el toro bumingo: March 2012

Friday, March 30, 2012

Sef and Glenn

I’m so sorry for the lack of updates regarding my lovelife. I’m pretty sure you all wanted to know what happened between me and Sef and you’re probably curious about my new boyfriend named Glenn.

Let’s start with Sef. As you probably know, I’ve dated him for quite some time. We used to send each other emails and texted each other often. Somehow between the 6th and 7th date, he seems to become cold towards me. He no longer answers my email. He’s always busy with his job at the magazine (he’s the layout artist). I no longer felt that he’s interested with me in a romantic kind of way. Then he didn’t show up on the night of our departure to Baguio telling me all these reasons.

So I went to the Panagbenga Festival alone and enjoyed it as much as I can. When I returned from Baguio, I told him that I would stop courting him since I really don’t feel that he finds me a boyfriend-material. I look into his eyes and I see my reflection as a good friend, not lover.

Sef and I remained good friends even though I’ve already stopped courting him and started labeling our hang-outs as “gimmick” instead of “date”. The last time I saw him was during the showing of “The Hunger Games” at the Shang Cineplex. I’m one of the 60 Nuffnangers who joined the event and Sef was my “plus one”. It was purely a friendly “gimmick” and it’s nice to see him, gorgeous as ever, sporting a new haircut. He’s still not seeing someone and I haven’t heard him told me if someone is courting him. We ended the night at a coffee shop and catching up on each other’s lives. I ended up telling him about my boyfriend, Glenn.

I met Glenn in July 2011 (just last year). Back then, he was the boyfriend of my best friend forever (BFF) named Jereil. I got attracted to Glenn the first time I saw him. I immediately love his smile, laugh, voice and the way he carries himself. I find him gorgeous and sexy. Since Glenn was Jereil’s boyfriend at that time, I never made these feelings known to him.

I have talked to Glenn and texted him once in a while ever since that first meeting. I became the “crying shoulder” whenever they have their lover’s quarrel. They’re relationship ended sometime in February. I texted Glenn saying that I’ll court him as soon as he moved on from the breakup.

Glenn recovered easily from the breakup and when he confessed that he’s really over my BFF (now called his ex), I asked for a date. He said yes and we soon found happiness in each other’s arms the first date we had. My feelings for Glenn was revived the second time I saw him in person. He’s as gorgeous and sexy as I remembered him.

It was probably influenced by alcohol or something, but the moment I asked him to be my boyfriend, on our first date, he said yes and we sealed the commitment with a kiss. It was one of the best feelings in the world, to be in a relationship again.

Two days after, we made love and find joy in each other’s companion. We were really in love with each other. I felt that I’ve known him forever. The feeling that I have for Glenn is beyond words. I love to be with him for the rest of my life.

The story of Glenn and I have only just began.

BuzzNet Tags: Sef,Glenn,Love,Relationship,My Better Half

Thursday, March 22, 2012

The Hunger Games, Tonight!

I’m one of the lucky 60 Nuffnangers who won 2 movie tickets to “The Hunger Games”, which will be shown tonight at the Shang Cineplex.

Sef will accompany to this wonderful event. I’ve been hearing a lot of good things about this movie. I hope Sef and I will both enjoy it.

Just an update, I currently have a boyfriend right now and he is NOT Sef. I stopped courting Sef weeks ago. We’re still friends BTW. More on this story in the coming days.

BuzzNet Tags: Nuffnang Philippines,The Hunger Games,Sef

The Manila Zoo

Its longer name is the Manila Zoological and Botanical Garden. Last March 17, 2012 was my 2^nd time in this famous zoo. The first time I visited this zoo was when I was a kid of age 9 or 10.

Canon Philippines recently conducted a free photography workshop at their multi-purpose hall inside the Manila Zoo. I was one of the early birds and I arrived at the Manila Zoo around 7:30 AM. I was able to view the zoo before the peak hours.

I felt sorry for the animals in this zoo. They are very malnourish as seen by their thin body. I wish the city government of Manila could do better in taking care of the animals in this zoo. Manila Zoo is still a popular park in spite of its present condition.

BuzzNet Tags: Manila Zoo,Canon,Manila Zoological and Botanical Garden

Monday, March 19, 2012

Canon Photoskwela Plus

Last Saturday, I was fortunate enough to attend a free basic photography lesson with such names in photography like Jiggie Alejandrino and Noel Puyat. This session was sponsored by Canon, the brand of DSLR I’m using.

The venue of this event was Manila Zoo and this is the 2nd time I’ve been to this place (more of Manila Zoo soon). I was surprised to find a Canon Multi-Purpose Hall inside the Manila Zoo!

What I like about this Canon Photoskwela Plus session was their “Snapshots to Photographs” concept. They defined the difference between snapshots and photographs and that the latter is properly thought of, has proper composition and followed certain guidelines. Jiggie Alejandrino and Noel Puyat encourage us to create photographs.

They’ve provided us with certain guidelines that helps create wonderful photographs such as:

1. Simplicity – a snapshot may contain some clutters. We should take out these distractions on our photographs

2. Balance – one side identical to the other side. Symmetry

3. Rule of Thirds – they said that the human eye captures the Top and Lower Part of an image

4. Light and Shadow – silhouette photos are still very good

5. Recognizing Lines, Shapes and Forms – be observant of leading lines that leads to the subject

6. Using Geometrical Shapes and Forms – pyramids, triangles

7. Vanishing Points – like roads, railroads

8. Textures – walls with patterns and grains

9. Subject Placement – put the subject in the beginning and end of the picture

10. Positive and Negative – the subject being the positive and everything else being the negative space

11. Depth of Field – here’s where Boke comes in (Japanese for “quality of the blur”)

12. Perspective – camera angle, worm’s eye view, use of tripod

13. Shoot to Print – compose your photograph as if you intend to print it right away

They also provided other tips like never crop in the joint (elbows), having straight horizons (in landscape pictures) and to avoid over saturated photos.

There was also a product presentation from Black Rapid for their amazing straps. The main feature is that the weight is not focus on the neck but on the shoulder. Benro also presented their tripods and ways to maximize its use.

The last part of this Canon Photoskwela Plus workshop is the application of what we learned. We are asked to take some pictures of Manila Zoo and to submit one entry to the contest. We were given some chance to point out the things that can be improved in our photos.

The bad thing about this seminar is that, they intend to emphasized that the “other brand” (a.k.a. Nikon) produces photos that are “over saturated” and that having the “other brand” clean to a service center may take about a month. We’re all Canon users in this seminar so why such comments. Also, one of the attendees “accidentally” shot her subject wearing a Nikon camera and they made a few jokes about it.

Other than that, this Canon Photoskwela Plus photography session was good. They even gave away 3 Black Rapid straps to the top 3 photographs voted by us, the attendees. Unfortunately I didn’t win but I like my entry very much. It reminded me of their other concept saying:

“No one has the right to tell that your photography is ugly. The only person who can say that is you”

This was my entry. What a cute kid right?

There are still two photoskwela sessions left – March 24 and 31. If you’re interested, simply submit the following information to photoskwelaplus2012@gmail.com