The Most Serene Republic, La Serenissima Repubblica. It is really a city like no other. I would love to go back and explore every street corner, every charming shop, admire the lovely homes with beautiful rustic palettes, the bridges, canals, gondolas, traghetti, vaporetti. It's such a blessed place on earth.

Labels: Architecture, IT, Panorama

Venice, Italy

Labels: Architecture, IT

I’ve always been negative in a lot of things, and I find much difficulty in seeing the positive. It’s hard to detach from these emotions even if you convince yourself again and again, that it’s nothing personal. Sometimes I just want to end it, because of certain situations, because of how it makes me feel about myself, how dispensable I appear, how it crushes my ego, how I feel I’ll never be good enough, how no one really looks out for me, how I feel like people are out to get me, how I always need to prove something before I feel good about myself. I don't know, I just want to let these things out.

Labels: Writing

I found a few posts on pinoyexchange.com about my food pictures. I have collected a lot since I started to document what I eat. That was more than two years ago.

This girl's got the magic eye!

WOW, those are amazing food shots. She must have a degree in Hotel and Restaurant Management.

^ or a large gut...

Labels: Writing

I have set up a new site at wordpress, thinking that effronte.org won't be back up anymore. Now that its back again (many many thanks to Nicole), I guess I'll be staying here. :)

Labels: Writing

Apart from the awe-inspiring architectural marvels, it's watching these little beautiful moments that made the trip for me.
Atop the Duomo, Milan

Labels: IT, People

i'm in our dinky hotel lobby, and i'm having a hard time typing from this italian keyboard. it's been a good couple of days so far. the very short lent holiday is not nearly enough to see this wonderful country, but i'll take it, it's better than not being able to visit at all.

Labels: Writing

I think €8 for one ride is a rip off, and there is practically nothing to see up there at night. It's still charming though, Before Sunrise was filmed here and also the cult classic The Third Man.

Labels: AT, Curiosities, Night

St. Peter's Church at the heart of the Vienna city centre needs €120,000 per year for maintenance and restoration.

Labels: Architecture, AT, Church

Labels: AT, Curiosities, People

The Austrian Parliament Building done on Greek Revival style. It's one of my favourite buildings in Vienna so far.

Labels: Architecture, AT

Vienna State Opera. It's currently playing Puccini's La Boheme, I'm not too familiar with it but I know it's where the broadway musical Rent is based from.

A tiny improvement on my Google Adsense earnings has got me posting again. And by tiny I mean a few cents. But it still counts for something.

Everyone and their dog must know that Jens Lekman is my favourite musician ever. The genre is described as Swedish Indie Pop (but he sings mostly in English); and it may not for everyone, as I don't even know a soul who likes him as much as I do.

Jens calms me like no other, takes me to a better place. His music is the only thing I can listen to for hours on end. Until he does a show somewhere near where I live, I must content myself with bootlegs-- and he has posted a lovely recording from his Valentines show in Istanbul.

And this video from 2006 just kills me.

In other news, Gogol Bordello is having a show in April and I hope hope hope I can find someone who wants to see them as well. One would not understand the greatness that is Eugene Hutz (Gogol Bordello's frontman) unless he sees Everything Is Illuminated. It would be great to be in the mosh pit as they play Gypsy Part of Town (my favourite from them) even if I'm 'too old' and 'too corporate' for that. But what the heck.

Labels: Music

In front of this structure is a large ice skating area where the young and old alike skate to K.T. Tunstall songs.

Labels: Architecture, AT

"Pigeons are like rats with wings."

Labels: AT, Fauna

Gustav Klimt's Der Kuß (The Kiss)

Labels: AT, Curiosities, Etc

Walkway at the Vienna Metro.

Labels: Architecture, AT

Flowers at Naschmarkt, Vienna

Labels: AT, Flora

I went there not expecting anything, a bit uneasy because I was-- in my book, unprepared. I haven't really read up on the history and the places, and I just deplore being an ignorant traveler like that. Or, okay... tourist.

