Needed my daily dose of caffeine for this early morning wedding. Jade on the other hand didn’t need any since she was all perked up on her wedding day. Abi likewise seemed to be cool but at times looked too jittery on what will happen next . Guess he was thinking about the dance they impeccably executed during the reception. Abi was likewise flawless when he did his speech at the end of the reception and declared to the whole world how much Jade loves him (aptly corrected as well).

MovingPictures Video

MovingPictures Slideshow

In any wedding, guests are a big part of the celebration. We want them to be very participative in all the planned wedding and reception activities. In the Glass House ceremony and reception of Jason and Marie, their guests have been a big part in making the entire event a success. Each and every person who called to do the speech were more than willing to share their experience with the couple. Likewise, the games suggested were not lacking in participants. This only shows that the couple have spent time to invite their closest relatives and friends to share this special occasion with them.

MovingPictures Prenup (Combo Photo and Video)

MovingPictures AVP (Childhood Pictures)

MovingPictures Slideshow

MovingPictures Video

More than AIDS or malaria, food deprivation is the number one cause of cause of death among children. Today, around 850 million people in the world get by without any food in their stomachs, 400 million of them are children. In our country, despite the taunted economic growth, 57% of the population does not have sufficient food to eat. In southern Philippines, Mindanao, where the World Food Program (WFP) is focusing its efforts, 4 percent of the households and an estimated 38 percent of children are malnourished. This chronic problem is the number cause of malnutrition. Without food, around 33% of children do not go to schools as their parents refuse to send them mainly because there is no food on the table.

End hunger - Walk the World is the brainchild of TNT CEO, of Peter Bakker who was struck with an article he was reading in a plane.

“somewhere in this world a child dies every five seconds due to hunger. The sad part is, these children are not dying due to lack of food. In fact, there is enough food to feed the hungry. The problem is that food does not get to places where it’s needed the most.”

The Walk the World program contributes to the eradication of this problem. Every person participating in this activity contributes to the effort. In the case of Allied Bank, instead of celebrating its anniversary, have opted to participate in this effort. Today, the morning of Sunday, June 1, 2008, together with senior officers of the bank, around 800 officers and staff participated in the walk around Fort Bonifacio. It has one of the biggest delegations. Other corporate sponsors are Unilever, Globe Telecom, among others.

Such a worthy effort. A simple walk on an early Sunday morning just to make sure that there will be no more hungry children.

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I don’t know what got into me but I suddenly asked myself, will I have my favorite pet be my bestman (err… best dog) or my ringbearer or flowergirl (err… flowercat). No I don’t own a dog nor a cat and it will be quite an impossibility for my koi to be there unless of course I am getting married like Nora Aunor (in the sea … my koi will still die since that is salt water ).

It might really be a silly idea but in the States, lots of people are celebrating their most special day with their favorite pets. They even dress them up in their tuxedo or gowns and they have shops where to buy these things. Among the more popular people to walk down the aisle with their favorite pets are: Adam Sandler, Tori Spelling, and Pink and Carey Hart.

I know that their are so many dog and pet lovers here in the Philippines. And for you. I did this, I called some of the most popular ceremony venues in the Philippines and check if they are open to this idea.

“My wedding is forthcoming, will you allow my favorite trained dog to be part of the wedding entourage.”

Here are their answers:

Manila Cathedral (Nora) - No. Definitely not allowed.

Fernwood Church (sanctioned by Mt. Carmel) - Sorry sir, dogs and pets are not allowed in the church

Shrine of Jesus (Manny) - laughing at the background. Sir, I will ask Monsignor but I think it is not allowed (still controlling his laugh)

St. James the Great (Acy) - Sir not allowed. We even had a guest before with a dog and told her to leave the dog outside if she wants to get in.

One Esplanade (Espi) - Sir not allowed if it’s inside (airconditioned room) but allowed in the Pearl Hall.

Fernbrook (Lovely) - Sir not in the church but I will confirm it it’s allowed outside during a Christian wedding.

Coconut Palace (Mabel) - Sir as long as the dog is trained ok. But Coconut Palace will just be opened till January 2009 since GSIS is taking over.

There you go. If you are planning to have “Brownie”, “Sputnik” or “Muning” to be with you during your wedding, there is a big chance that you will be allowed if you are having a christian ceremony typically in an open-area (Fernwood, Coconut Palace or any other garden venue). However, should you insist on a church and the traditional wedding ceremony, your luck to have your furry friend with you most likely will run out. Our churches in the Philippines seem to be too conservative and unprepared for unusual barks and meows inside.

