A Shutterbug's P.O.V.

As a Photographer, i always strive to expand and improve my craft through practice, technics and reading (and oh, watching workshop video's on YouTube). Like trying to re-tell a dream, recounting a beautiful sunset is a futile enterprise. The colors, the scale--the true nature of a sunset is ineffable. What's more, such beauty is ultimately subjective in the first place. While one entry-level photog like me weeps at the fading orange glow over Punggol Beach or Bedok Reservior, another sits rapt at the smoggy kaleidoscope over a bustling cityscape.

Where then, does anyone get off trying to name the world's most beautiful sunsets?



Naturally, we turned to the experts: world travelers, artists and adventurers who have not only bid farewell to the sun on every corner of the globe, but have appreciated the metaphorical, spiritual and, yes, visual beauty of nature's original fireworks display. We asked them to describe the most beautiful sunset they've ever seen.

I was lucky enough to meet Discovery Travel and Living host Ian Wright (Globe Trekker) a few days back here in Singapore. He came to my bar with his wife..to my delight i approached and introduced myself to them and told Ian that i was a big fan of him, his works and his show. It was not long till his wife bid goodbye as she was off to a salon treatment that she booked earlier near Arab St. Ian was so warm that he invited me to sit down with him for company and chat. Believe you me but i learned quite a lot in that small conversation we had over a mug of Tiger beer and two rounds of Singapore Sling which i made specially for him. We exchange views about things and stuffs about culture, arts and of course photography. Knowing him as a esteemed traveler and artist (yes folks, Ian paints) I asked about what makes a beautiful sunset? and these is what he shared:

First--what makes a beautiful sunset? For many people, according to Ian, the beach is usually involved. "Top sunsets on my list would have to include the beach in Seminyak, Bali, and sitting in sand on the Mahoe Bay on Virgin Gorda in the BVI, sharing the event with my wife--and not a person in sight."

Ian has also seen some beautiful sunsets in Africa, Scotland and Canada, but his most memorable sundown occurred in Sicily, Italy. "We stopped for the night in Noto, in Siracusa, on our way to Marzamemi," he says. "10 kilometers from the hotel, the entire countryside is dominated by waving fields of wheat [with] ancient palazzo and villas and the ocean ringing the horizon. The view and the sunset were so dramatic we stopped the car and walked to a hilltop to watch it. The setting sun that night cast the most beautiful light I have ever seen in my life. Nothing has ever matched it."

He also added; beautiful sunset over the Valley of the Moon in Chile's Atacama Desert. "In the winter, at around 6:30 p.m., the sky gives rise to a rainbow of watercolor reds, oranges and purples. A warm hue illuminates million-year-old mountain ranges. They jet out from sand dunes like the spine of some prehistoric reptile. Millennia of desert winds have sculpted stones and sand formations and the colors dance in the early evening light. Jupiter beams brightly in the sky, as a patchwork of celestial stars start to sparkle."

Me, being an entry-level shutterbug has learned the hard way, it's nigh on impossible to capture the beauty of the setting sun. Unless you're Lora Drasner, who spent years perfecting the art of sunset photography. In her book "Sunsets", she presents dozens of beautifully captured sundowns, most taken during a three-year yachting trip around the world. (please check it out and read it on-line on ebooks.com)

What's the secret to photographing the sun's last daily moments? Start with a good camera (oh btw, Lora is a Canon user) and a powerful lens that's focused on something other than the sun. "Even if it's a cloud or the red sky," says Drasner. "This allows you to get a beautiful photo without sun spots."

And what's Drasner own choice for the world's most beautiful sunset?

Tahiti, where she witnessed her first Green Flash (a rare meteorological phenomenon that occurs when the sun's blue and green rays remain in the atmosphere longer than the yellow) *thanks Wikipedia* "It was not only a flash," describes Drasner in her book, "but it glowed green for several seconds, and sight gives a euphoric feeling afterwards."

One needn't be sitting on the beach or floating in the South Pacific to behold a beautiful sunset. Cities too, can serve as backdrops for breathtaking moments. At least according to Tony Wheeler. The founder of Lonely Planet didn't name an exotic beach or a faraway mountaintop. Rather, Wheeler appreciates what's close to home.

"I've had great desert sunsets and great beach sunsets," he says, "but one of my favorites is regular and mundane: from the roof of my office in the industrial Melbourne suburb of Footscray. The cranes and containers of Docklands can look like a Jeffrey Smart painting on acid while the setting sun fast-forwards a kaleidoscope of mirrored reflections off the city skyscrapers."

