Ready to get back up!

In case you guys didn't know I had a challenging (I won't say bad) last quarter of 2013 - refer to this post here. Despite the set backs I've regained my footing and am now ready to get back up. 

In case you didn't notice I haven't been blogging or posting stuff online as much as I used to. Well this is mostly due to my unexpected change in plans. But that doesn't mean that I haven't been writing - I actually have been writing old school style in a worn out steno notebook, making sure I don't forget my thoughts and reflections; just waiting for the time when I would be ready to sit in front of my good-old laptop and start typing in a frenzied state and I guess that time is now. 

Even before I started blogging I've always had the 'itch' of wanting to write and wanting to get my thoughts across. I guess that's the frustrated writer in me wanting to break free from its prison. I'm just lucky that I got to hone my writing skills when I was in College by being part of the school newspaper. So even if I lack the formal training one requires to call themselves a professional writer I still get by as a blogger and freelance writer. 

So now I'm finally adjusted and I'm finally ready to regain my place in this obscure realm known as cyberspace. Because even if I lost myself, stumbled and fell I was still able to get right back up. 

It doesn't matter that it took time or that I still feel the pain at times; what matters is that I got right back up and I'm ready to be me again.          

What 2013 Taught Me

Thorns in the wind. Photo by Paul Cheng. 

Do you know how people say- this wasn't their year? Well 2013 didn't really end well for me - for two months (September - October) I've been feeling down and all this started one fateful September night when the world as I knew it turned upside down. 

I was wrongly accused and 'punished' for something I didn't do. Although I won't be going into the details since this blog post isn't about what happened to me but how I was able to pick myself up and move on. I mean when I was ten years old I woke up to find out my father had passed away so I'm pretty much used to the universe throwing shit in my way. 

Needless to say I did go through a period of depression but through the grace of God and the love and support of my family and friends I was able to dig myself out of the hole I put myself in. 

Before I got officially over the depression though, it got worse when December came around but now that I'm okay I can feel and enjoy the cool December breeze. (it's colder up in Antipolo) and I was also able to admire the Christmas lights. Even Paul who doesn't really get excited about Christmas started the practice of opening the Christmas lights on the tree. 

Our tiny but mighty Christmas tree and the presents for family underneath, which Paul would light up in the evenings. Photo taken two days before Christmas.

For the first time in a long time I finally feel happy and content and I am ever grateful to God for allowing me to be healed from my wounds. It's not like he waved a magic wand and made all the pain go away; there will definitely be some scars and I might be tempted to pick at the scabs from time to time. 

Shit does happen, some shittier than others but what matters is that you clean yourself up and carry on. 

Whether we like it or not there will always be bumps on the road, it can never really be just smooth sailing along the way. No matter how much lying in bed, crying your eyes out while eating ice cream and watching cheesy shows sounds appealing when you are down and sad, you will really have to pick yourself up sooner or later. Sometimes you might force yourself to get better because of responsibilities and because your family depends on you (like in my case) but you should never forget that the person that you should be the utmost reason of getting yourself out of a rut is no other than yourself. 

Warm sunlight through the trees. Photo by Paul Cheng.  

Product Review: Etude House: Wonder Pore Freshner Toner

It's been some time since I've done a product review and while I really want to be that blogger who goes on product hauls every week, visiting stores to buy make up and other beauty products - I'm not but that does not mean that I won't make the most out of the beauty products that I do get to buy. 

So with my renewed fervor in blogging I will start my product review blogging (spree) hopefully with this Etude House: Wonder Pore Freshner Toner. 

Lately I've noticed that I am becoming more dependent with toners partly because I have been putting make up more often now and upon arriving home after a long day would need an effective toner to get the make up and dirt off my face. 

So after finishing my usual Ponds toner in a short amount of time I decided to buy a toner that would last longer. Hence my trip to Etude House looking for an ideal toner for someone like me who has oily skin and large pores! Remember it's important to know what kind of skin type you have so that you can buy beauty products that are ideal for you.  

Lo and behold their best selling Wonder Pore - Freshner! Which is a 7 on 1 total pore solution. 

1. Maintains a ph 4.5 + 1
2. Refines skin tones
3. Keeps the elasticity of pores
4. Deep cleanses pores 
5. Minimizes appearances of pores
6. Controls large amounts of sebum
7. Moisturizes the inside and outside of your skin. 