Actually this entire exercise was enlightening and amusing. I tend to keep my laughter to myself while talking to church personnel. Even them cannot contain their smirks and chuckles probably thinking who is this loonie asking about a dog to be present in the ceremony .

You might not have a favorite dog with you during your day but don’t worry sooner than later your husband will be trained as well to do your favorite tricks.

Sit, sleep and eat.

Eileen is definitely no alien to this type of photography, having done a few shots during her wedding. Many women/brides have asked and inquired about this but only few dared to bring this to fruition. Perhaps it will be a lot better to hear the experience directly from somebody who really did it.

We are reposting Eileen’s story she originally printed in her multiply.

_________
After receiving tons of good feedback (haven’t really received negative ones Ü) from people who stumbled upon my bridal boudoir pictures, I decided to share the WHOLE experience especially for those bride-to-be’s and others who “wish” to do something like this.

It all started on 27 November 2007 when I chanced upon a post in W@W about boudoir photography that led me to Fol Rana’s blog about it. I was really excited because we also booked him as our official wedding photographer for our January 2008 wedding. I wanted something like this and I know Jason would too since he is a proponent of “If you have it, flaunt it!” and he never discouraged me from wearing sexy clothes. (In fact, he would always be picking out sexy tops, skirts and shorts whenever we go shopping and would call me “lola” if I wear something conservative whenever we go out.) I immediately sent him a PM to inquire about the rates and other details related to the shoot. I was quite disheartened because the rates were too high, especially with our wedding expenses. I made a promise to myself that as soon as I have spare money after the wedding, I would be doing this, as a belated gift to Jason. Ü But I have to say that once in a while, or more accurately, every couple of days, I go back to Sir Fol’s boudoir blog and convince myself that I would have savings after the wedding. Ü To further boost my confidence, I showed the blog to close friends and asked their opinion about it and all of them were very supportive, saying that I could pull it off and that I am pretty fond of trying out new stuff.

Fast forward to 5 January 2008, a day before our wedding… On my way to the hotel, Sir Fol and I were exchanging text messages to confirm our room number and out of the blue, he asked if I was interested in squeezing a boudoir pictorial since he remembered that I inquired before. He told me that it would be perfect timing because I would already be made up. I was already getting excited but for how much?! I nearly stepped on the brakes when he said that it would be for free! Ü OMG!!! This is something that I plan to do after the wedding and I would be getting it for free! Yipee!!! Ü How can I say no to that?! I even asked him if it would be his first bridal boudoir and he answered positively. Yipee again!!! This could be a trendsetter and I will be on it! His only concern would be the people inside the hotel room since they would be all over the place with the ongoing preps. I just reassured him that we would use the bedroom and that no other people would be allowed inside while we’re doing “the” pictorial. It was also great that I already packed my clothes (since I would not be going back home after the wedding) with some “sexy stuff” that we could use for the shoot, ‘ika nga, “laging handa”! Ü

That night, I was already getting anxious with the boudoir pictorial and was already having second thoughts. I kept asking myself if I really have the courage to do it. My brain was doing an exercise of what ifs until I fell asleep. I woke up still contemplating if I would proceed or not. I did not enjoy my breakfast and lunch due to butterflies in my stomach as the questions I had the night before were still unanswered… I know I want it but could I do it? What if it turned out bad? What if Jason didn’t like it? What if I regret this? What will other people say? Will it be worth it? These questions hounded me until Sir Fol and his team arrived.

Now let’s see how I answered my own questions…

I was waiting for my HMUA when they arrived and I was ready to call it quits when I had the chance to take a good look at Sir Fol and had the opportunity to observe him. (Yes, this was the first time that I saw him since Jason was the one who booked him as I was still in the US during that time.) He looked very professional and dignified (he is actually a bank executive by profession) and has this certain aura that commanded respect. He speaks very well and is very polite and respectful. At that point in time, my anxiety turned into calm since I felt that I’ll be in good hands.

After being made up, Sir Fol asked me if I was ready, not sure if he meant that we could now proceed with the pictorial or that he sensed that I was nervous. Ü I then instructed Jackie (of Just Like Ours Coordination) that we will be doing some pictorial inside the bedroom and no one would be allowed to go inside until we’re done. It was my bad that I wasn’t able to set proper expectations early on with some of the suppliers, i.e., wedding coordinator and videographer, that I would be locked up with the photographers for some 20-30 minutes for a private shoot. I only realized my mistake when they were still following us inside. Good thing it was easy to tell them that the bedroom will be off limits to them for the meantime. Whew!

