May Kwento Ako #15 : The Art of Keeping Still

Wander Trotter
Lady Shogun
Now Larger than Life
Thrilled in Peach
Somewhere in Time
Warrior
Roman Soldier
Wine Diva
In today’s world, “how does one keep still?” is a question that is on my mind often.  I am like you who has a dozen and one things to do daily.  On top of work, there are errands to get done, bills to review and pay and files that need sorting.  And, I need to keep my home in order and clean.  And yes, there are things out there that I want to discover.
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Recently. I discovered this app called Snapseed that allowed me to tweak my photos.  Yeah, my tens of thousands of photos that I need to figure out what to do with.
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On board a train, I pulled out my ipad and tinkered with some of the unrecognizable options and wham!  I can now do double exposures in a zap!  Well, almost.  So, I am now able to combine almost useless photos with slightly imperfect photos and come up with photos that seem to be from a different dimension.  Amazing!  For me, at least.  Now, I tweak some photos and send out to friends to cheer them up.  When I have the time.  And the patience.

May Kwento Ako #13 : BOEUCC, a Milanese Classic

When I was ushered to a nice table in a good section of this restaurant, I immediately liked what was around me. It looked solid, established and with a decent history. It would make a perfect setting for a Mafia-related movie, I thought.

When the waiter introduced himself to me, I wanted to chuckle. He appeared like a hustler in a 1940s classic movie. But he was a nice, chatting guy. With facial expressions perfect for an actor playing a sinister role. Complete with eyebrows going up and down.

I left my camera and had to resort to my iPhone. Learned my lesson well. And I’m still learning.

Anyhow, I really enjoyed the classic Milanese dishes and wine from the Piedmont region. And the ambiance was perfect for family-oriented meals or with friends and for business, since it’s nice and bright in the main dining room.

The all wood-panel room would be perfect for the Corleone Godfather …. yah?!

May Kwento Ako #14 : Art for Art’s Sake

This was a BIG experience for me to see, study beautiful art by artists from all over the world.

Located about a 5-10 minute walk from the SMN train station, the venue was quite large but easy. The room temperature was comfortable and all in one level. And entrance charge was not expensive. There was a cafe inside for those who needed a drink or something to chow.

I was lucky to have been in town during this world famous exhibit. At least once in my lifetime, I got to go. Therefore, I have included many works in this post for those who did not get to go. There were Artists from Asia ( but I didn’t see any work of a Pinoy, sadly ), North and South America and Europe, of course. It was curated similar to how Manila’s annual Art Expo which is quite large and very popular among the locals.

They came in all sizes. Some of the compositions were bright and some, angry. Some muted yet intriguing.

Mostly painted works, I was happy to see several fine art photographs included in this exhibition.

I am very thankful to have had this opportunity to witness this collection. It was expiring. It made me appreciate this adventure more. There was so many to be enjoyed. I forgot to ask if any are available for sale. I got to meet one artist. He was a young 80 something from Lyon. I had a really nice chat with him.

Check out their Instagram or website at http://www.florencebiennale.org/en/

May Kwento Ako #12 : The Letter O in Photos

Here is me being silly.

O, the first letter of my name I thought of as a bore for years.  And that other letters seemed to be more interesting. Hahaha.  Because it had more twists and turns. It had style, drama. My O seemed plain.

I prefer my O the way it is. Simple. Quiet. Lucky me. Lord, please …. let’s keep it this way.

More and more I am convinced that my parents and my teachers taught me well. And in my God.

To our Chinese brothers, O is similar in shape to the number 0.  For infinity.

So my journey indeed continues to be at peace, make peace and keep the peace.