boom, jazz and what's your musical name?

Our dear friend Boom is here in the states and it's cool that we're spending time with him. He came with his girlfriend Jasmin, who I've met back in Manila about 2 years ago.

Boom and Jasmin at Blooomingdales SF


Visiting Dino at work, Electronic Arts in Redwood CA


Life imitating art, at the SF Museum of Modern Art

I wish I had photos from the Frida Kahlo, Lee Miller or the Chinese Contemporary art exhibits but taking pictures was forbidden. Except for the museum's regular collection on the 2nd floor...Matisse, Picasso, Duchamp, Diego Rivera were all fair game. Just don't use flash.

snap, crack and pop

Tired and old. It's how I feel in the mornings lately. Although I stopped working, I still haven't gotten a full night's sleep. Come to think of it, I haven't had one in ages. If I did, I would definitely mark it and celebrate each year.
I go to bed late but still wake up early. I take a sleeping pill, get knocked out and still wake up early. What is with my body clock? The only people I know who wake up early no matter what are the old ones in our family.

Anyway, I shouldn't be complaining and make use of the extra hours I gain. Nature or History must be telling me that this lack of sleep has built empires and civilizations, produced Van Gogh's and Picasso's or (insert nouns of greatness here) blah, blah.

There's a lot of work to be done in my house to start with...hmm, a childhood memory comes up...my mom would start cleaning the house very early, when everyone was still in bed. I must have been programmed to do the same. No...not the cleaning part. More like my college professor who told us how she would do all her darkroom work early in the morning, be done by breakfast and have the rest of the day to lounge around, walk outside and just breathe life.

It's probably a common affliction and what I'm writing does not make sense. I'm probably still sleeping too, I just don't know it.

werkk it

The last time I took E's portraits, we were hanging out with some friends at the San Franciso Art Institute. It was probably two years ago. I didn't have my own lighting equipment then, and whatever was available didn't give the best results.
I do remember the similarities between the old photos we took and this series from earlier today. I tend to photograph E's profile much more than asking him for a straightforward pose. With him, I'm compelled to take a moody picture rather than a straight way of capturing his features.

Since we weren't taking headshots that he could submit for acting auditions, I got an opportunity to experiment. How much can you reveal about a person in a photo even if you obscure his face? How much of him could I put into light?

I may have been giving E directions on how to position himself in front of the camera, where to focus his gaze or which way to tilt his head...but I believe I was not just projecting my ideas on him. I was very much reacting to his character, or how I know him, and my job was to find out how best to present it.

finally

My pretty friend Kat. We had talked about having her headshots done some weeks ago and we're finally able to do it today. Thanks for the trust. I'm very much as thankful that I got to take your lovely photos.

This girl is going places. A great stage actor and now a stand up comedian. Right, bebeh girl?

The best of luck to you! I know how hard you work towards your dreams. Keep it up :)

american splenda

I'm home alone this weekend. Dino flew to San Diego to take pictures of fat nerds and geeks in the Joker costume. Seriously, that's one of his goals at the Comic Convention. He said he'll post the pictures in Twitter. Hilarious, I must admit. The Twitter part though, gay. I don't get Twitter.
Anyway, I can't argue with that nerds-in-Joker costume statistical prediction. Comic Con is the perfect place for being in a costume pre-halloween. Heath Ledger's Joker outfit/make up is set to replace 2007's D*ck in a Box in popularity and I'm even going to bet that we'll see less of The Crow in all of Geekdom this year. Not that I go there...to the kingdom of geeks.

Ok, about the picture on the right. That's my lunch today: grilled asparagus and baby portabello mushrooms. Yum! Plus some sauteed chinese green beans with chopped up mushrooms, onions and garlic. I was even feeling chef-y today so I used some truffle oil infused porcini mushrooms. I know, mushroom overload! I'm still waiting for the pyschedelic vision though...
That Coke zero on the left of my plate is not a cheat. It's Zero sugar and calorie.

