Montréal Revisited

Montréal wasn't part of my original plan. The day before we went to this city, my good mate Jase surprised me and told me we were going on a road trip. I didn't expect that we would travel for more than 8 hours just to visit the largest city of Québec Province, the French part of Canada. I love this city! The charm is different compared to Toronto, a highly urbanized city filled with modern skyscrapers in downtown and midtown areas. Montréal kept its charm by preserving old buildings in the old downtown. While it's notoriously colder here than in Toronto, it didn't stop us to explore this quaint city of Canada.

Months ago, I downloaded a bunch of LR presets, and I tried some of them. While browsing my Montréal album on my hard drive, I still have tons of unedited and unprocessed photos. Since I have all the time today, these are some of my favorite photos of Montréal.

Spring in Sydney

On my fourth and probably the last visit to Australia for this year, I get the chance to experience their Spring season. Sydney enjoys a milder Spring weather than his hipster brother, Melbourne. It's not too hot, and not too cold. All you need is a light jacket!

I was a bit worried when I arrived in Sydney last Wednesday morning. It was gloomy and overcast the entire day. The weather forecast showed that it would be cloudy in the next four days. But, lo and behold. The sun showed up the following day, albeit the gale-force winds.

PHOTO DIARY: Kuala Lumpur in 24 Hours

Last month, I went to Singapore with an overnight side trip at Kuala Lumpur. KL wasn't really part of my plan but since Singapore Airlines is utilizing their brand new Airbus A350-900 in their SIN-KUL leg, my aviation geek friends didn't think twice and booked that flight just to have a glimpse of the new aircraft.

Anyway, KL is an easy city. Public transportation is efficient, the place is pretty much neat, and the food is delicious. These are some of the photos I took during my overnight stay in this Malaysian capital.

PHOTO DIARY: Bali in Technicolor

I spent my 26th birthday in Bali, and it's one of the best birthdays I have ever had. This revered Island of Gods has so much to offer, and I wouldn't mind visiting this place again in the near future.

This year, I am going to create a new photo series: In Technicolor. It was only late last year when I went back to Lightroom to post process my photos. My laptop can now handle the heavy workload and multitasking (Photoshop + Lightroom + Final Cut Pro).

These are some of my favorite shots I took during my first trip to Bali, Indonesia. I only used Canon EOS 1100D with a 50mm f/1.8 prime lens. I downloaded a few presets online, and played with it on Lightroom. Hope you guys like it, and expect more In Technicolor posts on my blog.

My 2017 in 10 Photos

Who would've thought that I'd survive 2017? I still can't believe that the year 2017 is about to end in the less than 24 hours. I can truly say that 2017 is my most traveled year. It's not just about traveling to different places, but the year was wholly about my personal journey.

Photo Diary: The Blue Autumn

What I really love about the autumn is its foliage. It's a visual feast where the tides and hues of crimson and tangerine dominate the environment. When we went there last month, the sky was blue and cloudless, creating a beautiful contrast of colors. I have seen a lot of photos of Autumn but nothing beats the experience of seeing it right before your very own eyes!

For this post, I'm gonna share some of my favorite "Blue Autumn" photos in Seoul, South Korea.

Photo Diary: The Capital

I went to Manila for my two-week training for the theoretical part of my radar course training (aka work). It's actually good to be back at the training center. Even though the corridors and the classrooms were already renovated, it was still a walk down memory lane. The memories of the old, decrypted hallways of the training center will never ebb in my subconscious thoughts. How could I forget this place? This is where I built my dreams and aspirations in life. Every corner of the building knew how hard I fought to become one of the guiding voices of the sky.

Drama aside, here are some of the snapshots I took during my two-week stay in Manila.

PS: I also made a 90 sec film. It's my first attempt to try cinematography. I know I still have a lot to improve, but I did enjoy filming this clip. Hope you enjoyed it!

Photo Diary: City Lights x Neon Lights

I usually post-process my photos on Adobe Photoshop. Before I bought my new laptop (it's a Macbook Retina Pro 2015 model, and I regret nothing) two months ago, post-processing was a daunting task. Aside from the fact that I edit photos individually, my previous laptop worked very slow that sometimes, it can no longer open Microsoft Word. I can't blame it, the laptop's already seven years old, and the hardware's already outdated. It can no longer catch up with today's technology.

Ever since I installed Adobe Lightroom on my new laptop, post-processing became a breeze. I got hooked on the travel presets. There are so many presets available online, some costs around ten to twenty bucks, but the choices are endless. These Lightroom preset had helped me in curating my Instagram feed.

