I am now a dot-commer! :)

I am now officially moving my blog to http://olapaula.com

I will be retaining my Multiply blog though for personal posts. :D

Goodbye BLOGGER!

(Although I'll still keep this for my entrecard and to redirect people to my new site. :D

Hot Air Balloon Fest Photoblog

Quote of the event:
Hope springs eternal
-Missy. :)

With so much effort on finding a way to go to the Hot Air Ballon Fest, we were finally able to go. :) We just confirmed it the night before, at around 10 PM.

Coming from a play the previous night (we got home at around 12), we met up at around 1:30 AM and left for Pampanga at around 2. With only an hour of sleep, I was constantly yawning during the whole drive to Clark (I chose not to sleep to keep Jeprocks company, he was driving). We arrived at around 4++, the sun hasn't even risen yet. It was windy and cold (a great contrast to the latter part of the day).

At around 5:30AM, they started to haul in the balloons to set them up. To keep the people entertained, paragliders were moving about and some men were demonstrating the flying-using-hot-air principle by making use of a lantern.

The program started off with the Philippine National Anthem, with the Philippine flag carried by a sky diver. This was an amazing start to the great day ahead. :)

By the time the sky was lightening up, they were already filling the balloons with air.

And finally, the balloons were off! :D

Here are some of my favorite balloon pictures:

Kellogg's


It was Valentine's day after all. :)


Because this one is so colorful. :)


See the guy waving? This was the only balloon that the people cheered on.


This one's chinese. :D


Finally, the sky was clearing up (It was really cloudy, not so nice background for the balloons, it was kind of dull and monotonous).

and yes, I love to play with fire. (lol)

The balloons didn't go up all at once so in the lull in between the flights, paragliders were flying all around the place.

After most of the balloons have fled (a few were still there due to some difficulties), we went around the place to look at some of the exhibits.

Military trucks were on display. :)

So this is how it looks like on the inside. :D

Spidey in one of the trucks


Interestingly, there was a Yellow Cab there. ;P


There were a lot of people there too. :D


Some planes or jets or whatever they are called had an exhibition too.


Where else can you find flying dolphins?

When the people got bored, they just bought kites and flew them. (By the late afternoon, the sky was full of all shapes and sizes).

We didn't succumb to the pressure of the society (meaning, we didn't buy kites) being the budgetarians that we were (meaning = we didn't have cash).

At around ten, we chose to eat, realizing that we haven't had breakfast yet (just a sandwich courtesy of Jep's mum), and considering we were all up since 1AM. We scouted around the food court and picked Binalot among all the food stalls there.

It was really disorienting for us, waking up at 1AM with only one hour of sleep. We all felt like it was already past lunch when it was only 10AM. As iRonnie put it, it was like there was time-space warp thingy we were all caught in. The exhaustion, coupled with the heat and dust, made us all feel, well, exhausted to say the least. My eyes were drooping ever so often and the grime was just piling. Finally, when we couldn't take the heat anymore, we decided to go to SM Clark to freshen up (the field only had portalets and well, it was not even considered as an option, haha). We rode the jeepney like locals and made our way there.

When we arrived, we walked around, bought some cleaning stuff (facial wash, tissue, towel and a shirt for me - i forgot to bring an extra piece) and trotted to the Chanda Romeros as Missy put it. When we were done, we made our way to Puregold Clark. After that, we finally made our way home. But we stopped by razon's first to eat palabok and halo-halo (remember, no breakfast! heehee).

BTW, we met a fellow blogger (and plurker) there. Zerovoltage, whom neither one of us has ever seen before. But he has been friends with the others for quite some time. :D

That's it for now, till our next adventure!

LP 02.12.2009 - Puso (o Hugis Puso)

Naku, araw ng mga puso nanaman. At talagang akmang-akma naman ang tema ng LP para sa linggong ito. :D

Hep hep hep, parang di pangkaraniwan puso ang lahok ko, dahil ako'y "loveless" ngayon at puro pag-aaral ang pinagtutuunan ko ng pansin. (haha, talaga lang. ;P)

Kuha mula sa tabi ng parking lot sa aming unebersidad.

Ito ay litrato ng clover o Trifolium sp. (di ko lang sigurado kung anong species ito). Bilang isang mag-aaral ng kursong haynayan (ito raw ang tagalog ng biology ayon sa aking mga matatalinong kamag-aral), minsan ko na ring napag-aralan itong clover. Ito'y una kong nakilala ng masinsinan sa aming taxonomy of higher plants at botany classes.

Sa ibang dako naman, maraming nagsasabing ika'y sswertehin kapag nakahanap ka ng clover na may apat na dahon. Mula sa scientific name nito na Trifolium (tri=tatlo; folium=dahon) ang karaniwang bilang ng mga dahon nito ay tatlo. Kaya naman sswertehin ka kapag nakahanap ka ng pambihirang clover na may apat na dahon.

