Ephemeral

“even
in the loneliest moments

i have been there
for myself.”

― Sanober Khan

A few hours before we headed back to the city, I found myself standing in front of an empty paddy field looking at the horizon. I was blinded by the striking image.

Our crew was wrapping up and we were instructed to go back to the vehicle so as not to get caught in the traffic. The sun has just set, and the sky was bursting with an assortment of striking colors. There were blue and red, a tinge of magenta, yellow, orange but mostly a splash of fiery colors. For some seconds, everything looked like the surrounding was buttered in golden yellow. I did not budge from where I stood. I took my camera and did a time lapse.

One of the crew members was shouting my name asking me to hurry up! But I stood on my ground. I couldn’t let go.

I stayed until the colors were gone. It was a few minutes, and they were gone. The horizon darkened without a trace of what were there a few minutes ago.

One of the crew was in a bad mood. But I was smiling the whole time we were traveling. It was too beautiful to let it pass. Life is too beautiful to just let it pass.

My Atomic (Bomb) Habit

In James Clear’s Atomic Habits, he mentioned how “habits are like the atoms of our lives. Each one is a fundamental unit that contributes to your overall improvement. At first, these tiny routines seem insignificant, but soon they build on each other and fuel bigger wins that multiply to a degree that far outweighs the cost of their initial investment. They are both small and mighty.”

Last year, during the height of the pandemic, when everyone was encouraged to stay inside their houses due to the coronavirus scare, I have developed two habits: plants and books. But of out of these two, buying and hoarding books has become the most addictive for me.

One of the industries that really flourished during the pandemic was the online selling. Everything, from food, house supplies, clothes to just about anything you could think of…can be ordered and delivered at your doorstep.

When it comes to online books, whether it’s new or secondhand, I made sure I am part of it. I discovered that I can get really good titles for half or even a fourth of the original price. And usually, because books are sold cheap, there were many buyers. The technique is to buy it ahead of the other customers and be there ahead of the uploading time. Also, you need to have a fast Internet connection to beat the other buyers. First to comment “mine” usually gets the book. It was fun and fulfilling especially if you get the title that you really want.

I have acquired quite a few titles because of this habit. Nah, not a few…a lot! My TBR has tripled its usual size. My room is a scattered version of brain. There are books everywhere. But I am happy, so who cares. ^_^

“Foodemic” (Street food in the time of pandemic)

Street food is a thriving culture in the Philippines, and across other Southeast Asian (SE) countries. What makes each unique is reflected on the traditional local cultures and the diversity of raw materials that can be turned in an endless variety of delight.

Before, when I travel to SE countries, one of the first things I make sure to try, are the street foods. It’s cheap, convenient, and it’s a great way to get to know a country’s culture. In the Philippines, the choices are endless.

The big caveat, though is that, I am not as “adventurous” when it comes to street food. I can only try those that I think are “okay” for me to eat. I can’t eat insects, sorry. I also have very limited cravings when it comes to meat (protein). I am not a fan of beef or any food with beef in it. I am such a spoilsport.

One of the things I noticed is that, the street food industry continues to thrive even amid the pandemic. For one, they don’t need to rent a space and would just usually pop in areas where there are “regulars” like nearby offices and establishments. And because it’s done in an open space, vendors can cook and take orders within a socially distanced space.

I walk from work to my apartment and would come across this little stall that sell my favorite street foods. And I can smell them from a mile away. It sells my favorite street food: bbq (pork barbecue), isaw (chicken intestine), and tenga (pig’s ear). I like ‘em really toasted on grill. My day ends with these treats.

Waffling

During the height of the pandemic many restaurants here have closed down. I work in a city that is surrounded by this kind of business, so I was overwhelmed when one by one, they started disappearing. Most of them have been part of my daily routine.

I don’t usually cook when I am crammed with work so, coffeeshops and cafes have been my-go-to places if I wanted to extend my working hours.

We still live in the pandemic, but unlike last year, many of these restaurants are slowly opening to public, provided that they follow certain government protocols.

One of my go-to places is this artisanal café that serves (deconstructed) waffle. The café serves waffle not as a dessert but as a savory dish.

The other day, I was really craving for waffle and was served with this — a huge plate of waffle bedded with slices of mangoes, tomatoes, green leaf with a slab of crispy pork belly on top.

I was staring at the dish and never wanting to eat it.

Rain City

I live in a city of extreme. It’s either too sunny or rainy. But between the two, I feel most excited when it rains. Not the stormy type but just the normal rain.

So, while everyone loves to curl up in their beds and sleep or sip a hot choco while it’s raining, I am on the street taking photos.

Shooting street scenes during a pouring rain has become an indulging activity. It’s weird I know but there’s certain fulfilment that can be achieved once you’ve come up with an image that you’ve only conjured in your head.

During the last quarter of 2020, I’ve become a flâ·neur. Literally sauntering in the street searching for unmediated chance of encounters and random incidents.

Rainy night is the most magical time to do street photography, but it’s also the most challenging. The interplay of shadow, motion and light coming from the moving vehicles is as cinematic as when you captured a magical moment to perpetuate.

I live in a city of extreme. It’s either rainy or sunny. I am most happy when it rains.

Cosmos are cosmic!

Once, when I was in Korea, a friend brought us to a flower festival in Jeongeup City, a two-hour drive from Jeonju. To be honest, I was not expecting much. I am not a fan of flowers. I like to photograph them but that’s about it.

But when we arrive in Jeongeup and saw the field of cosmos, I felt like a kid who was offered a big, sweet, yummy lollipop! My friend’s initial instinct was to approach, smell and admire each one of them. I, on one hand, took a camera and thought of every frame I could exhaust to capture the moment. I did try smelling the cosmos afterward. It smells “peace” – I could be wrong but I have associated its smell with the lavender, which I doubt if anyone would agree. I love the smell of lavender. It gives me this unexplainable peace. I just love them.

 

Cosmos can be a little floppy and unruly. A girl would love a rose or a tulip but I would appreciate cosmos, a field of them. Their stalks are stubborn, they are not easy to pick. They are not much fun to be around in single but when you have them in bundles or in groups, they explode in goodness. I feel their essence. They are stellar!

Literally, when I saw a bed of cosmos, my heart explodes so much so that I didn’t want to leave the place.

A Book Street in Busan

This is like “heaven on earth”, an alley lined with crammed bookshops of all kinds.

During the Korean War, when Busan became the provisional capital, refugees sold and bought books to make a living. This place became a go-to place to buy and sell used books before the publishing industry was fully established and people had higher standards of living.

Now, Bosu-dong Book Street is a famous book street wherein you can buy used and rare books. Prices of books are scaled according to the conditions of the book or bargaining. There are English titles but you need to be a little patient scavenging them from these heaps. I was happy to get two books before I headed back to Jeonju, Gabriel García Márquez ’s Love in the Time of Cholera and Shin Kyung-sook’s Please Look After Mom (in Hangul).

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.