From Lines to LensesDubai Retrospective
Posted on June 9, 2017
A Light Between Oceans. Burj Al Arab and Jumeirah Beach at Sunset.
I got this idea from one spontaneous traveler. He would spin a globe and stop it with his index finger. He will look at the place where his finger had landed and then pack his bags or suitcase quickly to go to that place. I did the same thing. My finger landed somewhere in the Gulf (or purposely made it land there) and decided that it’s Dubai. At least it had to be because it’s the only place I know that is within that neighborhood. So I literally ran to the airport and fly to Dubai right after that. Of course I am just kidding. 🙂 I believe I planned this all along and I am not a spontaneous traveler. My passport is not really one of the strongest in the world, so traveling to Dubai is a challenge. Besides, the Middle East (or Western Asia) is a dream (up until now) and way over my travel budget. Looking back now, it was not also the best time to visit the place. Summer has started and it was 40 degrees during the day; with the heat a different kind of painful on the skin and the air a bit stifling and suffocating for first timers. But it was also the time to take advantage of lower hotel rates and speedy Visa processing. I lodged in my Visa application on a Saturday afternoon and got the Visa the following day (a Sunday). So if you don’t mind staying inside malls during the day (which I am sure you don’t), early summer is a good time to visit this wonderful country. Read More
The Seoul I Love
Posted on May 15, 2016
Morning Calm. A view of the Mapo gu area in Seoul from my hotel room.
You know what? It’s a good thing we will have our company retreat next week. It will give me enough time to shake off this overwhelming feeling I had from my last trip. I just came back from Seoul and obviously still in a daze; my body already here but my mind still back there in the cold. I usually only spend a week or so in a certain place so I could use my other leave days to visit other cities and see as much places as I can. But this is the first time I wished I had stayed longer in one city. It is also the first time I heard myself wishing for time to stop (obviously dreading the work waiting for me back in the office). It seems that I am the only one who has not seen Seoul yet. At one time and for some reason, I passed off an opportunity in the office for a free winter travel to this place. I regretted that one. So I made it a point that I get to visit Seoul this year. With all these recent frenzy for Korean drama, this Seoul trip is all the more significant. 🙂 Read More
Putrajaya Architecture Ramble
Posted on February 16, 2016
Putra Mosque at twilight. Putra Mosque is the principal mosque of Putrajaya.
This is another one of those times when you get to choose last-minute holiday destinations. We took one week off in the office to celebrate the Chinese Lunar New Year. At the back of my head, I was hoping that our company would send us to somewhere really cold or even exotic to spend the one-week holiday (like what our company usually do). Well, that didn’t happen this year. The announcement came in a bit late so most of us had to scramble and decide whether to go back to our respective hometowns or go somewhere else. The plane ticket to my hometown (Manila) could get a little pricey this time of year, so I just decided to go to nearby Malaysia. It seems that Malaysia for me is the default destination for long weekends and short road trips; for obvious reasons. From Singapore where I am staying, it is only a few minutes or hours away depending on your destination. Architecture, food, historical sites, beaches, nature, or theme parks; Malaysia has all that and more. You choose. Read More
Experiencing Thainess
Posted on November 30, 2015
A Thai Welcome. Mythical creatures at the Wat Phra Kaew Temple Grounds.
“Travelling: It leaves you speechless, then it turns you into a storyteller.”– Ibn Battuta
Finally, I ran out of sensible things to say except maybe to tell you about the series of crazy and unbelievable events that led me to this place and made me love it. Bangkok was one of the last cities I planned to visit. I have always loved the city and architecture which is quite evident in the subject matter of my photographs. I honestly was never fond of shopping, night markets, night life, and the beaches which I have always associated with Thailand (or even Bangkok). Did not really like ocean cruise holidays or water sports either (most of my friends live on land ). 🙂 A colleague however did a good job of documenting her last visit to Bangkok (her birthday) and with her interesting photos of the food and a convincing story of satisfaction, I was sold. Read More
A Toy Story
Posted on July 22, 2015
Enter My Dreams. The gateway to Legoland Malaysia. Surprisingly, the place was not as crowded as I had expected.
This day trip to Legoland Malaysia just happened without much planning. To be honest, it was a result of simply having nowhere else to go. Legoland Malaysia is just a 1-hour bus ride from Singapore (where I am currently based) so it’s funny and embarrassing to admit that it was one place that I had yet to visit. I finally got my chance during a public holiday. The holiday fell on a Friday and I suspect some office colleagues already planned their long weekend somewhere really nice. And here I am. Stuck. I needed to go somewhere too. Somewhere. Anywhere actually. Read More
From Lines to Lenses 