#249 To be young and free

Do you recall a time when we you were young and free, without nary a care for life's complexity? 

These three kids were doing just that in a place that appeared to be both beautiful and un-spoilt. It looked like a scene right out of an old school textbook. I didn't expect to see a place like this so close to civilization, and hoped that it can be saved from development. Yet people here live on the edge of subsistence.  How long will a paradise like this remain for the young & free? Enjoy.

(Pixel-peepers: The harsh midday sun isn't the best time to be taking pictures, but don't let that stop you when you see a good story unfold.)

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For those who've inquired about buying prints of my postcards, you may purchase them directly from master printmaker Arnel Murillo (murilloarnel@yahoo.com), one of the country's foremost fine-art printmakers.  Arnel uses archival inks and museum-grade paper to ensure his prints will not fade. You will not be disappointed. (All my images are provided gratis to help showcase the beauty of our country. But if you feel generous, help me uplift the lives of the Children of Payatas.  No donation is too big or too small. Get in touch with Fr. Aldrin Suan at aldrinsuan@yahoo.com of the Vincentian Missionaries in the Philippines. As always, thanks and enjoy.)

#248 The Buguey Market

When I visit new places, I drop by their public markets to see what's for sale. That often reveals what life is like around those parts. 

I was drawn to this sundry store that sold almost everything a modern home needed: plastic pails and tubs instead of earthen pots and jars, plastic strainers instead of woven native baskets, nifty umbrellas & rain gear instead of grass thatches or rolls of nipa, and lots of modern-day kid's stuff instead of the carved toys of old. I concluded the folks in the town of Buguey have transitioned to modernity, all by just looking at what's for sale in their public market. Enjoy.

(Pixel-peepers: In spite of its modernity, I photographed the scene in black & white in a vain attempt to convey a mood from a time that has passed. In retrospect, only the bundle of grass brooms belonged to that era. Fail.)

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Past postcards at www.PostcardsFromManila.com

Say hello: Bobbyw59@yahoo.com

But wait, there's more...

For those who've inquired about buying prints of my postcards, you may purchase them directly from master printmaker Arnel Murillo (murilloarnel@yahoo.com), one of the country's foremost fine-art printmakers.  Arnel uses archival inks and museum-grade paper to ensure his prints will not fade. You will not be disappointed. (All my images are provided gratis to help showcase the beauty of our country. But if you feel generous, help me uplift the lives of the Children of Payatas.  No donation is too big or too small. Get in touch with Fr. Aldrin Suan at aldrinsuan@yahoo.com of the Vincentian Missionaries in the Philippines. As always, thanks and enjoy.)

#247 Life along the coast

When you live along the coast, you can fish, or you can fish, or you can fish. Not very creative, I know. But in Minagas Este in Buguey, the fisherfolk are a lot smarter.

They catch fish, shrimps, and crabs, but use floating cages to fatten them before they are brought to market. It's like making more seafood than what they caught. And those two dudes on the sailboat... they're transporting sand hauled from a nearby mining site. The sand will be used as landfill to reclaim land from the sea, it's like making more land than what they originally had. I told you they're smart. Enjoy.

(Pixel-peepers: When you visit a place for the first time, pay attention to the local folks. They may just teach you a thing or two.)

Sign-up to receive new postcards weekly by email 

Past postcards at www.PostcardsFromManila.com

Say hello: Bobbyw59@yahoo.com

But wait, there's more...

For those who've inquired about buying prints of my postcards, you may purchase them directly from master printmaker Arnel Murillo (murilloarnel@yahoo.com), one of the country's foremost fine-art printmakers.  Arnel uses archival inks and museum-grade paper to ensure his prints will not fade. You will not be disappointed. (All my images are provided gratis to help showcase the beauty of our country. But if you feel generous, help me uplift the lives of the Children of Payatas.  No donation is too big or too small. Get in touch with Fr. Aldrin Suan at aldrinsuan@yahoo.com of the Vincentian Missionaries in the Philippines. As always, thanks and enjoy.)

#246 Colors Everywhere

Every dusk is different. Sometimes the sky lights-up...  but often they're a dud not worth a footnote. But on Buguey Cagayan that afternoon, it was a dusk we will be talking about for years. It wasn't the most colorful nor the most intense one we've seen, but it's my first time to witness an afterglow that appeared in 360 degrees. Yes, color appeared in the sky in every direction we looked. Never before, and I hope ever again. Who knows what my next dusk will bring? Enjoy.

(Pixel-peepers: During an afterglow, the clouds are the brightest spot in the sky. Overexposed that and you'll lose true colors. Better to underexpose, so choose a foreground that works well in the dark.)

Sign-up to receive new postcards weekly by email 

Past postcards at www.PostcardsFromManila.com

Say hello: Bobbyw59@yahoo.com

But wait, there's more...

For those who've inquired about buying prints of my postcards, you may purchase them directly from master printmaker Arnel Murillo (murilloarnel@yahoo.com), one of the country's foremost fine-art printmakers.  Arnel uses archival inks and museum-grade paper to ensure his prints will not fade. You will not be disappointed. (All my images are provided gratis to help showcase the beauty of our country. But if you feel generous, help me uplift the lives of the Children of Payatas.  No donation is too big or too small. Get in touch with Fr. Aldrin Suan at aldrinsuan@yahoo.com of the Vincentian Missionaries in the Philippines. As always, thanks and enjoy.)