Ibyang
Ibyang

Charmed Life of a Mrs

Lunar Eclipse Last Tuesday

My relatives and I finished dinner a little bit earlier than usual just so we could watch the lunar eclipse on the night of Tuesday. We had a 6 year old little boy who’s very eager to see the changing colors of the moon and while watching, I asked him “The moon is beautiful, isn’t it?”, and he enthusiastically replied, “No Ate, its spectacular!” And I just had to agree to that.

I took a video of the eclipse while we were all in front of the house (thank god, the moon was angled right in front of us). We stayed there for about 30 minutes, taking turns with our one and only binocular. I on the other hand, was like watching a movie via the sky and the LCD of the handycam, munching on strawberries while Patrick (my 6 year old cuzin) sat on my lap. It’s one of those moments that I will never ever forget–the wonder of nature shown before me while an innocent child accompanies me in appreciating it all.

Here’s an excerpt from the footage I took of the Lunar Eclipse. In the background, you will hear Patrick counting 1-10 in Filipino. Please click here: Lunar Eclipse (28 Aug 2007).

Photo courtesy of Erick Guerrero.

READ MORE

Something Old, Something New

Something Old: Reunited with My Beloved Racket

Last Saturday (25 August), I got reunited with my beloved badminton racket when I played with my friends at the Olympic Park. Napakanta tuloy ako ng:

“Reunited and it feels so good…reunited coz we understood
The breakup we had, has made me lonesome and sad…”

Corny I know, but it really sums up the way I felt last Saturday when I held my badminton again since after three years of not playing. And when I heard the sound “Wapak!” during a smash, wow, heaven! I missed that sound too.

Sa sobrang pagka-miss ko, bigla ko tuloy naisip na bumalik uli sa paglalaro, pero habang pauwi ako naalala ko na hindi na pala talaga ako pwedeng sumali sa mga competitions. Since the last quarter of 2003, badminton can only be a hobby, nothing more. Hindi ko na ito pwedeng career-rin according to my doctor.

But even if I hadn’t played for so long, old habits never die. When my friends finalized the date of our badminton escapade about three weeks ago, I started stretching everyday and made more effort to exercise even if I’m too lazy to even lift a finger. I get myself ready especially kung physical activity, kahit hindi competition. For me, the best preparation is stretching and warm up coz it prevents injury. Takot akong matapilok while playing kaya during stretching and warm up, I put emphasis on my calves and foot. Another habit that I still have was my habit of doing warm ups while still at home and briskwalking and jogging on the way to the place where I’ll be playing.

Grabe, I really felt exhilarated last Saturday. Nung hawakan ko ang raketa ko na dala ko pa mula Pilipinas (first time ko syang ginamit kasi nung dumating ako dito sa Sydney wala akong makalaro), isa lang ang nasabi ko, “ako ito eh, akong-ako.” I realized na malakas pa pala ako, malakas pa ako tumira, na kaya ko pang maghabol ng bola, na kaya ko pang mag-back hand, etc. OA ba? Basta. Passion ko kasi itong badminton, a sport that is very close to my heart. Playing badminton again is like going home to a place that I love.

After playing, I hung out with two couple friends at Rhodes Mall where we had lunch and shopped at Ikea (they shopped, I didn’t).
For more photos, please click here: Badminton at Olympic Park

Something New: Meeting Up with Fellow PinoyPhotographer.Org Members

Just to be clear, I’m not a photographer (I’m dreaming of becoming knowledgeable on photography though) and I don’t own an SLR camera (not YET, I’m dreaming of owning one). My husband owns one and he considers it as conjugal property but I don’t really care about that. That’s my wedding gift to him and it’s his, period. The camera I use is a point and shoot digital camera only and I’m now learning how to use my Holga camera for lomography (that’s entirely a different entry).

I joined PinoyPhotography.Org in the hopes of learning something via the internet. And when I joined, I somehow found myself being online friends with fellow Sydneysiders via Multiply. Indeed, what a blessing the technology of internet can bring—it can bring people together.

Finally on Sunday (26 August), I found the time to meet some of them in the flesh. And what joy to be with the company of very creative minds. Although, I don’t own an SLR and I don’t know what they were talking about half the time, I felt very relaxed because we all have the same goal, and that is to learn. 🙂

For more photos of that lovely afternoon, please click here: Photoshoot EB at Bicentennial Park

READ MORE

My New Toy The Holga

When I got home and entered my room, I saw this pretty little package on my bed…
When I opened the bag, my little surprise was wrapped in a very attractive designed paper.

MY HOLGA CAMERA!

It came with a book that contains everything I need to know about Holga, tips and tricks and hundreds of Holga images. The package also contained the filter sets and split image lens set I ordered.

I’ve been lusting for these for months (since March this year I think) and I told myself I’d only buy it when I pass my Driver’s Knowledge Test. That’s what I call delaying gratification :).

I ordered last Tuesday and expected they’d deliver next week, but what a surprise! In just two days, I got my reward for being a good girl haha! 🙂

Now all I have to do is figure out how to make this work hehehe. This is all new to me but I really wanna learn it, the most challenging part is that I don’t have my husband to tutor me right now. I’m really gonna do this on my own. I was never an art person, like an artist or a photographer–that type of thing. I’ve always been a sing and dance person or the sports person which for some reason I didn’t have much of struggle with. But art is something that is not inate in me but I really want to learn to the point of getting out of my comfort zone. So yeah, I’m gonna study Lomography, baby! 🙂

So good luck to me, I’m pretty sure I’ll enjoy this.

READ MORE

Busy As A Bee

It’s been days since I have really written about something, pardon me but I’m really busy. There’s just a lot of things going on at work and a couple of errands I need to do at home that haven’t had time to work on my blog entries.

Last Sunday, I finally found the discipline to sit down and download our videos from our holidays in the Phils and the honeymoon. It took four hours to get it all done. I picked two of my favorite videos from the lot so if you have time, please feel free to view them here (please click below):

HK Disneyland Fireworks

HK Ocean Park Cable Car Experience

I may not be able to contribute to the blogosphere for now but I’m certainly doing blog hops and leaving comments on your sites.

READ MORE

Sweet Reunion With My Girls

It felt like a thousand years since we have seen each other again but in reality, it’s only been less than four months since we’ve all been together…

Chloe, Ibyang & Ara together again in Sydney (Gloria Jeans, Borders Parramatta)

Chloe’s back from Brisbane—and will stay in Sydney for good!!! Yay!

Of course, we had to meet up ASAP. In celebration of Chloe’s homecoming, we had dinner last night at Pho Pastuer, a Vietnamese Resto in Westfield Parramatta, and had coffee and cheesecake at Gloria Jeans.

Tom, Ara, Ibyang & Chloe (Pho Pastuer)

Was a happy reunion with lots of catch up stories and updates on what’s happening in our respective lives. We look forward to more get togethers in the near future, first of which is our badminton meet next Saturday (excited, excited me!)

For more photos, please check this out.

READ MORE