After rummaging through the “sexy stuff” I brought, we ended up choosing Jason’s long sleeves polo and a white VS lace-on-lace Brazilian cut undies (since it was bridal). I was very nervous and Sir Fol must have sensed this and reassured me to let them know if I feel uncomfortable with the poses or shots. THIS IS IT!!! I AM GOING TO DO THIS!!!

After a couple of shots (with me still wearing the polo), I started to feel calm and my anxiety slowly faded. It helped that Edong was doing the poses with matching facial expressions I would have to imitate and we had a good laugh because he was so hilarious. It didn’t bother me anymore that it was time to show more skin, although I have to admit that I still felt very conscious. Before the session ended, Sir Fol showed me some shots and I couldn’t believe how nice they were. I was amazed on how beautiful and tasteful they were done!!! Ü I can now relate to FHM or Maxim models when they say that their pictorials were artistically/professionally done. (Feeling model, hehe! Ü) After the pictorial, Sir Fol teased me about including some shots in the onsite AVP to be shown later in the reception. My initial thought was, “Oh no! My parents and in-laws would definitely faint!” but my daring side asked him if this would be the first time (again!) he would do such, to which he answered yes (again!). Hmmm…

Was it still surprising that I gave my consent? Ü The onsite AVP included only 4 shots (shown one after the other during the bridal preps portion in 5-second intervals) and they were very discreet that NOBODY noticed that there were boudoir shots. I even told Jason to pay close attention but he also didn’t notice, I had to tell him about my boudoir session and that some of them were included in the onsite AVP (not too sure now if this was a good or bad thing…).

Before Sir Fol called it a night, he gave me a DVD copy of the onsite AVP to enjoy while waiting for the rest of the pictures. Since I was still in “wedding” mode by the time we got to our condo, the first thing I did was pulled out my portable and played the DVD again. Jason thought it was funny and said that I was too excited with our pictures (addict daw ako!) but he sat by my side to see the onsite AVP again and this time around, he saw the boudoir shots! He liked it so much that he asked me to replay the video and asked for the other shots since I told him there were more. Ü (Sorry hubby, but this time around, you would have to wait, hehe!) I’m just glad that it’s “mission accomplished”!!!

Fast forward again to 19 January 2008… Around 11PM, I received a text from Sir Fol saying that he was about to post our wedding pictures and was asking if he could post some boudoir pictures as well. I even asked Jason if he was ok with this and both of us had no qualms about it, thinking that it would be part of the wedding pictures (similar to the onsite AVP). I was very excited and couldn’t wait to get home to my parents’ house the following day since we didn’t have internet connection available at our condo (yeah!, talk about being primitive…). Much to our surprise, it was done as a separate entry! A few hours after we saw the blog, I began receiving text messages and IMs about my one-of-a-kind pictorial. Up until now, I still receive a good couple of IMs/PMs about this daring experience. Most, if not all, were of admiration (well, I’d like to think of it that way Ü).

Let me share SOME of the messages I received:

A: walangdyong eileen! ka-sexy ah!
Eileen: puro likod naman noh!
A: ano ba ang sexy nga, bakit si Jason, walang boudoir na shots
Eileen: rotfl wait lang, ask ko sya…
A: kunsabagay, baka mahalay…
Eileen: sabi ni jason, baka daw maglaway lang yung mga bisita, wehehe

B: ang ganda ng mga pix mo!! kaya lang ndi ko kaya to!!
Eileen: rotfl
B: ah… hehehe.. naku.. kahit libre… wla aku guts ng ganyan… buti ka pa!! so sexy!!

C: wla na ako ma say gagawa din ako ng ganyan, great looking shots, ilang pics yan
lahat?
Eileen: di ko alam, wala pa yung digital copies namin, di ko nga alam kung anu-ano
pang pose
C: hahahahahahahahahahaha! well… artsy sexy naman

D: lam mo ba, meron akong bride na inggit na inggit dun sa pictorial session mo, yung nude na drama, gusto namang gayahin ka, ang problem, mejo kabado si (name of photographer withheld), hehehehehhehe
Eileen: ginawa ba nila?
D: hindi rin, kasi tinanong ko bride, kako, kaya mo ba yung ginawa n eileen, sabi nya parang hindi
Eileen: )
D: kasi naman ang ganda ganda ng kuha mo, imagine, na feature pa sa w@w
Eileen: nagulat nga rin ako na may post sa W@W, pero maganda nga yung pagkakagawa ni sir fol, sabi nga nya first time yun na ginawa nya sa pictorial during the wedding day din
D: soooooobrang work of art, sabi ko nga, ang maldita paano nya ginawa ito, kaya syempre proud na proud ako, sabi ko BRIDE KO YAN.
Eileen: wala naman daw pong extra bayad, so go na lola mo!
D: grabeeeeeeng ganda ng kuha eh, hindi kaman naging artista, pero neng, kabog mo sila, kaya lahat ng bride yun ang pinag uusapan