I started being on a diet (again) three days ago and I've been eating a lot of vegetables. I have to cut the wrong kind of carbs, fats and sugar from my diet. It's working! I've lost 2.5 pounds already.

The benefit of not working is that I'm able to watch what I eat. I can take my time in the grocery, cook and really plan my meals.
With my last job, I rarely had the chance to sit down and eat a proper lunch. If I didn't bring my own food, my first option would be an Original size Jamba Juice for breakfast and the hope that it would sustain me for the rest of the day. If I didn't get my smoothie fix, then I would have to maneuver my schedule to squeeze in some time for lunch...depending on my location, the usual choices were the following drive thru places: In n Out, Wendy's or Jack in the Box. Most times I hated fast food so I ended up snacking on 100-calorie packs of pretzels or cookies while I drove to my appointments...thinking that since they claim to be just a 100 calorie per serving, they're less harmful. At the end of a work day, I'd be so starved and would binge on anything for dinner. Very, very sad.

Well, the terrible eating is behind me now. Cheers to healthy foods and a healthy life.

shhhh!

The gossip sites are going crazy over Christian Bale. At first I thought "good, people are talking more about him than the Joker!" Then I thought again, it's really not cool.
The media is hounding him for allegedly assaulting his mother and sister. In this case they did not say physical but speculated it's verbal. Apparently in the UK, you can get arrested for the latter.

So people are in a frenzy writing about Christian's temper problem... and as predictable as there will be another American Idol or Brangelina will adopt another exotic child, the gossip stories have quickly morphed into Christian Bale has been battling depression in connection with Heath Ledger's death...Christian Bale has trouble sleeping...Christian Bale erupted in anger one day at a Terminator shoot...
Man, they will write anything about anyone. They will connect the dots, no matter what figure, or disfigure, gets created. Misinformation sells.

I'm not going into more detail about the Batman actor's troubles. Even though I'm so amused at discovering that his mom used to be a circus clown performer! Totally irrelevant stuff I eat up from entertainment blogs. Ok, enough!

What I really want to write about is the fact that I need to watch Dark Knight again. I thought it was a fantastic film but I didn't get to absorb all of it. I was cheated...by the people I unfortunately sat next to in the theater. To my left were Dino, Ryan, Mike, Joedobo, Aaron, Nicole and her girlfriend (sorry, forgot the name). Not a squeak from them as they're all good and courteous children. Just wanted to mention who I saw the movie with ha ha ha!
But to my right was this couple, who were very loving to each other. Thank goodness, they did not engage in any romantical shenanigans.

These two had so much love and concern that they very vocally educated each other about the movie and its actors...as they were watching. I could hear them even during the loud action sequence in the beginning.
I just had to talk to the guy and make them stop what they're doing as early as possible. He just looked at me, but I think he understood what I said...at about 50 percent...because then they proceeded to discuss the merits of this latest incarnation of Gotham's hero. Only this time they were whispering, murmuring and moving their mouths continously, producing hisses and very audible S and T's!

I considered telling them to stop a second time. Then I thought Dino might get mad at them too...who knows he could out-anger even Batman. He could lash out at this stupid couple, ruin everyone's night and that would totally suck.

I was just too polite and didn't say anything anymore. If they were whispering, then they're not completely assholic people and were doing their best version of how to be considerate. So I pacified the annoyed in me...I pushed my self more to the left, closer to Dino.

The whispering subsided and became infrequent...I know this because it's mostly what I was thinking of at the movie! My attention would easily shift to my chatty seatmates. The more I told my self to focus on watching, my ears were straining to check if the couple would offend again. And they did.

After all the chaos and destruction that the Joker inflicted upon Gotham, he stuck his upper body out of a moving car and breathed in all of that evening air. It seemed like he was glowing, showering in his perceived glory. I was totally feeling this moment. What an amazingly played character! What a brilliant film!
Then I heard this voice coming from my right side..."it's Heath Ledger...you know, he's dead?"

