PhotoHunt: TWISTED

This is the Candler Oak, one of the oldest, if not the oldest, living oak trees in the city of Savannah, Georgia. Its roots are embedded on a property that has been a center of healing for many residents of the city, having had neighbors like the seaman's hospital which operated from 1803 to 1818 and the Savannah Poor House and Hospital which served the population from 1819 to 1854 until it became the headquarters of Medical College of Georgia. During the American Civil War, the hospital was used by opposing forces for the care of their wounded soldiers who recuperated under its gnarly but welcoming branches. In 1930, the William A. Candler
Hospital became its neighbor, which operated for a good fifty years.

Years of exposure to the elements and the ravages of human development threatened to hasten the decline of this magnificent oak tree. Timely intervention from institutions like the Savannah Tree Foundation made it possible for me to see the Candler Oak some 200-plus years after it first sprouted from the ground.

Rightfully so, the Candler Oak was designated a Georgia Landmark and Historic Tree by the Georgia Urban Forest Council in 2001.

Savannah, Georgia, May 2008, using a digicam.

Litratong Pinoy: PALENGKE (Market)

Hindi ako mahilig sa prutas at hindi rin ako maaasahan sa pamamalengke. Subali't sa tingin ko ay kalabisan ang manga sa nagkakahalaga ng P25 kada piraso na nakita ko sa isang pamilihan sa Hilton Head Island sa Amerika. Sana lang ay kasing-sarap ito ng mga manga rito sa atin... Haaay... Ang *sarap* talaga rito sa Pilipinas =]

PALENGKE = MARKET I'm neither a fan of fruits nor am I a reliable shopper. But methinks this is just too much, mangoes that sell for P25 a piece, in a store in Hilton Head Island. I really hope for their sake that these mangoes are as terrific as ours... It's such a *delicious thrill* to be a Filipino =]

Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, May 2008, using a digicam.

PhotoHunt: UPSIDE-DOWN

While on a cruise ship launched from Turku in Finland headed to Stockholm, Sweden, I got to witness one of the most fascinating sunsets ever. It was around 9pm and the struggle between darkness and light was ongoing in the sky, seamlessly and exquisitely reflected on the water's surface. I could hardly tell where the heavens ended and the earth began...

somewhere over the waters off Finland and Sweden, August 2007, using a digicam.

Litratong Pinoy: KARATULA (Signs)

Sa biglang tingin, ang napansin ko agad ay ang matangkad na gitnang istruktura na may tuktok na parang sa isang mosque. Wala na nga ako sa Maynila, nasabi ko sa aking sarili. Nguni't sa dagdag na pag-usisa at pagtitig sa larawan, may nakita akong Jollibee, tricycle, umpukan ng mga nagtitinda ng prutas, nagbebenta ng lobo, lokal na restoran, tindahan ng film ng kamera. May mga karatula at palatandaan na nakikita ko sa kahit anong lugar ako mapadpad sa Pilipinas, maging ako man ay nasa Makati, Maguindanao, o Macabebe.

Hindi pala tayo ganoon ka-magkakaiba...

KARATULA = SIGNS At first, what grabbed my attention was the minnaret-like structure which served as a welcome arch into the city's center. I am definitely not in Manila anymore, I told myself. However, further scrutiny of the vista yielded a Jollibee branch, tricycles, clusters of fruits vendors, balloon sellers, local restaurants, a camera film shop. These were signs and symbols visible in Makati, Maguindanao, or Macabebe- duplicated almost anywhere in the Philippines.

We're not that different after all...

downtown Cotabato City, Match 2009, using a digicam.

PhotoHunt: ELECTRIC

The City That Never Sleeps exudes a Spirit That Will Never Waver.

Lit as brightly as its buildings is a soul that is so multi-faceted it's hard not to feel at home in it somehow. You cannot visit New York City and leave untouched by its intensity, its vibe, its culture, its humanity.

May all those who perished in 9/11 rest in peace. May their families find comfort and consolation. May our world continue to come together and work to maintain lasting peace.

across the Hudson River, New Jersey, May 2008, using a digicam.

Litratong Pinoy: LANSANGAN (Road)

Ang mga panandang ito ay matatagpuan sa magkabilang gilid ng mga pangunahing lansangan sa Pilipinas. Inihahayag ng taas na numero ang kasalukuyang layo mo sa punung pananda (Kilometer Zero) na matatagpuan sa tapat ng bantayog ni Dr. Jose Rizal sa Luneta sa Maynila, samantalang ang ilalim na numero naman ay kumakatawan sa layo mo sa susunod na bayan o siyudad na ang pangalan ay nagsisimula sa titik sa ibabaw nito.

Ito na marahil ang pinakamalayong napuntahan ko sa Pilipinas, kung ang pagbabatayan ay ang mga pananda ng layo. Ang larawang ito ay kinuha 1,853km mula sa Maynila at 31km mula sa Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao. Ilang metro lang ang layo nito sa katedral ng Cotabato City, na ang katapat ay isang branch ng McDonald's.

