PhotoHunt: RIPPED

The cruise ship traversing the waters between Stockhom, Sweden and Turku, Finland is a place where one gets ripped, thanks to the duty-free sale of alcohol. The ship was by no means a mere vessel to ferry tourists to and from Stockholm; it was in itself a party place that was a bit too rowdy for comfort at times. I think some passengers were more interested with the cheaper booze than experiencing either Nordic country...

*** Special thanks to TN Chick for having hosted the PhotoHunt for the last five years. It's her last weekend to host this meme so head on over to her site for a proper send off =].***

Between Stockholm and Turku, September 2007, using a digicam.

PhotoHunt: HANDWRITTEN

An exhibit on a relatively unknown side of foremost scientist Carl von Linne as a prolific letter-writer is one of the highlights of my trip to the Postal Museum in Stockholm's Gamla Stan (Old Town).

Stockholm, September 2007, using a digicam.

PhotoHunt: WAITING

A lone serviceman sits at a bus stop, en route to somewhere from somewhere, hopefully homeward-bound and not off to violence and bloodshed...

Between Helsinki and Turku, August, 2007, using a digicam.

PhotoHunt: PAINTED

Street art or vandalism?

along a main thoroughfare in Yogyakarta, June 2007, using a digicam.

PhotoHunt: TRIANGLE

Hoisting the Philippine Flag this week in celebration of the 113th Anniversary of the Declaration of Philippine Independence on June 12th. This one is courtesy of a paratrooper from the Armed Forces of the Philippines during the opening ceremonies for the hot-air balloon festival last year.

From the National Historical Commission of the Philippines:
After the ratification of our independence in 1899, Gen. Aguinaldo in his speech in Malolos, Bulacan explained the meaning and symbolism of our national flag. According to him the flag “it has three colors, three stars and a sun, the meaning of which are as follows: the red color is symbolic of Filipino courage; the blue carries an allegorical meaning that all the Filipinos will prefer to die before submitting themselves to the invader; the three five pointed stars indicate the solidarity of Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao and allude to the islets and rocks falling under their jurisdiction; and lastly, the eight beams of the sun stand for the eight provinces of Manila, Bulacan, Pampanga, Nueva Ecija, Rizal, Laguna, Batangas and Cavite”


In a week's time, we'll also be celebrating the 150th Birth Anniversary of the Philippine National Hero, Jose Rizal. Some of his words of wisdom applicable to citizens of any nation are as follows:



Clark Field, Pampanga, February 2010, using a digicam.

PhotoHunt: DUSTY

"The most important part of vehicle maintenance is clean windows, so if you are broken down, you will enjoy the beauty of the view." - Dan Eldon, photojournalist, 1970-1993

on the road somewhere in Nueva Vizacaya, July 2006, using a digicam.

Litratong Pinoy: KULAY ROSAS (Pink)

May mga bagay-bagay talaga na hindi magaya-gaya ng tao kahit na lubhang mahuhusay na ang ating mga kabihasnan, katulad ng katingkaran ng mga bulaklak, kanilang bango, kanilang kasutlaan...

KULAY ROSAS = PINK

There are just some things that humanity cannot mimic despite advances in technology, such as flowers' vivid colors, scent, and silkiness...

around the University of Tampere campus, August 2007, using a digicam.

PhotoHunt: Self-Portrait

Caught myself "standing on Mt Merapi", a tile on the observation deck of the Ketep Volcano Center detailing where the volcano is located among the many towering heights surrounding the center.

Jogjakarta, Indonesia, June 2007, using a digicam.

Litratong Pinoy: ITO (This)

Ang sagot sa tanong ng marami kung nasaan ba talaga si Batman.

ITO = THIS
The response to the question- where IS Batman?

along Interstate 40, Hendersonville, April, 2008, using a digicam.

PhotoHunt: HANDS

Madonna and Child, hands outstretched, bestowing blessings upon the faithful, connecting heaven and earth, from Their home at the Monastery of the Transfiguration, Malaybalay City.

Bukidnon, April, 2007, using a digicam.

PhotoHunt: SHADOW

The Mayon Volcano watches over the planes landing and departing from the regional hub of Legazpi City, a towering symbol of nature's unsettling beauty.

Legazpi City airport, April 2007, using a digicam.

Litratong Pinoy: MALAPOT (Thick)

Ang mga kabahayan sa paanan ng Bundok Merapi sa Indonesia ay halos matabunan nang rumagasa ang magkahalong nagbabagang abo, bato, at putik sa isa nitong pagputok. Nang humupa ang pag-aalburoto ng kalikasan, naging sikat na pasyalan ito ng mga turista (kabilang na kami).

