Inkblots™ Home

Introducing my new home page: Inkblots™ Home.

This is an aggregator of my blogs, photography, personal and photography networks.

Please feel free to link. Thank you!

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I am explored!

For two years in Flickr, and flickr-ring, I always wondered how is it to be explored. Flickr's Explore page consists of 500 photos of the day based on interesting-ness and is chosen using a secret algorithm only Yahoo and Explore people would know. Being in explore to some gives them that kind of pride and say: "Hey I am explored!" For some, being explored means winning a lottery. Some add this as a feather in their cap.

My friends kept on asking me, why on earth don't I have any explored photo? I said I don't know why. I really don't know why. I am not really interested, after all. What matters to me are the real comments of my friends who have always appreciated my photos in Flickr. Nevertheless, the question kept on nagging me. So now I am more interested to find out how "explore" works rather than being explored.

So I deleted my Bighugelabs account that provides the service Flickr Scout--the one that looks for your photos in explore. I thought that there might be some problems with my account because there was a time that I unlinked my Flickr account for fear that it would be used by a third party. Then I signed up again, and made sure both applications were linked. Still there was none. So I tinkered in my Flickr account--where I saw I disallowed third party APIs (Application Programming Interface), so I allowed all APIs to run into my Flickr account.  Then voila!  I found one last night!  This morning, I found two.

So after two years in flickr, I have been "rewarded" with "explored" photos--oh well, not that majority of my photos are interesting.  They just did not manage to get into the 500 most interesting photos of the day among the hundreds of thousands of photos being uploaded. [Sourgraping! Lols!].  So here they are: ordinary photos that made to Top 500 in that particular day:

1. Almost blinded, 2. Searching
Created with fd's Flickr Toys.

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Ang ngiti ni Nog-nog

Si Nog-nog ay isang batang palaboy sa Binondo. Makulit at hungkag sa wastong kaugalian na natututunan ng isang batang normal sa isang normal na tahanan. Ngunit narunong siyang makihalubilo sa lansangan--street smart, ika nga.

Subalit sa bawat pag-click ng camera, napapahinahon mo sya--tila tumitigil ang gulo at ingay ng mundong ginagalawan niya. Pakiramdam niya, napa-importanteng tao nya kung bakit sya kinukuhanan ng larawan--isang panandaliang kasikatan, isang panandaliang kaligayahan, ilang sandaling pagtigil ng di kaaya-ayang salitang namumutawi sa kanyang bibig--at sa kanyang pagngiti, tumitikom ito..sandaling nahahalinhan ng kapayapaan, ng isang ngiting umaapaw ng pagmamalaki, ng pag-asa, at ng kaligayahan.

Ngiti pa bata!


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On being part of a rich heritage

Last July 26, members of Pinoy Kodakero members, (that includes me) shared their talents to a worthy cause to San Carlos Seminary in building up their Heritage Hall, aptly called Bulwagang Karlista. It was a fun-filled day, not mentioning of course the sumptuous meals given to us! More importantly, however, is the fact that we were able to share our talents for the Glory of God!

On November 3, after three months of conceptualizing, renovating, selecting artifacts, photos, and memorabilia for display, San Carlos Seminary finally inaugurated the new Bulwagang Karlista, which included the photos of the PK members.

Bulwagang Karlista (BK) at a Glance

1. Appreciation, 2. Memorabilia, 3. Humilitas, 4. My work on display

The exhibit hall is divided into 6 areas: history, seminary life, altar area, photo mosaic, snap shots and tribute wall. As contained in the brochure of BK:

The Bulwagang Karlista is not meant to be merely a repository of old photographs and dusty artifacts--remnants of an era long gone by. It is envisioned to be a shrine dedicated to the Karlista Spirit.

Indeed, BK boasts of its rich with history and pride. It even showcases a lei given by Mother Theresa to Fr. Albert Meersschaert, CICM, and the chair an chasuble used by Pope John Paul II during his visit to the Philippines in 1995.

