...a <em>Digital Rebel</em> and a travelogue...

The Photoshoot Blues

Doc Gerry called me up to offer me a ride to the MIP photoshoot at Intramuros. I was with Maldita at that time having our lunch in a Japanese Resto at Pearl Plaza, located at Pearl Drive in Ortigas Center. Free ride is cool but I need to accompany Maldita who had some business to attend to. I told Doc Gerry anyway that I would follow shortly. I didn't emphasize that Maldita would be coming over, too.
At 3:30pm, I was already on a taxi with Maldita. We still have to pick up my photography equipment at the condo I formerly lived with. Christmas rush made the Saturday traffic extraordinarily heavy. Maldita got sick along the way, probably because of the heavy traffic. It was good she always brought with her some medication and I also brought with me drinking water. I was keeping in touch with Doc Gerry and Kuya Rey Nocum.
After we alighted from the taxi, I contacted Denz Dayao who is the Intramuros authority. I was glad Maldita was saying she's getting fine so we could walk to the spot where Denz could meet us.
I was happy to be reunited with the group. Almost everybody was staring at me with naughty eyes. I was sure Doc Gerry was making again a story for me, Hahaha... Maldita was delighted to be seeing again her idol and fashion icon Jennie Dy. I was also most especially happy to be seeing my most favorite writer, and probably the most noteworthy blogger in the entire universe, Dennis Villegas.

Maldita's idol and fashion icon. i.e. Skechers shoes.

Albert's cameras

Doc Ger's D70 and killer Rangefinder.

The Big Night

The group proceed to Ilustrado Restaurant while taking photos along the way. Ilustrado Restaurant is the venue of the MIP's Christmas Party. We got the following photos:

Maldita in action (although nabaliktad ang focusing ko!)

Guess who this guy is?!!

Super Moderator and Macro King Rey Nocum.

What are you doing there, Denz?

Parol sa Ilustrado.

The Ilustrado Restaurant alley.

The Ilustrado Restaurant signage.

The MIP gathering was being held at the Bonifacio Hall, just right for the number of MIP members present at that time. Everybody was so happy and I know the group can never be that merrier without Doc Gerry's fantastic stories. Before the formality of the event, each one of us took turn taking photos of the group. I took these photos below using self-timer mode.

From left to right: (You may also download two hi-res photos here: 1, 2)

Jhun Vibar
Dr. GM Sabado (a.k.a. Doc Ger)
Denz and his better-half Ling
Mae Ann (I refer to here in this article as Maldita)
Jennie Dy (jjpdy)
Oskie
Spectrum
Super Moderator Rey Nocum
yours truly
Dennis Villegas
Albert

Dennis Villegas and Doc Gerry

Maldita

Jennie Dy - MIP Muse, Secretary, etc.
Late comers are Paolo Melendres and Joy Perez. Joy promised me and Pareng Dennis a photo of hers in swimsuit. She must have forgotten it already.
Francis Yanga together with a beautiful lady also arrived but were not late for the food and games. They were not really late since there were still lots of foods for them (including Manong Ken's lechon). They still could join the game which was hosted by Denz.

The most interesting personal experience during the event is talking with Bay Islandboy over the phone. Ironically, I only understood a single word from him because our venue is noisy. I heard the word Jovy from him, probably asking if my girlfriend is with me. Jovy couldn't come with me for the MIP Christmas Party because she's in duty. Islandoy was earlier referred to by Ms. Jen as the mysterious donor for the party. She ended up being teased by Doc Gerry with Islandboy.
When the party was over, Doc Gerry gave me and Mae Ann a lift until Mae Ann's place. I never had slept the previous night so I feel asleep while Doc Gerry was driving. Mae Ann, or Maldita,woke me up when we arrived at Shaw-Pasig.
''Thanks for the ride Doc Ger!'' I was still half-asleep.

Blue Beach Blues

Now, Maldita was making it sure to where I should sleep. Our condo's administrator had changed the gate's padlock after I relocated to Antipolo. It was digital that required passkey intentionally not given to me. During my date with Jovy at the baywalk, I slept outside the gate because of that. Those things Maldita didn't want to happen to me again. She couldn't accommodate me in her apartment because of other female housemates. I told her I would sleep in our condo. It is no longer possible because it was already too late, she knew it. She didn't stop nagging me for a specific place to where I can possibly spend my night with, and I finally told her I would sleep onboard a moving bus going to the province. Maldita dragged me to 10/Q convenience store and bought a lot of snacks for me; C2, cup cakes, breads, etc. I told her I didn't need those and all I need to do is to travel lightly. She insisted saying her Ate Jovy (my girlfriend) will be upset if she is going to starve me.

