You're an Orphan Right?

"You're an orphan right? You think I know the first thing about how hard your life has been, how you feel, who you are, because I read Oliver Twist? Does that encapsulate you?" ~Sean to William, excerpt from the movie Good Will Hunting

A child's paradise.

James, his name, poses for the camera.

This line was the first thing that popped into my head as soon as I saw the children at Damas Filipinas. I was invited by Dara, a friend and a former teammate when I was still working at a contact center, to their outreach program. The children looked neat as if they have just finished taking their morning baths. They were seated in front, some were smiling while some were shy just like what a normal group of kids would look like. But no, they weren't a normal group of kids for sure. They didn't have anyone to call Mommy or Daddy. They didn't have the usual weekend eat out or movie with their families. There was no one to read them a bed time story. No one to tuck them in bed warmly and give a good night kiss.

Kids performing a song for the Convergys people.

I never got to read Oliver Twist, but I did watch the movie several times. You may also include Annie and both tell the story of a certain orphan. Is that enough for a background study so that I can relate to these children? I don't think so, I may not have an inkling how their lives are. I don't know what goes through their minds when their resting from an afternoon play. I'll never know what they feel when they're about to sleep.

They prayed before the meal.

Von, a former teammate, playing Funny Bones w/ one of the kids.

What amazes me though is the joy in their eyes while they were singing, dancing, and playing. They say that the eye is a window to the sould and I tell you, their eyes revealed the purest of souls and those eyes fascinated me. We can't change reality. It has come to past. They are already there and I'm sure there are thousands like them or probably even a million but enough with the statistics. What can we do? What can I do?

This is Dara holding a child.

The kids singing a song.

Directly, I don't know if there's much I can do. I'm just a common man living with ample means. But surely there is something I can do. I'd like to think that these children are praying that no more children would go through with what they're going through right now. Like I said, it has come to past. Tomorrow, on the other hand, is a different subject. With the proper knowledge there's always a way. Taking care of your own child is a simple start. Own up to the responsibility. Not just in financial matters but emotionally as well. To be a guide to the child as the north star is to sailors. Some children do have parents yet they are still lost. Children need that constant light that they can follow.

Makis recording the kids perform on her mobile phone.

Chris, a Team Leader, also playing Funny Bones with James.

Thank you Dara for inviting me the outreach program. It was a marvelous experience. Kudos to the Retail accounts of Convergys-Glorietta 5 for giving something back to the community. To the teachers at Damas Filipinas, a million thanks for taking care of these beautiful people. Despite all the corruption and turmoil going around, I know there is still hope as long as there are people like you. To the kids, be strong and may the acceptance that eluded you be yours soon.

Smile with Jolibee!

One last group hug before the program closed.

More Seconds to that Shutter!

Long exposure is my first love in photography. I read somewhere that most of the beautiful photos involve long exposure. That is why after upgrading my lens, the next thing I bought was a tripod. It is a must if you would like to try long exposure so that your camera is stable. According to wiki, long-exposure photography entails using a long-duration shutter speed to sharply capture the stationary elements of images while blurring, smearing, or obscuring its moving elements.

In easier terms, long exposure means that the "eye" of the camera stays open longer than the usual shots. At least that's what I tell my friends. For this reason, the camera is able to capture the movements of the subject in a single photo. The results can sometimes be magical. If you would like to try this out, I would suggest that you go out during the magic hour and stay there until night falls. Find interesting subjects such as moving vehicles w/ lights. Of course, long exposure photography is not limited to night shots only. Some professional photographers use this method (with the help of graduated filters, don't let me explain more on that) in landscapes as well to create surreal and breathtaking photos. Here are samples of my long exposure shots w/ their corresponding EXIF (Exchangeable image file format) data in the following order: ISO, focal length, aperture, and shutter speed.

ISO 100 18mm f/8.0 0.8sec

ISO 100 24mm f/8.0 2.0 sec

ISO 100 22mm f/8.0 10. sec

Not a long exposure? Actually it is. It was very dark and I used the flash light of my phone to paint light on the subject. ISO 100 62mm f/5.3 20.0sec

ISO 400 42mm f/11 25.0 sec

This is a sample of how other photographers use long exposure for landscaping. However, I don't have filters like they do (expensive) so that's why I just decided to make this shot in black and white. ISO 100 18mm f/8.0 10.0sec

Sojourn in Saudi Arabia

My sister and I finally arrived in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia at around 7am local time. Waiting for outside was our parents and brother. I was very much excited for the trip as we would all be together again after more than 2 years. Of course, it would also be another chance to practice travel photography.

Sarawat Mosque, Jeddah

Saudi Arabia is bordered by the Red Sea on its west. Before traveling to the holy places, I was able to visit the beaches it had to offer. Obhur, is the place to be. The area holds a number of beach resorts w/ nice rooms if you would like to stay there over-night. You can rent a boat if you would like to go scuba diving or snorkeling. The following photos are from 2 different resorts: Reem Riviera and Silver Sands.

Enjoying life's simple pleasures at Silver Sands Resort

The Red Sea beckons, Reem Riviera Resort

Pathway to cafe, Reem Riviera Resort

Lifeguard missing? Silver Sands Resort

As a Muslim, I consider my vacation in the kingdom as a blessing. I was fortunate enough to visit the holy places namely Makkah and Madinah. After a few days in Jeddah, we visited Makkah first as it was only a 30-40min drive away. I didn't bring my DSLR to Makkah becuase it wasn't aloud inside the Masjid al-Haram. I got goosebumps when I entered the holy mosque. It was very beautiful inside and too see so many people of different color and race was just overwhelming. For those who are not aware, Makkah is where the prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) was born. The Masjid al-Haram is considered to be the house of Allah (SWT).

