This photo is of Jeepney’s parked in Makati City, when I lived there while working during 2006-2007 temporarily (management) in a call center. These Jeepney ran what they called the Makati Circle, a designated route that basically went through and around Makati City.
Makati Loop Jeepney’s. 2006
Each day in Lockdown/Quarantine I’m going to try and find one photo from my past times in the Philippines and post it. This was from when I worked here back in 2006-2007 as Fraud Examiner with a call center company. — Salcedo Park Food Market, Makati Phlippines. Two nuns having fun shopping at the weekend market.
Each day in Lockdown/Quarantine I’m going to try and find one photo from my past times in the Philippines and post it. This was from when I worked here back in 2006-2007 as Fraud Examiner with a call center company. — Salcedo Park Food Market, Makati Phlippines. Two nuns having fun shopping at the weekend market. Camera was a Nikon S10 pocket digital camera with a 10X optical zoom.
Sorry it’s been so long things of been a bit crazy the last few months. In fact the last month and a half wait been in a hard blocked him due to the coronavirus here in the Philippines. But nothing new there it’s all over the world.
Anyway I’m going to be trying to do a lot more work here and especially once they ease up on the current lock down quarantines here in the Philippines. I live in Tarlac city which is central Luzon the main island in the Philippines. We are still in the highest level of lockdown. We’re hoping that after May 15 they may start to ease some of the restrictions. For now, I’m just going to include a photograph taken during one of my twice weekly “allowed” grocery shopping trips. A simple view of what it’s like to ride in a trike sidecar. I’m also doing something different because my cell phone is having problems so instead of trying to type on it, I am dictating this using Siri. I hope there will be more frequent updates in the near future as once they loosen up the lock down I will be able to get out and do more photography. Using dictation should also allow me to do more writing while away from my home computer. At least I hope that I will soon be able to get out, travel and photograph more.
I still have my Olympus and Pansonic camera gear but for a more casual approach to documentary photograhy, a cell phone can be nice. I have several apps that can provide very high quality results, as long as I’m not printing poster size prints. On that note: My old iPhone 6s+ is on its last legs. It has been broken and repaired 3 times over the past 5+ years. It has now been abused (yes by me) beyond reasonable design parameters. Looking at other iPhone options. The new iPhone SE is looking very good at a very reaonable price. Not so different on the outside, but the tech inside is state of the art and very impressive. At a price that fits my tight budget.
FYI, my family here was scattered all over the island when the quarantine and lockdown went into effect. I am the only one at home. Everyone else is … well somewhere else, and none of us can travel between areas. In the image below you can see Tarlac City where I am, towards the top. Farther down is the NCR or National Capital Region, AKA Manila metro where my housemate is stuck. Her son is also near her but in a different city where he now works. (NCR (National Captial Region) or Manila Metro is comprised of about 16 very dense and highly populated cities. Her Daughter is in another town, with her cousins of similar ages. And with the current lockdown there is no travel between unless one can show a good reason. (There are police baracades)
I don’t think everything that happen’s has a reason, but many things do. I do believe in cause and effect, and that the things we experience are influenced by the things we do and the choices we make. But in the end, most things ties back to our choices. Only a few things that happen are pre-ordained, for our life experience and learning.
But even then our choices and other people’s choices, determine HOW we experience those things, for better or worse. In the end, it is our own choices we must concern ourself with. That is how we learn.
From my experience, it is 1 part karma (destiny) and 9 parts free will. No higher power has ever wished bad things to happen to us, but those that did happen are usually the results of our life choices or soul lessons we chose to learn from. The excepetion may be childhood, but even then, on a soul level, we chose to be born into a situation, knowing that it could go in many different directions.
Likewise the good things that happened were the result of life choices and free will. Destiny happens in a moment. What flows from that moment we decide by our actions and choices. For better or worse.
One of the greatest lessons, though sometimes painful, is our ability to accept when things don’t happen the way we want them too. All parties involved have free will and we must accept their right to free will, as much as we want it for ourselves. – The greatest lesson of all is to walk away from our difficult experiences, not with anger or hate, but with love in our heart, no matter how things go. But then we must choose for ourselves to walk away from that which is not good for us.
Pain passes only when we let it go and embrace our past experiences with unconditional love and blessings for all concerned. If we do not, then we are destined to repeat the lesson until we master it. And spiritual mastery only comes from unconditional love and forgiveness.
It is always our choice if we embrace or walk away from a situtation. Ever decision has consequences. But if those consequences are good or bad, positive or negative is up to us to decide. Destiny sometimes happens, but how we experience it, is always up to us. If it is good or bad is a choice “we make” for ourselves. Every life experience has lessons. We choose what we wish to learn from those lessons. And our choice is what decides our future destiny. Choices made with love and forgiveness always lead to the best destinies.
Sorry, I have been missing in action here the last few months. Between health issues and some financial setbacks I haven’t been as active as I would like. I would like to introduce you to a relatively new Facebook page I have started called “Travel Photography Philippines.” Since I live in the Philippines (Tarlc City) I decided to create a page to celebrate the visual imagery of the Philippines and it’s culture. If you have been in the Philippines and have some photos (old or new) you would like to share, feel free to stop by. Or perhaps you will just want to glimpse some of the beauty and culture of the Philippine Islands. You will have to request membership in order to post but that is granted quickly.
Surf at Dingalan Beach, Aurora Province, Philippines.
White Rock Beach resort. Subic Bay, Philippines. A family oriented resort in Zambales, Philippines, Subic Bay. A little on the pricey side but great place for family vacations or weekends with lots of activities. #subic #whiterock #subicbay #zambales #philippines
Things have been a bit crazy for me the past few months. Limited in my ability to travel out and about both physically and financially. Thought I would share a few photos from the Philippines, some are new and some are older and may have been posted before.
All are taken with my Olympus OMD-EM5-II and 12-40 F2.8 Pro lens. Enjoy.
Hope to get back out for some serious photography before the rainy season starts in June.
Jeepney and trike passing in opposite directions, Tarlac City Tarlac. Shot with Olympus 9mm semi-fisheye.
At the beach. Filipinos love to pose for photos.
Another hot day. Caught a trike down to the McDonald’s where I got a fish sandwich, small fry and large iced tea. After I decide to walk home, good for exercise but not so good on a very hot day. Got most of the way, but was feeling the burn. Stopped at a Sari-sari store and got a 500ml bottle of cold water for 10 pesos. (about 20 cents US$). Continued my walk more slowly. As I was getting close to Fiesta Community San Rafael where I live, one of the community trikes pulled up an honked. Offered me a ride the rest of the way and I was only too glad to accept. It pays to treat the community trike drivers well, they will always watch out for you. The driver took to my home and refused payment because it was such a short drive. (He was on his way back to the community anyway). Continue reading
Through David's Eye 