically trying hard to mime everything when I am conversing with a local.Eating in a restaurant is even harder. My knowledge in Hangul is as basic as knowing what common books have to offer to foreigners who are desperate in getting both the accent and the pronunciation right.

Jeonju, which is four hours away from the capital city of Korea, is like a mix of both the fast-paced life of the metropolis and the placidness feel of living in the countryside. There’s more streets than there’s more people. Walking around the area becomes a pleasure especially at night when the wind is cold.

“I miss you”

some rains
will never fall
some summers
that will just fade,

some longing
we’ll never have
some dreams
that will just drop,

…and some words
that I’ll never say.

-rayts

The Girl Who Chased the Moon

“Tell me the story about how the sun loved the moon so much he died every night to let her breathe.”

I chased the moon for three nights in Iloilo City. Every night, I made a snap to record what it looked like, its color, its brightness, its mood. Most of these were taken from the hotel where we stayed during the APEC Meeting. Some where taken during a short stroll at the Iloilo River Esplanade.

During the last three days that I was documenting the moon, I realized one funny thing. People would find it strange seeing a girl with a long lens in the middle of a street staring at the moon with so much focus. Literally, my surrounding shuts down when I am staring at the moon. At that moment, it’s just me and the moon.  I don’t see anyone. I don’t hear anyone. I didn’t even notice how beautiful the river at the esplanade was. Or I think I did, I just did not bother.

By the way, on the fourth day, just as we were about to leave the city, it rained.

embrace

because some feelings
sometimes,

are just there
to teach us.

or not.

in most cases,
it’s there

to simply embrace
us.

A Brief Encounter with Sammy Hart

When I am in a foreign country, I would see to it that I do either one of these three things: 1) watch a movie, 2) attend a photo exhibit, or 3) visit a museum. Of course, this is ideal if you are a tourist and you have all the time in the world. I went to Katowice mainly to attend a conference and there is a slight chance of sightseeing during the duration of the conference unless of course if I chose to “cut class” which I couldn’t do because I was with my boss.

Luckily though, the organizer of the conference had arranged several cultural visits on the side. One was a visit to the National Radio Symphony Orchestra, the ambassador of Polish culture on the international artistic scene. Anwyay, originally, we were there to hear a woodwind quintet performance or something which would start later of the day. As we were walking inside the orchestra, I saw a Sammy Hart exhibit at the lobby and instantly I went there to see it.

Sammy Hart is a German-based photographer. He’s into portraitures in many genres. I am not well-versed with all his works but the thought of seeing a photo exhibit was exhilarating.  His exhibit was a product of his visit to Katowice while he was taking photos of Isabelle Faust and some musicians inside the orchestra house. Faust is a famous German violinist. All exhibited photos were taken between March 12-14, 2015.

Going back to my “not-so-familiar” view

This was taken in 2012, during an extended trip to Rome. I stood by the top of the Piazzale Giuseppe Garibaldi, enjoying an awesome view of the city. On my left was a couple kissing, unmindful of an Asian girl who was gawking at them; and on my right was my friend enjoying the same view while smoking. I returned my focus on the cityscape and inhaled the cold air brushing my face. It was during this time that I whispered to myself, “I shall return. If not here, somewhere in Europe!”

Three years forward…I will be returning to Europe.

I got the approval from our big boss to attend a conference in Katowice, Poland. We’ll probably catch a short trip to Prague before heading to the University of Hohenheim in Germany. I just got my visa a few minutes ago. Today is such an awesome day! 🙂

Autumn in the Tropics

If I was born in a temperate country and if I were to choose my favorite season, it would definitely be autumn. For the simple reason that watching leaves fall from a balding tree looks so poetic to me. Set it in slow motion, let a leaf fall on my head and we’re in the movies. As a child, the scene was so realistic to me. In fact, I have always imagined myself to be walking on a street that is covered with autumn-colored leaves. It gets no better as I would wake up and realized that I am in a tropical country and that experiencing autumn is next to impossible.

This is the reason why, I look forward to the fire tree season. Fire trees (Delonix regia) are deciduous trees, meaning they shed leaves once a year. They come in full bloom from May to July with leaving the tree with just the red-orange flowers making it look like a burning tree from afar, hence the name “fire tree”.

I was in the campus the other day and I had to walk on that particular path where there are a line of growing fire trees and the road leading to the library was full of those red orange flowers. Poetic! 😀

Riding with the Waves

“The waves broke and spread their waters swiftly over the shore. One after another they massed themselves and fell; the spray tossed itself back with the energy of their fall. The waves were steeped deep-blue save for a pattern of diamond-pointed light on their backs which rippled as the backs of great horses ripple with muscles as they move. The waves fell; withdrew and fell again, like the thud of a great beast stamping.” ― Virginia Woolf (The Waves)

I love watching the waves from a distance. Taking a photo of it. But that’s about it.

I am not a beach person. I don’t like too much sun.

But last week, I tamed the waves and surfed.

It’s easy as it looks. I’ve been watching people surf and repeatedly told myself, “If they can do it, then I could too!” I can dive; I can swim so maybe…just maybe I can tame the waves and surf.

But surfing is not about taming the waves; it’s actually catching it and riding along with it. The instructor told two important things about surfing: balance and relax.  “Don’t be afraid with the waves, just relax get your balance going and enjoy the ride!” He said that so many times that it still rings in my head until now. The lesson ran for 5-10 minutes, introducing the parts of the surf board, the stance, balancing, paddling and standing, positioning the feet and the hand, bending the knee, etc.. I had everything in mind, like a good students. Theoretically, I could pass the exam. But then came the actual surfing.

My first attempt to stand on the board, I immediately fell. My second attempt, I fell flat on the water. My third attempt, I slipped. My fourth was drastic, I couldn’t even stand. My balancing skill was pathetic. I got tired. I lied down on the board and asked myself, why am I doing this?

As I waited for the next wave to come, the instructor gave me the cue to stand and balance. Eventually, I was able to do it. Men, it felt good! It’s a high that was difficult to describe. No wonder people are addicted to surfing!

That “Perfect” Shot!

The reach for the sky when we’ve got no means to touch it, still we reach.”

-Tyler Knott Gregson

I did a prenup photo shoot for a friend yesterday. I rarely do prenups and weddings. Honestly, this has been my Achilles’ heel in the area of photography. I don’t like posed shots and I hate directing people how to act when I shoot. I like capturing raw emotions and candid shots. But sometimes, you get into a little compromise just because one has already made a promise. I have declined before but I couldn’t say “No” to this one. The people who are involved are just too precious to say “No” to.

So we went into location in the midst of the scorching heat of the sun and enjoyed the shoot. I did enjoy it. My subjects registered well on the camera, we laughed at lot, we joked around, and surprisingly, I was able to get good frames with minimal adjustments on exposure.

In the midst of a shoot, I started directing the couple for this particular concept in my head. There was this specific shot that I wanted to perfectly capture and for them to perfectly act out. In my mind, everything was set. In my mind it was perfect. But I couldn’t get it right. I just couldn’t get the shot that I wanted. Then I realized why. The idea actually came from a concept which I personally wanted for my own wedding. And the reason why I couldn’t get it right was because I have imagined myself on the receiving end. I did not push through with the shot and promise myself that I will reserve it for my own prenup. LOL.