Beauty of Boracay

We’re on the majestic island of Boracay, Philippines for a week. I never realized beaches could be so idyllic and composed of pure blazing white powder. Since it’s only a 45 min flight from Manila, this may be my new escape. Taken this morning with my Canon 5D mkII and a 17-40mm L.Read more

In Boracay for a week!

We’re on the stunning island of Boracy, Philippines for the next week, soaking up the sun and enjoying sand as white and powdery as baking flour. Having survived a frantic, fast-paced 3 months in Manila, it was time for a much needed break. After a dozen or more trips to my beloved Bali, it’s tough not to make comparisons to such a magical place. However, with only 8 hours of experience in Boracay, I can confidently admit the beaches hereRead more

Delivery from Indonesia: A taste of home.

Novita’s wonderful sister, Nana, just arrived at 5:30am this morning from Jakarta. She’ll stay with us for three weeks, relaxing and hopefully exploring more of Manila and the Philippines. We have a vacation coming up for 9 days at the end of October; still undecided where we may go. Not only did she bring Novita a cure for homesickness (herself) – she brought a ton of spices, sambal, and Indonesian food! In fact, she brought so much, she was chargedRead more

Super Typhoon Parma threatens the Philippines – Category 4 could turn to 5

Super Typhoon Parma threatens the Philippines. Less than one week ago, typhoon Ketsana (or Ondoy) devastated Manila and Luzon. Relief work is struggling with the carnage caused by Ketsana. Here’s a fact for you: “At one point, 80% of Manila was under water after experiencing the heaviest rainfall in 40 years.” So when I came across this information, it seems the prospect of another tragedy is increasing. “Super Typhoon Parma intensified dramatically early this morning, forming a tiny “pinhole” eyeRead more

Donate to the victims of Typhoon Ondoy in Manila, Philippines

Imagine: Your children missing, being forced to drink from typhoid-infested flood waters, having your children experience life-threatening diarrhea and fevers that without treatment could prove fatal, losing everything you own, having nothing at all to feed your loved ones for days on end, and looking into your child’s eyes, knowing you may not be able to provide for them. Now, imagine your own life and how fortunate you are. How lucky you are to have clothes on your back, aRead more

Flooding Videos from Makati, Manila – Sept. 26, 2009 – Tropical storm, Ondoy

I managed to take some video clips of the Manila flooding as a result of the tropical storm, Ondoy. These videos were taken in Makati, Manila near Jupiter and Makati Ave. I used my Canon 5D2 to take the videos, but had to reduce the quality from 1080p to YouTube resolution. This last video was filmed by another Twitter contact elsewhere in Manila. As I was posting this, a large power transformer or power line just blew up 1/4 ofRead more