Kahit saan ako mapadpad, iba't ibang mukha man ang nakikita ko; iba't iba man ang kulay ng traysikel o kakaning nilalako sa mga tindahan; sari-sari man ang gusali at gulay na tila nakatanim nang buong luwag o sinsin- may humahabi at nag-uugnay sa ating mga Pilipino na likas na atin. Hindi ko ito nahahanap sa mga kalye ng Amerika at Europa, ni sa ibang bansa sa Asya.

Hindi ko pa rin matukoy kung ano *iyon*, pero nadarama ko *siya*. At isa *siya* sa mga ipinagpapasalamat ko tuwing naglalakad-lakad ako sa mga lansangan ng Pilipinas.

LANSANGAN = ROAD Markers such as this sit on either side of the main highways of the Philippines. The top number details your current distance from the Kilometer Zero situated across the Rizal Monument in Luneta located in the Philippine capital of Manila, while the lower number represents the distance to the next town or city, whose name begins with the letter above it.

As indicated from among the kilometer markers that have come my way, this is probably the farthest I've been from Manila. This photo was taken in Cotabato City, 1,853kms away from the capital, 31kms from the next town of Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao province, a few meters away from the metropolitan cathedral which had a McDonald's just across it.

In all my travels in the Philippines, whenever I see different faces, experience various flavors, am mesmerized by buildings, enjoy tricycle rides, there is a *something* that binds us Filipinos together, *something* that is particularly absent when I was in the US, Europe, or other parts of Asia.

I can't quite put my finger on *it* but *it* is really palpable. *It* is one of those things I miss when I am abroad, one of those things I am most thankful for whenever I wander through the streets of the Philippines...

Cotabato City, March 2009, using a digicam.

Monochrome Monday: WAITING

There was just too much of San Francisco to see in three days. We were in and out of tourist spots and attractions just like *that*. But sometimes it's alright, too, to sit and just *soak* in the sights...

As we waited for the bus to take us to the next stop-

Japanese Tea Garden, San Francisco, December, 2006, using a digicam.

PhotoHunt: Orange

This is a mode of public transportation here in the Philippines. We call it a "multi-cab" but the various areas in which it can be found have a variety of names for it; it is sometimes called the generic name of "jeep." The outside of these vehicles can sometimes be a canvass through which artistic self-expression is made evident. For the most part, though, the sides of the multi-cabs just contain the route and stops of the vehicle- info that can be had also when these vehicles follow the color-coding rules of the towns and cities they serve.

This multi-cab sits about 12-16 persons, with the passengers facing each other separated by about a half a meter aisle. Current fare is about 15 US cents for the first four kilometers of a trip. Trips range from one terminal to another within city limits, much like how an ordinary bus or shuttle service works. However, it can likewise travel hundreds of kilometers, through rough terrain if needed, especially in areas where public transportation is scarce. Loaded are not just humans but fruits, vegetables, fish, chickens, etc.

Downtown Cotabato City, March 2009, using a digicam.

Litratong Pinoy: LAKAD (Walk)

Sa habang 1.8 kilometro, isa na yata sa pinakamahabang tuluy-tuloy kong nalakad sa buong buhay ko ang Brooklyn Bridge sa New York City. Isang kakaibang karanasan ang tumapak sa naturang tulay na may edad 125 taong gulang, pati na rin ang mahawakan ang mga ga-higanteng mga piraso ng bato at hibla ng bakal at matanaw ang East River at Manhattan skyline mula sa tulay, at madama ang patuloy na pagbugso ng hangin mula sa karagatan ng Atlantiko.

Ang itaas na bahagi ng tulay ay nakalaan sa mga taong naglalakad o nagbibisikleta. Ang mas mababang bahagi ay laan sa may 145,000 libong sasakyang tumatawid papunta at galing ng Manhattan at Brooklyn. Ang magkabaligtarang larawan ng mga taong ito na matatagpuan sa bahagi ng Brooklyn Bridge na nakalaan para sa mga bumabagtas sa tulay nang palakad, ay makikita malapit na malapit sa pinakagitnang bahagi ng kahabaan ng tulay. Nang maabot namin ang bahaging ito ay parang gusto ko nang bumalik papuntang Manhattan pero tumuloy pa rin kaming tumawid hanggang sa umabot kami sa bahagi ng Brooklyn- kung saan kami bahagyang nawala =]

LAKAD = WALK At 1.8 kilometers, walking on the Brooklyn Bridge was I believe one of the longest continuous walking adventures I've ever had. It was quite an experience, being able to touch the huge slabs of stone and the twisted metal cables, taking in a different view of the East River and the Manhattan skyline, even feeling the steady Atlantic breeze.

The upper deck of the bridge is for foot and bicycle traffic, lower decks are for the 145,000 vehicular traffic crossing to and from Manhattan and Brooklyn. This head-to-head symbol for the foot path is located at or very close to the midpoint of the bridge. I thought of turning back and return to where we began, but Brooklyn (on which I have never set foot on) beckoned. So cross the entire length of the bridge we did. Before we knew it we were *slightly* lost in Brooklyn, which made the experience triply fun.

Brooklyn Bridge, New York City, May 2008, using a digicam.