E: may boudoir ka!!!!
Eileen: yupyup
E: mameeeeee!!!! yameeeeee!!!! in fairness winner!!!!! winner na winner!!!!! ay
salute you!!! i lav eeet!!!!
Eileen: the day before lang yun napag-usapan kasi naaalala ni fol na interested ako,
singit na lang daw, at LIBRE na!
E: abaaaaah…..wais talaga si misis!!! i soooooo luuuuuv eeet! gujab!

And now, I have proof when I tell my grandchildren that their lola used to be “sexy”, hehe!

And most importantly…

I was able to express myself in a very unusual fashion (really breaking away from our very dull norms) and this affirmed that Jason is not the “typical” husband expecting a submissive wife but he is definitely my partner who respects me as an individual – someone who could help me reach my potential. Ain’t I lucky? Ü

Would I do this again… Hell yeah! Ü

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Also known as K.K., Kota Kinabalu is the capital of Sabah, a state in Malaysia. Likewise, it is the major gateway into Sabah and Borneo. Its beaches face the South China Sea and serve as its main tourist attraction. We were billeted in Shangri-La’s Rasa Ria Resort where its rooms are strategically fronting the beach. Since the resort is quite far from the city (around 45 minutes), the hotel offers a lot of activities which will leave every guest busy during his entire day. However, it is likewise advisable to go to the city for at least a day (160 ringgit via Taxi and 32 ringgit via hotel shuttle, to the city and back to hotel). Admittedly, the malls in city is not comparable to Manila’s but some places are mandatory visits to buy some pasalubongs. There is the Sunday market or Pasar Tamu to buy native wares and toys including food. Never to miss is the Little Italy which concocts to die for pizza and pasta and other KK dishes.

Was able to take some photographs and hope these shots do justice to the beauty of the place. Definitely, I will take more shots next visit.

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Today, May 16, 2006 is a sad day. The news of a bloody bank robbery spread like wildfire in the banking industry.

Inquirer

GMA News

ABS- CBN

Again, we ask what is happening to our country?

Let us pray for the victims of this dastardly act and we grieve together with their families in these trying times. Our police authorities must ensure that perpetrators of this heinous crime be brought to justice and be dealt with the full extent of the law.

We were in Calirana last Holy Week. As expected I took several shots of the surroundings documenting the developments in our resort. After taking the mandatory shots, my attention was caught by a bud which will eventually boom into a flower. An idea struck why not took several macro shots since I brought the appropriate lens anyways.

So I did.. images totally depart from my usual genre.

Macro photography is tricky. To start you need to have the correct lens. When I was starting photography ages ago and no macro lens yet, what I did was invert my 50 mm lens… pretty primitive . It was a learning experience since macro is not easy to do. Others usually do it with a tripod but I feel too limiting with that. I usually do it handheld and choose a fast shutter speed with the largest aperture opening. If such is not possible, I usually take a continuous shot, say 3 to 4 pictures at one press of the shutter. For sure the mid-shots will be sharp. Try it.

With the camera on my shoulder and sprayer on my hand, I went around the garden and photographed things that interest me. How did I decide on what image to take? Pretty difficult to explain. I often look at contrast, play of colors and the “X” factor. The X-factor are the images you see beyond the usual — like looking at puffy clouds and then suddenly you see a rabbit (or is that a plane) .

Like it. What do you think?

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Finally our planned vacation.

Shangri-La’s Rasa Ria Resort is definitely enchanting. The entire 400-acre resort is ideal for lasting family vacations and memorable honeymoons. There are lots of outdoor activities to engaged in, interaction with Orang Utan, golf, bicycling, natural reserve visits. Aside from taking a much needed vacation with my family, we took the prenup of Rvin and Ayie. It was definitely an experience, especially so to my two assistants, Edong and Russ who truly enjoyed their first out of the country trip.

Here are several photographs of Rvin and Ayee who likewise had a blast during the Kota Kinabalu visit.

