Christmas Angels

What is important in all our existence is to make the road easier for the next generattion to live in. Most grown ups would say or have said in their earlier days that "I will give my children the things I haven't got or I will not give them the hard times that I have experienced in my growing days". Indeed, the time has come and passed and many of us have fulfilled that promise and even blessed with more than one prayed for.

In the not-so-far away land of Abu Dabi in UAE, a group of San Carlos OFWs formed a unity called San Carlos City Aidgivers with one major goal which is to help and make life easier for the less fortunate brithers and sisters in their hometown of San Carlos City. The founding members (whom some of you will be familiar with) are Rinocen L. Canoy, Nimrod F. Nemenzo, Marciano F. Camorista, Jerry Nelson Bravo, my sister Ma. Alma Cabales Bravo. and Elissa L. Canoy.

Founded and formed more than four years ago (the conceptualization of SCCA), the group has already sent scholars to highschool and every year during Christmas, a bagful of grocery were given to chosen people.

Being part of the chosen people tasked to send out letters to schools for scholarships and handing the Christmas bags, I never felt so blessed being an instrument of this act of giving for the joy and happiness that one shows when receiving these gifts of love always touches my heart and it makes me hope that I can find more blessings so I could be able to share more.

Giving gifts to those who need more is always a humbling experience and there is always a small pinch in my heart thinking that their Christmas and New Year's eve will be happier and brighter for the angels have sent home their little tokens of love.

Keep it up SCCA and keep inspiring all of us!

The SCCA Web

The Nightmare Before Christmas

With the Christmas rush and the rush of adrenalin that hasn't yet subsided after the Pasko sa Paseo, we still found time to sit down and do another bodypainting for "lack of anything to do".
Adu (who was not so confident that he can do bodypaint) and Aljhun (who was learning to be an artist), collaborated and created a work for makoy, I did Bhebhoy's body and the result was, as always. beautiful.

PASKO PASUNDAYAG

Just arrived from Pasko sa Paseo watching the presentation of the Tourism Office and as proud I was for the Tourism has prepared a show for the not so many people. The two performances that stood out were the ones from the Poseidon Dancers from Bacolod and the Adagio by the Julio Ledesma Nat'l. Highschool for the discipline and the mastery that are always the key factors in a performance. Congratulations!

The OPENING of THE FIRST

With only three weeks to realize a dream, the minds and hands of the people involved were compared to the ants who never got tired and hurrying their obligations before the rain arrives. Finally, after a week of nights with 3 hours sleep, the rain has come in the form of a blessing called the Openinng Night.

The afternoon was windy, rain clouds pass over the workers as if teasing us for a raindrop but not a single drop fell down from the skies and when the clock stroke six thirty, the big lights hovering over the Paseo de Flores main entrance was turned off and the Jester came out from the dark paths of the Paseo and the show entitled "the Birth of The Chosen One" began and angels came, the three kings and the painted animals arrived.

The concept that I have created for the opening was about the true colors of Christmas and the birth of our Creator but in a new twist, I did not know what sealed the people's hands from clapping - if it was awe or maybe boedom, until I received good feedbacks and I realized that the gates of the dream created has already been realized.

For the schedules and daily events, please visit www.sancarloscity.org/nui/paskpsapaseo08

The Brightest and Happiest

When you notice that dusk arrives early and you need to grapple for your blanket at dawn, these are signs that the Yuletide season is 20 yards away from you. The season to give and receive will be remembered this year for the place to celebrate the act of sharing ( yes, aside from our decorated homes) is about to be lightened up.

The San Julio Realty Inc. will share to the public the blessings and the essence of life through a small strip of walkway called the Paseo De Flores which will be transformed into a place magical and memorable - The Pasko sa Paseo, a Christmas Village that will highlight the true meaning of sharing and celebrating the child in all of us.

Opening this 16th of December at 6:30 pm, the Village will be open until the 4th of January from 5 in the afternoon to 12 midnight where different groups and organizations will be showcasing their own way of giving back what they have been showered- from the talents of some schools to gift giving and magical entertainments.