I had to edit some of the wording and grammar used from what was on the actual product. 

Honestly when I first saw this product I kept thinking of the Wonder Girls with their ever catchy and popular song 'Nobody but you' but singing girls aside this looked to be a very promising product. I mean anything that focuses on cleaning out the pores is a plus for me! 

I opted to purchase the 500ml bottle even if it cost P 798.00. The 250ml bottle was around P500+ so definitely bigger savings with the bigger bottle :) 

Packaging:

When purchasing the 500ml Wonder Pore it comes in an aqua plastic packaging that matches the color pattern of the bottle itself. The packaging is littered with cute illustrations and unfortunately more Korean than English words.

Here are some of the English text written on the bottle: 

The product is (a) total solution for pore care, preventing enlarged pores, less firmer skin (?) and skin troubles by eliminating what hurts skin health(y) from within. 

(Directions) Soak the make up cotton with the Freshner and wipe your face from the center to your face to the outside. With gentle patting, let the skin absorb the leftover Freshner. You can carry the Freshner in a mist type container and apply on your skin when there is too much sebum or (if) you have itchy feeling. 

(Caution) For external use only. Avoid contact with the eyes. Keep out of reach of children. Discontinue use if signs of irritation and/or rash appear. 

Pardon the editing within the parenthesis the inner grammar police in me couldn't help it.     

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug Movie Review

If you follow me on Twitter you would have probably seen me literally 'begging' for invites and passes for the premiere of The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug well it's actually because of a number of reasons- first since Paul and I are big Tolkien fans. When we were boyfriend and girlfriend we spent so many hours watching the Lord of the Rings on DVD (the extended version, with commentary and of course the special features and all the behind the scenes that come with the DVD). We also have (of course) The Hobbit: The Unexpected Journey on DVD :) 

The Second reason is that December 10, 2013 is actually our second wedding anniversary and I really, really wanted to celebrate by watching the premiere. Unfortunately it didn't push through so I just had to take matters in my own hands. (I actually got an invite bit it was only for one- sooo....)  

So yeah -Paul and I really are a match made in geek heaven - wanting to celebrate our wedding anniversary with Bilbo, Gandalf, a band of dwarves and a grumpy dragon. Even if that didn't really happen we went out to watch the movie with Paul's sister, her husband, their son and Paul's Ate who actually owns the DVDs we watch. Yep the geekiness runs in the family!   

Continuing in his tradition of translating Tolkien's work into a great cinematic experience, Peter Jackson once again slips on the one ring to rule them all on and transports you in an epic adventure - even if it means changing a thing or two in the story.     

First of all Legolas (Orlando Bloom) is not in the original "There and back again" story but is included in the movie most probably for the legions of fan girls. You can only have so much bearded dwarves, a clean shaven elf is nice to see on the screen for a change but Paul is not a fan girl and is not such a big fan of Legolas either. He keeps on shaking his head on the 'too much hero shots' for Legolas and I must agree that he has a lot of in the movie to the point of overkill maybe? 

A difference from the first Hobbit movie though is the increase in stunts in the second film, complete with walking on walls ala Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Orc decapitations too. I guess working with Dwarves would definitely limit those kinds of stunts but that definitely did not stop the crew from going all out in the barrel and river barrel ride scene. Anyone who gets out of that situation definitely deserves the title of barrel rider! 

   

The Wildest River ride ever- in barrels! 

Another elf who was also not in the original story is the female elf Tauriel (Evangeline Lilly) and in keeping with Peter Jackson's practice of letting female characters kick butt on the screen, Tauriel kicks a lot of Orc butts indeed. In case you didn't know, in the books Tolkien gave more traditional roles for his female characters who often sat back and looked pretty while the men did all the sword swaying and the arrow loosing action. So big thanks to Peter Jackson for putting a little girl power in his adaptations. 

Aside from giving female characters some orc heads to cut off, Peter Jackson also likes to add a little hint of romance and love in the air and in the absence of Aragorn and Arwen that 'honor' fell on the hands of Kili (Aidan Turner) and Taruriel- wait what? Yes you got that right there was also some weird, nay awkward Elf-Dwarf flirting going on. Oh and can I say it was also a bizarre love triangle between Kili- Tauriel and Legolas. Let's see how this inter-racial romance plays off in the next movie.    
   

