Points to Ponder | Small-Scale Fire Incidents

Waking up in the usual routine, and going through the same grind that’s a typical morning day. There were blaring sirens and fire engines making noise in the other street. It was alarming to think it might be just the annual Fire Drill that most offices in Makati City are doing as other establishments have been doing to prepare for the force, but nothing prepared me for this day. It was almost lunch already, and there have been so many things on my plate. Like everyone in this country, most people would just continue to ignore what’s happening around them. But I’m not “most people” who would pretend I’m wearing horse blinders and choose to black out my perspective as my eyes are open.

Behind the Lens | Art, Toys & Photography

In so many ways you can say Art, Toys, and Photography intersect to create a new content that is redefined by its perspective.I’ve been into it for so long that it has become a secondhand that the only thing I’m running out is ideas. But sometimes I find these ideas in the small things whereas a random discussion or a random thought that suddenly pops up. This is where things get challenging and at the samtime interesting. I don’t prepare for the setup comes to me by something that triggers that idea. Just like the tail end of an art event I attended last night, which sparked an idea from a conversation was something just happened.

Ayala Cinemas | Return to the Movies

It has been exactly two years and some few days since the last time I stepped in the cinema to watch a movie. It’s been quite a while but that changed all that with the pandemic and the emergence of streaming services. Local cinemas are slowly opening and easing restrictions, but we can’t vigilant to be careful are we? Speaking of vigilant, the first movie I’ve decided to see was “The Batman” and my expectations wasn’t as high as it used to be. But I’ve seen a handful of trailers and staving off early critical reviews and try to get to feel that ‘big screen’ atmosphere when I entered the cinema a few minutes before the actual movie played.

Everyday City | Mind Through Visuals

Lockdowns are tough. It’s like the world has stopped and you feel useless. Some find ways to go about their day, but for some its not the appearance that you see. Though how most go through with their Mental Health, their anxieties or coping through isolation. Last year was really rough and the pandemic has made short work on most creative individuals out there. Personally, it really took me out unknowingly while on isolation. There was no challenges to write something it’s the part that I need, which is to at least get out of the house for a bit of stroll. Most those days were done in the middle of the day to think and get some ideas, but when you’re stuck at home it become long naps.

Points to Ponder | Bike Lanes to Congestion

Since the COVID-19 Pandemic the dynamic of life has changed all over the world. There’s so much to tackle with social issues and other major challenges that everyone has to deal with. But there are also the little things that matter most that can impact the way things are happening all of a sudden. With that there also trends to in how people deal with the situation every given day. In the Philippines, with the suspension of public transport, the population turns to other modes of transport namely, the push bikes or if you have the money to burn there are also the electric two wheels like the scooter. With that changes to how the road and street have given away to these types of vehicles sometimes it doesn’t really worth the adjustment if the lack of space to have them in particular streets.

Behind the Lens | Space Cowboy Saturday

“Space Cowboy Saturday” is a once a week photo activity on Instagram that you’ll find being used as a hashtag. When you view this there’s a plethora of interpretation what the words meant. When I heard of the word “Space Cowboy” it immediately referred me to the Japanese anime hit series Cowboy Bebop from the late 1990s that featured Spike Spiegel as the aforementioned guy being called with such name. But the term was used heavily as a hashtag for the day namely a Saturday activity going back to 2017. At that time my interest in LEGO photography was basic random of what set or build I have with me until I got rekindled into the interest for anything LEGO space-related named the Classic theme.

Behind the Lens | A Moment in Space

Sometimes the best laid plans don’t actually work when you’re not prepared for the task at hand. Spending almost half of the day looking for the crucial piece as part of the prop and set up is like looking for a needle in a haystack. The idea was there but the execution was a fail in so many way in finding that important device. Indoor Photography set ups are no longer my forte and yet it got me interested again. There’s this month-long contest by Brick Central called “Shot at Home” where you put your LEGO Minifigure in these places, but the challenge there was the use of home-based items that seemed quite the interest that there have been some of the best well-made set up that was quite inviting and at the same time enticing not to ignore.