If one has forgotten the feeling of enjoyment and fascination in seeing a rabbit turned into a dove or simply the relaxing feeling of watching a series of dancing lights until they take one away from reality, then Pasko sa Paseo will be the place to share the enchantment with your children and your grand little ones. Fascination and dream can again be one.

With the support of the San Carlos City Government and the numerous sponsors, San Julio Realty wishes to touch more lives, inspire more minds and tickle the lost child in all of us.

Keep posted for the schedule of activities.

Just Another Photograph

Some of the VIAJERRO crew have long suggested of featuring Joshua, who ones woroked with me during The NUI Restobar days, but he was still with baby fats before. Three years after, the moment has arrived when he passed by yesterday after a short dip in the San Juan beach and we were not so busy installing christmas lights on the trees outside. As always, boredom can always bring out the best of our artistic side.

The New King and Queen

The future was the theme of the Mister and Miss NORSU (Negros Oriental State University) held at the NORSU main Campus in Dumaguete wherein 13 pairs vied for the title of Mr. & Ms. NORSU 2009. Arriving at 10am on November 28, I was in time for the one on one question and answer with the candidates, I had the chance to meet the female candidates ( I was assigned to judge the Miss NORSU candidates together with Sonny Apayla and the dashing Hari Ng Negros 2007 winner, Paolo Mirasol) and half of the thirteen girls were really well versed and confident eventhough most of them were first timers in beauty contests.

Fast forward 8 hours later, the winners were announced! I was not familiar with the male candidates since I was tasked to select the queen, and the winner truly deserved to become the quuen. Her name is Vanessa Anna Scheuer, representing the Bais City Campuses and a first year Business Administration student. Vanessa's dream is to have her own beach resort in the near future for she wants to continue the abated life of her father's resort. Her beautiful featurea and height are the results of the mix of her Filipino mom and German father's genes and earned her the crowns of Miss Bais and another title that I couldn't remember.

Mr. NORSU 2009 is the 19 year old Bachelor of Secondary Education student of Bais City Campus, Ian Manila.

It was my first time to judge the NORSU pageant but the warm welcome and the sincere reception of the NORSU Pageant staff will have a humble place in my heart.

NUI HAS FINALLY ARRIVED!

sigh, after nearly one year of hybernating and changing skins, I have finally done the web of NUI. It took me many drafts, many photoshop aletration, image and look change, and most of all searching for the best imge that would fit the personality that ine can truly call Nui. so, here is the web, the photography and works links are still being developed - i did not realize the size of the things that I am going to upload until I did the categorization, from people to places, to weddings and events, oh yeah, the bodypainting site.

just keep posted so you will always be up to date.

My many thanks to the San Carlos Interactive group of Eros and Ted for giving me the huge unlimited space and I hope I did not disappoint you, to the contributors of photos, to Georgene for her time and talent and to the followers!

Enjoy!

Dumaguete and Fashion Through Allan's Lens

At last, Allan has proven that he can already be called a true photographer! Congratulations and I am proud that another talent of San Carlos has conquered another international stint!

view allan's photos ofor FTV

Beautiful SAN CARLOS

After the Pintaflores, I thought I already had time to close my eyes for at least six thours a day but maybe the fact that "people who are getting older get lesser sleep" has become a reality. It is just now that I have the time to publish the pictures that I took with Allan, Raymond and Dennis for the Miss SCC Pageant last November.

The places might be familiar but the angles of these creative photographers (yeah, me included) have created a different perspective some of us cannot figure out where has the photo been taken. That is the joy of photography - we keep on surprising and be struck by awe.

The Images for San Carlos will unfold before you eyes...in just one click.

The PAINTED LEGENDS

another ambitious project was superbly done especially with talents that the common "tao" will always be amazed of. the colors and the vibrancy of emotions made the Bodypainting Fashion Show of the Legends of Sugarlandia one memorable event.