When in Davao: The Weekend Market

Food markets are starting to become a trend in Davao, and I think it's a great thing. As new restaurants starting to sprout like mushrooms in almost every corner of the city, I guess the locals are now ready to invest to new fusion cuisines and gastronomic adventures. As a self-proclaimed food junkie, this is a perfect place not just to discover new dishes that are locally made in Davao, but also a great venue to be with people who share the same passion - food.

Last week, Manic Nightnings Productions organized The Weekend Food Market: Chef's Specialty Edition. For four days, Davaoeños enjoy a variety of food at SM Lanang Premier's parking lot B. This month of May, they will be organizing another edition of The Weekend Market with a theme "Smoke in the City". I am so excited to be there again!

In the meantime, allow me to share some photos I took during the previous edition of The Weekend Market. I hope this post didn't make you hungry.

Consider this a warning. *wink*

PHOTO DIARY: My Top Ten Favorite Travel Photos

A few days, I was invited to be one of the speakers of M3 - Millenial Mixer Meetup, a hangout for millennials with passion and purpose. I had a quick talk about the challenges of a millennial traveler. I promise that I'd make a blog post about it, but for the meantime, I would like to share my top ten favorite travel photos which I presented after my talk.

This list might change as I continue to explore more places in the near future. As Hans Christian Andersen puts it: To travel is to live.

PHOTO DIARY: Yogyakarta, Indonesia

Yogyakarta (pronounced as Jogjakarta, or Jogja for short) is one of the most important cities in Central Java. Most of its corners are laced with so much history dated back in the early 13th century. Its heritage and culture are so vibrant that it is one of the most visited Indonesian cities by both local and foreign tourists. There are so many places to visit in Jogja - Jalan Malioboro where you can find the cheapest batik goods, the water castle, and other several geoheritage sites. As you explore the outskirts of the city, you'll discover more of the Java Island's history. Ancient temples like Borobudur, the world's largest Buddhist temple, and a UNESCO Heritage Site, and Prambanan Temple, the largest Hindu temple in Indonesia, offer a glimpse of the country's colorful past.

These are some of the photos I took during my trip in Yogyakarta last August 2015. We only stayed there overnight. I should be back there and explore more of Jogja.

Camera: Canon EOS 1100D / 50mm f/1.8

PHOTO DIARY: Amazing Thailand

Last Christmas eve, while my other cousins were busy with the kids, my other cousin's wife and I had a deep conversation about one thing that we're both interested - traveling. Interestingly, she's from Thailand and obviously, we talked about the cultural differences between Thais and Filipinos. Traveling around southeast Asia made me realize that the Philippines is an odd man out in the group. I mean, we are the only predominantly Catholic country in the ASEAN region, and the western influence in our country is very apparent. It's like a third-world version of the USA!

Thailand will always be one of my favorite countries to visit. The food is delicious and cheap, the temples are stunning, and it's the perfect place for shopping! Let me share some of my favorite photos I took during my trip to Thailand. If only I had enough time, I wouldn't mind going back there and rediscover what Thailand has to offer.

Photo Diary: Bali, Indonesia

Bali is an island province of Indonesia. Unlike its neighboring provinces, this region is predominantly Hindu, which is why this region stands out from the rest. After exploring the cities and towns of West and Central Java last year, I finally know why people keep on coming back to Bali. I love the diversity of Balinese culture. Not to mention, there are so many activities to do on this island alone!

I spent my 26th birthday here, and damn, I regret nothing! For four days, we went temple hopping, visited the sacred monkey forest of Ubud, and ate different Balinese dishes. That's why I got so thrilled after receiving an email from Wonderful Indonesia. I just won a trip for two to Bali, Indonesia! Christmas came early! I remember making a promise that I'll return to Bali, but I didn't expect I'll be back so soon. Mom and I will be there in the third week of November, just a few days after our Bangkok trip. Hahaha!

Here are some of my favorite photos on my first visit to Bali. I do hope I'd add more as I explore more of this famed island. Weapon of choice: Canon EOS 1100D, 50mm f/1.8 prime lens.

Photo Diary: Vietnam

Vietnam will always have a special place in my heart. It all started with my penchant for Miss Saigon. I would always listen to all of its songs whenever I'm bored and I got more curious about this country after studying its history back in high school and college (see, I was really a nerd). Two years ago, I got the chance to visit Vietnam twice on the same period. I was in awe. Saigon is beautiful. It's actually a beautiful mess - motorcyclists who were ready to bend traffic rules, buildings haphazardly built in the central district of the city, and huge sequoias beautifully lined up along the city's narrow streets and public parks.

