Feb. 10 - THIRD FIESTA DAY Sat. - Hot Air Balloon Flight 5:30 AM - 7:00 AM
- Para Gliding demonstration 7:00 AM - 7:30 AM
- Ultra-light aircraft Fly-By 7:30 AM - 8:30 PM
- Aerobatic Exhibition 8:30 AM - 9:30 AM
- Helicopter Flying Exhibition 9:30 AM -10:00 AM
- Missionary HelioSTOL aircraft Demo 10:00 AM -10:30 AM
- Sky Diving Exhibition 10:30 AM -11:00 AM
- Light Airplane Balloon Bursting competition 11:00 AM -12:30 PM
- Choreographed Kite Flying demonstration 12:30 PM - 1:30 PM
- Arrival of other foreign aircraft 1:00 PM - 5:00 PM
- Ultra-Light Flying display 1:30 PM - 2:30 PM
- Auto gyro flight display 2:30 PM - 3:15 PM
- Sky Diving Exhibition 3:15 PM
– 3:45 PM
- Aerobatic Display 3:45 PM
–4:30 PM
- Airplane vs. Motorcycle race 4:30 PM
– 5:00 PM
- Ultra Light Fly By 5:00 PM
– 5:30 PM
- RC airplane flying demonstration 5:30 PM
– 5:45 PM
- Hot Air Balloon Flight 5:45 PM - 6:15 PM
- Hot Air Balloon Night Glow 6:45 PM
– 7:30 PM
- Asian Air Safari Aviator’s Party 8:00 PM
– 12:00 PM

Feb. 11 LAST FIESTA DAY Sun - Hot Air Balloon flight 5:30 AM - 7:00 AM
- Para Gliding exhibition 7:00 AM - 7:30 AM
- Ultra-light Aircraft Fly-By 7:30-AM - 8:30 AM
- Aerobatic Exhibition 8:30 AM - 9:30 AM
- Missionary Helio- STOL aircraft Demo 9:30 AM -10:00 AM
- Helicopter Flying exhibition 10:00 AM -10:30 AM
- Sky Diving Exhibition 10:30 AM -11:00 AM
- Light Airplane Balloon Bursting Competition 11:00 AM
–12:30 PM
- Choreographed Kite flying Demonstration 12:30 PM - 1:30 PM
- Ultra-Light Flour Bombing Competition 1:30 PM - 2:30 PM
- RC Airplane flying Demonstration 2:30 PM - 3:00 PM
- Aerobatic Exhibition 3:00 PM - 4:00PM
- Airplane vs. Sports Car Race 4:00 PM - 4:45 PM
- Agriculture plane spraying Demonstration 4:45 PM
–5:30 PM
- Hot Air Balloon flight 5:30 PM - 6:45 PM
- Crew and award night party 7:30 PM -

It pays to change your calling behaviour a little to save the most on connection fees and money spent. For calls back to your home country, just try using Skype or other VoIP services and you can save a lot of money. If you use a PDA or similar phone as described here or here (with WiFi and Mobile Skype); you can even use free-of-charge hotspots to call home!

While I wouldn’t recommend to anyone to using your prepaid phone card to call back to your home country (it’s simply too expensive), a prepaid phone card (SIM) *does* come in handy, when traveling a bit longer in a certain country. You will meet a lot of people, make new friends and want to arrange to meet for dinner or other joint activities. Being able to hand over a local phone number usually is a big advantage - if you are planning to see those people again.

So how to do it in Asia?

In most countries I traveled here it’s easy like that - just bring your own phone. Visit any of the many phone shops in the main city centres and ask them for prepaid phone cards to use with your existing phone.

They usually have a wide array on providers to offer, from 3 (Singtel, M1, Starhub) in Singapore to 4 o 5 in Thailand or Malaysia and up to 8 (simPATI, KartuAs, IM3, Flexi, ProXL, Fren and others) in Indonesia.

And how to find out, who offers the best rates?

The local dealer will tell you anything to sell one of those with the highest commissions. It pays as well, to use the same networks like your friends do, as usually the rates for calling the same provider are lower then calling into another network. So better ask your fellow travelers or local friends, or google for it!

Usually you have to register some personal particulars with the network provider as well, which became mandatory in most countries after 9/11. Somehow too many people seemed to use their none-registered mobile phone cards for other activities.

After having installed your new SIM card you are ready to go. If you run out of credit - just top it up again by purchasing “Top Up Credits” for your network. You will get a plastic card with a rub-off-field, which reveals a secret number. Dial the Top Up number, follow the automatic voice and key in the numbers on your plastic card -> Voila! More credits to use your phone with.