Being part of their heritage is both fulfilling and a humbling experience. I never knew that some of my photos were actually chosen for the exhibit. Before I took these photos, I had to remind myself, this is all for the Glory of God. Nevertheless, I feel like I am in heaven for two of my photos are on display. One in Samut-sari section and one in Paghuhubog wall.


Finally, I quote:

While it may be said that the greatness of the Karlista Spirit will never be sufficiently contained within the walls of this meager hall, our collective memorial, however, is good enough beginning; for remembrance is teh language of a grateful heart.

To the Karlistas, thank you too for making me (us) part of this undertaking!

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Capturing Undas 2008

Life is pleasant. Death is peaceful. It's the transition that's troublesome. [Isaac Asimov]



Capturing All Saints' Day through the lenses always gives me that creepy feeling. Therefore I took photos therefore were simply iconic and suggestive of what it is all about.

This year is my first time to document a part of Philippine Culture and Tradition--All Saints' Day/ All Souls' Day. However, I do not have plenty of photos since I did not have much time going around the cemetery. Besides, the people in my hometown are not used to being photographed in the solemnity of remembering their departed loved ones, so I decided to leave them in peace and privacy.

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Post Script

After shooting some, I felt a tic on my left uper eye lid. I got scared. I thought, nabati ako ng mga spirits in the cemetery. I got scared and just contented myself with a few shots.

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Losing it

In the past months, I guess, blogging has taken its toll on me. I could not believe that my last entry was last July 9! There were so many factors why I haven't blogged much for more than 2 months.

First, was my job. It was not new to me, but there were more changes and improvements that needed to be implemented this time. Plus I was under pressure to perform better now that I am into my 4th batch of trainees.

Second, I was hooked to photography. I am a self-confessed Flickr addict! I cannot live the day without browsing through the streams of my friends, and administering and moderating groups. My weekends are usually for shoots and photowalks and out of town shoots.

Third, I was also busy with some photography-related activities/ events like joining for the first time, a Flickr photo exhibit in TriNoMa, and joining Pinoy Biyahero of Philippines Group also in Flickr.

And many other more reasons I have already forgotten!

Recently, something motivated me to go back to blogging...and why not? It is my first love! It was actually an e-mail from someone who can relate to my earlier post on Maryhurst garden in Baguio City. I was ecstatic not only because of the fact that I am on page 2 of Google when you search "Maryhurst" (Yes I tried it after reading her email, LOLs!), that I am read, but more importantly because of the fact that we share the same "passion" for Maryhurst.

Let me quote in full her e-mail:

Hello there! I was just trying to browse on the web for some stuffs while waiting for students who'd consult me on their academic load this semester when I chanced on your site regarding the maryhurst garden. I have heard so much of the famous "rose garden." I have been teaching the Maryhurst seminarians for the last 12 yrs, and I may say, every visit to the seminary is always a new experience. But I envy you because like a few, you have been a part of that garden and had appreciated it more than I did in memory.

Maryhurst has changed-the structure, the environment, the people, and perhaps the spirit. One of my college professors told me that when he was still a seminarian back then, Maryhurst was rustic and old and nostalgic. Now, the building looked more of a hotel. It maybe because of that tragic fire that ravaged it and its accessibility to the public. Most of my colleagues in the department where I belong had been Maryhurst seminarians. They can only feed me so much of first-hand info regarding that garden. Even the Panagbennga festival here which is held every February is no match for the late Bro. Armand's rose garden. Indeed, nothing can compare to a past that has not been forgotten. In philosophy, we say that at times, it's always good to forget so that we can remember.

I thank you for your article. It really moved me-the times that I have taken so many things for granted opened a few avenues in my journey. Most good things in life come a long time, and yet, they're still worth waiting for. The Maryhurst garden is no longer that majestic perhaps, but, it still is full of trees, and ferns, a few flowers and a lot of memories.

To you, Ms. Melany Natividad, thank you also for giving me that motivation again. It is now very rare for an unpopular blogger like me to be read, and it brings so much honor to be read even by just one person like you--and I guess, we have the same Alma Mater too, madam!

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