Legolas and Tauriel: Absent in the books but kicking ass in the movie. 

A new character who was in the books was also introduced in the second movie and this is Bard the Bowman played by Luke Evans and Paul and I both agreed that he looks a lot like Will Turner from Pirates of the Carribean, even Paul's 11 year old nephew thought so! Its rather amusing to note that Bard looks like Will since Orlando Bloom is also in The Hobbit (as Legolas- but you already knew that). Maybe the character design or make up department could have given him a different look. Nevertheless Bard is a really interesting character given that he represents the human race in the movie. 

Kalook-a-like ? : Will Turner (Orlando Bloom) from Pirates of the Carribean and Bard the Bowman (Luke Evans) The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug.

Rurouni Kenshin character stills spread online!

Updated! Last December 12, 2013 a photo of actress Tao Tsuchiya as fan favorite and head strong Misao Makamichi went online. I think she's really pretty - look at that face! I just wish she would wear more blue just to complete the association with the character :) Looking forward to her acting chops and stunt skills since Misao's character will be doing a lot of both in the movies! 

Fans should stay tuned since more character posters are scheduled to be unveiled on the official website on December 29! I really hope we start seeing some bad guys in the movie ;)  

Kamiki Ryunosuke as Soujiro Seta

As if the summer of 2014 could not come any closer - new Rurouni Kenshin character stills featuring new characters in the upcoming Kyoto Arc movies have been making its way in cyberspace and across social networking sites for the past days. 

Some fans may say 'Yay!' while others may say 'Nay!' but I definitely give a pat on the back to the costume and design team of the movies for maintaining the same consistency in bringing beloved characters from the series to their flesh and blood counterparts on the big screen. 

Channeling Soujiro Seta's boyish charms actor Kamiki Ryunosuke eminates the same charisma as Shishio Makoto's right hand. Now can we see his famous 'poker face' smile?! 

Yusuke Iseya as Aoshi Shinamori

   
I'm still trying to figure out if I'm loving or hating the hair which actor Yusuke Iseya is wearing as Aoshi Shinamori, I guess it would take more than a photo to determine that, seeing how the hair movies in fighting and action sequences would probably be the deciding factor. But aside from the hair, we simply cannot deny Aoshi's signature swagger emanating from that photo. Cue in the ladies' swoons.

Please raise your hand if you're exited to see Aoshi's Kaiten Kenbu or Spiral Sword Dance because I know I am :)   

Min Tanaka as Nenji Kashiwazaki (Okina) 

And can we just get an overwhelming warm and fuzzy 'awwwwww' for actor Min Tanaka's photo as Nenji Kashiwazaki or better known as his old spy name: Okina. I just love his character still and plus points to the super kawaii neko (super cute cat) on his lap! Here's to hoping that the movie will also feature him kicking butt with his steel tonfas. 

These character stills are just getting everyone fired up for the two movies: 

"Rurouni Kenshin: The Great Kyoto Fire" and "Rurouni Kenshin: The End of a Legend" which is scheduled to hit theaters in the summer of 2014 in Japan. 

Speaking of fired up fans are already clamoring for photos or teasers of the ultimate bad guy - Shishio Makato! 

This photo of Takeru Sato as Kenshin Himura on the set of the movie shooting some final scenes has also surfaced. The cast and crew are hard at work at shooting this 'important scene' where we see Kenshin covered in wounds. I can pretty much guess which scene this is and I'm just as stoked and excited as ever! :)

2014 please come sooner!  

Takeru Sato as Kenshin Himura on the set shooting an 'important scene' 

      

  

Greenlight Music Festival

As the sun sets. People starting to gather for Greenlight Music Fest 

Have you ever had one of those whole day events, where you get so tired but you are just enjoying every minute of it? Well that was the case for Greenlight Music Fest (which was held last November 22, 2013) that brought a multitude of people together looking to enjoy a night of great music from some of OPM's greatest acts. But not only was Greenlight Music Fest lined up with amazing bands but there were so much fun activities that you could as well. 

Skater Boy hitting the skate ramp in Greenlight Music Fest

Sometimes they say that the best things in life are for free and that was the case for Greenlight Music Fest because of the great show, the skate ramp, the mechanical bull, the freedom wall and the great food and drinks available at the event. 

