I want to see the world through the eye of my lens.

The Wildlife in Our Yard

Just sharing this set. I just went trigger happy with my camera and shot away with the simple splendors that our yard could offer. My fingers were just itching to shoot something and I just went out and captured anything I saw outside.

After that reckless shoot... It made me miss my Adobe Photoshop more after losing my very Jurassic version due to reformatting. I gotta install one very soon else I will feel doomed.

Click on the images to see the rest of the photos.

It Doesn't hurt to be a Bit Dapper Sometimes

I want a suit that looks like this.

I never ever had success in looking good with suits. I have yet to find the perfect set that fits well like this suit on the guy here...

Perhaps it's an acquired skill? I refuse to raise my flag. I will surely find the perfect tailored suit for me. I'm tired of looking like a high school kid who has to wear his dad's tie for prom. I want to look smart sometimes, even though it takes a lot to convince people.

The other problem though will be finding the occasion where I could wear it...

I Just Want to Make Sure

After so many wrong choices. After so many dissapointments and defeats. I just want to really be sure that I will be alright. That someday I will make the right decision. I just don't want to be left high and dry. Is it wrong to be impulsive and passionate with what you want? Is it wrong to pursue something that will make you happy without the crystal clear assurance of it being yours? Who will be the loser then?

Kaibigan - Up Dharma Down

The band's second spin on the Apo Hiking Society's song, Kaibigan. The video is an excerpt from the band's documentary "On Either Side".

For more information about the band and their documentary, check out: www.updharmadown.com.

Executive Producer: Toti Dalmacion & Up Dharma Down
Producer: Up Dharma Down / Keith Tan
Direction: Keith Tan
Assistant Direction: Jamie Jumaquio
Direction of Photography & Lights: Mackie Galvez
Production Assistant / Production Stills: Martin Verano
Sound Supervision / Engineering: Noel Db
Sound Tech / Assistant: Mark VIllena
Editing: Keith Tan / Ean Mayor

Presenting the Beckies... by Alma Abenir

A repost from Alma Abenir's Blog about our circle of friends

Di ko maimagine na lalaki pa pala ang populasyon ng circle of friends ko,, steady na ko dati sa pantay na bilang ng mga kaibigan ko na 80% babae at 100% na lalake(echos!)..ngayon nahati ito sa iba`t ibang division.. straight na babae, straight na lalake, babaeng bakla, lalakeng pamin (mga nagpapanggap na straight kahit mahahatsing ka na sa sobrang paminta),tivoli(tomboy) at mga ganap na bakla(becky).sa lahat ng klase ng nilalang na binanggit ko .. mas lalo ko naiintindihan ang totoong definition ng buhay noong nakilala ko at nakasama ang mga becky..

Sa lahat ng mga nakikilala at nakasalamuha ko na kabilang sa pangatlong mundo(hehehe parang mga aliens lang dba?),nakapili lang ako ng anim na masasabi kong naging importante sa akin at nakaimpluwensya ng todo..

STEVE

oo parang artista lang kung titignan mo.. pero isa din cxang ordinaryong tao na katulad ng iba na marunong magmahal at nag iintay na mahalin( hayuf!)

kahit ilang beses pa cxang magpahula kay pareng ivan at kahit ilang beses pang ipaduldulan na dadating at dadating ang tamang tao sa tamong panahon..maghahanap at maghahanap yan. `try and try until u succeed ang drama nya`. pero di mo makikita sa kaniya ang pagod at lungkot kahit alam mo minsan may ala-pitogong-depressing moment din cxa sa buhay nya.

JUNO

Masasabi mong pangit ka kapag si Juno na ang lumait sayo,...(hehehe kontrabida pa din kahit sa ibang kwento.).sabi nga nya hindi cxa LAITERA..`keen observer` lang daw cxa (maniwala na kayo mga friends!..)sa angking powers nyang taglay daig nya pa si darna na lumaban sa mga Giants..marami kang matututunan kay Juno, techical side..astig to! sa pagkuha ng mga classy pictures, mga kalandian at fashion.. `u know who to call...

