When photos speak

It's a good thing I went out this weekend to unwind. If I didn't, I probably would have missed the opportunity of seeing the World Photo Press 2009 Exhibit at SM Mall of Asia. It wasn't my intention to visit the said exhibit. I was there for the sole purpose of meeting up with my org buddies, who were about to perform an intermission number at SMX Convention Center.

Prior to my scheduled engagement, me and Bon decided to pass-by inside the mall just to kill time. If it wasn't for that decision, I should have not been able to take a look at some of the world's best photos. As a photography enthusiast (not that I am good at taking pics, I just appreciate them), real life stills from this event managed to capture my attention, not because they are life size for that matter, but they tell significant and timely stories that even writing cannot
express. To prove such point, I managed to recapture some of the photos that
stood out for me along with their corresponding captions:

1.) Photo by: Walter Astrada
Argentina, Agence France-Presse
1st Prize Spot News Stories
-- A man accused of looting is tackled by private guards in Nakuru.



2.) Photo by: Anthony Suau
USA, for Time
World Press Photo of the year 2008
-- Detective Robert Kole of the Cuyahoga County Sheriff's office enters a home in Cleveland, Ohio, on March 26 following mortgage foreclosure and eviction. He needs to check that the owners have vacated the premises, and that no weapons have been left lying around. Officers go in at gunpoint as a precaution, as many houses have been vandalized or occupied by squatters or drug addicts. Debt foreclosure and and repossession of homes were early signs of the growing US economic crisis.



3.) Photo by: Steven Winter
USA, National Geographic Magazine
1st Prize Nature Stories
-- Snow leopards are among the most elusive creature on eart. Secretive, solitary and well-camouflaged among the snow-covered rocks of their mountainous habitats, the cats hunt mainly at night, or at dusk and dawn. Snow leopards in the Indian Himalayan area of Ladakh were photgraphed using remotely operated camera traps. One of the cameras recorded just a single image in five months. The worldwide population of snow leopards is estimated at between 3,500 and 7,000. Threats to their survival include the popularity of pelts, use of body parts in traditional medicine, and revenge killings by farmers already struggling in a hostile environment plunged further into poverty when an animal kills valuable livestock. A scheme whereby trekkers stay with villagers who have agreed to protect local wildlife, and pay around 10 pounds to a night for food and board, offers a financial incentive to conservation. The income generated is more than enough to replace lost stock.






4.) Photo by: Lissette Lemus
El Salvador, El Diario De Hoy
1st Prize Daily Life Singles
-- Children from El Mantazano School in Ilopango, El Salvador looked at the body of Petrona Rivas, the mother of one of their classmates, who was killed 200 meters from the school gate. The police said the murder was committed by members of a gang. Around ten people a day are murdered in El Salvador. Authorities believe street gangs to be behind the crime wave.



5.) Photo by: Franck Robichon
France, EPA
3rd Prize Sports Action Singles
-- Alex Copello of Cuba competes during a qualification round for the men's triple jump, at the Beijing Olympics on August 18. Copello missed qualifying for the final by just two centimeters.

Man vs. Wild Will Ferrell Special: Basic Survival Through Sense of Humor

Just last night I intentionally delayed my sleep for the benefit of my boo in order to watch our favorite Discovery Channel program "Man vs. Wild." I love Bear Grylls because of his vast survival knowledge. Sure thing my Tuesday nights aren't complete when I'm not able to see this one hell of an ex- Special Forces soldier doing the unthinkable.

Unlike any other of Grylls' past adventures though, last night's program was different. As I am used to seeing Bear alone, viewing him with one of my favorite funny men, Will Ferrell, is just downright radical. And dare I say that sleeping late, though I'm really sleepy to the core, is just worth it.