Makahanap kaya ako ng clover na may apat na dahon para naman swertehin ako sa sabado? Hahaha.

Gusto ko lang ipamahagi sa inyo ang aking kinahihiligang love quote ngayon: 3 words, 8 letters, say it and I'm yours -Blair Waldorf, Gossip Girl. O diba? Parang ganyan ang sinasabi ng tatlong pusong dahon ng clover. Ang labo no? :D

Para sa ibang mga lahok, pumunta sa

LP 02.05.2009 - Tsokolate

Isa sa mga pinakamagandang lugar sa ating bansa ang TSOKOLATE hills sa Bohol. Talaga namang nabighani ako nang makita ko ang mga maliliit na burol na ito noong 2005. Mayroon kasi kaming convention sa aming organisasyon noon at nagkaroon kami ng isang araw na day trip patungong Bohol. Inakyat namin ang pinakamataas na burol upang mas makita ang ganda ng Chocolate Hills. Hindi ko na maalala kung kulay tsokolate nga ang mga burol nung mga panhon na iyon pero medyo luntian sila sa litrato. (Summer ako nagpunta, di ba't dapat brown sila?)

Pumunta rin kami sa Loboc River para sa tanyag nitong river lunch cruise, sa isang lumang-lumang simabahan na di ko na maalala kung ano ang pangalan, sa isang monumentong nagpapakita ng Sanduguan. Pinakapaborito ko sa mga pinuntahan namin ay ang dalampasigan ng Panglao dahil sa tahimik nitong kapaligiran at sa napakaputing buhangin. Para bang ako'y nasa Boracay lang din menos lang ang maiingay na mga club. :D

Napakaganda talaga ng ating bansa. Kaya naman kung ako'y may panahon (at anda!) talaga namang gusto kong libutin ang 7,107 isla nito. :D

****

Noong nakaraang linggo, habang nag-iisip ako ng lahok para sa LP, naisip kong kunan ng litrato ang chocolate fountain ng aking kaibigan ngunit hindi na ako nabigyan ng pagkakataon (ang tanging booking lang nya noong nakaraang linggo ay sa tagaytay)

Kaya eto, kinuha ko na lang ito mula sa kanyang Multiply Account. Kung meron kayong mga events, kumuha na kayo ng chocolate fountain sa kanya (Aba, at nagplug pa. LOL)

eto ang kanyang multiply
eto ang kanyang website

Para sa ibang mga lahok, pumunta sa

LP 01.29.2009 - Lila

Sa katunayan, nahirapan ako sa paghahanap ng lahok para sa linggong ito. Di ko naman kasi gaanong hilig ang kulay na ito kaya't di ko masyadong napapansin. Nakaisip na ako ng lahok (100 pisong bill na may logo ng UP Centennial dahil ako ay isang proud na iskolar ng bayan) at nakakuha na rin ako nito, di ko pa lang nakunan ng litrato. Ngayon, di ko na mahanap ang isang daang piso ko. Haha.

Eto na po ang aking lahok:

Asan ang lila ba kamo? Ayun, sa gitna ng hinaing Kulawo. Ang bulaklak na ito ay ginamit ito bilang garnish. Alam mo ba kung anong bulaklak ito? *wink wink* hahahaha.

Ang Kulawo kinilaw na puso ng saging o di kaya'y talong (sa pagkakataong ito, parehong ginamit ang talong at puso ng saging) na sinamahan ng gata (ang niyog ay tinusta muna bago nilagyan ng suka at piniga). At kung kayo'y naiintriga, ang salad na nakikita niyo sa likuran ay gawa naman sa pako (o fern).

Kuha ko po ito nang kami'y bumisita sa bahay ni Ugu Bigyan sa Tiaong, Quezon. Isa ito sa mga lugar na aming binisita nang kami'y mag-Viaje Del Sol. Eto ang bahay ni Ugu:

Pwede rin pala itong lahok para sa Kahel. hehe.

PS
Alam niyo bang purple ang color of the year? hehe.

Para sa ibang mga lahok, pumunta sa

LP 01.22.2009 - Kahel

Ang isnaberang pusa. Bow.

Hirap na hirap akong kunan ng litrato ang pusang ito sapagkat lumalayo siya tuwing ihaharap ko ang aking kamera sa kanya. 'Di naman siya lumalayo pag nilalapitan ko siya at hinahawakan, sa katunayan, malambing pa nga siyang dumidikit sa aking binti wag lang niyang makita ang kamera ko. Mga ilang minuto rin kaming naghahabulan para lang makunan ko siya ng litrato. At sa lahat ng aking nakuha, ito ang aking napili dahil tila ba nang-iisnab siya dito at sinasabing: No photos please. (Di siya tulog niyan, napapikit lang. haha)

Para sa ibang mga lahok, pumunta sa

LP 01.15.2009: Asul

Isa sa mga pinakapaborito kong kunan ng litrato ay ang mga ulap (na kulay puti naman at hindi asul, haha). Gandang-ganda talaga ako sa mga ulap na tila mga bulak na palipad-lipad sa kalangitan. Kadalasan, pagmakikita kong maganda at maaliwalas ang langit, kukunin ko kaagad ang aking kamera at kukunan ko ito ng litrato. Ang kuhang ito ay mula sa loob ng eroplano nang kami'y papauwi mula Taiwan.

