Friday, July 27, 2012

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Sports Illustrated: Esti Ginzburg in Boracay


Year: 2011
Location: Boracay Island, Philippines, Shangri-La Boracay Resort
Swimsuit: Swimsuit by Hurley Swimwear
Photographed by: Raphael Mazzucco

Click HERE for more of Esti Ginzburg

Monday, July 23, 2012

WWII: The Artist & The Sniper

Whenever I am bored, one of my pastimes is visiting eBay to look for something that interests me. The online auction site is a treasure trove for collectors of various sizes and colors. It is the fantasy land for every hobbyist worth his salt. And once you learn how to navigate the website and become adept at 'treasure hunting' I can guarantee you that there is no turning back.

But I am not the greedy big-time bidder type who will engage anyone just to get his hands on a particular item. I am more of a bargain hunter, favoring more bang for my buck than a foolish dreamer who will empty his pockets just to finally grab his holy grail.

In fact, most of my acquisitions were more on the $10-20 range but nevertheless, they are all treasures safely hidden in my man cave. I have pegged my limit to $100 at the most no matter how I am smitten with a particular object, and if it is beyond the ceiling that I set up for myself, I just have to let the object of my desire pass and move on to the next one.

I am more of the sniper type of, the one who will watch a particular auction but will bid only during its last few seconds. This adrenaline-pumping vis-a-vis testosterone-deflating strategy is what the game is all about. There is no greater thrill than being in a kind of 'hope for the best but expect the worst' situation wherein you could snatch a gem from the hands of the other bidders or be left empty-handed.

As they usually say, "it's not the kill, it's the thrill of the chase." Amen.


Most of the time, I always end up grabbing my prey, probably to the chagrin of my fellow eBayers, but the god of fortune frowned on me today. Somebody outbid me to the 53 pages of lithographs by World War II artist E.J. Dollriehs, who served under the U.S. Army's 37th Infantry Battalion in the Philippines wherein many of his wartime sketches were made.

But that's life: you win some, you lose some.

The pictures below are some of the beautiful sketches that got away today. I will look at them for one last time and move on.

Another day, another prey.



Wednesday, July 18, 2012

The Bourne Legacy: "Rooftop Rescue"

Aaron Cross (Jeremy Renner) rescues Marta (Rachel Weisz) from Filipino cops.



The movie was shot in the Philippines (Metro Manila and Palawan) in January and February 2012.


video credit: IGN






Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Alibata



*Consideracions sur les alphabets des Philippines-
-Eugene Vincent Stanislas Jacquet
Imprimerie Royale.--1831

Monday, July 16, 2012

Juan Gathers Guavas

One day Juan's father sent him to get some ripe guavas, for a number of their neighbors had come in and he wanted to give them something to eat.

Juan went to the guava bushes and ate all the fruit he could hold, and then he decided to play a joke on his father's guests instead of giving them a feast of guavas.

A wasp's nest hung near by. With some difficulty he succeeded in taking it down and putting it into a tight basket that he had brought for the fruit. He hastened home and gave the basket to his father, and then as he left the room where the guests were seated he closed the door and fastened it.

As soon as Juan's father opened the basket the wasps flew over the room; and when the people found the door locked they fought to get out of the windows.

After a while Juan opened the door, and when he saw the swollen faces of the people, he cried.

"What fine, rich guavas you must have had! They have made you all so fat!"
#
Philippine Folk Tales/ Circa 1916
Compiled and Annotated by M.C.Cole