There are differences from country to country, on how prepaid SIMs are handled by providers:

In Singapore you can register and buy phone cards in the country-wide ‘Seven-Eleven’ Stores.

In Thailand, prepaid SIM cards will be deactivated after 4-6 weeks, if you don’t top-up them again. This can be pretty annoying, as you might not even used up all your credits. You won’t be able to call or receive calls until you add additional credits.

The same counts for Indonesia, although the expiration dates are longer (up to 3 months, depending on provider). In Indonesia it’s still bl**dy expensive to use your mobile phone card for calling other people, that’s why most people do mainly SMS. So don’t expect anyone to talk with your on the phone for hours and hours - except, if you pay, of course!

In Philippines, SMS were even free-of-charge for the first couple of years! Until the permanently-financially-stricken government noticed the huge revenues they unnecessarily forewent each year - then they started to tax it. After great civil unrest of course! But that’s the Philippines.

Anyway - a general rule of thumb is: do use prepaid SIM cards, when you plan to stay longer then 4 weeks in the same country.

Labels: tips

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published by dodong flores 도동 플로오리스 @ 10:53:00 AM • Permalink • Links to this post • 3 comments from:  Sidney,  dodongflores,  Victoryperfect, •

Rule of thirds (From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

The rule of thirds is a compositional rule of thumb in photography.

Photography Portal

The rule states that an image can be divided into nine equal parts by two equally-spaced horizontal lines and two equally-spaced vertical lines. The four points formed by the intersections of these lines can be used to align features in the photograph. Proponents of this technique claim that aligning a photograph with these points creates more tension, energy and interest in the photo than simply centering the feature would.

The photograph to the right demonstrates the application of the rule of thirds. The horizon sits at the horizontal line dividing the lower third of the photo from the upper two-thirds. The tree sits at the intersection of two lines, sometimes called a power point. Points of interest in the photo don't have to actually touch one of these lines to take advantage of the rule of thirds. For example, the brightest part of the sky near the horizon where the sun recently set does not fall directly on one of the lines, but does fall near the intersection of two of the lines, close enough to take advantage of the rule.

The application of the rule of thirds to photographs is considered by many to make them more aesthetically pleasing and professional-looking. The rule of thirds can be applied by lining up subjects with the guiding lines, placing the horizon on the top or bottom line instead of the center, or allowing linear features in the photograph to flow from section to section. In addition, many photographers recommend treating any "rule" of composition as more of a guideline, since pleasing photographs can often be made while ignoring one or more such rules.

This photograph of a sunset taken in the Thousand Islands region demonstrates the principles of the rule of thirds

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published by dodong flores 도동 플로오리스 @ 10:31:00 AM • Permalink • Links to this post • 4 comments from:  Sidney,  dodongflores,  Marex Flores,  melai, •

My La Union Escapade

Friday, January 26, 2007

Anybody familiar with the photo above? That's the surfing capital of the North.

Thomas Glenn whom we fondly call Tito Tom (please see his works here, here, and here) announced an open invitation to all MIP members to visit his new place in San Fernando, La Union. They'd just moved to this new place six months ago and Tito Tom found his new place to be better one compared to the previous in Bauang. Let me tell you how I get into his place.

After I learned of his invitation, I wanted to jump to the next bus right away but considering my work schedule, I patiently work around with it a couple of months. I found a very opportune time when the internet connection of our Internet bistro was being cut-off by the Internet service provider. I had to close the shop so I was free to roam around, at least, for the weekend.

I left Antipolo last January 20 and had to pass by SM Megamall to get from my girlfriend the photo book I and my girlfriend had received as Christmas gift last December. Tito Tom wanted to see it. I also had to pick up her pasalubong for Tito Tom and family. I left Cubao Partas station by lunch time and was supposed to arrive San Fernando, La Union by six in the evening. Unfortunately, the bus broke down in Capas, Tarlac, and that made me arrived to my destination 5 hours late. Thanks for the mobile text messaging technology, we had constant communication with Tito Tom so he was picking me up at the bus station using his white sedan. When we arrived in his house, I was greeted with a warm welcome by his whole family. It was already past 11pm when we arrived at Tito Tom's house. Tito Tom accommodated me in his daughter 'Tina's room. Had I came in group, he probably must have allowed me to use the bamboo rest house at the back. And I thought that should be cool.

Day 1

 
The photos above are the first batch of photos I had taken from the balcony of Tito Tom's house the following morning. I was just playing with bokeh using my Sigma telephoto lens. I was preparing for an adventure to the adjacent surfing ground that I playfully referred to here as "Tito Tom's stomping ground" or "Tito Tom's backyard."