Para sa ibang mga lahok, pumunta sa

Stranger#001: Edwin, the photographer

My friend,Jeff and I were dining in a resto just outside Robinson's Place Manila this afternoon when I found my perfect stranger number one. He entered the restaurant with a warm greeting to the staff and proceeded to the counter to make his order. His dreads were the first thing I noticed. (I've been thinking of going to Boracay this summer to get dreads. or maybe those tiny braids.:D) I immediately pointed him out to Jeff and told him that that person would be my perfect stranger number one.

I remained in my seat and fidgeted for 20 long minutes (what happened to the three-second rule, I have no idea), asking Jeff for advice on how to approach him and ask him to pose for me. I was such a nervous-wreck I forgot I had a drink to finish. My hands were getting clammy. This was my first time to approach a complete stranger to ask for his picture. I think he kind of noticed that I was peeking ever-so-often. (I was starting to get embarrassed :P). I was both excited and afraid, two very messed up feelings. Jeff kept on giving me reminders and confidence boosts, not to mention the nearest escape routes if my attempt backfired. I was so nervous my hands were cold.

My assessment: He looked nice and friendly, it didn't seem to me that he would decline. When he pulled his Macbook out of his bag, I knew he was techy enough to know about blogs and Flickr. He can easily look up 100strangers in the web and know that it is a bonafide group in Flickr (And I'm not some weird stalker-ish person :D).

When I finally mustered the courage to approach him, I introduced myself, explained my project (100 Strangers) and asked him if I could take his photo. He readily agreed, saying that he was also a photographer. Talk about coincidence. :)

Edwin is a freelance photographer, who used to work as an artist in an insurance company. He currently has a ongoing photo exhibit at the Philamlife Building, UN Ave, Ermita, Manila.The proceeds will be donated to Palcare (and to several other groups, according to his website). We chatted for a few moments, exchanged URLs, and talked a little bit more. I took a total of three shots with my shaking hands, shy to ask for more. He was really nice and friendly (true to my assessment.:D).

I hurried back to my seat, still giddy from being able to accomplish such a daunting task. Finally, I have my stranger number one! The adrenaline rush was exhilarating I had a hard time composing myself. We left the resto before he did, and as we passed by his table, I waved a quick goodbye and told him that he can visit my site tomorrow (Jan 10) to check the post.

In retrospect: Approaching a stranger is no easy task. It can also be dangerous if you approach the wrong person. (What I have learned: It's better to have someone with you before approaching a stranger, that way, he/she can look out for you. :) ) But when you do meet a nice person like Edwin, it becomes a wonderful learning experience. As for the photo I took, well, it's the first out of a hundred, and I still have a long way to go. There's a lot of room for improvement. Maybe Edwin could help me out, being a professional photographer and all. :D

Till my next stranger!

***

This is the picture number 1 of my 100Strangers project. To see pictures taken by other members and to know more about the group, visit 100Strangers.com now. Join us here.

LP 01.08.2009: Pula

Maligayang bati mga kaLP! Heto ang aking ikalawang lahok para ako'y maging ganap na kasapi ng Litratong Pinoy! :D

Kahit tapos na ang pasko, tila mararamdaman mo pa rin ang diwa nito sa lamig ng simoy ng hangin dulot ng pabugso-bugsong ambon dito sa Maynila. Mas naramdaman ko ito nuong Lunes ng umaga nang ako'y gumisng para sorpresahin ang aking kaibigan sa kanyang kaarawan. Talaga namang nangangatog ako habang naliligo dahil sa lamig. Kami'y pumunta ng Eastwood City sa Libis upang kumain sa Somethin' Fishy. Pagkatapos ng aming almusal, kami'y naglakadlakad at nagliwaliw, sapagkat pangalawang beses ko palang makarating sa lugar na iyon. Tamang-tama naman at may nakita kaming punong may naiwang dekorasyon ng nakaraang pasko.

Nakikita niyo ba ako sa Pulang Christmas Ball? :D Nandyan din ang isa pang bagong sali sa LP na si Arlene. At dahil natuwa ako sa editing function ng aking kamera, mula sa orihinal na litrato, heto ang mga kinalabasan:

Fisheye effect daw ito. Erm, san banda? Parang naka-zoom lang e.

Surround in monochrome naman.

Blur the Periphery.

Radial blur. Napaka-futuristic ng dating!

At Nostalgic effect. Para naman makaluma ito.

At dyan po nagtatapos ang aking lahok para sa linggong ito. Maligayang Huwebes sa inyong lahat!

Para sa mga ibang lahok, pumunta sa