In this joint extreme adventure special, Grylls and Ferrell braved the ice-bound terrain of far north Sweden, only equipped with the first's basic survival skills and the latter's infectious sense of humor. Together, they rappelled out of the helicopter, walk the icy mountain, built a shelter and tried to keep themselves warm in a sub-zero temperature, and even ate the eyeballs of a deer.

While it may seem so extreme (which I think really is), what I found really hilarious about this is that Ferrell, despite the cold and unexpected turn-out of events, remained cool (literally and metaphorically) and kept his humor intact. I mean let's face it, how can one still be funny when you are in the middle of nowhere with nothing but yourself and a survival man with you? Big question eh, but Ferrell was able to prove that sense of humor is a major defense for any troubles.

Being one of the highest paid actors in Hollywood have its perks, and Ferrell enjoyed such. But the funny man never stopped himself from becoming just the doting "hollywood actor," and stepped out from the band wagon of the metrosexual males. Instead, he embarked on an adventure that no other actors did before and threw away the security blanket provided by "lights, camera and action." With this, Will just proved that there is more to life than the four corners of a studio.

The credits may go to Bear for producing this program, but I say the hands-down is for Ferrell's because without any knowledge of what he got himself into, he left his security blanket behind, journeyed towards the highlands, and that is something one can truly brag about.

How I wish I'll be able to have my own adventure as that of Will. Certainly, ecstatic but at least free from the things that are slowly strangling me at the moment. I feel like I'm missing the entirety of what the outside could offer. One day I'm looking forward to a man vs. wild journey, and just the thought of it is already exhilirating.

A good night sleep after a long exhausting day courtesy of Bear and Will...

Maritess: A reflection of a Filipino overseas worker's plight

I have just finished watching Rex Navarrete's short clip "Maritess and Superfriends," courtesy of rexnavarrete.com. And to tell you frankly I can't remember how many times I have viewed this clip, and it has never ceased to make me laugh. Being in the office (where I'm supposed to be working), I was having a really hard time suppressing my laughter while viewing the 7 minute video. But sure enough I was able to handle it well partly because my cubicle's just infront of my shift supervisor's...whew!

The story follows a woman named Maritess, who is in pursuit of landing a high-paying job abroad. Following her endless job search in the newspaper, Maritess was able to secure a job as a maid for the Superfriends in their very own Hall of Justice. From the time she was picked up by Wonderwoman in her hometown Zamboanga to being caught by Aquaman cooking his pet fish, Maritess chronicled the life of a typical overseas Filipino worker--leaving her family behind to keep her dream of having a better future, and enduring all the possible sufferings that one could imagine in the hands of her employer.

As the story slowly unfolds, Maritess shared her insights not only about her being in an abused situation but also the Filipino immigration law, the isolation she felt, and how the so called "superfriends" are not super friends at all.

Although Navarrete managed to pull the clip with a fun concept through the use of animation and commendable voice over, one can simply never overlook the underlying issue that have been right in our face for such a long time--the plight of our very own overseas Filipino workers, who are relentlessly working hard in pursuit of earning higher salaries to send back to their families that cannot be earned in our country.

Maritess' tale is just one of the many troubling stories that reflects the realistic experiences that many domestic helpers had endured and is still enduring in the hands of their employers. Nonetheless, it can also be assumed that what Maritess have experienced is just a portion of the hardships that many of our "kababayan's" abroad had suffered and are still suffering.

While there are various government and non-government activities intended to give recognition to our so called "mga bagong bayani," are these enough to somehow lift the burden that our "kababayan's" have suffered? Or is such namesake just a namesake as is? "Mga bagong bayani" and then what? None right? And they would still have to return abroad to once again endure the pain of not being in their homes while their children slowly grow estranged to them, and not being able to save up for themselves so that they can have something to live with by the time that the lights are slowly closing in on them.

Maritess' story can make you laugh--hard. But no pun intended, her experiences is a clear reverberation of an issue that was and is still in existent to date. And one question will always remain, when will they come home?