I thought it was just another snotty 'royal' city, but surprisingly I ended up falling in love. I hope to be back and actually go inside the museums and palaces, and perhaps fulfill these petty, pretentious dreams:

1. See Klimt's Der Kuß and Judith at Belvedere
2. Visit the Kaiserappartements
3. Get on the Riesenrad at Prater.
4. Go to a real kaffeehaus and have a latte and big delicious cream cake or sachertorte
5. See the Boys' Choir
6. Mozart's home or the Freud museum
7. Hundertwasserhaus (by the Austrian Gaudí)
8. Schloss Schönbrunn and the gloriette

Just putting things onto digital paper, lest I forget.

Labels: AT, Writing

Currently on work assignment. It was my first time to fly alone, the four flights (yes the company wants to save money that way) lasted around thirty hours, spanning three different time zones. It was tiring and disorienting to say the least. I've had a lot of misfortunes in the past week; postponed flights, switching to a less preferred airline, a delayed flight, an almost missed flight, getting lost in a massive German airport, rude airline crew, uncredited frequent flyer miles on ALL tiers, confiscated 55-dollar perfume, crashing laptops, missing my family, 2°C weather, internet-less apartment life, almost zero culinary skills.

Of course everything isn't doom and gloom. I should stop whining and put these behind me now. Til here, you have a good one.

Labels: Writing

I saw La Môme on Saturday and now I can't stop thinking about Édith Piaf. La Vie En Rose is one of my favourite songs, after all. I really have a fascination with these messed up artistes. (Frida Kahlo, Van Gogh, Gustav Klimt, Jackson Pollock..) Anyhow, I didn't like the disjointed storytelling, but Marion Cotillard was amazing. If I were to go to P?re Lachaise, I'd visit Piaf's grave and not the tourist favourite, Jim Morrison's.

Labels: Film

In my opinion, the best thing you can do is find a person who loves you for exactly what you are. Good mood, bad mood, ugly, pretty, handsome, what have you, the right person will still think the sun shines out your ass. That's the kind of person that's worth sticking with.

- From Juno

Labels: Film, Flora

Taken on a recent surfing trip with my siblings and work friends. The surf camp is actually in San Juan (La Union) but we had to move to the next town where the waves are suited for beginners. Photos by JB and Alec, Bacnotan, La Union.

Labels: People, Philippines

Merry Christmas, one and all. :) Have a great 2008 ahead.

Labels: Writing

I will no longer try to be your friend. I don't know what has transpired between then and now that made you change, it must be something I did, it must be something you did, it must be some event that I am unaware of. I don't understand at all; the alienation, unfair treatment, the obvious awkwardness in conversation (at your end), the elusiveness and erratic moods. After these months of trying, I will no longer care. I've had enough.

Labels: Writing

November has been incredibly good too me. For the longest time I have been feeling like a rotten person / daughter / employee / friend / relative / sister (and so on), that looking back at my good fortune these past few weeks I feel like I don't deserve any of these things.

Labels: Writing

Taken from the tower of the Old Town Hall (Stará radnica), Slovak Republic.

Labels: People, SK

What's your take on post-processed images? Admittedly (and I don't deny it), I do it too, usually using Picasa. I make the colours more vibrant, then straighten and crop as needed. After acquiring my digital camera I realised that even in the best lighting conditions I am not quite satisfied with the slight washed-out quality of my pictures... and then Picasa came along, and it made everything easy-peasy.

Recent conversations and experiences made me feel defeated as some people / purists may consider post-processing 'cheating.' It is subjective opinion really, but from time to time I do feel that some people scoff at my images because it's not real camera work.

At the end of the day I try to convince myself that in the real world, the end result is more important. You chose to go digital for a reason and editing is part of the digital photography process. I don't want to take this too seriously or impose certain rules for myself.

Labels: Fauna, Writing

I was bored waiting for my dad so I followed critters for a good hour or so. This is one of the better shots of the afternoon.

Labels: Fauna

Taken in San Fernando, La Union
Vignetting done using Photoshop.

Labels: Philippines