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Adventure is my middle name.
-Hiro, Lunar 2: Eternal Blue

Although I’d rather be lazing off on a Saturday, I took the only moment to finally get on with my photo essay. It’s my ticket to passing Photojournalism overall. I wouldn’t want to waste three units worth of tuition, almost P3,000 worth of photolab fee, a Canon AE-1 and dozens of rolls of film just to flunk the legendary Photojournalism and Event Coverage subject. It’s the first “big” major I’ve “advanced” to.

Then again I still haven’t taken Biological Science, Basic IT and World Literature yet. Should have been done with those last semester had only I not underloaded. Oh well, at least I’m likely to graduate on time compared to those bums and slackers.

So I left for Intramuros despite the inconsiderate rain. I had a pretty uncomfortable time in the bus. Just why does the stupid conductor have to squeeze passengers through like a can of sardines? Money matters, of course. Good thing one male passenger was chivalrous enough to offer me his seat. Turns out he just wanted to watch the TV blocked by the standing passengers. No complaints there!

Time to map out the photo flatplan! I circumnavigated the walls of Intramuros alone and on foot. Subjects taken in order are:

1. Tower of Lyceum
2. Golf course with Manila City Hall amidst the background
3. Lamp post head from atop the walls
4. Mapua Institute of Technology front gate
5. One of the cannon replicas scattered across the walls
6. Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila (University of the City of Manila)
7. La Fondacion
8. Dome ruin near La Fondacion
9. Bronze statue of 19th century foot soldier
10. Manila Cathedral facade

I just pray I had the correct guesstimations of aperture and shutter speed. That’s the one thing I hate about film. Once you click, you can’t undo the trick. Hey, that rhymes! For the last time we’re required to use black and white film.

My last roll contained plates depicting squatters. My photo essay will be about Intramuros being a tourist paradise and at the same time a hellhole of hounds. Intramuros is only grand on the outside. But once you explore the interiors, expect to be greeted by eye sores of buildings and a stampede of smelly street kids begging you for money. Am I sounding harsh?

Kuya Wine commented that Intramuros seemed to be my favorite place. Naturally. I go there everyday to attend school plus I like the sceneries. Miraculously I haven’t been victimized by a flying golf ball yet. I know the periphery like the back of my hand. Also it’s where Carlo and I used to “get busy” in our early days thanks to the many nooks and crannies.

EDIT 10/10/2007: It may not be part of the photo essay but I brought my Kodak EasyShare C530 with me just in case! I had nothing better to do during my rest and thought I’d capture this!

After a diligent day devoted to final exams, I decided I deserve a treat at McDonald’s. I had my usual order of No. 6: Cheeseburger meal with orange juice and regular fries. Goodness knows I’m not a sodaholic. And a little food trivia: One order of regular fries contains more cholesterol than a Big Mac. Of course I’m concerned about my health too.

And oh yes. I just bought an English-Chinese dictionary (‘coz I already have a Chinese-English) and a new novel: Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman.

Since I’ve read all seven Harry Potter books and completed all of Paulo Coelho’s novels, time to start on a new reading obsession. I’ve read Neil Gaiman specializes in adult fantasy. Once I’m done with that, I think I’ll save up for American Gods next. Stardust has good reviews too though as well as Coraline. Anansi Boys didn’t live up to expectations though.

Postscript: Once again I was mistaken a Korean. The poor bloke of a Calesa driver even bothered to follow me while I was walking my way to Manila Cathedral, camera hanging around my neck.

“Miss, calesa?”
I shook my head, obviously saying “No.”
“Miss, calesa?”
Again, I shook my head, further indicating I was already irritated.
“Yu want rayd hors, miss?”
I got fed up and doubled my walking speed.

The fact that he had to speak to me in twisted English with a thick accent both amused and annoyed me. He must be so desperate to follow me with his dingy carriage and assuming me to be a clueless Korean tourist.

Fan Fiction Foiled

Most writers are like that. They have many excuses when not writing but when they are, it’s a dangerous mistake to disturb them.
-Kuya Wine

I still feel unmotivated to continue The White Mage and the Slasher, my Beauty and the Beast-based Final Fantasy X fan fiction. I began it late 2003 and I still haven’t finished. That’s either lazy or uninspired. Before that, there’s still the photo essay.

I’ve been getting less readers and reviews lately though I can say I’m unaffected by this. Partly because of my abysmally slow updates and mostly because FanFiction.Net is way too contaminated with amateur (and even uneducated) writers. I mean the type who obviously haven’t attended elementary English whose works tinker with incorrect spelling and grammar, awkward sentences, inaccuracies from the original title and God forbid; shallow poetry and plotless stories. The most tolerable are those who can’t even tell “your” from “you’re,” “its” and “it’s,” “there” and “their,” “were” and “we’re.” The problem with FF.net is that anyone can be a “writer” with just a snap and the stories submitted don’t even undergo professional screening.

Potter and the USA

After a month of state-hopping on the west coast, Mom finally rode back to Vancouver from Seattle. She’ll fly back here in the Philippines on September 22nd. That’s Carlo’s birthday!

So I made one last request to Mom. Now that I’ve finished the final installment of the Harry Potter series, I feared of being inflicted by the Post-Potter Depression, a recently discovered psychological disorder that inflicts numerous HP fans with the fact that it’s all over and that there will no longer be any HP books to look forward to.

As to immunize myself from this threat, I requested that she purchase Quidditch Through the Ages and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. They are unavailable in the bookstores here so I’m deeply hoping they’d be displayed in Canada. After all that’s where the British editions are printed using recycled materials.

It has been quite a ride for Mom having stayed in Vancouver the first week, Seattle the second, Phoenix the third and Oakland the fourth, then it’s a roundtrip ticket back to Seattle then finally to the point of origin; Vancouver.

Mom has always described the US as a nice place to live. But despite being surrounded by lavish choices and sophisticated foreigners, nothing could ever vaporize the loneliness that afflicted her. So it’s true that happiness isn’t for sale. The only ones who can give happiness to you are the ones you love and who love you.