Cubao Expedition

Today, I went to Cubao Expo with Ate Yanyan (older sister) and Kuya Carlos (guy friend). Super fun :D Tiring yes... Absobloominlutely. Because I went to UST earlier today then to the condo then commute all the way up to Cubao and back.

Lovely shots from today's adventure! :D Needless to say, I also put them up on Facebook. Teehee.

@ Libreria! :) The interiors are so cozy. Perfect for reading time.

So many books. I'm in awe :O

@ Bellini's! I am now in love with this Italian restaurant.

meatballs pasta. nom nom nom :3

Complimentary red wine! It tasted really sweet. Two thumbs up v :Dv

Cubao Expo is also known as "Marikina Shoe Exchange". The shoes are cheaper here! Too bad I didn't have enough moolah on me :(

I love the dolphin art displayed on the walls here.

I wanted to chill here but decided against it. Next time I guess. It looks like a cool place :>

This store. So old school. I love it! Nostalgia :">

At the end of the day, I bought two camera rings. Lovely! Wasn't able to picture though. Huhu. One's for me, the other is my sister's birthday gift. Also, I got a pretty London journal. All were bought from The Reading Room.

Heima Store was closed. Sad. Wanted to see it pa naman :( My sister and I wanna buy furniture there, should the need arise. Hihi.

I wanted to take more shots because the place looks so.. uh. Photogenic? :)) The ambiance there was so relaxed given that it was an ukay-ukay haven. Hihi. One thing's for sure, I will definitely be going back there :D

From South to North all for the love of lovely vintage things.

"At Last" by Etta James

I absolutely LOVE this song with all my heart and soul. I was supposed to post something rather personal tonight but I decided against it because I don't want to j**x it. Haha. I can't say the word.

Today was rather exhausting but it made me happy nonetheless. Met up with Lui. She calls me Piggy. Haha boo oink oink. Hung out with Bodji. He finally got me the heavenly shake from that whatsits shop along P. Noval! Haha >:)

Tomorrow is another eventful day ahead. Still, I cannot ignore the sad realities that I know I have to face. One of my close friends is moving away. I may/may not be accepted to UP Manila. I may/may not have to work the family garden shop in May. Still holding onto that hope of the June trip. So much on my plate..

I shall sleep. Zzz.

Lolo's January Hospitalization

Just because I felt like sharing! :D These are pictures taken from when lolo was hospitalized in Makati Medical Center last January this year. All of them are post-surgery photos.

Lolo, Ninang, Mommy and yours truly (in my UST uniform pa haha)

That's lolo writing some checks, I think?

My younger sister

Mommy! She went home on short notice because of lolo's condition.

I HAD to take a picture of this towel with a tiny red star on it. I'm a sucker for stars.

Food from a certain restaurant that we ordered from is kinda pricey. I forgot the name. I swear.

I think there was a U2 special on TV?

My brother being an idiot.

Getting his emo on. Eww.

Mommy hugs. Haha.

Lolo is okay now. His voice is a little raspy and airy. He has a hard time talking and all but he's doing pretty okay. He's 76! It's a blessing to reach that age these days. Thank you Lord! :D

Damsel Under Stress

Earlier today, my sister and I had our nails done at Nailfiles, located in the Burgundy condo building along Taft Avenue. Read Lifestyle Asia Travelmag while being treated.

Lookit my nails! Blue toes, green sparkly fingernails. And yes, that is a photo of The Beatles. I was reading an article about the Beatlemania Museum in Hamburg, England. Next time, I will try to find the featured Beatles sneakers here, done by Wing Dings. So awesome! I shall make my own with a pair of plain white Advans. :D

Yes! New art project in the making.

Just finished transcribing an audio file and it is damn tiring. EFFORT. Haven't polished my transcription yet though. Will work on that in a few.

I saw my grades already. Woohoo! :D I think that I am happy with them, but I am not contented. Nono. I shall do better next semester, mark my words.

PS: I must buy travel and photography magazines to fuel my interests.

Photography Nut

I'm not a serious photography amateur, let alone a  professional photographer. I just find photography really really interesting. A camera and a creative eye have the ability to transform a typical normal scene into something moving, beautiful and well, really something else entirely. Photography can transform what our naked eye sees. Or else, that's what I think. Hihi.

Anyway.

I don't want to buy a professional DSLR just yet because I'm still a noob in photography. I'm looking for a camera that I can use to utilize photography skills while at the same time give me opportunities for mindless point-and-shoot photography. Haha! Candid shots capture the real essence of the model, don't they? Also, I want a camera that is more compact but has all the necessary features to really put one's skills and photo-schema to the test. Size and weight are not really deciding factors for me in choosing a model but the smaller and lighter, the better ;)

Two camera models, one brand of note. Lumix DMC LX3 and LX5. They're both high-end digital cameras. So far, from what I've come across, they pretty much have the same features and specs. Close call for the low-light ISOs though (94 ISO of the LX3's compared to LX5's 132). Also, a certain "BlackBlack" on Danny Choo's blog comments "Don't like the lens cover very much. There are better solutions. Hope the LX5 doesn't have this".

The images taken by these Lumix models were superb. Still debating with myself which model to get. They're both pretty cool. I'm guessing I'd have to buy a couple of lenses and external flash for it.

Here are some of my sources for LX3:

DP Review
Here's a good overall review for the Lumix LX3 which has the full specs, features and includes photos.

Culture Japan
It's pretty useful because his review is precise and straight to the point. Big plus for the pretty layout and cute Jap characters. (^_^)

DxO Mark
I like this one! It compares the LX3 and LX5. Speaking of which, you can compare other camera models, too. Try it out! ;)

Digital Photographer Forum
This photography forum is very interesting. Their comments are pretty helpful and the images are great too. The water drop photos are awesome!! Also, I love how there was a photo comparison with the ISO lightings.

Sources for the Lumix DMC LX5:

CNET Asia Review
This review is solely for the Lumix DMC LX5. Also very helpful! You can post your own review here, too.

Digital-Camera
This is a good review from Digital-Camera. "Build and design", "Good features", "Good image quality" speculations are somewhat summarized but helpful nonetheless. You can also leave a reply. Ask a question, make a comment, etc. Me likey.

Pay these sites a visit, you'll learn a lot ;)

I read more about the LX3 which is why I'm more inclined to buy it but I'm guessing that the LX5 is more advanced. Would have to get more professional opinions on this and most especially, my mom's. Hihi, since we'll both handle the payments. (50/50)

As of now, will read more and do more digging. I hope my investigations become fruitful and allow me to make a profound decision.