I surrender. I lose. I'll just watch the movie again.

la di da

It somehow doesn't feel uncomfortable that I am home at 10am on a Tuesday. No work, no hassle...less driving, less sunburn. I'm just going to take my sweet time and let my hands recuperate.
I'm back to blogging :) although typing is not a very logical activity. Oh well, it's not like I'd do it all day.
Surprisingly, it is when I'm supposedly most relaxed-- in bed at night, that my hands are most irritated. I religiously wear my wrist support and try so hard to sleep on my back so that my arms would be in a neutral position. I sleep on my side for as long as I can remember but having carpal tunnel syndrome forced me to readjust my position. Still, I wake up to pain and sometimes I catch my self sleeping with either arm/hand tucked underneath my head or twisted in all sorts of direction.

Anyway, it's my first day of not working. I should put it to good use and get off this computer for a bit.

Today's to do list:
-look for some old family slides; find a film lab to scan and print the photos (it's the digital age, wish me luck)
-go to Costco and see if they print photo books
-drop off some clothes for dry cleaning
-shop for groceries (stay away from sugar and fat)
-catch up on my magazine reading (the piles are waaay too high)
-sort mail (neglected, tsk tsk )

Have a fun day!

turning point

I feel so handsfree.
Today was my last day at work. I was supposed to stay another two weeks but my tendonitis and carpal tunnel syndrome made the decision change for me.
Funny, I had a perfect shot percentage (number of appointments completed divided by number of appointments booked) and a high sale percentage (2 membership plans sold out of 5 appointments) on my very last day. This result prompted my ex-boss to ask "Are you sure you don't want to stay?"

It's the end of the road for me and this company Our365 Portraits. I had contemplated the decision long enough. I even took a month break to think about my future or non-future with them. My painful, numb at times, irritated and bandaged/braced hands presented the best case.
I won't have extra money in the next weeks for sure but I'll take that over having damaged hands ANY DAY.


I had missed posting the result of my Nerve Condunction test at Kaiser hospital a week ago. Basically, my doctor told me that my right hand is still positive for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. My left is not as bad CTS-wise, but I do have tendonitis on this side. I was advised to continue wearing a wrist brace during the day, take Ibuprofen twice daily and put ice on my left wrist for 20 minutes both day and night.
It might be a long way before I'm completely rid of such discomforts. I'm just glad I won't have to wake up early tomorrow and carry heavy equipment anymore.

sting to me gently

I went to Shoreline Amphitheater after work on July 14th. It was E's birthday and we had planned on watching The Police and Elvis Costello concert.
I left the house after 7:30. Traffic wasn't bad at all until I exited into Shoreline Blvd. Although the concert traffic leading to the parking was very systematic, there was relative delay. Plus I had to walk about half a mile of dust road to get to the main gates of the venue. No big deal.

Just a few minutes after I've passed the ticket gates, The Police started the show by playing that SOS song. What happened to Elvis Costello, the musician I was more excited to be there for? Oh well...
It didn't take long before I found E and another friend, David. Suddenly I felt so tired. Then I just remembered that I had taken a downer pill before I left home. I was working earlier in the day, had too much caffeinated soda and I had to take something to pacify my elevated heartbeat. Silly, silly me.
It could'a been the downer or The Police is just not my thing. The crowd was a mish mash of young and old...of frat boys and hippie chicks...drunk people and their funny dancing, but mostly folks reliving their 1980's or 90's...I wasn't one of the latter.

Above are some photos I was able to take before a concert staff told me to stop using my camera. I brought the smallest DSLR I own, and still the guy insisted I put it away because it is considered a "professional" camera. I argued it was not at all a pro and his response was "if your lens can be detached, then it is professional." I said my lens wasn't "pro" enough to be be able to take a clear shot of the stage, which is a million galaxies away from where I was standing. He recited his line again, "if your lens can be detached, then it is professional." Okay, dude. Whatever!