The sun's nightly retreat has long stood for the peaceful end of a long life. (Just ask anyone who's watched a new bride dance with her father to the tune of "Sunrise, Sunset.") But our thoughts needn't turn somber as the day's last rays give way to night. For Peter Greenberg, CBS News' travel editor and a reporter for The Early Show, sunset is a "celebration of things to come."

"No matter where you are," says Greenberg, "you're in for a special treat. When the sun sets, you are bathed in a magic, almost reflective light--reflective not just in a scientific way, but in deep emotional one." After all, just as the sun sets every night, so it will rise--"allowing you once again to relive your innocence, your youth and your freedom."

And that after all, may be the true definition of beauty..

Sunset shoot, will be number 1 on my to-do list on my next day-off :D


(Ian and Me, taken from my Blackbery 9700 (**'twas nice to meet you mate, catch you again here in Singapore**)

Another Open Letter

i dont know why i'am so keen in writting letters lately, maybe because of yet another turn in politics in my beloved country, The Philippines. I've been here for quite some time in tropical island Singapore, and oftentimes i wish and day-dream that one fine day, Philippines will return back to its glory as the Pearl of the Orient. So i drafted this letter for the future DOT (Department of Tourism)Secretary :

Dear Future DOT Secretary,

Hi. You will be introduced to us in a couple of weeks. I’m anxious to find out who you are because, well, you have my ultimate dream job. While others dream of winter wonderlands, I am consumed with chronic wanderlust for our "Lupang Sinilangan" (Land Of Birth), having traveled everywhere in the Philippines. After having been to Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia..and basking in the sun over mand-made white sand beaches of Sentosa in Singapore, I can say in full faith that we lived in the most beautiful country in the world. I wish you, as the Secretary of the Department of Tourism, believe the same thing.

For a long time, Bangkok’s #1 source of income was tourism. It’s marketed well as an exotic backpacker’s destination. Singapore had to create artificial tourist attractions such as Sentosa and most recently, Universal Studios, to draw visitors in. The Philippines, with its 7, 107 beautiful islands, doesn’t have to. I don’t know what your definition of tourism is, but I do hope that these proposals find you:

The airport is the first and last thing that tourists see. Only in the Philippines have I experienced having our cars checked, tickets inspected, and bags x-rayed before entering the airport. I strongly suggest incorporating travel taxes and the (rather exorbitant) terminal fees with ticket fares as well. These would cut check-in time (and hassle) in half. Please close down NAIA-1 because it looks like Shake Rattle and Roll XII-XX could be filmed there. You may want to consider transferring all international flights to the clean and gleaming NAIA-3 too.

The DOT needs to work with Manila Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) to fix our public transportation system. We may have several public transportation systems (e.g. the bus, taxi, tricycle, MRT, LRT, and jeepneys) but all of them are inefficient. This is one of the major reasons why traveling in the Philipines is so difficult. Instead of spending billions on the Skyway, why not a train like New York’s subway or Hong Kong’s MTR? We also need bike lanes so that biking in the city won’t be equivalent to a suicide attempt. It’s possible—just take a look at Marikina! To protect our pedestrians, we need lots of covered walkways[3]. And MMDA, what possessed you to change the sign “BAWAL TUMAWID DITO, NAKAKAMATAY”(do not cross here, you could get killed) to “BAWAL TUMAWID MAY NAMATAY NA DITO.” (do not cross here, somebody had died here already)A good friend of mine once told me, saying it should have been “MATATALINO ANG MGA GUMAGAMIT NG OVERPASS” (smart people uses the overpass) to promote positive reinforcement. “Gaganda pakiramdam ng mga tumatawid gamit ng overpass, tapos iisipin ng mga hindi gumagamit ng overpass, tanga sila,” (pedestrians would have a feel-good feeling coz they use the over pass, and then the ones who does not use it would feel stupid).. says my friend.

Prioritize culture and the arts. To borrow words from Mrs. Cynthia Delgado, my Soc-Sci prof during my college days in De La Salle: “Culture defines us as a national community with shared values and visions, albeit with diverse ideas and expressions; the arts embody those ideas and enable those expressions.” (Thank you Mrs. Delgado, i have always remembered those words, i hope you are well and still alive..*peace*) Before we were known for boxing, we were known and will always be known for our excellence and innate talent in the arts, whether in literature, film, music, dance, theatre, or visual arts. We don’t necessarily have to perform the tinikling or pandanggo sa ilaw (Philippine Cultural Dance) a million times, though those are always a treat to watch. Take a look at the song “Biyahe Tayo” which showcases our fantastic singers and musicians, and “Take Me to the Philippines” by Apl.de.Ap (Black Eyed Peas) featuring different street dance clubs (please see it on YouTube) Work with the National Commission for Culture and the Arts and the Cultural Center of the Philippines to create and promote shows by and for Filipinos. I have this fantasy of Manila becoming the Great White Way of Asia. We have the talent for it, that’s for sure. We can’t keep losing our performers to ship cruises, lounges, Disneyland Hong Kong, and Universal Studios Singapore. And I beg you, please coordinate with the National Historical Institute to preserve (what’s left of) our heritage.

