(Originally written on 26 December 2005)
During Christmas Eve, I was constantly checking the skies for the stars. Seeing the stars would mean good weather for the following day. At 3:00AM, I again went outside. I saw the crescent moon instead of the stars being slowly covered by clouds. The weather is not that promising for an early morning photo shoot.
I have scheduled a road trip to Trancentral Highway with two of my friends in our Christian community. Our purpose: to take shots of the city before dawn and to take pictures of the sunrise. As early as 5:00AM of Christmas day, we were taking pictures of Cebu City as seen in Ayala Heights. As soon as it was bright enough we took off on an early trek. We trudged 2.5km of up and down slopes of the Trancentral Highway to a selected vantage point. As of this time, the winds are getting stronger and not a blue piece of the sky is visible. It was a cloudy day.
We again took pictures of the scenic mountain ranges the vantage point has given us. And after long moments of solitude to feel the soft kiss of cold wind, we tarried on.
Aching leg muscles prevailed. We decided to take the habal-habal (motorcycle back riding for a fee) ride to a place called Patag (plains) in the area of Taptap. Upon disembarking, we were then offered with freshly boiled sweet corns for sale. We indulged. The corn was indeed sweet. We had laughing bouts enjoying the mist coming from our mouths while eating corn. And despite being fresh from the pot, the corn was “amazingly” eatable at a tolerable temperature. Of course, the physics behind it could be explained. But in order not to spoil the moment of wonder and awe, we left the physics in the city.
Construction is ongoing for Patag. This place provides a good vista of the mountains thus making it ideal for a restaurant and a mini-park. The area is covered by fog in about 10-minute intervals. The fog would linger on for about 3 minutes or so. Picture taking was limited. I had to constantly wipe my camera’s UV filter for the droplets of water being sprayed to us by the passing fog and wind. The tents of Patag proved no use. As of this time also, the vendors there are starting to roast a pig.
After an hour, we decided to continue way up. We were enticed by the habal-habal drivers of a more scenic place called JVR. We indulged ourselves once more with the sweet corns. At first, we walked up the road. A kind soul accepted our request for a ride. We squatted in the open back of his multicab. The ride was breathtaking. It is breathtaking in three ways. First, the views were really beautiful. There were rock formations covered in rust-colored moss. I wanted to take photographs but there was no opportunity at all. Second, it was raining when we arrived at the boundary of the city of Cebu and the municipality of Balamban. Aside from the freezing temperature that has ably seeped through my jacket, tee shirt and thick layers of adipose tissues, water droplets are hitting my face with no mercy at all. Third, after we climbed in the open back of multicab, the kind soul seemed to have forgotten our presence and drove at top speed. The ride was far, far worse than bumpy. We had to cling at whatever our hands could hold on to. What was funny was in the middle of the trip, I realized that I am still holding my unfinished ear of corn with a few rows of kernels left. I put it in my bag and decided to finish it once we arrive at JVR. The rain was getting heavier. The driver dropped us at what he thought to be JVR. We scrambled to look for rain cover. The driver after asking a few questions with a local called us back informing us that JVR is still way up. We climbed in again and took the breathtaking ride.
Finally, we got deliverance. To my surprise, Island in the Sky is known as JVR in Trancentral. However, what is visible of it were a few cottages, a hanging bridge and a restaurant in its topmost area blasting with the sounds of someone singing. We climbed the stairs to the restaurant while I nibbled on the few rows of kernels left in my corn ear. We had brunch.
By this time, around 11:00AM, the rain stopped and visibility is almost zero. We decided to leave and we waited for v-hires.
While waiting for the ride, we basked in this moment of zero visibility. We walked the road, shouted and we took pictures. The only signs of vehicles were weak yellow lights in the mass of white clouds and the sounds of their roaring engines. Indeed, this is a walk in the clouds.
Another multicab gave us a ride after giving many thumbs up signs to so many near empty private vehicles passing by. This time, the ride was smooth (discounting the smelly and wailing pig of another passenger). We were dropped a few hundred meters away from the boundary of Cebu and Balamban. The multicab is supposed to pick-up a cow along the way and will deliver it to the city. The owner of the cow however decided to forego. Despite being cut short of that ride, it was also a blessing in disguise. We will definitely be cramped in the back of the multicab together with the cow. I could only wish for the cow not to have nature’s calling.
We walked on. Luck was on our side once again. We had another free ride from a kinder soul who drove us all the way to SM. He was a much better driver than the first one. When we passed by Patag, the roasted pig was being lifted from the live coals.