One of the great things about Greenlight Music Fest being held in Greenfield District was that it was a beautiful commercialized area that had security in place and the convenience of well loved restaurants and establishments around. Definitely a great commercial and residential area at the heart of Ortigas-make sure to check it out! 

The Portal at Greenfield District 

The Greenlight Music Fest was opened by the talented Reese Lansangan, now Paul and I have seen her perform with her pop-rock band Dressed Up Days so I was really surprised to see a toned down (Fiona Apple) side to her. Definitely a fan - make sure to check out her Youtube page here and listen to her great original songs and covers. 

Talented Reese Lansangan, opening up Greenlight Music Fest

  
Thanks to this event we were also able to discover techno/electronica band Techy Romantics who just came out from a nine month hiatus due to baby duties. While Paul and I are not usually fans of techno music we really liked theirs and are just glad that they are back and performing again. Make sure to check out their original songs in their Youtube channel here. 

Make sure to Escape with Techy Romantics! 

The event was hosted by boys from Jam 88.3 DJ Lambert Cruz and DJ Mighty Mike who never wavered in their energy as they brought the crowd through the night until the early morning. They were also game masters as they had some drinking games (both for the ladies and the gents) all courtesy of event sponsor Bavaria.  

The Hostest with Mostest - DJ Lambert Cruz and DJ Mighty Mike of Jam 88.3 

There were also a lot of messages of love and hope that was given out by the artists for our brothers and sisters who were victims of super typhoon Yolanda. Not only where there just messages for the victims but there was also concrete action on the part of the organizers of the event because there was a booth from Caritas Manila that was set up and was accepting donations. Just ask Paul since he had to haul bags of clothes of food which were our donations. :) 

Caritas Manila booth set up at the entrance of Greenlight Music Fest

It was the ultimate Flashback Friday for True Faith vocalist Medwin who kept on making jokes and references on the obvious age gap that they shared with the audience but that didn't stop the good vibes and the great music. 

Panic! At the Disco and All Time Low Night and some personal thoughts

Disclaimer, Paul was not with me during this event due to work, photos were taken with my father-in-law's Panosic Lumix point and shoot camera, so pardon the photos. :P Paul promises to make it up on the next event :) 

Regeneration 

Over the past year, Paul and I have been fortunate enough to go to and cover local gigs and bars and because of this we've been able to meet so many talented local acts and we've also been able to appreciate OPM even more. 

Recently, I've had the opportunity to be part of a young team composed of talented music lovers who organize events like album launches and bang nights -Sparks Productions - (like our Facebook page here) We had our first official band night last Nov. 22, 2013, at Autonomy bar. (Panic! At the Disco and All Time Low Night). This specific band night was in conjunction with the recent album launch that we had with Odyssey Music. (You can read about the Panic! At the Disco and All Time Low album launch here).  

The Pearl Report 

It really is different when you are (really) in charge of the event instead of just being 'outside looking in'. I will be honest and say that the turn out was not what I would have hoped it would be, but I really am a 'glass half full' kind of person so I will just put everything under 'learning experiences' and as Paul would say 'Tuloy ang boxing' (the boxing continues). 

Wearing my my 'thinking/reflection' hat I realized that one aspect of being part of of a production team was being able to provide a venue for young bands and budding musicians for them to grow in their passion and craft. After all successful bands are not made in a day (unless you are a one hit wonder)

Amazing prizes from our sponsors <3 Which were given during the fun games. 

Band nights and music events is not just for the music lover in the crowd to watch, enjoy and discover music and artists that they can appreciate and admire but it is also an opportunity for artists and bands to forget about their day job, or maybe even school (even, for a while) and be the rock star that they really are. 

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire: Movie Review

So I'm a little disappointed in myself since my review came in later than I wanted. I usually start working on my movie reviews the minute I get home from the premiere but when I got home- my mom's home not our home, the mouse was acting up and this was already at 1:00 AM so I just decided to go to sleep and work on the review the next day - so here I am now busy typing away a movie review to a movie I really enjoyed. :) 

Just some personal thoughts before diving right in to the movie review. You can jump right in at the Movie Review below :P 

I have been going to movie premieres for some time now so I pretty much know what happens. So imagine my surprise when I saw the large number of people lined up to see The Hunger Games: Catching Fire it was unlike any other movie premiere I have ever attended and there were at least 3 cinemas having the premieres and all of them had long lines! Talk about being the anticipated movie of the year! 

