korea: streets and people pt. i

This is the thing when you write about a place a year after: I do not know where to start anymore. 

I guess I'll just start by saying I was not keen to go to Korea at all before. Maybe because 1) I've never traveled to a country that required a visa; 2) Applying for visa seemed risky to me; 3) I was not familiar to their culture (yet).

The idea to make it the next country to visit came from my Dad whom I've heard wanted to go to there. But later on, I found out that it was actually Japan, and not Korea, haha. Whatever.

I booked the tickets 9 months before the trip and kept the thought aside for a couple more months until I began getting hook to a Korean drama. By the time we get to Korea, I was excited, pumped up and ready to fangirl squee.

We went in February, in the midst of winter. Living in a tropical country for my entire life, the cold did not NOT bother me anyway, hehe.

Incheon airport is almost an hour away from Seoul, so for the most part all I saw was dry land. As the bus turned to go in the city, this was the moment I still could not forget until today: I felt like I entered some vortex and got transported into a very foreign, yet cinematic street view.

Overcast weather, crowds of black winter coats walking, leafless trees arranged in rows by the sidewalk.

I was alienated in the beginning. But over time, that alienation turned into fascination. Everything seemed appealing to my senses.

Every corner I pan my sight to is straight out of a K-drama scene (well, obviously!). I was literally, happily, in it.

The cold is paralyzing, that's one drawback for me. But the cold seemed to be the meaning of it all. It established the real feel of being in Korea.

It's a country that I could visit over, and over again. 

I used Kodak Portra 160 and 400 alternately, but some mishap happened in scanning in the first film lab I went to that I had to rescan them to another lab. I don't know too if the scanner in Incheon airport screwed up my film because you'll notice how different the tones are when they are only from the same roll.

Spotted this couple who brought a Nikon film camera with them :)

ippudo

pieces of singapore

I recently got together with some of my high school batchmates whom I haven't met in more than a decade. I've only reconnected with them through Twitter 5 years ago I think, and from then on our correspondence continued.

I was a bit surprised when they asked me what my real profession is. A photographer? Traveler, perhaps? Both laughable, because I don't consider myself as a photographer and no one pays me to travel either. After a while, I realized the validity of the question. I do barely talk about my job in social media or even rant about it whenever it is applicable, so one would find it easy to just assume travel or photography as my field of work.

Oh well, if I can only travel, take photos and get paid at the same time :)

Sky over Bugis

Anyway, here are some photos of Singapore from last year. It has been 4 years since my first trip to this city (also my first out-of-country travel) and I keep coming back because it is such a convenient city to walk around, get lost in and take photos of. Also, Laksa, period.

I'm suppose to go back before January ends but something came up that made me re-evaluate my resources for the whole year, so I may have to skip it this time. Sad, but I know I'll come back again :)

Gardens by the Bay

Early morning in Bugis

Black bird in Singapore Botanic Gardens

Some person with a hideous fashion sense across the Esplanade

The Love of my Life, Teh Tarik

2017: an opening

Tesselaar Tulip Festival, Melbourne, Australia, 2016

Just as quick I am to express sorrow in the past years when they have not been good to me in certain life aspects, it's only fair to do the same when life turns out for the good.

There were a handful of shitty events in 2016 (more so on a global scale), but allow me to be as unapologetic as I could be: I had a great year in 2016.

On the other hand, I found myself less drawn to write in general, and share things here in my blog.

My fondness for film stayed the same, but the urge to put it into action did not. I shot a lot less last year. I remember shooting 50+ rolls in 2015. It was cut in half by shooting only 26 rolls in 2016.

Anyway, here are some random 2016 highlights:

• Ran two 10-km races
• Joined two open-call photography submissions (I did not get in for both, but submitting my photos was nerve-racking)
• Got my first TLR camera!
• Traveled to four countries
• First time to experience winter
• Got an Instax Wide
• Traveled out of Asia (something I never would have thought)
• Finally bought a Paperwhite after four years of pining
• Participated in my first Emulsive Secret Santa!
• Watched a lot of K-dramas and consequently grew love for something I thought was too mushy and dramatic for my liking (which is ironic because I'm mushy and dramatic just the same haha)
• Gave some people a second chance, lol
• Gave myself a second chance with this blog (and username)

Neil deGrasse Tyson tweeted the other day:

To all on the Gregorian Calendar, Happy New Year! A day that's not astronomically significant...in any way…at all…whatsoever.

True. But don't we all enjoy and benefit from the illusion of a clean slate?

Happy new year, my friend. Let's keep this year tidy :)

singapore botanic gardens

I've been to Singapore a couple of times before, but last May was my first time going to this 156-year old garden honored as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

It was still summer. The garden is vast, so walking is a must for one to explore the entire 74 acres.

The heat was almost unbearable, but I enjoyed taking photos of the light coming through the rustling leaves and to the concrete pathway. Even after 3 years of shooting film, I still have to think about my exposure settings and estimate the light of my surroundings before I shoot (the light meters of my cameras are all busted).

Unfortunately, I overestimated the light coming through the trees and thought it was enough to shoot at 1/125-1/250, hence the grain. Fortunately, I will be coming back to Singapore early next year so I may have the chance to shoot with a decent exposure.

Yup, there's been a little change in my blog. Everything else is the same, though. Maybe I'll explain the transition later. For now, welcome to the new blog name :)