Taken along the highway from Jeddah to Madinah

After a week, we visited Madinah which is about 400km away from Jeddah. We left Jeddah late in the afternoon and arrived at Madinah at almost 7pm, just in time for the Maghrib prayer. Madinah is 2nd holiest place for muslims as it where prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) fled when his death was ordered. Madinah is where Islam first flourished, where the first mosque was built.

Masjid Quba, first mosque ever built.

Madinah is also the location of the prophet's mosque or Al-Masjid al-Nabawi. The tomb of prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) is inside this mosque.

Al-Masjid al-Nabawi, Madinah

Following are more photos of Madinah. Enjoy!

Masjid al-Qiblatain

Hey Mr. Arab Man! (an arab vendor taking a break)

Mount Sala Mosque

One of the 7 old mosques in Madinah.

The meeting of new and old.

Vrooom!!!

Compared to other guys, I have lesser knowledge about cars. I hope it doesn't make me a lesser man. To explain, let me just say that I spent my teen-age days away from my father so I didn't get the chance to learn about it much. Oh yes, I don't know how to drive well also. Cut me some slack, there wasn't any car to practice on. Anyway, a car show here in the Philippines is an event where I would say 3 groups of people converge for sure. 1.) the car owners who know every little detail about horsepower and stuff like that, 2.) models, (professionals and aspiring) because cars and women just look so right together. With these 2 on the list, we arrive at 3.) photographers (professionals and hobbyists) who are in a trigger happy mode to shoot. If you're still a baby in photography, (I consider myself a grade school) I'd recommend going to one of these because it's like hitting multiple birds with one stone. That's right, not just 2 birds, multiple. You can practice your macro photography by shooting parts of the engine, wheels, interior etc. You can practice still life by shooting those incredible parked machines. Sometimes if you're lucky and there's a race, you can try action photography. Lastly, a handful of models would help you attune your portraiture. So for the last car show I attended, a P20 entrance is certainly not bad.

The event name is Hot Summer Nights 4 and it started with a lateral drifting competition. A big thanks to Wiki for the following definition: Drifting refers to a driving technique and to a motorsport where the driver intentionally over steers, causing loss of traction in the rear wheels through turns, while maintaining vehicle control and a high exit speed. A car is drifting when the rear slip angle is greater than the front slip angle prior to the corner apex, and the front wheels are pointing in the opposite direction to the turn (e.g. car is turning left, wheels are pointed right or vice versa), and the driver is controlling these factors. So what's lateral drifting? Beats me, it may simple mean race.

The interior of the Nissan 350z

A Ferrari. Who needs to know the model anyway?

The event showcased a variety of top vehicles. There was a Nissan 350z which could be seen in the Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift movie. There was a Ferrari which doesn't need any description, the name itself is already a legend. Undying classics were also there like the '77 Toyota Celica. 4x4 vehicles w/ mad car paints also caught my eyes and a whole lot more. At the end of the day, I just wondered - will I ever hit the jackpot in the lottery?

1977 Toyota Celica's engine

Lancer Evolution 10

Local celebrity Ryan Agoncillo is known to be an avid fan and supporter of motorsports

Oh yes, I didn't forget to take photos of the models. Here are some of them:

Graduation

On a sunny Monday noon, the plane touched down in Lumbia Airport, Cagayan de Oro City. As I stepped out of the plane, I said to myself finally, I'm back to celebrate something: my sister's graduation from college. My last 2 trips home were because of the deaths of my grandfathers from both sides. May Allah (s.w.t.) bless their souls. I took the regular 2 hour drive from Cagayan de Oro to Marawi and when I arrived, I was warmly greeted by my relatives. I don't know if my relatives know this but all of them have these certain smiles which make sorrow and agony untraceable on their faces. It seems like they are always happy and that is why whenever I'm there, I can feel the welcome and comfort even though most of my years were not spent there.

The days that followed were all about the graduation. My father unfortunately couldn't attend due to work matters and of course, international tickets are not a joke. I attended the ceremonies with my mom where I had the opportunity to observe how MSU is doing in today's time. It was pleasant to know that this year had the most number of graduates as I believe that one of the primary reasons why Mindanao is being left out is due to lack of education, especially in the college level. May these graduates find their places in this world and help rebuild the once glorious Mindanao.

With the busy days I had there I didn't get the chance to properly congratulate my sister so I hope this would suffice - Minnie, everyone knows that I'm not much on words and I don't talk much so first of all, please forgive me for my short-comings because I know there's a lot. Please know that as an older brother, I am very proud at what you've accomplished already at such a young age. I'm sure Dad and Mom would have loved to witness how you have developed into what you are now. Countless are the times I have wished that we were all having dinner at the same table, discussing how things went during the day. Life has its reasons. Lastly, chase your dreams but always be grounded in your faith which is Islam. Alhamdulillah and congratulations!

Sharing some shots from the 3 week vacation:

My mom and a cousin who also graduated.

Dimaporo Gymnasium where the graduation was held.

Oval ground of Mindanao State University

I just had to take another shot of Lake Lanao.