Tuesday, October 24, 2006
A Case of Mistaken Identity
Last Saturday (21 October 2006), I decided to tarry and take pictures. Taking my “mid-age but reliable” (it’s not that old) film camera, I took a tricycle ride to the outskirts of Ilaya, an area near a very coralline seashore in the Mactan island. It was about five in the afternoon when I arrived there. It was my nth visit and my first during sundown.
I headed to the cleared-out mangrove swamp. A few of the mangroves remain, mostly along the sides of the swamp. There were two road dikes cutting across the swamp. The first one is inside a foreclosed property, the Coral Reef Hotel. This road dike is intended to connect its beach resort and cottage area to the hotel (which is nothing but mere framework). The other one is outside of the property. This is primarily used by people living in that area to cross the swamp.
The dikes provide good control of the sea water coming in to the former swamp. With the dike in place, the water is actually deeper during high tide. This allowed tourist-ferrying boats to enter into the area to dock when it is not in commission. At the same time, the outer dike made day-to-day fishing (read: fishing for viand in a single meal) easy for the locals.
I headed to the cleared-out mangrove swamp. A few of the mangroves remain, mostly along the sides of the swamp. There were two road dikes cutting across the swamp. The first one is inside a foreclosed property, the Coral Reef Hotel. This road dike is intended to connect its beach resort and cottage area to the hotel (which is nothing but mere framework). The other one is outside of the property. This is primarily used by people living in that area to cross the swamp.
The dikes provide good control of the sea water coming in to the former swamp. With the dike in place, the water is actually deeper during high tide. This allowed tourist-ferrying boats to enter into the area to dock when it is not in commission. At the same time, the outer dike made day-to-day fishing (read: fishing for viand in a single meal) easy for the locals.
(Hooked! A local allowed me to take a picture of his catch one early morning during my May 2005 visit to Ilaya.)
I took out my damaged-but-able tripod and headed to the middle of the dike. I was greeted by the locals I meet on the way. They were very respectful and some actually addressed me as "Sir".
It was low tide. One man was actually down in the swamp casting his net. I sat down and dangled my feet in the dike while I waited for the sunset. After a while, the man washed his net and called it a day.
When the sun was slightly down into the horizon, my true activity started. I took initial exposures of the different areas of the horizon and translated them to the aperture setting I wanted. I took a total of 12 pictures. All of them came out good (but only four passed my standards and I attached two of them here. See my flickr link for more.).
(Exposed Framework. The unfinished Coral Reef Hotel.)
(Exposed Framework. The unfinished Coral Reef Hotel from another viewpoint.)
It was already dark when I treaded back. I noticed some flickering dots of light in some mangroves. Fireflies do exist here in Mactan. I also met several fishermen in the dike making their way to their boats in the other side of the swamp. Again, I noticed their courtesy. All this time, since I arrived I did not fold my tripod. I intentionally did so that it would be easy to ward off the aggressive local canines. When I reached the populated area, one woman asked me if I had a great catch. I smiled and quickly replied that I did not go fishing. She then asked me the name of the developer that hired me.
It then dawned on me. They were so respectful because they thought I was surveying the swamp! Just recently, they have seen lots of land surveyors in the area. With the foreclosed Coral Reef Hotel now owned by PNB (Phil. National Bank), owners of the adjacent areas may have had their lands re-surveyed.
This is another case of mistaken identity. This is also the nth time that people thought I am a surveyor. At least, the mistaken identity has afforded me some greetings and extra respect.
A Walk in the Clouds
(Originally written on 26 December 2005)
During Christmas Eve, I was constantly checking the skies for the stars. Seeing the stars would mean good weather for the following day. At 3:00AM, I again went outside. I saw the crescent moon instead of the stars being slowly covered by clouds. The weather is not that promising for an early morning photo shoot.
I have scheduled a road trip to Trancentral Highway with two of my friends in our Christian community. Our purpose: to take shots of the city before dawn and to take pictures of the sunrise. As early as 5:00AM of Christmas day, we were taking pictures of Cebu City as seen in Ayala Heights. As soon as it was bright enough we took off on an early trek. We trudged 2.5km of up and down slopes of the Trancentral Highway to a selected vantage point. As of this time, the winds are getting stronger and not a blue piece of the sky is visible. It was a cloudy day.
We again took pictures of the scenic mountain ranges the vantage point has given us. And after long moments of solitude to feel the soft kiss of cold wind, we tarried on.
