Sunday, May 27, 2012

CORA and LUZ: Best Friends Forever

Cora and Luz have been young neighbors in Binondo in Manila, Friends, Schoolmate at Abad Santos High School. My father and Luz had been High School partners, separated by time, reunited at their Reunion and married. Cecil and I have Sisters-Schoolmates in High School:  Capitol Institute in Novaliches, Quezon City. Cora is their mother; Luz is our Step. Small world really;  My Dad and Luz' were together 20years.
Cora and Luz are really meant to be company forever.
How their nature as friends, rapport, gimmick and reputation are; I have no idea. It's just good to see old friends free to be themselves.























The Ship of Grotto Vista




Tuesday, May 22, 2012

My Phone; Made in the Philippines


I'm not a regular photographer.  I'm not much into gadgets, pixels and other specifications.
Ive been using a hand-over branded handy camera from my daughter. 

My Phone is four months old. I saw it at a Local Tiangge. It doesn't exactly fit my cellphone standard; or I thought so. I want a white, handy, simple, big letters, wide-screen cellphone, w/ TV/radio, loud sound. I don't want double SIM, touch screen, 3G, super high-tech and expensive because I'm careless with things, anti-tech, anti-gadget, and its dangerous in the Philippines to walk around with expensive gadgets.
When I saw this, it almost fit except for the color. My husband and I Cant leave it because we both want its looks. Roamed around the Mall and other Malls for other better; or comparing the price and we always end up looking at it.
It's simple-looking, elegant, Silver and black, big-faced, flat sides, square, big letters, cheap and on-promo.

When I went to The Peak, I don't have a Camera but the  view up there is so breathtaking seeing the wide sights, I wanna take a serious shot. My daughter didn't let me bring her Canon Handy Camera and the hand-over one is borrowed by my sister.
I'm not the one using it so I'm not familiar with the specs; it has complete prayers, rosary, everyday soul food, and complete Filipino creeds all in the CD's.

No zoom, I took pictures. I just settle the image i want at the middle of the screen. if you think thee black glass is full screen; look again. the lens is only 1 1/2X2 inches..I wasn't expecting wide shots. I thought I will be getting the middle of an image; margins out. 

Kaye was the firsts I saw; I can take a full picture of her at a distance of about one meter. At one ruler far; I got her close-up.
I was amazed to see full, wide shots when I was expecting only the exact image  or maybe half to appear on the shots.
I can easily focus, I don't even focus. I just estimate the center of the image and  the screen. I found it better to use than when I was using a real Handy Camera.
PS. Shooting the Red Sky, I realized this Cellphone has a Zoom and  was able to use it. 
They said it was a version of the  phased-out SONY Ericsson. It is made in the Philippines and it is called Pinoy Phone.





























Saturday, May 19, 2012

Hi Ed! What's up with you?

Two or three months ago,
I went to do a time visit to my familiar Mall:
Waltermart in Munoz.
Familiar
               because I used to live in the community where the Mall is.
               I stayed around the place for ten years or more,
               since the 90s;
               not as a Bonafide Citizen but as an Adopted Resident.
Adopted:   Daughter to a mother and father
                  sister to a sister and a brother,
                  friend to a friend
                  Enemy to a rival
                  a lover
                 a neighbor
                 a veteran
Time visit because I go there from time to time
since I left the place for many others;
Because My heart is still there,
like pieces of me to be found anywhere around.
So many people, so many memories: Love, hate, friendship.

Twenty years ago;
There is this one local group
that HE introduced me to
that I half-belonged to...
There were many of them;
Each one, I occasionally see on circumstances,
like every year or three or two each,
others five years, ten years
 in and out of the city.

My stairs are running up.
Halfway, I saw a familiar...very familiar face
going down;
smiling a full, pure smile, pointing at me
like so happy and surprised
to see me at a Mall younger than us and our story.
He was saying my name on his lips
and his body is expressing "Long time, No see."

I was so happy:
to see him
He was the kindest, not only to me
but really one of the nicest of the group;
happy:
to see a part of my history:
realizing that the memories are real,
that it really happened, with real characters
happy:
the smile on his face is contagious
happy;
because He looked so happy to see me.

I hesitated to keep the meeting up, for some reason.
I shrugged the notion of taking one step
to the very adjacent Running down Escalator
Didn't Meet him down to say "Hi;"
nor an inviting wave at him to "Come up here."

He was landing down;  I was stepping up
but  Our eyes are still running after the shadow of each other,
tho there are not much people on the way.
He stayed for a moment down the end of the Escalator
like he wanted to chat a little
We took a last glance
I waved goodbye, that he went off
Still smiling- like the real him.

When I got home, I added him as FaceBook Friend excitedly.
like I should see, peek or check out on him;
Didn't even notice it was immediately accepted
For some reason,
I hesitated to grab a Second chance,
this time, on a Mail
to say "Whats up with you?"

We have been friends-on-line for three months now,
So much time there is, specially now we are FB friends,
we can check-out anytime.
 
Very luckily, very Ironically
our connection mattered
a Tag to him would appear on my wall.
and here is the Tag:
Three days...The Doctor said three days...Expiring...Cancer.
!!!
and Today is the second day.

Rushed to check his wall-
surprisingly it took just a minute
On his wall:  First Chemo-Therapy, posted 11months ago.

I called a friend about it,
not wanting to sound unfamiliar;
like I have known all along.
FEU Manila, stable, OK, false alarm.
I can not grasp all the information
but I heard - False Alarm

Last chance to ask personally "How are you doing?"
but I'm so numb this time, for some reason.
Maybe...maybe... and I'm out of answer.

Last night, I went to see him.
A personal meet up, At last
Face to face with him;
I was finally able to find the words
From my lips, I mumbled "Hi Ed..."
Like  there were so much things to say
but nothing more is worth saying
through a glass window
but
"Goodbye Ed."

Tomorrow, I will again time visit my familiar mall
....