november rain

this song title fits perfectly to whats going on the last week. we had a typhoon that missed us(again, whew!).
nov. 28, i was 0ut on the golf course and got caught in a sudden rain fall. strong rain and me trying to take shelter from my golf cart. that didn't work out. i was soaked! but i was in that situation and i noticed how beautiful the scene was. the visibility of the course was bad! couldn't see out too far because of the cover of rain.

death of a friend

recent tragic incident with a friend who passed away so young. he died at the tender age of 44.
he was a great photographer who mastered his craft and was always willing to teach anyone. was well known and loved amongst many people and photographers.

Roel Santiago was my friend and mentor but when we hung out it never seemed that way. it was just about having a good time and learning in fun as we went along.

i miss my buddy, Roel. i am sure that wherever he is now. he's making them smile.
goodbye my friend.

starting again

it has been MONTHS since i've posted. many life experiences have past. many good times. many memories. many friends have come into my life who've helped me transition in age and experience..

here's a golfing experience with my brother, Mark and i at Onward Talofofo Golf club. it was a nice sunny day. my golf game has since gotten a lot better.

golfing video

HIN hot import night, Guam

well, last night was the Hot import night on island at Yigo. it was pretty crowded but it rained constantly. kinda pissed me off.
what was good though was to see other photographer friends shooting.

February 04 07 sunday

got off work at 1030am today. perfect timing for me- lots of room to enjoy the remainder of this nice weather weekend.

last night, i went to Hard Rock with Lori for that MTV promotion. boy did that place suck! it wasn't at all like clubbing in the ole days. i guess times have changed.

thursday feb 1 sunset from Okura hotel beach area.

starting again-august

well, i am back once again. a lot has happpened since last i posted. besides shooting photos - i have been working at Mangilao Golf club. its not a bad gig, the people are generally nice and work is...work. not taxing to the mind kind of work, if you know what i mean. to think i went to college for 5 years only to end up doing something like this(my college experiences of which i do not regret).
can't be a complainer though. i just do what i need to do and leave work when its time to leave. i admit i'm somewhat anti-social but no biggie really. i have friends outside of work.

friends who are filled with drama! oh lordy, Drama doesn't even come close to describing what my friends are going through(they're doing it to themselves). somehow it usually involves having an affair with another friend who is married or "attached".
i am glad i escaped unscathe from all that drama. i know when to say when and i know when to stir up the room.

firefox contest

this came second place in the firefox home video contest. i think it should've won.

love and sunsets

ahh, love. sweet love. love love love... its good when we're in it and sucks when it has to end.

 

things of beauty. when i look at these flowers i feel at peace. their colors are bold and rich. i'll never tire of them.

today is a wednesday which means the wednesday night market at the chamorro village will be pretty busy. i suppose i'll be heading over there to take pictures of the cultural dancerss. see you there if you go. 

 

just playing around with photoshop turned the otherwise normal corollla into this. okay its a bad job but you get the idea. 

golfing at Admiral Nimitz - mangilao

we played saturday morning(4-15-06) at Admiral nimitZ Golf course. a course i learned to play golf at. surprisingly enough, i did pretty well driving the ball but my irons weren't so hot and the putting, ugh don't get me started. the form is still there though- its a very important foundation of golf.











my brother and his drive






ed and his drive


...and so, who won? well, I did. of course :)

mar 31 o6

its been a month since i've posted. i have to try to post more often... try.

my brother told me about a program i can use to make a video of some of my photos. its a microsoft program called, photo story 3(ver.3).
it makes a good gift to friends. i might start sharing my photos this way. that way they can view it and i don't have to worry about the photos being copied and destributed.

the music is called, "hurrican country" by Dave Grusin. if your interested, its from the soundtrack to the movie, "Havana".


here's a sample i posted in Youtube.com. unfortunately their compression is soo bad its lost its lustre.


in other news...
its the first of APRIL!!! no, i'm not celebrating because its foodstamp day. personallly, thats just not my thing. i've been irresponsible about a lot of decisions in my life but having kids when its not economically viable for me is not my cup of tea.
ANYWAY, its my sister, Grace's Birthday. its amazing how time passes us by. seems like in a span of a couple of blinks of my eyes- we all grew up- graduated from school- and in Grace's instance, got married and moved away. life Goes on... i'm still waiting to be an Uncle though :)

here's a photo of a sunset i shot today(mar 31, 06) behind Okura Hotel. personally, its absolutely beautiful. i don't think i will ever get used to seeing the sun setting- i hope not.

feb 26 Umatac fiesta

i was at umatac Village this weekend. they were celebrating the village fiesta. one of the main events was the moto cross of which i had a great time shooting- even though they were kicking up soo much dust all over. it was a good time for all.

wie

there's micelle wie, 3rd place winner of this weekend's(feb 2006 - Fields Open in Hawaii).
3rd place isn't tha bad. i can beat her. i think.

christmas

ahh christmas has come and gone. this was a diffeent christmas this year. my entire family was off island. that alone is enough to cause sadness with some people but i am grateful that i have many friends. i spent time with a friend here and a friend there so i am never actually alone, unless i want to be.

overalll i did like this years christmas experience and i hope my friends did as well.