Enoy the photos Sting. Go ahead and sue me.

lady unibrow

Armi emailed me some photos that she took of me when we went to SF for Gay Pride (late June). I particularly like this one on the BART train, as it has Frida Kahlo's poster in the background.

We were lucky enough to catch the Frida Kahlo show at the SFMoma that weekend. It was so well-attended, we were given a time slot to see the exhibit.
Totally loved the collection...it's always amazing to see paintings in the flesh. It's a world of difference from the texbooks, of course. I just realized, I have yet to see a painting that is inferior in real life viewing.
Photos as works of art are somewhat different matter. There have been photographs that impressed me in a magazine/book/website and were disappointing to see in actuality.
Kinda like people (ahem) who have fabulous facebook pictures and they're total wallpapers or you just pass them in the streets.

hello, wall-e

Saw Wall-E the other night. Another phenomenal pixar film as expected...and one step further than what they did with Ratatouille. I still prefer the latter in terms of style...it reminded me of my favorite films like Delicatessen and Amelie. Wall-E was much closer to Monsters, Inc. and CARS look-wise.
Beyond the discussion of the film's form, Pixar has gotten more bold and has pushed 3D animation as a big contender to live action films. Personally, I think Pixar has blurred the distinction between the two.
Animated films are no longer just for kids, or just some slapstick/easy amusement. They key with Wall-e was the story. Pixar has transcended the aesthetics. I'm not embarassed to admit that I cried towards the end of Wall-e. With no verbal dialogues and the main characters not having mouths or pronounced features, the film was very much able to convey a narrative full of emotions.
Imagine if Wall-E gets an Oscar nomination next year. Not for the animation category but for Best Picture. It wouldn't be so far fetched, I think.

I was so taken by the movie that I bought a Hello, Dolly dvd...was so curious to see the rest of the musical as they only showed bit parts in Wall-e.

SJ burning

In our one year here in San Jose, I have gotten at least 2 shades darker...I'm only half-complaining because many fair complexioned people pay good money for tanning. I just wish mine was more deliberate and even.

Since I drive around a lot for work, I actually have a driver's tan. Even though I got these long arm gloves for driving and layer upon layer of sunblock on my skin, there's no escaping the sun rays.

Today I was burning up inside the car/oven. I realized two things: I miss San Francisco, where "summer" is relative. Also, I wish I had a different photography job...something that would not require me to drive the whole day and feel like an ant underneath a magnifying glass held by a giant, sadistic kid. If you over-think it, the torturer is not just nature but me. Hello, global warming.

I had a little break around 2:30 pm and I rushed home to take a cold shower. It was priceless. If I were a wee bit more insane, I would've just stayed in the bathroom for longer, blasted the AC on and then went to sleep. Instead I drank two full glasses of iced water and drove out to my remaining appointments. If I were a little wiser, I would've looked into other job options even before this heat wave started.

I hope the temperature drops in the next few days. It's almost like part of my decision to stay in this job hinges on the current climate. Of course, the bigger factor has to do with the theme of this blog-- repetitive stress on my hands aka carpal tunnel syndrome.

By the way, I'm scheduled for two tests at Kaiser hospital's Neurology department this Friday:
Nerve Conduction Velocity Study (NCS) and an Electromyogram (EMG). Keywords here are needles and electrodes. They sound like so much fun.

From driver's tan to electrical shocks...how marquis de sade.

mighty kc

I got my Kurt Cobain converse yesterday. The shoes have KC's journal doodles/writings. Pretty cool. I'm thinking of wearing them to The Police/Elvis Costello concert next week. Since I got a Lawn ticket (gen admission), the thought of grass stains on the white canvas is terrifying. I know, it's supposed to be rock and rawwl and keeping my chucks pristine and clean defeats the whole purpose...but still!

p.s. I'm no Sting fan. Elvis I like. Anyway, I can't wait for the show since it will be Kuya E's birthday celebration. Yipee!