11 | Finding solitude

At this time of the year, everything moves so fast.  Everything is rush and everyone seems so pre-occupied with beating deadlines!

I have started a countdown, yet, I missed 4 days of it.  Friday was devoted to finishing some reports then the Indios party at night. Weekends were spent for work backlogs, continued on Monday.

Practically, there was no time to take a break from all of these.

Scavenging through my photos today, I found this one.  It was taken a year ago back home in Nueva Ecija.  It was some kind of special for me.  But one thing that encouraged me to upload this, despite working on another set of tasks, is the solitude it gives me.

After all, Christmas should mean love, hope, and peace.

Read More

16 | So-so upload for the day

This is it!  Now I am finding it so hard to really be religious with a countdown thingy.  What more with a "Project 365"!  That--I will not go into--definitely!

No matter how much effort you put into a certain "project" there are things or events that happen unexpectedly.  Even if you strictly follow a schedule, sometimes, this could not just be followed, especially when your physical body gives in.

The day was busy.  There were tons of emails to reply to.  Write-ups to prepare.  Backlogs to complete.  A tired body to deal and overcome with.  All of these happen in one morning when your body would like giving up.  But sometimes you cannot cheat your body and have no other logical choice but to give in.  A 5-hour sleep, I guess was enough to rejuvenate.  Indeed it was a deep sleep. Now back infront of my laptop--to work to catch up on Facebook, my flickr, and my blog, among otehr things--then back to work again.  I just hope to finish everything before dawn tomorrow.

Still, I am happy, because it is the season to be such!

Read More

17 | Light of the world

One of the joys of being a photographer is having your work chosen for some kind of "publication."  Without bragging, some of my photos were actually featured in Pinoycentric, and of course in www.devcomsync.com, which I am working on.


My photo "Light of the World" was chosen for the 2009 Calendar of the Flickristasindios.  This is a photo of my 5 year old capiz lantern (parol).  Shooting it with ever changing light patterns was a challenging job.  Getting the right exposure is equally difficult.  After shooting this, only did I realize that I can freeze the light or put them on a "steady" mode.  Nonetheless, it came out well, despite it having tested my patience and my skills!

For 2010 Calendar, one of my photos was selected again for the month of August, and has the theme: Friendship.  My apologies that I could not give the calendar to all my friends since printing now is more expensive. (I only ordered 10).  Flickristasindios, is a non-profit informal organization, and does not have a seed fund to print a calendar in bulk, and we rely mainly on orders.


Again, as I mentioned earlier in my blog, I have donated my photo to be in the calendar of ABS CBN foundation.  No compensation, but it is the spirit of sharing that counts.

Then I realize, am I beginning to think I am a "calendar king"?  LOLs!

But then I further realize, some of my photos become the light of the world as it continues to inspire other people.

Read More

18 | It is Immaculate Conception day!

(Note: this was posted late due to some internet connection problems). 

Today, December 8 is the feast day of the Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception...I have no fitting photo of the Immaculate Conception image, but I guess this will suffice.

Being a Catholic, and schooled in a catholic school, I have never really fully understood this Marian tradition.

Good thing there are available online resources already.  I am glad the my high school Alma Mater is intensifying its catechism on this matter.

Catholic Encyclopedia mentions:

In the Constitution Ineffabilis Deus of 8 December, 1854, Pius IX pronounced and defined that the Blessed Virgin Mary "in the first instance of her conception, by a singular privilege and graceGod, in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the human race, was preserved exempt from all stain of original sin." 

Read more from the site.

Read More

19 | The Nativity in stained glass

Read More

20 | As we end our mourning

Early this year, we faced a big test. Losing a mother was painful. She was our mentor, best friend, a confidante, our chef, and everything for us. Losing Mamang was like losing an anchor, but just like what I mentioned in my earlier blog about her, there was a reason for her leaving us. Until now, the teacher that she is, she is still teaching us a lesson--about being a family. We have not lost an anchor, and we did not drift far apart. We realized we are safely tied up together.




I could only go back to the sweet memories. Remembering her still pinches the soft spot in me, but everything has to go on, just like the way she wanted us all to be. Every time I pay her a tribute, I feel a certain loss, but her memories will always fill me.

As we end our mourning today, we raise her up to Our Creator.

She's in good hands.

Read More

21 - A star lamp is born!

Earlier, I blogged about a set of busted Christmas lights and wondered where I could use it. Then I noticed a lamp inside the bedroom, which we do not actually use for the longest time. Besides, it's sinamay fabric is already a bit faded, ergo, it does not look good. I got the lamp as a gift from one of project partners in Davao and I do not want to give it away for some sentimental reasons.

So I thought, perhaps sprucing it up a bit could make that lamp shade put to good use again. So, I tried putting the stars on, and it just does not work. I tried again, and the stars could not fill the entire shade. Then I tried again, leaving some spaces, and now I got extra 3 stars and I was tired to remove them again.

I turned off the main light and tried it out and voila! I was happy with the result! In fact I can make use of this the whole yer round since stars have that universal appeal and there are only primary colors, except for the green.

So here it is!



and the full size...





Do I have a chance at designing? I only used 2 meters of fine GI wire (that includes the wasted ones) and s small long nosed pliers to secure them in place.

