departure of...

right after this picture was taken - as i reviewed it on the lcd screen of my camera, i felt a sense of farewell/loss. maybe, like saying goodbye to someone that i love and walking away.... it was a combined feeling of sadness with a thought of leaving a loved one. the warm pacific sun, shining dramatically on my face faded away quickly as i remember - intensified that feeling. then when i got home, again as i uploaded and reviewed the pictures on my computer, i felt that maybe it's not me leaving but rather the departure of my loved one...

i survived

on january 01, 2008 - i was able to revisit the tree that gave me hope to survive. see the picture i took 5 years ago, the difference when it was just struggling to live. now truly, it continued to survive and flourish despite the harsh weather conditions here. i had a hard time taking pictures of this tree as when i entered the location, i noticed "private property" postings. i can probably be sued for trespassing. hopefully not, i just stayed in my full-faced tinted car to capture this - you'll noticed that the colors are not that vivid as it is supposed to be.

i will survive

"i will survive." it's one of 100s pictures special to me for its meaning. it's the tree saying, "i survived." it survived the harsh weather conditions in this typhoon punished island; clearly noticeable leafless and its broken branch laying on the green grass and yet you'll see some leaves starting to grow/survive back. it was specially and accidentally captured on january 01, 2003. new year's day depicting the time when people are full of hope; optimistic about life. vivid blue sky representing a new day; a beautiful weather, a beautiful tomorrow. then if you'll look closely, you'll notice a silhouetted bird on the tree -- symbolizing friendship, peace and harmony.

this tree survives because of its strong foundation; its roots which was fortified by its yesterday's struggles.

when i feel hopeless or pessimistic about life, i look at this. it relieves those emotions, somehow, which i want you to feel incase you encounter those freaking sentiments. If that doesnt work, it may still serves as a room decoration.

well, happy trip. good luck and i hope you'll survive. i know you will.

prinsesa ng bahaghari

this is a shot of a rainbow as it fades. i guess one of the reason why rainbows are special is because of their short lifespan and their limited and challenging occurances. i took a picture of this rainbow with my camera phone. i woke up one early saturday morning to walk with sofie at the beach. we walked around, enjoying the beautiful sunrise and exchanging meaningful yet funny stories. we were heading to a man who was holding a digital slr and taking pictures at the beach, but then it started to rain! knowing sofie, who loves rain, she enjoyed the day better - compared to the photographer who decided to leave and maybe protect his equipment. unfortunately for him, he was not able to capture one perfect rainbow setting. the event lasted for a couple of minutes, but it was one special memorable experience. rainbows are seldomly seen, but when we ate breakfast at outdoor cafe, we saw another one! :)