Partner with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to make the Philippines lead in eco-tourism. Mt. Makiling has more species of plants than the entire United States. Our marine waters are home to more than half of the species of corals, six out of the seven species of marine turtles, and the biggest and smallest fish in the world.

In a recent study by the United Nations, the Philippines was identified as the “center of the center of marine bio-diversity on Earth.” However, there’s a lot of work to be done. From the 500,000 hectares of mangroves that we had, we now have a dismal 28,000 hectares. From 3 million hectares of coral reefs from the “center of the center of marine bio-diversity on Earth,” it’s down to about 100,000 hectares. For a body of water to be swimmable, it must only have 200 units of fecal coliform bacterium. Our Manila Bay, lauded for its sunset, has one million. If Manny Villar was swimming in a dagat ng basura (sea of trash), then those who take a dip in Manila Bay are swimming in a dagat ng…

Yeah. There.

Sorsogon’s latest tourist attraction is their Firefly Watching Cruise. Fireflies are biological indicator of clean air. I say they are also biological indicators of hope that our environment is improving and can continue to. All it takes is a bit of imagination, ingenuity, and a whole lot of political will. The rest of the Philippines can learn from the city of Puerto Princesa, touted as the eco-tourism capital of the country. Under the leadership of Mayor Ed Hagedorn (naks! hats-off to you Bossing!) Puerto Princesa pioneered projects such as “Love Affair with Nature” among others.

Have a clear vision of how you want our country to be advertised. Should we market it as a premiere destination for leisure, business, wellness, eco-tourism, or even medical tourism? Would it be possible to follow the footsteps of Indonesia and work with the premise of “unity in diversity”? There are so many undervalued geological and geographical marvels of this country, such as Calaguas and Camiguin. We need to take care of Mindanao too, because when people think of Mindanao, they think MILF, Abu Sayaf's, kidnappings and bombs. Mindanao’s beautiful and relatively safe, but it’s the dangerous parts that always get the limelight. I hope, Dear Secretary, that you have something like Sen. Dick Gordon’s Wow Philippines campaign or Sec. Ace Durano’s Awesome Philippines campaign to encourage and inspire both local and foreign tourists to explore the Philippines. Provide easily accessible materials, like our very own, locally made version of the Lonely Planet book, for proper guidance. And please make sure it’s grammatically correct. Unlike this photo i stumbled upon from the DOT website:



WRONG GRAMMAR: “Discover the fine white sands of this world-reknown beach.”

There is so much untapped potential that this archipelago has to offer. Like Sec. Durano says in this brilliant TVC, “Maglakbay at mamangha sa sarili mong bansa.” (travel and be amazed by your own country)


Sincerely Yours,
Rhodel Flores Dela Ysla
Filipino Overseas Contract Worker in Singapore

How Well Do You Know Your Beer?

Some guys think they know to much and talk big like they know what they are drinking, i shit you not, i experience it myself almost everyday. My entry's title is a question coming from a guy like me who does not drink beer often.. but hence i worked and ran a bar myself, its a common question from average joe's like me. Pale, Blonde, Brown and Black, the'y make my brain go crack. Porter, Stout, Lager and Ale cant get muddled without them turnin' stale..so here's my fair share of knowledge.

Beer dates back from the stone age, and that makes the beverage considerably older than you and me and- for the matter, my great Granddad too. Over thousands of years, brewers all over the world have plied their trade with diligence and innovation.

In a nutshell, its no mean to acquire an in-depth knowledge of the beverage, and if you really have to figure out everything before you drink that bottle of pale lager in your fridge, be careful that it doesn't turn flat first!

Don't be disheartened. Lets get some basics on the table, and with these, augmented by subsequent experience, you will eventually get a handle on your booze.

The Genetic Types:
Very broadly , a beer can be classified as lager or an ale, depending on what type of yeast that has been used during its fermentation process. Two types of yeast that are popularly used are; saccharomyces cerevisiae and sacharomyces uvarum (thanks to the ever-reliable google search button and wikipedia, i sound like a true-clever individual ei?) - ale yeast and lager yeast respectively.

Ale yeast ferments at warmer temperatures of between 15 and 20 deg C. At such temps, yeast produces significant amounts of esters(a class of highly fragrant compounds) and other secondary compounds that contribute flavor and aroma. And the result is a beer that often exudes fruity tastes and smells. As ale yeast tends not to metabolise sugars as well as its lager counterpart, ales tends to be sweeter and have a fuller body.

