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WHAT A WEEKEND (Casa San Miguel) March 20, 2012
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Still hungover from our workshop weekend at Casa San Miguel in Pundaquit, Zambales.
I’ve been wanting to visit this music, arts & culture haven eversince I saw images of it on a magazine a long time ago. Finally we were invited here to share our knowledge on creative documentary filmmaking to 70 high school students!!! Yes 70! It was a bit difficult to keep their attention the whole day but hearing them identify correct camera angles and different documentary approaches was very rewarding.
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To end the already perfect day, we decided to walk towards the beach and watch the sunset.
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Looking out into the sea, I had this overwhelming feeling of gratefulness inside me. My goal in life is to give back to the world what it has given me and with this opportunity, hopefully, I am one step closer to that.
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The next day, we rode on a small banca and was given the front seat view of the majestic ocean. It was mesmerizing to watch the different shapes and colors of the waves as it undulates towards my direction. Being in this wide open space can be overwhelming, the sea is so vast and I feel so small…
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front view seat of the majestic ocean
island hopping
capones island
give me peace, give me liberty
balancing act
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After Capones Island, we hopped onto Anawangin where we filled ourselves up with life’s simple pleasures – pancit canton with hot & spicy tuna, hard boiled egg, halo-halo and lots of crazy ideas!!! We got to conceptualize an out-of-this-world music video to the tune of Vogue with the mountains and the beach as our backdrop. Hahaha, sorry inside joke :D
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LIFEs SIMPLE PLEASURES
halo-halo & pancit canton (with spicy tuna)
we were suprised to see a forest of trees next to the beach
happy campers in anawangin
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Heading back, we encountered a huge wave that almost toppled us over. Good thing manong boatman maneuvered us safely back to shore but not without a casualty. I tumbled out of the boat and got only one leg out when the fishermen helped pushed our boat into land. I fell awkwardly on the beach and was scared that water got inside the plastic bag with my camera in it. I heaved a sigh of relief when I found out that the only thing that got wet was my ass and that my dear camera is unharmed. Whew! Adventure 
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ART IN THE PARK 2012 February 13, 2012
UNIQUE EDITION handmade and (some) hand-colored PHOTO COLLAGEs
exhibited in the Philippines, Hong Kong and France
will be on sale along with other works from the 10A ALABAMA family
at ART IN THE PARK from 2 to 12 PM.
KITAKITS!!!
BORACAY BITES December 24, 2011
Two Seasons breakfast
eggs benedict (one with salmon & spinach and the other one with ham & caramelized onions)
two seasons drink
3 (kinds of) mushroom pizza
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We stayed at Two Seasons boutique hotel at Station 1 in Boracay. A and I were dreaming of their eggs benedict so we had to wake up extra early to order it, turns out you can order it at any time of the day. The verdict, the eggs benedict was a bit disappointing, it tasted better in our dream. But other than that, all of the food consumed here was good
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We decided to check out SHANGRI-LA HOTEL in another part of the island
where everything was grand and expensive.
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Read about MANANA and decided to try it out…
The enchiladas and burritos were pas mal but the huge mango margarita was a disappointment. I’m not a drinker but the others who ordered it agreed that it was watery.
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heaven on earth August 1, 2011
with mrs. masferre
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Sagada is a place where I recharge… I’ve been coming here to rest my mind, to celebrate freedom from everything and to just chill. I remember the wind whispering “welcome” in my ear each time I arrive. I feel myself more here. I hear myself more. Here, I am more… It is also here in Sagada where I want my last days on earth to be. I want my friends and family to all come here and celebrate my departure before sending my ashes off to my other slices of heaven on earth – Batanes, Venice & Paris… But for now, I share this piece of heaven with my loved-ones and friends, enjoying the time left here on earth, before I too become part of the wind.
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images shot in Sagada, Philippines
HAUSBESETZER LABORATORY July 15, 2011
This was an article I wrote for my class, pardon my french, it still needs a lot of work. We were asked to write a news article about anything, some wrote about politics and one wrote about the weather and me, I wrote about Hausbesetzer
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Arurumerci A for the lay-out 
the gods must be crazy June 25, 2011
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No one knows who she is. Or where she has come from.
Or why everyday, she comes to this same spot, in the middle of the road right in front of the Sagada Lemon Pie House, sweeping the already pristine concrete with the leaves of a freshly snapped-off tree branch.
No one knows all these things except for the old woman herself. Those who know of her have long passed away, buried along with the heritage of a place, and of beings that have first treaded its soil.