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Eversince I was young I have a certain fondness for biking/cycling. I believe I had my first bike or I think it was a trike when I was one year old. Then I graduated to the usual two wheel with training wheels. From that time, my liking for cycling has never wavered. I vividly remember cycling with my highschool friends during summer breaks. Even in our province Baler, Quezon (now Aurora), I commute via bike from my lola’s house to her pesticide store. I also recall ages ago, when I was young, the Tour of Luzon or the Tour of the Philippines was something to look forward to. In fact my ninong, Cornelio Padilla, Jr., was the back to back champion of the Tour of Luzon in 1966 and 1967.

Riding a bike gives you a certain feeling of empowerment — imagine reaching point A to point B by your own sheer power. It likewise lets you appreciate your environment more. See things more closely which you hardly notice when riding a motor vehicle. Also, with the inconvenient truth brought by our abuse of our natural resources, the more that we turn into cycling as a viable mode of transport. This is just a few of the advocacies being promoted by the Tour of the Fireflies.

A brainchild of Katty Sta. Ana, the Tour was participated only by a few hundreds on its first year. The firefly monicker was very apt considering that the Tour is also promoting clean air. Insects, particularly fireflies are very sensitive to changes in air quality. Now you no longer wonder why you don’t see any firefly in Metro Manila.

Weeks before April 20, the date of the Tour of the Fireflies, we decided to again pick up cycling as a sport. Me and my family (yes, Leslie and my two boys) have decided to do cycling together. First, it was just around our village then we moved to UP Academic Oval. I guess our love for cycling, even though forgotten for a while, have never diminished and we decided to join the Tour of the Fireflies.

At first, cycling in 7 cities for a total of around 50 kilometers for 5 hours seems to be too daunting. The scorching heat of summer is not helping either. However, such didn’t deter us. We arrived in Tiendesita’s around 6:30 in the morning and the entire place was already teeming with people of all ages and their bikes. Some were even in costumes — we saw a mummy, a firefly, angels, an Igorot. At exactly, 6:56 am the peloton started pedalling. Gio, my eldest son, my wife (Leslie) and sister-in-law (Bennette) were with me. Frankly, the hardest part was trying to maintain your balance during the start of the Tour since there were thousands of bikers weaving out from Tiendesitas to Julia Vargas. Our apprehension of not being able to cope with the Tour was unfounded. The pace was leisurely, averaging 10 to 20 kilometers per hour. Why this slow? Since this is not a competition but a fun ride. Anybody who can ride a bike from 3 to 90 years old can join. The route took us to Pasig, Mandaluyong, Makati, Pasay, Manila, Quezon City and Marikina. There were several stops. The first was in Quirino Grandstand in Luneta, then a momentary stop in Timog and then another 15 minute stop in Quezon City Hall. Along the way, the Firefly Bridgade/Marshalls helped in maintaining the orderly flow of the bikers (around 10 thousand strong). There were several challenges in this Tour — the uphill climb in some major roads, the unrelenting heat and the narrow roads in some areas which necessitated everybody to slowdown or even alight from riding. Fun to see for the first time as well were the helplessness of taxis and jeepneys trying to bully their way in some of the routes. They can’t do anything and just decided to stop afraid of being lynched by the “fireflies” — giving a dose of their own medicine. The Pasig to Manila route was relatively an easy ride — the roads are pretty even. The leg of Manila to Marikina was more challenging due to several uphill routes and the heat of noontime sun. Almost noon, and after almost five hours of pedalling, Tiendesita’s was in sight. A firetruck was stationed under the Ortigas-C5 flyover with its hose trained upwards and sprinkling water. Howls were heard as we pass the “man made” rain. We pedalled a few more and then finish line. The Tour was well worth it — we conquered our initial fear, made a contribution for a greener-Earth and fell back in love with cycling.

Here are a few facts.

Forgive, me but I tend to be too technical with my sport . Here are data taken from my Heart Rate Monitor. Note that heart rate is based on my own and might not be reprentative of other riders HR.
Time: 6:55:27 (Six hours 55 minutes and 27 seconds in the morning - Start of Tour)
Duration: 4:56:25.2 (This take into account all the stops from beginning to end)
Distance: 41.7 kilometers (This is the entire distance of the Tour — We followed the marshalls throughout and did not take any shortcuts)
Heart Rate: Average of 75% and maximum of 129% (This is my own heart rate)
Exercise Time in Sport Zones (as percentage of heart rate — this is based on my heart rate)
- Maximum (intense pedalling/uphill) - around 4 minutes (1% of the ride)
- Hard (uphill) - around 1 hour (23% of the ride)
- Moderate (average pace / even roads) - around 2 hours (45% of the ride)
- Light (leisurely pace) - arond 1.5 hours (30% of the ride)
Speed: Low of 6.8 kms/hour and High of 17.6 kms/hour

Pictures taken by Iphone