In contrast to ale yeast,lager yeast ferments at lower temperatures ranging from 7 to 12 deg C. Not only the cooler conditions inhibit the natural production of esters, lager yeast itself can process raffinose ( a compund made up of sugars like galactose, fructose and glucose) far more efficiently that ale yeast. These factors contribute to a beer that sports a "cleaner" , more classic kind of taste.

The family of ales can be be further broken into subclasses, which include pale ale, brown ale, blonde(or golden)ale, old ale, porters and stouts. The lager family on the other hand, subsumes beers like well-known pilsner(from which modern pale lagers are derived), amber lager, bock and dark lager.

Don't let these terms bowl you over. As a rough guide,if what your tasting is pleasantly saccharine with floral or citrus scents, chances are that its an ale. But what if you experience is a relatively clean taste underpinned by the bitterness of hops, then by all means its a lager.

Other factors:
While playing an important role, yeast are by no means the only thing that affect the flavor and aroma of a beer. The types of grains used during the malting process (which precedes fermentaion)also plays a part in influencing the final product. And yet we have not even started on hops yet- another major contributor of taste and scent. Bu we'll leave those for another day.

Drink already!
The key takeaway for this blog entry is the two generic classes of beer and their main distinguishing traits. Anytime you find yourself getting confused or overwhelmed by jargon, just remember: ale equals fruity and sweet; lager equals clean and bitter. Nothing to fret over, right?

Now, if you feel better already, proceed to drink up at your nearest local bar, then take a cold, hard look at your tipple and ask: "So who's your Daddy?

...cheers!

Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind Over The iPhone4

I usually put disclaimer below or after my entries but today i'm putting it upfront. it is not my intention to smash out Apple or the iPhone, the following lines are based mainly on my personal opinion, so if you are an iPhone fan and will try to hit me here with bull, close this tab and discontinue reading this.

Some of my friends posted their WWDC iPhone4 link today at Facebook and now that we know all about the iPhone 4 I would have to say this checklist shows exactly why I am planning to skip this version of the iPhone and stick with my old Blackberry Bold 9700..hehe (mainly for the other reason that i dont have the bucks and resource to buy myself one at this time) But in the quest of making this blog entry more interesting, i have come across with yet another innovative and state of the art smartphone that my good friend and i.t.tech-guru Robert Curay is using, the HTC Evo4. coz i was so amazed, believe you me.. with the way good 'ol Stevie was marketing it on stage at WWDC (i had a few good laughs though watching his video with his funny segways) I ping'ed my friend over Blackberry Messenger and we exchanged views about it. The HTC EVO 4G, available for the time being in the US, has everything on iPhone4's list and more already up and running. It looks like the pace of Google has brought Android into the lead with Apple for innovation and excitement in the mobile space.

Looking at iPone4’s list I would have to say that the most appealing features in the HTC EVO 4G over the iPhone 4 are the no limit multi-tasking, OTA updates, free navigation, Google Voice support, and WiFi mobile hotspot functionality. I would also add that Google leads the iPhone OS in the notifications system, multiple carrier support, customizable home screens, and removable battery. I do think Apple has a great OS though and think the long reported battery life, incredible display technology, better capacitive QWERTY keyboard performance, and better gaming support (6 axis motion looks slick) are compelling features of the new iPhone. As with any mobile phone, it is a personal preference that each of us has to make since one device doesn’t fit everyone’s needs and desires. Given the chance, "i might" want to try out the HTC Evo4, if my finances permits me, *sighs*..yes Todd, im broke at the moment, so what sucker?!

Apple is really pushing their marketing strat and the ads do look slick and are very appealing for consumers.

My friend and i strongly agreed that iPhone4's Face Time app and functionality was a bit lame though with support only for iPhone 4 to iPhone 4 devices both connected over WiFi. With Fring you can call from your Blackberry, Android or Symbian phone to or from a regular computer running Skype and make these calls over the cellular or Wi-Fi networks..see? whats so new about Face Time App, video calling and not to mention the led light flash beside the camera at the back?

The iPhone will continue to do well, but to really hit it out of the ballpark, I still think Apple needs to extend more on creating and innovating new tech for their device to roll out..not just changing the looks and structure coz i think everybody already does that, not just creating new cool-tech-savvy terms and names for their apps. Maybe i will try it in 2011 or 2012 when my Starhub contract with my BB runs out :)

But hey, be happy. There's healthy competition: these bums sucks us like fleece at every turn, we should get something good for our money. Peace out to y'all .. :D