The legend begins with rain, washing down to earth the Sky Gods’ two children named Wigan and Bugan. The siblings were Ifugao’s first dwellers, who populated the province with their offspring. Oh, such familial relations were common in those days. Incest was a thing of the future.
Wigan was the people’s God of harvest. With his faithful wife Bugan, he fattened the Sky Mountains’ soil, ensuring that their earthen steps teemed with crops. His was the name most uttered by farmers, who strove to please Wigan with sacrifice, chants and prayers.
But as the years passed, people started to forget—the ancients, their origins, and even their own identity. Wigan and his fellow gods weakened, for their powers relied on the people’s belief. One by one, away they faded.
Only Bugan now remained. As to why she survived, she could only hazard this guess: she was meant to look after her husband Wigan— whose remains lay beneath the thick concrete in the middle of the road.
Everyday while she sweeps and weeps over her husband’s grave, she offers a silent prayer to the Sky Gods to allow her to join her husband, to take her away from this strange place, inhabited by strange people who believe in even stranger gods.
Onlookers dismiss her as a crazy, old woman.
Still, Bugan is convinced that they are the crazy ones, deigning to conceal the rich soil, covering life itself with cold, hard cement—an offering to yet another one of their modern gods that choke the air and pollute the silence while walking, not on feet, but on wheels.
Story by AGAY LLANERA - REYES and Sagada Images by JK (Jazel Kristin)
Writer’s Link: http://agayandspanky.blogspot.com/
copyright 2011
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I’ve been wanting to collaborate with kindred spirits here on The Art of Everyday and so finally the series of ARTISTIC COLLABORATIONs happened. The Gods Must Be Crazy is a story especially written for this by Agay Llanera-Reyes, a freelance writer for print and video and also a children’s book writer (The Gathering, SOL, Song of the Ifugao & Girl meets Girl included in Bagets, an anthology for young adults).
Agay and I have travelled around the Philippines and abroad together. She has actually celebrated some of my orbital journeys with me from Batanes to China and then Paris and most recently to Sagada. We saw this old woman, a very interesting character, during our walk. I tried to photograph her without noticing me and Agay wondered aloud what could be her story. Hence the birth of this collaboration…
Agayskee, it’s always great to hang out with you and also aruruteynkyu for always sharing your gift. I always say I write with images but you have this gift with words
highway to heaven June 17, 2011
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There was only one place I could think of to celebrate my 34th orbit,
I consider it to be one of my heavens on earth.
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My good friend and fellow wanderlust willingly celebrated this journey with me.
I’ve been to heaven and back but for Agayskee it will be her first time to see (this) heaven.
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The closest thing to flying would be riding the wind on top of a jeepney!
Being away, this feeling was what I missed most.
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The highway to heaven is not without bumps,
but we are in it for the ride!
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H E A V E N A W A I T S
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images shot while seated on the roof of a moving vehicle 
the french have landed May 19, 2011
Coming all the way from France, China and South Africa…
the French have finallly landed.
Welcome to the Pearl of the Orient,
PHILIPPINES!!!!!!!
They first heard about the Philippines through the stories and photos that A and I shared with them.
During our reunion in Normandy , the idea of coming here came up and now I can’t believe they are finally here.
Halukatdat!!!
fresh coconuts for sale
I heard oohs and aahs as we stepped out into the beach front when we arrived… They all fell in love with Boracay, I mean who wouldn’t. They were so in love with the place they started having this crazy idea of maybe putting up a family business here
Aba huwhy not!
teo doing some monkey business
brave emilie with uncle A
What I enjoyed about hanging out with them is that there is no need to do everything all at once.
Travelling for them is not about speed. It’s about taking your time, relaxing and just enjoying the place.
This was actually my longest stay in Boracay.
island music
teo became friends with the bartenders and got himself some free drinks
emilie busy reading A's book. she was also busy writing and illustrating her first story
teo doing his karate chops on uncle A
But of course they also know how to let loose and just Anjoy ( that’s how they pronounce it
Cam's first time behind the wheeeeeeeeeel
What they really loved about the Philippines beyond the wonderful beaches and the beautiful islands are the people. Everybody was just friendly and warm and happy and game. I know this won’t be their last time here but for now we are already planning on our next reunion trip.
Beijing perhaps or why not Cape town?
Hmmmm… Abangan!
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images shot in Boracay, Philippines
Arurumerci Ella & Gino for everything
WATTA JOY May 3, 2011
What a joy to feel the sand under my bare feet
to sip endless fruit shakes by the beach
to feel the sun slowly baking my skin
to take a dip in the sparkling sea
and watch the sky turn orange-y
HOME IS WHEREVER YOU ARE
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images shot in Boracay, Philippines