The Making of another LEGEND

The San Carlos City artists, dancers and choreographers have created another milestone in the form of the Legends of Sugarlandia, a Tribal and Bodypainting Fashion Show held at the beautiful El Puerto Rico in El Peublo, Dumaguete Citybeing hosted by the Dumaguete Tourism Office. It was a night of firsts for most of us - the first time for the Kina-adman to present their bodypainting craft to the people of the Orient of Negros and the first time tof the Dumaguete socialites and fashionistas to be awed by the talent that San CArlos City is proud of. The talents that range from the Airdancers of Julio Ledesma Nat'l. High School, the artistsic rendition of the bodypainters, the ingenious direction of Sonny Apayla and most of all (ehem) the work of Eric Estampador Cabales, yes, I did a new collection for "legends" of eight gowns in juts two days. It was record breaking and very stressful yet as always, All is well that it ends well.

Our gratitude to Mike Ocampo for the trust and support, to Jerry for the make-up of the models for the runway, to the beautiful models who were really professional and didn't mind the pins that tickle and hurt a bit. to Allan (again) for whatever!

It was a rollercoaster of emotions for all of us but then with one goal and one intention one can never go wrong!

For more pics and details, click THE LEGENDS

The Last Flight of Mercury

After the stressful and very demanding Pintaflores Celebration - yes, demanding for we demand ourselves (me and Allan) to go beyond the expected - we got bore after two days. Haggard and red eyed, the adrenalin and the creative juices still overflowed and seeking to leak themselves from our bodies. Being restless and crazy for more, we decided to have a pictorial seesion with mackoy before allan goes back to his pregnant wife and a daughter.

Enjoy the left over of our fiesta adrenalin rush.

And Who is the Fairest of them All?

It was a night of color and again, pageantry that Pintaflores is all about, this time after more than ten years, I was tasked to direct the Miss San Carlos. After the tension of the brown out has delayed our jobs to be done, after the blood raising attitudes of the candidates and after the tests of how we can survive a show that would surpass everyone's expectations - I can say it is finally done. I wasn't able to post the individaul details of most of the candidates for I was too busy and too tired to open the internet after a long day work.

Promise to post the images that we, the photographers are proud of.

And here are the winners, Aozora Marquez, 2nd runner-up and Miss photogenic,Janice Jade Tejano, who also won the Best in Gown was 1st Runner-up and the fairest is Danielle Villaflor who won the best in swimsuit, Miss SJRI,Miss Avon and the Best in Talent.

Too tired and sleepy, more to post tomorrow.

AOZORA

Three more days to go and it will be the Grand Coronation Night and we are doubling our time with the candidates' gown pictorials. This morning was a rainy one and with the powers of Aozora, the rain gave way and the beauty so exotic and beautiful came to life. This is Aozora Marquez and no one can stop her from evoking sensualiy and pure awe as we look at her in our lenses.

Exotic, passionate and always smiling, that is Aozora.

DANIELLE

There is order in chaos, amidst the dozens of beauty hungry spectators, the gloomy sky this afernoon radiated with light when Danielle walked to the location shoot from the Emerald Arcade. A highschool student with a very bright future that reflects in her very fair skin, Danielle is both shy and adventurous and never gets tired of the camera.

Beautiful, Danielle truly is an angel.

LOUTICHELLE

A charming and caring lady from the cluster of houses in the Urban Poor Area, Loutichelle is one memorable person I have met in the times when we are preparing ourselves for the big night on November 3. Memorable because I have found in her the true meaning of humility and truth of one's soul.

Set in the seat of the San Carlos City Government, the location shoot was a new experience for her and the ability to cope up with the needs of making a beautiful shot is one talent that I have discovered in her.

Sun, Water and Paint

Sunday, the 25th of October, the morning sun was in its glorious state. The location was the grandious Fortuna Lagoon and the artists were from the Kina-adman, the Art Association of San Carlos City. I am not in my journalistic mode right now but here are the pics of what happened and again with the creative minds of the San Carlos City people, everything can be glorified.