I knew I could make something out of a trash!

Read More

22 - Star

Two years ago, when I blogged about the family tradition of putting up the Christmas tree, I have already noticed that something was different. Yes the boys are growing up and the kind of excitement is almost over. Gio is now 15 going on 16, and will be going to college 2011. How time flies! Gelo is now 11, and will be in his teens soon. Our babies are no longer "our babies".

This year, putting up and sprucing up the tree was a little late. We usually put up the tree after the Halloween. But the typhoon Ondoy has somehow dampened our spirit and "affected" our house, and we decided it was time to had to repaint the interiors. Well this time, it is celery green instead of the usual white boring walls. So decorating for Christmas, was done in between available time. It sounds like a rut, but we thought, "in the spirit of Christmas." And yes, Gelo still wants the tree being spruced up. After all he is still a kid.




Putting up the last piece of the tree, the star, has always been assigned to the youngest. Still, Gelo has that privilege, and so I grabbed this opportunity to record what he likes doing for the past years.

Christmas is near...

Read More

23 - A Christmas gift

Last September, I received an email from ABS-CBN, and it says:

Dear Mr. Ding Fuellos,

We have recently visited your gallery of beautiful photographs over the internet. We are most impressed by your creativity and exemplary skills. We hope that you are open to the idea of donating one of your photographs for the benefit of our Alay sa Batang Basileno campaign, a project that will equip schools in the war-torn towns of Tipo-Tipo, Lamitan, Sumisip and other nearby communities in Basilan with educational television video materials like Sinekwela, Mathinik, Bayani and Hirayamanawari . We believe that by providing children with supplementary learning materials, we will be able to contribute to the long–term peace efforts in the province. Last July, we were able to reach out to 17 schools by giving them educational video libraries, school supplies and a special teacher training orientation on educational television. We are determined to go back to Basilan next year to help some more students and teachers.

Part of our fundraising campaign is the production of “Nais Ko: Mga Pangarap ng Batang Pinoy” calendar . The images will depict aspirations of a Filipino child for himself, his community, his school, his family and his country. You are free to interpret the theme in your photograph. We will be happy with images that convey hope, inspire national pride and the pursuit for excellence . You may send an image from your existing file or capture a new one specifically for the project.

In appreciation of your donation of time and resources, we will be happy to issue you a certificate of donation which you may use to avail of tax incentives next year, complimentary copies of the calendar and an acknowledgment of your photograph in the promotional activities that we will undertake. We also guarantee that you will be properly acknowledged by including your name and contact information in the photo credits.

If you are willing to accept this invitation to take part in the project, please feel free to call us at ***** or email us at *******. We will be happy to hear from you soon.

I also thought that this gesture is a good birthday gift for me, and my gift to humanity. However, the typhoon Ondoy put a halt to this, and I thought that ABS-CBN foundation is no longer interested. Today, as I was contemplating on what to post for my 3rd countdown day, I got an email from them again that is requesting for a particular photo, which is this....



So all in the name of Batang Basileño, I am just glad to share my photo with them.

I can't describe my feelings, but I am just honored with this request for me to donate my photo. I can't wait to see the calendar. Hope you can also buy one of those when they are already available.

Thanks a lot, ABS-CBN Foundation for believing in me.

Read More

24 - To go or not to go?

Day 2 - Countdown to Christmas 2009

It has been one year and I never really paid attention to this busted set of Christmas lights we bought a few years back. It did serve us for at least three (3) Christmases. Not bad! Anyway, I saw this on a pile of things that needed to be disposed (We usually dispose "garbage" at the end of the year.), and I thought that, perhaps, I could make something out of it.



The Ondoy tragedy brought many people to be concerned about the environment including me. (Although many critics say that the the issue on global warming is one big money-making scam, because global warming is a natural phenomenon, so they say, and we are but heading towards that direction--as a matter of course. But that is not my discourse for now.). Still, i think and feel that it is my moral responsibility to protect my "home."

So back to recycling these stars.

One of my flickr contacts commented: "reduce reuse recycle. your xmas gift to mother nature:)."

Oh yes! why not? That is what I exactly have in mind. I mentioned in my Flickr page, that I just need some time patience and time to make something out of it. Creativity is not a problem! It runs in my DNA! [pun intended--if you know that PGMA blurb!].

Cheers for an environmentally friendly Christmas!

Read More

25 | Christmas 2009 countdown

I have not been really into the countdown thing. I thought it was just a waste of time and an additional burden, so they say. However, i just need to relish the thought that 2009 has been very good for me, and it is my way of paying tribute to My Creator. Why not? I am past 40 and life begins at 40, so they say. So what is keeping me from feeling like a kid again? Nothing!

Likewise, I have not been very active with blogging lately and my blog is already being attacked by spammers! I had to delete plenty of spam messages. Good thing I set the moderation settings!

Anyway, I am officially starting my countdown to Christmas 2009, which I started, actually in my Flickr site. (Oh no! the 100 days before Christmas is just too much for me!)

Everyday, until Christmas day, I will post some bits and pieces of what I have in my mind and heart about waiting for Christmas.

For a start, here is a photo I want to share. I tool this photo last year. December 31, to be exact. My big brother was just kind enough to lend me his filters and I tried this "star" filter.

Read More