This surfing area is actually called Urbiztondo, already a part of the municipality of San Juan yet just a stone throw away from Tito Tom's house which is situated at Dalumpinas Oeste, probably the last barangay of San Fernando.

 
These are just few of the girls right there waiting to be caught by my lens so they can be discovered here in my blog.

 
While most visitors go to place for surfing activity, some are just satisfying themselves basking under the heat of the sun.

This couple probably is waiting for their surfing instructor.

 

Others seemed to be local, but I still guess they are not. This pretty young girl is crossing the street heading to a concrete house in the area. She just emerged from her dip and probably had just finished catching some waves.

 
I guess you know who this man, is - surveying around his mesmeric and prepossessing abode.

 

You should know how humble this big guy we know as Tito Tom is. He was the host, the chauffeur, the tourist guide, the interpreter (No, I'm just kidding). He can also be your photography mentor or workshop master if you ask him. Without any exaggeration, I must say Tito Tom has a big heart and can win any soul. And in this particular occasion that we were having our photoshoot, Tito Tom made it a bonus for us another destination which is San Gabriel, La Union. It is the next town after San Juan. We moved to our next destination and together with us is Ate Julie, Tito Tom's better half, and a househelp.

The market day of San Gabriel had just ended when we arrived. People from the farm are preparing to go back home.

 
From San Gabriel, we proceed to the house of Ate Julie's brother where we had our lunch. The place we went to was again a part of San Juan, it's called Barangay Allangigan. After that sumptuous lunch and we were already on our way back, I was very privileged being photographed by Tito Tom beside a kuliglig parked head on with our sedan.

Oh, I love my haircut and my lens :)

 

Day 2

 

 

A grand breakfast awaited me the following morning. Other than the food preparation, the breakfast was so special because we had it overlooking the sea front where you can hear the sound of the surf. The whole view from the balcony is very pleasing to the eye. I also had photographed a part of Tito Tom's balcony but since it is a private property, I decided not to post it here as my blog is for public viewing. It is up to you to discover such when you accept Tito Tom's invitation.

Tito Tom's balcony is so peaceful you only hear the sound of the waves. It was our chance with Tito Tom for a long conversation. Prior to that, he was viewing my photo book while I was eating my breakfast. After that, we talked about just anything under the sun. We talked about politics, photography, history, the life story of Jesus not recorded in the Bible, and even Mulawin. Tito Tom is a good conversationalist.

After lunch time, Tito Tom and wife decided to bring me to the Capitol site. The provincial capitol of La Union is just in San Fernando and located on a higher ground, overlooking most part of the city. We dropped by at the provincial tourism office and was warmly received by Engr. Joseph A. Dumuk, the provincial information officer. He's very kind and have a good sense of humour. He, in fact, sang me a few songs in Hiligaynon and Cebuano after knowing that I came from Mindanao and that I also speak Hiligaynon. I almost thought he was in the military service before because of his singing a few inter-ethnical songs. He confirm to us that being in the military service was his aspiration during his younger years, unfortunately for him couldn't pass the test because his eyes are near to the ground. Tito Tom got his joke right away and suggested he should have provided himself a sole lift. Laughter followed.

It is as if the provincial capitol staff posed for Tito Tom and me. No, actually they are not. They're having their official pictorial taken by their own photographer right after our appointment with Engr. Dumuk (the one in the middle wearing Barong Tagalog). After the pictorial, Engr. Dumuk became our tourist guide in a short while. Earlier, he was giving each of us map to different tourist attraction in the province. We were also informed about a surfing competition to be held on February 2-4, 2007 at the same place where I took my surfing photos - Urbiztondo in San Juan.

 
This is the Filipino-Chinese Friendship Pagoda, just a few meters away from the provincial capitol.

If to your left is the San Fernando Bay, to your right is San Fernando's mountainous side.

There are so much of Tito Tom's place more than what I can describe here. So, for those who wanted to go to the North, take a peek at Tito Tom's humble abode. You'll never know what he has in store for you. I guarantee you sure would enjoy a lot of surprises that I uncovered myself during my stay.

Note: You may also see the photos here:
http://dodongflores.multiply.com/photos/album/49 and
http://dodongflores.multiply.com/photos/album/50

Labels: photoshoot, travelogue

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published by dodong flores 도동 플로오리스 @ 6:47:00 PM • Permalink • Links to this post • 17 comments from:  dodongflores,  Dennis,  dodongflores,  Sidney,  dodongflores,  Gil,  dodongflores,  Angelica,  dodongflores,  KK,  dodongflores,  Ferdz,  dodongflores,  Anonymous,  dodongflores,  Hi! I'm Grace,  Joy, •

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