May kalumaan na ang litratong ito mula pa noong 2007. Oktubre ng taong ito, muling sumabog ang bulkan na kumitil na ng kulang-kulang 300 buhay. Nawa'y pumayapa nang muli ang Merapi.

MALAPOT = THICK

These homes at the foot of Mt Merapi in Indonesia were almost buried by the fiery mixture of ash, boulders, and water - pyroclastic materials that attract hardy tourists like ourselves.

This photo, taken in 2007, displays an active but rather quiet volcano. However, about three weeks ago, Mt Merapi once again unleashed its fury, killing some 300 Indonesians in the process. Peace, Merapi!

at the foot of Mt Merapi, at the outskirts of Yogyakarta, June 2007, using a digicam.

PhotoHunt: ALIVE

Summer colors dot the landscape near Hameenpuisto, the flora happily soaking the sun until two hours before midnight in this part of the globe at that time of the year.

Tampere, August 2007, using a digicam.

PhotoHunt: MINIATURE

Li Mingzhu's "Digesting Mao" - tofu on porcelain, part of a traveling exhibit by young Chinese artists at the Sara Hilden Art Museum.

Tampere, August 2007, using a digicam.

PhotoHunt: STRIPES

Airports are not always mere drab, uninteresting stopovers en route to somewhere more exciting or visually appealing. If you happen to be in Indonesia, pause for a bit and see the intricate handiwork that graces the ceiling of their main airport.

Jakarta, June 2007, using a digicam.

Litratong Pinoy: MANIPIS (Thin)

Sumikat ito noong unang panahon, nang mas matatangkad, mas mapapayat, at mas matiisin pa ang mga tao... =]

MANIPIS = THIN

This became popular in earlier times, when people were taller, thinner, and had the capacity to endure pain more... =]

Velomania exhibit, Vaprikki Museum Complex, Tampere, August 2007, using a digicam.

PhotoHunt: NATURAL

Curiosity- something that we never really outgrow =]

the village of Talubin in Bontoc, April 2006, using a digicam.

PhotoHunt: HOT

The CamSur Watersports Complex is now of the most popular destinations in the Philippines for the more adventurous tourists. Wakeboarding, cable water-skiing, skateboarding, and other extreme sports are at guests' disposal. Those looking for more sedate activities can enjoy massages, wade in swimming pools, or just rummage through the restaurants. Tourists, as attracted by CWC, have converted the province of Camarines Sur from being the Philippines' 39th poorest among 80 provinces into the nation's 10th richest.

CamSur Watersports Complex, Pili, Camarines Norte, 2007, using a digicam.

PhotoHunt: NUMERICAL

Like stamps, a country's currency is one of the most tangible, iconic items any traveler can literally take home. More than just a printed collection of numbers, currency symbols, and security details, paper bills and coins offer a glimpse of what or who the nation holds dear and in high esteem. For me, they are wallet-and-coin-purse-sized history books and museums.

While preparing for a presentation about the Philippines in a course I took in Finland with Filipino classmates a couple of years back, I snapped a photo of our 500-piso bill. It contains the image and life and times of a modern-day Filipino hero- the late Senator Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino, Jr. He was at the forefront of the fight against the Marcos dictatorship that spanned from the late 60s to the mid 80s until their eventual toppling via the bloodless 1986 EDSA People Power Revolution. Aquino's political savvy, sharp wit, excellence as a communicator, and all-consuming love for the nation inspired a whole legion of Filipinos to stoke the tiny embers of hope for a truly democratic Philippines.

He is widely hailed as the greatest Filipino to be not elected president- he was assassinated at the tarmac of the Manila International Airport (now named after him) exactly 27 years ago today- un/fortunately. His death in 1983 increased the rumblings of discontent on the ground until it became one gigantic push to overthrow the Marcoses in February '86. His widow Corazon became President and since then, the Philippines enjoyed a (relatively) stable democratic form of government. Ninoy's son Benigno III is now Philippine president.

He only had one life to live but he offered it up for the nation because he is the firmest of believers in these most important words he has ever uttered- The Filipino is worth dying for.

More on the Ninoy's life can be found in a colleague's blog here.

Tampere, August 2007, using a digicam.

Wordless Wednesday: ATTENTION

A knight stands guard at the facade of the Biltmore House, protecting decades of American history, culture, and splendor.

Biltmore Estate, December, 2006, using a digicam.