Aching leg muscles prevailed. We decided to take the habal-habal (motorcycle back riding for a fee) ride to a place called Patag (plains) in the area of Taptap. Upon disembarking, we were then offered with freshly boiled sweet corns for sale. We indulged. The corn was indeed sweet. We had laughing bouts enjoying the mist coming from our mouths while eating corn. And despite being fresh from the pot, the corn was “amazingly” eatable at a tolerable temperature. Of course, the physics behind it could be explained. But in order not to spoil the moment of wonder and awe, we left the physics in the city.
Construction is ongoing for Patag. This place provides a good vista of the mountains thus making it ideal for a restaurant and a mini-park. The area is covered by fog in about 10-minute intervals. The fog would linger on for about 3 minutes or so. Picture taking was limited. I had to constantly wipe my camera’s UV filter for the droplets of water being sprayed to us by the passing fog and wind. The tents of Patag proved no use. As of this time also, the vendors there are starting to roast a pig.
After an hour, we decided to continue way up. We were enticed by the habal-habal drivers of a more scenic place called JVR. We indulged ourselves once more with the sweet corns. At first, we walked up the road. A kind soul accepted our request for a ride. We squatted in the open back of his multicab. The ride was breathtaking. It is breathtaking in three ways. First, the views were really beautiful. There were rock formations covered in rust-colored moss. I wanted to take photographs but there was no opportunity at all. Second, it was raining when we arrived at the boundary of the city of Cebu and the municipality of Balamban. Aside from the freezing temperature that has ably seeped through my jacket, tee shirt and thick layers of adipose tissues, water droplets are hitting my face with no mercy at all. Third, after we climbed in the open back of multicab, the kind soul seemed to have forgotten our presence and drove at top speed. The ride was far, far worse than bumpy. We had to cling at whatever our hands could hold on to. What was funny was in the middle of the trip, I realized that I am still holding my unfinished ear of corn with a few rows of kernels left. I put it in my bag and decided to finish it once we arrive at JVR. The rain was getting heavier. The driver dropped us at what he thought to be JVR. We scrambled to look for rain cover. The driver after asking a few questions with a local called us back informing us that JVR is still way up. We climbed in again and took the breathtaking ride.
Finally, we got deliverance. To my surprise, Island in the Sky is known as JVR in Trancentral. However, what is visible of it were a few cottages, a hanging bridge and a restaurant in its topmost area blasting with the sounds of someone singing. We climbed the stairs to the restaurant while I nibbled on the few rows of kernels left in my corn ear. We had brunch.
By this time, around 11:00AM, the rain stopped and visibility is almost zero. We decided to leave and we waited for v-hires.
While waiting for the ride, we basked in this moment of zero visibility. We walked the road, shouted and we took pictures. The only signs of vehicles were weak yellow lights in the mass of white clouds and the sounds of their roaring engines. Indeed, this is a walk in the clouds.
Another multicab gave us a ride after giving many thumbs up signs to so many near empty private vehicles passing by. This time, the ride was smooth (discounting the smelly and wailing pig of another passenger). We were dropped a few hundred meters away from the boundary of Cebu and Balamban. The multicab is supposed to pick-up a cow along the way and will deliver it to the city. The owner of the cow however decided to forego. Despite being cut short of that ride, it was also a blessing in disguise. We will definitely be cramped in the back of the multicab together with the cow. I could only wish for the cow not to have nature’s calling.
We walked on. Luck was on our side once again. We had another free ride from a kinder soul who drove us all the way to SM. He was a much better driver than the first one. When we passed by Patag, the roasted pig was being lifted from the live coals.
During Christmas Eve, I was constantly checking the skies for the stars. Seeing the stars would mean good weather for the following day. At 3:00AM, I again went outside. I saw the crescent moon instead of the stars being slowly covered by clouds. The weather is not that promising for an early morning photo shoot.
I have scheduled a road trip to Trancentral Highway with two of my friends in our Christian community. Our purpose: to take shots of the city before dawn and to take pictures of the sunrise. As early as 5:00AM of Christmas day, we were taking pictures of Cebu City as seen in Ayala Heights. As soon as it was bright enough we took off on an early trek. We trudged 2.5km of up and down slopes of the Trancentral Highway to a selected vantage point. As of this time, the winds are getting stronger and not a blue piece of the sky is visible. It was a cloudy day.
We again took pictures of the scenic mountain ranges the vantage point has given us. And after long moments of solitude to feel the soft kiss of cold wind, we tarried on.