Okay, I'll just keep this short, Here's my Vietnamese photo diary. Places visited: Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City), and Mui Ne. I am hoping to explore Hanoi, Hue, and Da Nang in the near future.

Photo Diary: MNL, PH

There is something about Manila. As much as I hate experiencing its notorious gridlock traffic, I will always keep on coming back to Manila. Heck, I wasn't even born and raised there! My recent trip in Manila wasn't really part of my original plan but, yeah, you figured it already. Talking about spontaneity.

Photo Diary: Wonderful Indonesia

I'm itching to travel again and I can no longer contain my excitement for my upcoming birthday trip! And for my photo diary series, I'm going to feature our neighboring archipelagic country - Indonesia. This country is more than just a chain of active stratovolcanoes with exotic animal and plant species thriving around it. Like the Philippines, it is home to millions of multicultural communities, historical architectures, local languages, and local cuisines. Last year, I explored Jakarta, Bandung, Bogor, and Yogyakarta.

Here are some of photos that I truly love from my Indonesian adventure last year. Weapon of choice: Canon EOS 1100D.

Kota Kinabalu in 50mm

Pulau Mamutik, Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park

When I went to Kota Kinabalu three years ago, I immediately fell in love with the place. The city's not that crowded, quaint, and affordable. Not to mention that their food tastes great! Last month, I went back to Kota Kinabalu to strike one item in my bucket list - parasailing abroad. The plan didn't push through when I first went there three years ago due to inclement weather.

I couldn't enjoy my Kota Kinabalu trip without these crazy and kaladkarin people - Ria, Kisha, Pau, and Fra. We truly had a blast despite the limited time.

Photo Diary: Hong Kong in 50mm

Downtown Hong Kong

Every time I ask my friends on what was the first country they've visited, majority answered Hong Kong. Well, it's primarily because of two things: Hong Kong Disneyland and Ocean Park, and its close proximity from Manila, Philippines (it only takes an hour and forty-five minutes to reach Hong Kong, the same travel time when you fly from Manila to Davao).

Hong Kong was a former British colony until in 1997, it became a special administrative region of China granted with a full autonomy. Rapid economic developments were seen in the early 70s and even after it was formally handed over to China, Hong Kong still remains as one of the most important cities not only in Asia but also to the world. No wonder why it was dubbed as the Asia's World City. This special administrative region of China also serves as an important hub or transit in air travel, making their one and only international airport as one of the busiest and  highly revered airports in the world in terms of connectivity, and passenger comfort.

Kota Kinabalu: A Photo Diary

Salt and sand.

Creating this photo series is fun, after all. This is also my way to save some photos that I really like, in case my external hd goes bonkers. I just hope that Blogger wouldn't shut down for good like Friendster and Multiply, who both went to Internet heaven almost a decade ago. My hopes are high for Google but I'm prepared for the worst case scenario. In Filipino slang, walang forever.

Kota Kinabalu was my first international destination. The reason why I chose KK was not because I wanted to avoid mainstream international destinations (e.g., Hongkong, Macau, and the likes), but because roundtrip tickets to Kota Kinabalu were sold at a very low price! Eh, beggars can't be choosy, diba?

Well, here it is... my Kota Kinabalu photo diary!

All photos were taken using my Canon EOS 1100D. This time, I only used my kit lens (18-55mm f/3.0-5.6), and were post-processed in Adobe Photoshop CS5.

Siem Reap: A Photo Diary

We did not afford to miss the Angkor Wat sunrise, even if we only had 3 hrs of sleep.

I was browsing my external hd when I came across with the 2014 Adventures folder. Out of curiosity (and boredom), I clicked the folder and saw the Vietnam-Cambodia 2014 subfolder. I got surprised because I took hundreds of photos in Siem Reap, Cambodia alone (a total of 234 photos to be exact) yet I only managed to publish one blog post last year. Nonetheless, it did not suffice. Siem Reap is truly a perfect place for landscape photographers and hobbyists alike.

So here it is, a photo essay of my Siem Reap adventure last year. Let the photos speak for itself although there may be a few captions or backstories as we progress, so please bear with me. Haha!

Note: all photos were taken using a Canon EOS 1100D camera, 50mm f/1.8 prime lens and were post-processed in Adobe Photoshop CS6.