The firsts didn't stop there though since another first encounter for a movie premiere was the fact that ALL phones and gadgets with cameras were collected before the movie. While I know and understand that this was all for the fight against piracy it was a pain in the ass. 

Can you imagine collecting every phone and gadget in a theater full of people? Yeah you do the math, especially in this day and age where everyone has at least one cellphone or gadget. Collecting the phones may not have been much of a problem but everyone claiming their phones after the movie all at the same time - well that's another story. 

And since I didn't have a watch I couldn't tell what time it is or update my mom and my husband how I was doing, I was with my baby brother for the movie so my mom really wanted updates. We came in the movie house around 7:00PM and left at past 11:50PM. It was an inconvenience but you know what? The movie really made up for it and all of that was worth it in the end :P

Me at around 12:00 AM with our movie premiere tickets. :P

On to the movie review! 

So for everyone's reference I actually read the books - the whole trilogy about three years ago so I pretty much had an idea of what the story was about. Now even if I have read the books and am a fan of the franchise I was not going to go 'Oh it was a great movie!' blindly since I actually did not enjoy (the first movie) - Hunger Games last year. I was really disappointed at the last part in the movie since it failed to capture the hanging by a moment, nail biter ending in the book. With that being said I can critically say that the second installment Catching Fire - was AMAZING! 

From the beginning of the movie until the end you find yourself in an emotional and political arena (pun intended) where you have to deal with the dynamic of a rebellion unfolding and of course all the emotional baggage that the characters carry. 

The Odds are never in your favor. Scene from Catching Fire. 

When The Hunger Games came out last year I had to roll my eyes so many times and bite my tongue since people thought the movie was all about a battle to the death of children (which is why it was compared a lot to Battle Royale) when in fact the whole battle to the death was just the tip of the ice burg and that the story actually deals with a more complicated political dynamic. I was glad that this was touched on in the second movie and I was really glad that they included (SPOILER ALERT) the scene in the Presidential Ball where Peeta is offered a purple elixir to drink so that he can throw up what he ate - just so he can eat some more and try everything was very important to me at least and I really felt strongly about this scene (also when I read it in the book) because as Peeta put it: "People in District 12 have nothing to eat while in the Capitol people where gorging themselves sick from eating too much food" and surprisingly this is something that we don't just read in books and watch in movies because it actually happens in real life! 

Some people have so much and too much while others have nothing at all. I was really glad that they included this scene in the movie, although it was really short it was really powerful for me and really spoke a hundred words. I hope that the people who come to watch the movie catch it also. It's really important to understand especially to get an idea of what the rebellion is all about. 

Amazing cast and amazing acting  

In case you guys didn't know Jennifer Lawrence is actually an Academy Award Winner for her role as Tiffany Maxwell in Silver Linings Playbook. She isn't just some actress known for being the lead in a well known franchise but she also has the acting chops to back it up.Which is a good thing since the character of Katniss Everdeen is very complicated as she becomes the reluctant symbol of a rebellion and is torn between the love of a long time friend and the love of a fellow tribute. Some things that people don't realize or maybe forget is that unlike the Careers who spend their lives training and wanting to be part of The Hunger Games and winning at all cost, Katniss is a great archer and hunter because she had to be, she had to learn how to hunt in order to provide food for her family. She didn't pick up the bow and arrow to learn how to make pin cushions out of other tributes but she picked it up (and became good at it) so her family can eat. There is a lot of ugly crying and ugly shouting that Katniss does throughout the movie but Jennifer Lawrence delivers it in a convincing way and that is real acting. 

Smile for the cameras. Oddly enough the victors' celebrity status and Katniss and Peeta's on-screen romance so that people would 'forget' the real problems is eerily familiar to how we follow and poke into the lives of real celebrities for our own pleasure and amusement.

Kamikazee represents JB Music Philippines

Merry Christmas! Kamikazee with their toys from JB Music.  

Last Friday November 8, 2013 Kamikazee became the new face of JB Music Philippines and they will be representing the brand as they continue to bring great music to fans. 

Ever since 2000 when they were first formed Kamikazee has been a house hold name when it comes to Original Pinoy Music, their no holds barred lyrics and humor and all out energy on stage have made them a staple in the local music scene. Which is why it is no surprise that they have been tapped by JB Music Philippines as their newest endorsers. 