Aching leg muscles prevailed. We decided to take the habal-habal (motorcycle back riding for a fee) ride to a place called Patag (plains) in the area of Taptap. Upon disembarking, we were then offered with freshly boiled sweet corns for sale. We indulged. The corn was indeed sweet. We had laughing bouts enjoying the mist coming from our mouths while eating corn. And despite being fresh from the pot, the corn was “amazingly” eatable at a tolerable temperature. Of course, the physics behind it could be explained. But in order not to spoil the moment of wonder and awe, we left the physics in the city.
Construction is ongoing for Patag. This place provides a good vista of the mountains thus making it ideal for a restaurant and a mini-park. The area is covered by fog in about 10-minute intervals. The fog would linger on for about 3 minutes or so. Picture taking was limited. I had to constantly wipe my camera’s UV filter for the droplets of water being sprayed to us by the passing fog and wind. The tents of Patag proved no use. As of this time also, the vendors there are starting to roast a pig.
After an hour, we decided to continue way up. We were enticed by the habal-habal drivers of a more scenic place called JVR. We indulged ourselves once more with the sweet corns. At first, we walked up the road. A kind soul accepted our request for a ride. We squatted in the open back of his multicab. The ride was breathtaking. It is breathtaking in three ways. First, the views were really beautiful. There were rock formations covered in rust-colored moss. I wanted to take photographs but there was no opportunity at all. Second, it was raining when we arrived at the boundary of the city of Cebu and the municipality of Balamban. Aside from the freezing temperature that has ably seeped through my jacket, tee shirt and thick layers of adipose tissues, water droplets are hitting my face with no mercy at all. Third, after we climbed in the open back of multicab, the kind soul seemed to have forgotten our presence and drove at top speed. The ride was far, far worse than bumpy. We had to cling at whatever our hands could hold on to. What was funny was in the middle of the trip, I realized that I am still holding my unfinished ear of corn with a few rows of kernels left. I put it in my bag and decided to finish it once we arrive at JVR. The rain was getting heavier. The driver dropped us at what he thought to be JVR. We scrambled to look for rain cover. The driver after asking a few questions with a local called us back informing us that JVR is still way up. We climbed in again and took the breathtaking ride.
Finally, we got deliverance. To my surprise, Island in the Sky is known as JVR in Trancentral. However, what is visible of it were a few cottages, a hanging bridge and a restaurant in its topmost area blasting with the sounds of someone singing. We climbed the stairs to the restaurant while I nibbled on the few rows of kernels left in my corn ear. We had brunch.
By this time, around 11:00AM, the rain stopped and visibility is almost zero. We decided to leave and we waited for v-hires.
While waiting for the ride, we basked in this moment of zero visibility. We walked the road, shouted and we took pictures. The only signs of vehicles were weak yellow lights in the mass of white clouds and the sounds of their roaring engines. Indeed, this is a walk in the clouds.
Another multicab gave us a ride after giving many thumbs up signs to so many near empty private vehicles passing by. This time, the ride was smooth (discounting the smelly and wailing pig of another passenger). We were dropped a few hundred meters away from the boundary of Cebu and Balamban. The multicab is supposed to pick-up a cow along the way and will deliver it to the city. The owner of the cow however decided to forego. Despite being cut short of that ride, it was also a blessing in disguise. We will definitely be cramped in the back of the multicab together with the cow. I could only wish for the cow not to have nature’s calling.
We walked on. Luck was on our side once again. We had another free ride from a kinder soul who drove us all the way to SM. He was a much better driver than the first one. When we passed by Patag, the roasted pig was being lifted from the live coals.
Calling All Angels
(Originally written on 01 February 2006)
Looking for work is as difficult and as pressure filled as taking the licensure exam. As an ECE, I understood the market saturation for board passers like me. Having a license is not a guarantee; it is just a feather to one’s cap. It is probably this rationale that grouped seven young engineers together in a cramped three-bedroom apartment. We recognized the strength in numbers. The more persons sharing, the lighter the load.
Not used to affluent living, the apartment was just right for me. At first, we cooked our own food through wood and charcoal. The quarters we had had a small backyard with a big tamarind that has fallen to the ground. The backyard was slowly cleared as the tamarind wood got consumed day by day. In the span of two months, the tamarind has served its final purpose. As the tamarind wood supply dwindled, the area on the other side of the wall got visible. It also took several weeks for us to discover that the other side of the two adjacent bedrooms’ walls of our apartment also served as walls of other apartments.
