Rough Groove

Smart Amazing Race

Last Saturday, I was one of the embedded photographers for our Smart Mountaineering Club’s annual Smart Amazing Race held in UP Diliman which is actually based on the popular reality TV show. The yearly activity is done for the club’s applicants as part of their initiation activities that include three major climbs spread around four months.

This year is the second time it was held in the sprawling university grounds, had five competing teams of around five members each looking for clues hidden in various areas. They have to do tasks related to mountaineering activities like pitching a tent, loading a backpack, orienteering, ropemanship as well as following trail signs.

I was assigned the pink team who won second place and really, I did had a hard time following them with all the running around. What’s more, we went back to one area as one member forgot the map! Anyway, it was fun reliving the race as I was also a participant two years ago when I was an applicant of the club.

While the group was winding down at noon, I took portrait photos of most of the members and applicants. The full album is uploaded at my Facebook.

My Cousin’s Wedding

This is my first attempt of doing a wedding photo story in the tradition of documentary photography.

My cousin, William got married to his longtime fiancee, Zareena last 23 October and grabbing the opportunity, I made photos at the sidelines and see for myself if I’m upto task of making a photo story. Your comments are welcome.

Beyond the Currents, the Sulu exhibit at the Yuchengco Museum

I was quite elated when Carla Martinez of the Yuchengco Museum read my plurk entry of missing the Beyond the Currents exhibit when it ended last 24 September. She emailed to inform me that they are extending the exhibition to 30 December. A few hours ago, I was at the RCBC and was just happy to view it at last.

I have a running interest and fascination with Sulu especially the slave raids that were sponsored by the Sultanate especially during the mid 18th-19th centuries. What started as a curiousity with remnant Spanish colonial era fortifications, of which most are in ruins, led me to Warren’s landmark study of the period and its significance to the development of towns and cities in the Philippines.

Sulu was at the crossroads between the important markets of China and Europe, acting as a bridge between the two. It has played a very significant role as a global entrepot in international commerce. At it’s peak, it has catapulted the Sulu Sultanate to global prominence and at the same time, brought untold misery and fear to the coastal areas not only in the Philippines but a very wide swathe of area stretching from New Guinea to the Bay of Bengal as slave raiding parties of Balangingi and Iranun fished for captives.

Read more about this untold but significant history of the Philippines at simbahan.net where I did a three part series and at langyaw.com for a much condensed version.

Our Mapping Invisible Cities photo exhibit now open!

It’s now open and viewable!

I’m off to Singapore for a 3 day photo workshop

What a great chance to be included in the photo workshops in the Singapore International Photography Festival! And better still that a US$400 travel grant is also available for those coming from Southeast Asia. If not for this, I wouldn’t have come.