You can't really go wrong with this equation to since Kamikazee is partnering with the Philippines' number 1 musical instrument and professional audio distributor. JB Music Philippines has been providing the Filipinos with high quality music instruments and equipment for 39 years! 

Kamikazee with a JB Music Employee. 

Let's welcome Kamikazee to the JB Music Philippines family we know that these two will make great music together! :) 

Don't forget to like JB Music Philippines here and you can also follow them on Twitter @JBMusicPh and make sure to check their stores for their HIMIG LAKAS SALE with up to 70% off on selected items. Hurry since the sale is only up to November 15, 2013 :) 

You can also catch Kamikazee in a benefit gig tonight, November 11, 2013 at 70's Bistro. Proceeds will be going to the victims of Typhoon Yolanda. 

For more photos of the event click here!  

Greenlight Music Fest

Update! As of November 12, 2013 - Three days before the event - In light of the recent events due to the devastation brought about by Typhoon Yolanda, organizers of Greenlight Music fest are currently organizing ways and means so that the festival can also benefit the victims of Typhoon Yolanda. Admission to the event is for free but donations will be accepted in the concert venue. Use the #greenfielddistrict if you want to help.

It's no surprise that music festivals are suddenly popping left and right-after all Filipinos are infamous for loving music and while there have been a number of music festivals featuring international music acts we've had our own share of music festivals featuring our very own talented OPM artists. 

And Greenlight Music is not just another music festival but the music festival of the season as it not only features some of the country's leading and up and coming acts but it's also FREE! Yes! Admission is FREE!    

All you have to do is show up - gates open at 4:00 PM - show starts at 5:00 PM and you get to enjoy performances from these bands: 

Up Dharma Down

Urbandub

Franco

True faith

Taken By Cars

Techy Romantics

Never The Strangers

Madhatter Day

Yolanda Moon

She's Only Sixteen

Save Me Hollywood

Jensen Gomez

RunManila

Reese Lansangan

Earth Mover

Maude

Pulso

Wow! Talk about a great line up of bands! I have a lot of personal favorites in that line up and I can't wait! So stoked! :) Also another reason for the excitement (drum roll please) Pcheng Photography is covering! Wohoooo! :D So expect photos galore and a blog post from us! :) 

But wait! There's more! 

Aside from the great live music lined up there are also a number of activities that will be made available to attendees such as moving statue, freedom wall and graffiti, Open Skate Jam (so for the skaters out there-bring your boards!) and Bull Ride Rodeo! :) 

Save Me Hollywood: BTone Music Gig

Feeling It: Julz Savard of Save Me Hollywood jumping to the music. 

I haven't been able to catch Save Me Hollywood in a gig for some time and so naturally being the fan that I am I missed seeing them perform. So when I heard that they would be headlining a gig at BTone Music Cafe in Baras I wanted to go and good thing that Paul has the weekends off! :) 

It was a bit of a road trip since Baras was a few towns away from us. :P 

I used to go on this long route when I was still going on duties as a student nurse but travelling at night was really different and difficult especially for the driver but all for the love of Save Me Hollywood right? 

BTone Music Cafe is a nice bar with a great interior, I like that the design is pretty much open which allows for fresh air to come in, unlike most bars that are small and cramped and that gets full of cigarette smoke-which I don't like. It's even big enough to have like a birthday party or a big gathering and not just band night. The service was a bit too slow for my taste though :P 

While Save Me Hollywood was slated to perform second to the last in the line up I enjoyed the performance of the Indie bands and it's just fun to think that these guys are basically my neighbors! :P 

Here were the bands that performed that night: 

Give Us A Break

Idiosyncrasy 

Mindbox

Retaso Castro 

Triple P 

To his own beat: Let's show some love for Melvin Macatiag of Save Me Hollywood

When Save Me Hollywood got on stage my heart just exploded seeing the love that the crowd had for them, there was crowd surfing, lots of singing and cheering! :D 

Reaching out: One of our favorite photos of the night - Julz reaching out to a fan mid song. 

For more photos of the night click here! 

Project 365: Week 14

As the end of April approaches, I kept faith and tried my best to hold true to Project 365.  By this time, I've been shooting constantly ever since January 24, 2013. So without further ado here are the photos from April 26 - May 2, 2013.  