Chill to sa pag-ibig.. di cxa nakikipag unahan...`u cant hurry love ooohh u just have to wait` ang pinanghahawakan yan lyrics sa buhay nya( kantahin nyo para malaman nyo...).dadating kung dadating..kung hindi cxa..di niya kinaganda yun.. hahaha..dito sila nagkaiba ng pananaw ni STEVE..very iba..=)

CHRIS

Ewan ko nalang kung sinong di makakakilala dito sa taong to...di naman dahil sa malakas ang tawa at boses nya.. pero ganun na nga.hehehe

NO DULL moments with chris..kung tatahimik ka man.. ibig sabihin nyon eh kumukuha ka lang ulit ng lakas para hihanda ang sarili mo sa sang damukal na pagpapatawa nya pa..di cxa napapagod..batang evervon-tiki-tiki-sustagen-centrum-atbp to!

sa kanya ulit kumita si SPANDEU BALLET dahil sa pag papauso nya ulit ng GOLD, na naging dance craze din tuwing may mga parties, gatherings,reunions, fiestas, weddings.. hahaha joke natatawa na naman ako..!!! panalo!.(ngayon nalaman nyo na kung bakit nag concert si spandeu dito..kung magrereact kayo ng..`TALAGA?`.. bahala kayo sa buhay nyo)

Pero makakausap mo din naman cxa ng seryoso. mga 1 min..joke.,masarap kausap si chris lalo na sa mga kwentong nangyayari sa totoong buhay..maraming cxang ideas at experiences na hindi mo aakalain na nanggagaling sa kanya..lalo na sa lovelife..di din cxa nagmamadali,,maganda cxa..yun ang paniniwala nya..love u becs! `don`t worry be happy` ` ang motto naman nya sa buhay..literal na be happy..

NINOY

SI Ninoy ang pinagmulan ng lahat ng bagay na nakikita nyo na masaya.. pinakilala nya kay ano, tapos na meet ni ano na kasama ni ano, na ano ni ano.. lahat yan konekonek kay ninoy, kaya talagang well-loved cxa kahit san man cxa pumunta.

Hyper din to c ninoy alaga sa vetracin este vitamins to kaya round a clock ang energy nya.. ikaw pagod na cxa hindi pa... kung gusto mo ng kakwentuhan tungkol sa lahat ng bagay na walang pretensions at walang halong edit, maaasahan mo cxa. never mong mafi feel na jinujudge ka nya, he is a good listener and he will always be.. Alam nya kung kelan magiging priority ang love over career.. he can be accomodating but he knows when to start a relationship and when he should not.SAve the Best for last ang motto nya sa buhay...

MARK

ha?ha? ha? ha? yan lang lagi mong maririnig sa kanya after mong gumamit ng 10000 letters per minute.. bakit? alamin nyo na lang..c mark typical na na 20` something guy..pahinog pa lang..( xrated?!?) he always see his self w/ a partner pero di na naman nya slight ikakamatay kung wala..lagi lang talaga cxang may options..ganda nya sa kwento dba?

Masikreto tong c mark lalo na kapag alam nya na hindi sang ayon ang mga kaibigan nya sa gagawin nya..pero pinapakita naman nya na worth it yung pag tatago nya minsan

matalino cxa UP ba naman.. he knows what hes saying.. laging may sense.. kaya lang minsan hinahaluan nya ng mga galing sa himpapawid na jokes pero tatak nya na talaga minsan ang a corny ang mga corny na jokes.. hehehe

BOM

`NG TEN TIMEs, IN A SIMPLE WAY, SWEET`, BONGGANG BONGGA!.. etc tatak bom..u`ll

Masarap kausap c bom, he`s super frank sasabihin nya sayo kung ano ang pangit at maganda in a good way. he`s always there if u need help kahit sa pag-asemble ng cabinet, ready to rescue.

Minahal at nagmahal na din cxa.. pinagtibay na cxa ng panahon..(yeah! BOYSEN).PERO cxempre andun pa din yung every woman`s dream na.. someday my prince will come(eewww..) pero hindi din cxa nagmamadali,,`KUNG MERON, MERON KUNG WALA....TARA BED!!!` hehehe

slight matampuhin c bom (may slight pa dba ?) as in matagal mawala yung tampo nya.. pero sabi nga nya ube cake lang from red ribbon ok na cxa...may pagka artista kc tong batang to eh...but he`s really a good friend..that wont let u down(yeah!)

Lahat sila may ibat ibang personality na nagustuhan ko na nagtugma sa panlasa ko..never a dull moment with them most of the time happy thoughts lang.,..kung may problema,isang upuan lang yan at maaayos din.. kaya pag nawala ang isa sa kanila mafifil mo talaga na may kulang, pero di ka nila iiwan..sabi nga ng mga nakausap ko.`may sarili din silang buhay, di sila aalis...hahanapin lang nila kung anu talaga ang para sa kanila...`

Goodbye potential eco tourism site, hello gambling vice city!