Behind the Lens | Starry Stargirl Nights

It’s been a while since I did focus on putting together a mini-project that has something to do with Toy Photography as most of the time I spent using most of the composition for content use as part of a review article or reinventing the concept as an improvisation challenge personally to myself in my usual content for social media. I’ve been out of the game for far too long just taking it lightly. But recently I also haven’t done anything that needs setting up indoors to put together. Honestly, I have enough backlogs to write about some for content though this time it’s just something I want to do differently than a conventional run-in-the-mill outdoor composition that has become a routine. Also, I got to acquire some of the most recent LEGO Minifigures that includes DC’s Stargirl from that series.

Matter of Perspective | Savage City

There’s no such thing as the great outdoors anymore due to the pandemic of COVID-19 and the only reason why the city is slowly opening up is due to economy. It is still not highly advised to go out and venture your way to spend at your own leisure. But you can’t avoid seeing people now that might have made the change in your perspective these past months being in quarantine. The only reason you need to step out is either you run to do your errands and other important priorities or for those who are cautiously need to get out in doing your workout routine that only allows you in your limited time. But of course in those short travels to the store to buy food or a jog around your area for the observant you may find something that is not ‘normal’ to a decent educated individual.

The Commuter | City, Society, & Perspective

There is something about going out just a few minutes to get some air out or do the usual errand walking by the store to buy some food. Then there’s that feeling of ‘cabin fever’ when you travel farther than what you have been used to for the past two months that seemed an eternity, which is a strange thing that I used to take for granted day in and out since it was the normal thing to do. But yesterday was something an anxiety of that different feeling that you don’t want to get out of the house or even try to take the first step out of your comfort zone. It is nauseating at the same time feels like it’s totally different that your body just wants to stay indoors and spend more time recharging in bed. But that’s not going to happen now I travel to go back to Manila for the first time in the past weeks.

The Collective | Priority Needs

It has been more than two months and the easing of the mandatory quarantine doesn’t fit well with most people who has got used to staying indoors. Not all countries have the same protocols but if you’re in Asia most of these restrictions goes beyond what everyone can handle and it shows the difference that the world have the dame experience with this coronavirus pandemic. It’s ironic that the daily routine I have been used to continue to expand in keeping me challenged at the same time finding a workout since exercise is not from everyone’s mindset. Walking around helps but taking a stroll farther from the usual route is something out of the perspective already was a small feat but an accomplishment.

Makati | The Two Cities of Makati

Makati is one of the major cities in Metro Manila. When you mention the name and the first thing on top of your head is the business district and the commercial space that has been there probably even before you were born. It has heritage and history that goes back to the Spaniards taking over the country. These challenging times during the coronavirus pandemic it is currently deserted. But it also gave a little bit of clarity what is Makati as a city would probably surprise you that they are TWO cities within. In other countries like in Australia when you say the City of Adelaide it covers what is defined of that location and in the map the border of greenery surrounding it would easily say that’s downtown. Makati is different the marketing “Make It Makai” is just for the Business District Not the City.

Week in Quarantine | The New Reality

The world we live in has drastically changed since the World Health Organization (WHO) has announced that COVID-19 is now pandemic. The news broke the weekend before and most people started scrambling for grocery supplies filling up their stock as most countries has closed borders to curb up the spread of the virus. In the Philippines, it depends on anyone’s perspective but the impact of these changes was quick with LGU (Local Government Units) have set restrictions and asked local non-essential businesses to close out their malls and request people to indoors. Like most people with similar announcements not all have taken this seriously. But it had to happen and as these changes happen the week as you know it is gone.