April 26, 2013 - Mission accomplished

It was a Friday(my rest day), and the car was with me and had free time, so I went ahead and washed the car.  I tried my best to be thorough but there are still some parts that I couldn't clean.  But if you ask me, I think i did an OK job. Not bad for cleaning the car for the first time.

Shot with an iPhone 4S, post processed in Snapseed.  I thought of posting this image in color  but I find it too distracting. So I de-saturated and sharpened the image to give it a smooth finish.

On the following day, me and my wife went to an event to cover the Album Launch of Fall Out Boy.  We were fortunate to get invited by Odyssey(a local music/video store in the Philippines as we were fortunate a few local acts that we may cross paths with in the future. 

April 27, 2013 - F#/B

Above is a photo of Ina Martinez of Red Paradox, during the Album Buy out in Odyssey.  This image was shot with Canon 500d, and a 50mm F/1.8.  It may seem blurry but I got the focus on left hand to the head stock of the guitar which was what I wanted to emphasize here.  

April 28, 2013 - From the mountains to the city

This day, I went out for a walk to shoot a sunset from the highest peak near our house.  Remembering this one, It has a strong orange cast that day and a huge cloud was over the horizon and looked ominous, but I like the way the buildings were showing like silhouettes.  It may seem grainy but I like this shot all the same.  Shot with a Canon 500d, and 50mm f/1.8.

As for the following two days, I went out to watch a gig and blogged about this one. I went out to cover an even from Pinasikat.com featuring bands that played Foo Fighter songs.

Halloween Comic Fest

My Baby Sister Isay in her Iron Man Shawarma shirt from The Perfect White Shirt - (which is my birthday gift to her by the way) with Batgirl. 

Hey guys! My baby sister Isay will be guest blogging with us. She's the real comic geek in the family and she went to Fully Book's Halloween Comic Fest. Paul and I had a Baptism/First Birthday to go to. So without further adieu - here is Isay's first and hopefully not last post with us. :) 

(As I was writing this, I'm listening to my nerdcore songs: X-Women, 616, Magneto was Right, Comic Shop, Nerrd Lines, Marvel vs. DC, and a whole lot more. J )

It was definitely a fun treat to drop by at Fully Booked Bonifacio High Street Branch for Halloween Comicfest. Being one of the many individuals who braved the heat last Free Comic Book Day, I was expecting a very long line of comic book enthusiasts going around High Street. But when we came to the store (at exactly 10 am), the line was surprisingly shorter, and went around the front of the store, not like the line last May 4^th.

We saw friends, families, and individuals of different ages waiting in line for their chance to get free comic books. There were also grown-ups in costume, like Kick-Ass and a casual Robin. There were little kids with their parents in superhero costumes who looked so adorable, and grandmas standing in line with their grandchildren. The weather was cool, making the wait comfortable, unlike the glaring sun that melted us away last Free Comic Book Day.

Free Comic Books during Halloween ComicFest 

While in line, it was nice to be able to talk about comics with people who actually understand what you’re talking about. Falling into easy conversation, we didn’t even notice the line and before we knew it, we were already inside the store. We were led to the table with the vast array of comics that we could choose from. On one table were the comics from American publishers, such as DC and Marvel, with a wide variety of comics for children too. On the second table were the manga issues, like back issues of Shonen Jump.

Colored spread from Shonen Jump. 

Each person could choose 3 comics from either table. Unlike their protocol last Free Comic Book Day, we were given the comics without a choice to the issues that we wanted. So I sort of panicked in front of the table, not knowing what to choose. In the end, I went for Batman: Long Halloween, Batman : Lil’ Gotham and an issue of Shonen Jump. Fortunately, my friend was nice enough to lend me his copy of Marvel’s offering, the first issue of Thor: God of Thunder. (which I was really thankful for because it was colored by my idol, Dean White <3)

Aside from the table with the free comics, there were also tables around them with graphic novels of up to 50% off. From DC to Marvel, to Image and Vertigo, whether thick or thin, it was a beautiful collection of books at half the price. But our search for a nice deal had to be set aside for later, because we decided to go up to the fourth floor and visit Comic Odyssey for the latest releases. There was also a book signing of local artists and writers right outside the store. Fans were all lined up for the chance to get to meet and greet their favorite comic book creators.

Two shades of the Caped Crusader. Above a page from Lil' Gotham that features Chibi Batman and Robin and Below the good old Batman in a centerfold action scene with Catwoman.