The Last Days of the Tambo Mudflats
By Tina Alejandro, WBCP founding member

I still remember creeping up to a Black Crowned Night Heron chick as it was sitting as still as a telephone pole hoping I won't notice it. It was alone and defenseless and reachable. It had nothing to fear from Robert and I and we were just euphoric at seeing a chick up close. In a comic sort of way, we humans and the chick were all motionless.

We were amidst an unimaginable number of nests in the center of the city and the birds were relatively undisturbed. Sticks of dry grass towered over us making it impossible to see just how many of them there were. The noises too were not familiar and at one point, I had visions of each one of us being snatched one by one and vanishing into the vast grass maze.

Untouched, unnoticed except by the wildlife, this was just a few meters across from a condo constructed across Manila bay. Such wonders we discovered amidst mundane looking roads and buildings.

These days you can see any one of these species in the area: Purple Heron, Little Egret,
Little Heron, Rufous Night-Heron, Black-crowned Night-Heron, Yellow Bittern, Philippine Duck, Barred Rail, Common Sandpiper, Tringa, Spotted Dove, Zebra Dove, Lesser Coucal, Collared Kingfisher, Common Kingfisher, Barn Swallow, Pacific Swallow, Yellow-vented Bulbul, Clamorous Reed-Warbler, Bright-capped Cisticola, Zitting Cisticola, Pied fantail, Long-tailed Shrike, Asian Glossy Starling, Chestnut Munia, Scaly-breasted Munia,and Terns.

We hear it is the last days of the mudflats. The government is turning the whole area into a casino complex... Pagcor city. My being sad is an understatement. Not just as an environmentalist or as a relatively decent person am I sad but also as a Filipino. These birds are what make us different from other nations. Casinos? Is this what we want to make our mark in the world as? We cannot compete with Las Vegas or Carlo but we can certainly compete in the area of biodiversity.

When I was in England for a month, I was hosted by a simple (yet well-heeled) retired couple. Knowing I was a naturalist, they hied me off a few streets away to a village lookout. It was a little wooden hut facing a pond but the one side was a one way mirror. You could see the ducks, geese, sparrows and such enjoying the tucked away corner of the bush garden. It was such a refreshing sight and unspeakably soul-enriching.

The insides of the hut contained illustrations coupled with information on the kinds of animals you could unobstrusively observe from its confines. The place was unattended, no guards to collect maintenance fees or locked gates to keep out unwanteds. It was a free for all sanctuary built by a private citizen to be shared to the community.

How glorious would it be if we had places like this in the city? It would do wonders for our world weary urban dwellers and it would teach so much more than mesmerizing pull of a roulette. If I were an influential person in government, I would ask what kind of a people do we ultimately want to be? The kind who places money above everything else? This is a self-destructive logic.

Though it may be a lost cause, I still hope for Filipinos to see the abundance that surrounds them, the riches they have which they do not value, one of the most (if not the most) diverse places per square inch in the world. I'm convinced we have the cure to the incurable right in our own backyard.

The last days of the mudflats are only a microcosm of the what's happening all over the country, unless more of us open our eyes to protect what the good Lord has freely given us. Fingers crossed, earnest prayers said, may this not be paradise lost.

MIGRAINE

Oo nga pala, hindi nga pala tayo
Hanggang dito lang ako, nangangarap na mapa-sayo
Hindi sinasadya
Na hanapin pa ang lugar ko
Asan nga ba ako? Andiyan pa ba sa iyo?

Nahihilo, nalilito
Asan ba ko sayo? Aasa ba ko sayo?

Nasusuka ako, kinakain na ang loob
Masakit na mga tuhod, kailangan bang lumuhod?
Gusto ko lang naman, yung totoo
Hindi po ang sagot, hindi rin isang tanong

Nahihilo, nalilito
Asan ba ko sayo? Asan ba ko sayo?
Nahihilo, nalilito
Asan ba ko sayo? Aasa ba ko sayo?

Dahil, di na makatulog (makatulog)
Dahil di na makakain (makakain)
Dahil di na makatawa (makatawa)
Dahil, di na

Oo nga pala, hindi nga pala tayo
Hanggang dito na lang ako

Nahihilo, nalilito
Asan ba ko sayo? Asan ba ko sayo?
Nahihilo, nalilito
Asan ba ko sayo? Aasa ba ko sayo?
Nahihilo... Nahihilo...
Nalilito...

Up Dharma Down: On Either Side

The Band's Take on their music, the industry they revolve in and roles they play in a traditional medium, projected in an oblique perspective.

Shot in the process of completing their second album, Bipolar, the documentary speaks without the excesses and the expectations of most viewers, armed with only music and words -- just like the four intended to -- only this time, in moving pictures.

--as taken from www.updharmadown.net--