(Note: I do apologize if I cannot display the video but you can watch the clip here and here).

Heels that kills

I do admit that I am not the biggest fan of high-heels. I'm more comfortable wearing sneakers and flip-flops, or I'll even go to the extent of walking bear-footed rather than strut the streets in such footwear. But of course, just like any other girls, I do appreciate the "heels service" occasionally. Other than that, I have nothing against women who are more comfortable wearing extra high-heels. In fact, I envy them because they aren't as clumsy as I am when I'm wearing one.

Though I do not despise this fashion, I have myriads of reasons and experiences that could somehow explain my indifference for high-heeled footwear. My point of justification for such indifference happened just yesterday. After our shifts, me and my guy (who works in a different company) usually walk towards the bus station to catch a ride home. It's a long walk (but not too long to exhaust ourselves), but we do enjoy it because somehow it gives us the benefit of stretching our legs after 8 hours of sitting, and extra time to catch up with each other.

Just as we were about to turn right to get to our destination, a woman right infront of me was walking slowly. Initially, I thought that she's just the regular slowpoke who's not totally aware of her surroundings. Then came the surprise, she stopped in the way and fixed her... yes, yes extra-high heels. Honestly, I was totally annoyed for the traffic that she's causing. And just like me, people who are piling up behind, too eager to get home, are already annoyed because we can't push through as the sideway is too small to accommodate two people at the same time (although you can squeeze yourself if you want to). All of these troubles for one single reason: a girl who can't barely walk because of her shoes.

Yeah, yeah I know that I might sound too hard on this thing. You might as well say that such experience is not enough to justify my point. But certainly I know that you won't overlook the medical problems associated with this fashion. The hazards that heels can posit to women's health can range from calluses and corns (thickened skin), arthritis, back pains to chronic knee pain. Not to mention the condition known as knee osteoarthritis, a degenerative and painful disease due to the tearing and wearing of the cartilages in the knee, which is common among women who frequently wear heels.

Lesson learned: Low-heeled footwear or no heels at all are still the women's safest bet to avoid these conditions. And of course, to avoid becoming the reason for traffic.

Doing the guilty pleasure online

Shopping is perhaps one of the best things that life could offer. Not only does it provides you the opportunity to choose from wide array of things in accordance to your taste, but the best of all is that it brings out the creativity in you.

Personally, I do admit that shopping is one of my guiltiest pleasure. I love the endless search for the perfect clothes and apparels. At the same time I like the idea that it kills time and still gives you the satisfaction that no other activities can offer. However, what I often complain about such task is the tiring walk from one boutique to another. I often suffer from cramps after hours of roaming around the mall, and at the end of the day I'll go out of those places empty handed. To add up to this is the fact that some of the stores offer the same selections at high prices.

Just recently I managed to stumble upon myriads of shopping destinations where the feet cannot go. What I'm talking about are the gazillions of online retail shops that offer various products that cannot be found in stores near you. What I like about these stores are the detailed descriptions of the products being offered. It's as if you have a personal shopper with you that gives you the information you needed. To compliment all these, some online specialty stores even offer their clients with fashion tips and advices that are truly helpful for improving oneself.

Basically, you can find stores that offer products ranging from casual wear to the skimpiest swim suits that you need during summer, and if you're the techie type there are also sites that offer technologica devices of all kinds. There are also online stores that cater to varying age group, gender and status. In short, almost and anything can now be found in these online stores.

I find it easier to shop online because they never run out of stocks, have wide array of selections, and most importantly offer high-quality products that goes with cheap pricing. Adding up to these is the covenience of just sitting infront of your computer looking for the perfect apparels without straining yourself and getting tired. From here, I could fairly say that online shopping is the solution for individuals who have trouble engaging with traditional shopping. As for me, I may not totally say that I'm giving up my love for traditional shopping, but with my busy schedule and over the top prioirities, I still prefer doing my guiltiest pleasure online.