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at best i am here at sporadic moments. i will try to be more consistent. anyway, lets see whats happened since last i posted.


- i got into it a few weeks back. a girl is using one of my photos and did not ask me what more, didn't credit me. some of my friends think it really isn't such a big deal because its just a "picture". anyone who says that, i dare them to go out there and shoot the same kind of pictures and lets see if you can get the same quality.
she finally asked if she could use it and i didn't bother replying because i'm stiill pissed off *sigh*.

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here's a christmas card i made fr my friends and family online. i like this. i like the warm tones. the sisters on the foreground i think add flavor to it as well.

Merry Christmas to all of you i might've missed.




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last week wednesday(dec 21 05) i went to the weekl night market at the Chamorro Village. my goal is usually just to capture the dancegroups performing. since there are usually so many people watching, my view is usually obstructed but i do what i can with what i have. thank God my camera is pretty capable.

here are some

to view more of my photos please visit photo site. 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bert671/sets

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yesterday, dec. 26 05.
it was a nice day. no rain in sight. i decided to drive around around the island. it was a very nice experience. the island is beautiful. i don't think i ever will get bored of it. driving the southern end of the island reminds of living in the province in the philippines. the quiet simple life where it seems like time just slows down.

to view more of my photos please visit photo site. 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bert671/sets

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recently, i have been getting into black and whites. honing a technique and sticking to it. photoshop surely is a wonder tool.
this marks a major step in my never ending quest to creating better images.

thoughts

i suppose since i get pretty lazy that i should play catch up. its been a month since i posted on here. but, by nature, my life in itself is about catching up so this would be normal.

random thought...
i truly belive that the great mind lies in those who learns to utilize his environment to benefit his needs and wants. its a great mind because he understands the basic psychology of the people around him and the way his environment proacts and reacts.
i think Mitnick, the great hacker calls it, "social engineering". to be a great hacker one must not only be good with decoding codes but understanding the people who runs it or protects it. bend their thinking or rules to get what information he wants.
everyone, has this ability. its just that some people use it at a greater scope and some for lesser intent.

as for myself and falling in which category. i will only admit that i strive to understand the things around me that for me is enough to makes difference.


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i was bored one night and i was looking for stuff to shoot. i went to the fridge and saw my alcohol stash. remnants from my friends visit a night ago. i never drink alone. to me its symbolizes me running out of options to keep myself busy. i would rather drink when friends are over here visiting.

ANYWAY-
i arranged them together-somewhat randomly and came up with this. taking this photo was kind of difficult considering the light around me. the photo that came from the camera must be edited to punch up the colors and composition. i added this frame to it. the message is corny but maybe someone will find it amusing.
this is the final result.

sept 27 05 sunset

i was at the beach behind nana's cafe(ex sail's restaurant). i am usually walking along the span of tumon bay which back and forth is equivalent to about 4miles.
tonight i was feeling lazy so i decided to hang at the beach and wait for the sunset instead.
Guam has EXCELLENT sunsets!! take that from me. i have captured it in photos many a times and the scene is always different and never boring.

i never take nature's beauty for granted. its there to compliment us as Human beings to be more human. to be more aware that there is more to life than the usual passages in our lives.

tarza waterpark

so sunday, my friend Anita decides to invite me out to Brunch with her and her family. her gift for me for my bday(its good to have great friends!). lunch was great! especially with good company. no drama, just fun like a family should be.
in a way it means a lot because my parents and sisters have "flown the coupe" so to speak. my brother and i who lives in the same house hardly see each other, so yes, any semblance of family life is a good thing for me.




after lunch, we headed to Tarza waterpark. i have never been there so i didn't know what to expect.
it turned out to be a pretty nice place. with lots of photo opportunities. so you know, i had to break out the camera :)
here are some photos i thought turned out pretty nice. it totally complimented the day.

sept 22 to sept 24

its a pretty significant couple of day so i thought i should mention it.

sept 22. as some friends know. i am not one to make a hoolabaloo when it comes to things regarding myself.
it was a thursday and my good friends Lori and Trisha decided they would cook me dinner instead of taking me out.(i wouldn't have minded a simple, happy bday coffee get together).
Lori decided we'd have it at her new condo. i get there 7ish and i see all of them in the kitchen working feverishly to get the food all prepared just for moi. wow!
to make a long story short. the night couldn'thave turned out any better. i had fun and i am grateful for having such great friends who go to great lenghts to make me happy and vice versa.










so that was that. a totally enjoyable night with totally enjoyable friends.

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sat. night came along and i had a party at my house with some friends to celebrate mine and my friends allan and clay's bday.

it turned out to be a success with great friends showing up. talked, laughed, ate and drank the night away.