Beyond the wall is a cemetery. We knew when one night while cooking our dinner we heard voices calling our attention. Some pebbles were thrown at us. Some of those faint-hearted felt the need to retreat. It was I who discovered that there were three ladies on the roof deck of the adjacent apartment making fun out of others’ fear of the dark. They were the ones who told us that we live right next to a cemetery.
As a child, I have always been used to hearing stories about paranormal events. And I also had a share of my own experiences. I have not really thought of having dead neighbors right behind the wall of the room where I slept. In fact, my bed was adjacent to it. A few weeks after settling in our apartment, I had a paranormal experience. My third one to be exact. And I did not tell a soul until now.
There are really nights when my insomnia prevails over common beliefs. A glass of milk won’t help nor a few hundred pages of a book. I was reading a book that I just bought from a thrift house. It was about two o’ clock in the morning when I felt thirsty and I decided to drink some water. Our refrigerator is just opposite of my room’s door. I was actually having a drink when I noticed him. An old man with hollowed eyes dressed in light brown polo shirt was standing right beside the refrigerator. To my utter shock and surprise, I choked on water and it spilled on my shirt to the floor. I dropped the plastic glass while I did my best to move my legs to no avail and coughing hard at the same time. The door to my room is about three feet away from the refrigerator, yet there I was, unable to move back and coughing my lungs out. When my coughing ceased, the old man was no longer there. It was then when I was able to move with lightning speed. I turned on the lights. I changed my shirt and looked for my prayer guide. I offered a prayer for the dead. And I called on all angels to protect us. I was half-asleep until dawn came.
The very next day I paid the cemetery a visit with two of my friends. These two friends never knew what I experienced the night before. If they did, they would have been packing instead of going with me to the cemetery. When we were already there, I tried to remember the names of our nearest neighbors. For quite sometime, they became household names. And I had begun a nightly ritual the entire time that we lived there. I always offer a prayer for the dead and I call all the angels.
Looking for work is as difficult and as pressure filled as taking the licensure exam. As an ECE, I understood the market saturation for board passers like me. Having a license is not a guarantee; it is just a feather to one’s cap. It is probably this rationale that grouped seven young engineers together in a cramped three-bedroom apartment. We recognized the strength in numbers. The more persons sharing, the lighter the load.
Not used to affluent living, the apartment was just right for me. At first, we cooked our own food through wood and charcoal. The quarters we had had a small backyard with a big tamarind that has fallen to the ground. The backyard was slowly cleared as the tamarind wood got consumed day by day. In the span of two months, the tamarind has served its final purpose. As the tamarind wood supply dwindled, the area on the other side of the wall got visible. It also took several weeks for us to discover that the other side of the two adjacent bedrooms’ walls of our apartment also served as walls of other apartments.
Beyond the wall is a cemetery. We knew when one night while cooking our dinner we heard voices calling our attention. Some pebbles were thrown at us. Some of those faint-hearted felt the need to retreat. It was I who discovered that there were three ladies on the roof deck of the adjacent apartment making fun out of others’ fear of the dark. They were the ones who told us that we live right next to a cemetery.
As a child, I have always been used to hearing stories about paranormal events. And I also had a share of my own experiences. I have not really thought of having dead neighbors right behind the wall of the room where I slept. In fact, my bed was adjacent to it. A few weeks after settling in our apartment, I had a paranormal experience. My third one to be exact. And I did not tell a soul until now.
There are really nights when my insomnia prevails over common beliefs. A glass of milk won’t help nor a few hundred pages of a book. I was reading a book that I just bought from a thrift house. It was about two o’ clock in the morning when I felt thirsty and I decided to drink some water. Our refrigerator is just opposite of my room’s door. I was actually having a drink when I noticed him. An old man with hollowed eyes dressed in light brown polo shirt was standing right beside the refrigerator. To my utter shock and surprise, I choked on water and it spilled on my shirt to the floor. I dropped the plastic glass while I did my best to move my legs to no avail and coughing hard at the same time. The door to my room is about three feet away from the refrigerator, yet there I was, unable to move back and coughing my lungs out. When my coughing ceased, the old man was no longer there. It was then when I was able to move with lightning speed. I turned on the lights. I changed my shirt and looked for my prayer guide. I offered a prayer for the dead. And I called on all angels to protect us. I was half-asleep until dawn came.
The very next day I paid the cemetery a visit with two of my friends. These two friends never knew what I experienced the night before. If they did, they would have been packing instead of going with me to the cemetery. When we were already there, I tried to remember the names of our nearest neighbors. For quite sometime, they became household names. And I had begun a nightly ritual the entire time that we lived there. I always offer a prayer for the dead and I call all the angels.
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