Human Nature | Don't Panic for Survival

The weekend seems a little bit grim due to the Corona Virus (COVID-19) and the Philippine government making announcements last night about locking down Metro Manila from 15 March to 14 April 2020 has been going around social media with different interpretations across the board. This things should be a serious matter now that affects livelihood of many people across the globe as WHO (World Health Organization) has announced that the virus now Pandemic, but follow-up with a clarification that it is a “controlled pandemic” as countries started closing down on foreign visitors. It’s like a scene from a sci-fi horror film but it is true that things are getting worse.

Discovery Behind the Jeepney Mural

There are things that catch your attention when it comes to art and then there is that one that really stands out. You need to dig up and find its original story and in the case of a mural painting that covers the current renovation of the Ayala Museum featuring a jeepney painting that had an overloaded passenger it really caught my attention how it was depicted being set in a local province in the Philippines. But it gets interesting when I was getting my friend’s stuff in order to bring it to his temporary place before he goes back to his home country. Interesting enough that all his stuff was sitting in my room almost nine years ago and while I was preparing I came across an old postcard from 2001 that made it more than just a jeepney image.

The Collective | Inside Bigboy's Museum

DJ Bigboy, the owner of Secret Fresh and sometime part-time club DJ has been known to collect a lot of things. He has one of the biggest and rarest collections of designer art toys and has amassed also a collection of sneakers that would cost a fortune that has been featured by other YouTube vloggers several times from different parts of the world. Recently, with his ever growing collection he started moving some of his collection at The Deck of the Ronact Art Center located at the fourth level. Originally, the museum was supposed to be opened to the public but changed into a private room that is Bigboy’s home away from home…

Behind The Scenes | Talking About Hobby & Life

02.12.2020 – Over the weekend I was knee deep rearranging my storage at the same time pulling out all the stops for my friend’s stuff that has been kept in my room since March 2011 and at that time it was a transition of sorts on his life. I just came from an 18 day stay in Tongyeong City in one of the province of Busan, South Korea. I haven’t seen him since he left in August 2008 and by the time he came back to make a personal appearance to his then-fiancé now wife more changes happened. That was almost nine years ago when I helped him sort out his things. That wasn’t his last visit to the country as I still saw him in November 2016 before I also went overseas…

The Collective | Las Vegas Hookups

02.10.2020 – It has been a while since I have received some appreciation from close friends and relatives. I rarely, share them as I keep things in perspective how these things are unexpected presents from the closest people that I used to hangout that have moved overseas that still don’t forget to be thoughtful. That last time I receive presents when I was back in Adelaide since I have a friend from another state and another one from Queensland who just recently started a hobby. This time around my younger sibling from the US was in town for his sister-in-law’s wedding and his trip with the fam was short, but unexpected opportunity.

TUBE MNL | Ways to be Informative

02.09.2020 – If you’re in the Philippines and commute mostly through the three active elevated railways or try your way out weaving through horrendous traffic in any means possible to avoid taking too much time in one area. Chances are some of this public commutes have visual billboard or something for distraction. The LRT 1, 2, and the MRT 3 tram railways has consolidated its link up to better manage the local commutes in Metro Manila. In these elevated rail transits they also consolidated content namely adding visual billboards that carry information and sometimes content from their collaboration with TUBE MNL and network giant ABS-CBN, which either a distraction or a disaster that needs further improvement.

Kobe Bryant | Mamba Inspired Life

01.29.2020 – More than forty eight hours has been passed and tributes poured in from NBA games to the Staples Center for the tragic death of Kobe Bryant that also include his 13-year old daughter Gianna, six family friends including Coach John Altobelli and his wife and daughter, and the pilot. All on board were killed. The past couple of days were really somber all over the world who have followed a 17 year old became one of the NBA Greats of All Time. It was a gut wrenching day as mostly described who knew Kobe as a person beyond the basketball player people associate him with. What’s tough is that in his tragic death it also included Gianna, the heir apparent to follow his path in becoming the basketball player we all hope for is also gone.