It was past four o'clock in the morning when I woke up. The Five Star bus I was riding already arrived at their Dagupan bus terminal. I was no longer sleepy. I briskly disembarked from the bus and was met by several aggressive tricycle drivers. I paused for a while and waited for a tamer driver. I found one later, named Louie. I told him to bring me to Tondaligan (the Blue Beach)and find a considerably rated lodging house for me. I asked him how much he would charge me for the ride from the bus terminal to the blue beach. Eighty pesos, he replied. I told him I'd hire him for P100 and he's happy.

Louie brought me to Snow White Inn. Before I could get in, a fat woman suddenly blocked my way asking if I was looking for a room to stay. She offered me a room for only one thousand pesos, good for 24-hr stay. She further told me Snow White Inn is more expensive. She was already grabbing my back pack away, a behavior that easily distinguished herself to be a hoax. I sensed something is wrong, and since I was already at the entrance of the Snow White Inn, I seized my back pack from the fat lady and followed the driver Louie inside the inn. It turn out that the 24-hour stay at Snow White Inn cost only six hundred pesos. I was glad that I was not tricked by that fat lady lurking just outside the door of the Snow White Inn. Louie volunteered to pick me up the following day if I want it to. I arranged him to pick me up at three o'clock in the morning and bring me to Victory Liner. I had to emphasize to him that he should bring me to Victory Liner instead of Five Star to where he picked me up earlier. With Victory Liner going to Pasay, that's only a single ride for me until Boni Avenue in Mandaluyong. He understood.

I took shower first and decided to go to the beach to scout for beautiful sceneries. I was trying to look for local fishermen working with their fishing gears. They are naturally good photography subjects. I didn't find even one and ended up being annoyed by kids along the beach. At first, I tried to avoid those kids but they kept on tagging behind me. I was losing my patience and decided to go back to the inn. I was wondering why there was no sun at that time.

Frank Bautista's burger kiosk :-)

The blue beach in the morning.

Ynnad's dog on the loose...

Blue Beach boats

When I lost the kids, I started to go to the opposite direction. I was walking under the coconut trees trying to find local fishermen. I stopped in a Frank Burger kiosk and decided to get a cold drink. While at rest, a young girl suddenly appeared from nowhere, spoke to me in Tagalog asking whether I would want a companion. When she told me I can hire her for anything, I sensed something is wrong. The girl is obviously selling her flesh. I couldn't believe at that early morning, somebody with the kind of livelihood is gutsy enough to show up. I turned her down and walked back to my inn. I wanted to eat my breakfast on a restaurant but Maldita sent along with me lots of food, so I thought of consuming all of those first.

Back to my room, my girlfriend texted me up asking what time I'll be in SM Megamall. I replied I'm already at Blue Beach in Dagupan. She called me up. I had to transcribe here the ensuing hilarious conversation between me and her, although for me, it was not really funny at all.

My girlfriend: "Honey, anong ginagawa mo diyan?" (Honey, what are you doing there?)
Me: "I want to witness the Blue Beach sunset!"
My girlfriend: "What sunset are you talking about? Di mo ba alam na may bagyong Seniang?" (What sunset are you talking about? Don't you know a certain typhoon Seniang is approaching?)
Me: "We'll, hindi ko alam yon. Wala namang binanggit si Mr.Ube News na may bagyo. Sa Yahoo! Weather forecast, sabi okay naman ang weather." (Well, I didn't know anything. Besides, Mr. Ube News didn't tell anything about approaching typhoon.
My girlfriend: "Ewan ko s'yo. Kung ako s'yo, babalik na lang akong Maynila. Bagyo ang ma-picture-ran mo diyan at hindi sunset." (I don't know with you. If I were you, I'll go back to Manila. You'll be taking photograph of typhoon instead of sunset.)

True enough, it started to rain. Even if I want to go out, I just can't go roam around without risking my camera to rainwater. Besides, I don't think rain is an interesting subject for photography, unless I'm purposely documenting rain. I ended up watching cable TV the whole afternoon. I was still eating as lunch all of those foods Maldita had stuffed for me.

No sunset :( Only big waves >:<

Blue Beach blues...

At four o'clock in the afternoon, the rainshower had stopped. I went to the seashore and brought with me my tripod. It was frustrating. Everything is overcast. There had been never a sign of sunset. There were no interesting photography subjects, too. I came across Bay Ynnad's dog but at that time he's no longer conscious enough with the people at the sea. I was getting hungry and decided to find a seafood restaurant. The nearest I found is Matutina's Seafoods.
At the restaurant, I was expecting I can eat seafoods, only to find out that seafoods are for group serving. Single servings did not include seafoods. At that time, I wish Tito Andy and Manong Frank is with me... We all could have eaten seafoods together. I ended up ordering Sinigang na Malaga, pork barbecue, fresh young coconut that are available for single serving. The coconut is fresh but is no longer young.

It was a wrong timing with the Blue Beach; no Blue Beach sunset, no seafoods... Had I known of it ahead of time, I could have gone directly to Tito Tom's birthday in La Union.

Belated Happy Birthday, Tito Tom!