Shutter life of Jazz

When I was young, I had the chance to get hands-on in gardening. Both my parents were gardening enthusiasts and I grew up seeing them tend to different kinds of plants, whether ornamental or agricultural (edible). Recently, along with my sister and my friends, we decided to be the "Titas" that were are becoming and we ended up getting our hands dirty in the most literal sense. At first, we tried germinating seeds (Ponkan) by using the paper towel method. I do not have the photos of our first experiments but I'm happy to say that most of the seeds that we germinated are now thriving seedlings. The satisfaction of seeing seeds sprout tiny leaves was incomparable. After this incredible feat we have achieved, we tried germinating other seeds in the same way (apple, calamansi, star apple, and mango). The calamansi was unsuccessful but the apples are now happily planted in small paper cups. We're just afraid that the intense summer heat of the countryside will take thei...

A change of thought and mind; A change of heart and sign. You put me through A wave of emotions. A hint of laughter; A tinge of summer. The brightest yellow, The darkest sorrow. Your beauty is deadly, but satisfying. Your warmth indulging and down-right scorching. A sunflower that follows only the trail of the sun And ignores the moon that only borrows sunlight to make itself known and maybe bright.

It is everybody's responsibility to act and care for Mother Earth regardless of age. The first step in creating impact is awareness. Without awareness, there won't be action, and without action, there won't be change. And change we must so we can pass the gift of nature to the next generation. Make an impact and share your thoughts! #CNE1EarthMonth2018

A tour to Vigan is incomplete if you don't get to watch and try the traditional pottery -making with your own hands. Pagburnayan, is a place where you can enjoy and shop for clay pots that are surely weatherproof. And when I say weatherproof, I really mean that. One vendor even tried to demonstrate how hard their pots by slamming one their mini pots on the wooden table where their other products were displayed. To my surprise, the wooden table suffered a minor dent while the pot remained spotless. Too bad I was not really planning to buy clay pots because my main purpose was to feel like an artist even just for once in my life. Anyway, a short tutorial will be offered by the master to their visitors. If you would like to watch a sample tutorial, click on this link of the video I took while we were there.  Traditional pottery making in Vigan Also, some of my teammates bought pure honey in this place. They sell all kinds of souvenirs here other than clay pots. Some...

Perhaps the easiest and cheapest, in my opinion, way to go around the popular spots in the area is by horse carriage. The friendly coachmen offer tours and/or point to point services. They charge 150 pesos per hour per person. I know that sounds too much but we have to think about the horses. It's not really cheap to take care of one. Moreover, you can try taking a tricycle from one point to another but it is more likely that these tricycle drivers charge more. Somehow, I think they kind of abused the fact that we were not locals and we do not know how much they really charge per trip. Since my friend and my tiny tot were eager to have a look around the city, we rode on a carriage. From Calle Crisologo, we were taken to our first stop - Bantay Church and Tower. Of course, to go there is free but before actually going near the tower, we were asked to register our names first and to donate money. I do not know what they do with the money people donate but I believe it is for the...

Calle Crisologo, Vigan City, Ilocos Sur, Philippines 2018 Perhaps one of the most popular places in the Philippines, especially in the North, is the Ilocos Region. This region offers a whole lot of things, from art museums to adventure sports, delicious delicacies and friendly people, you name it, they have it. This is my 3rd time to visit this city and every time I come here, I discover and learn new things. My trip here was like my other trips before. I was only able to spend a day there so I tried my best to be as productive as I could. I went there with my colleagues and of course my buddy, Yza. It was her first time to go here. We left Tarlac at around 3:30 AM and arrived in Ilocos Sur at 6:30 AM. Our first stop was supposed to be the public market in Vigan. We planned to buy breakfast there and spend our time eating on a beach called Mindoro. Unfortunately, our driver was not familiar with this place. As we were thinking of our itinerary for the day (yes, we did not have a ...