"Panata", a sacred pledge, is a Filipino tradition performed during the occasion of the Lenten season as form of religious devotion to the Passion of Christ. Filipinos though poor are richly religious. This devotion though sometimes referred as masochistic, originates as an atonement of sins or thanksgiving for an answered prayers through wounding and scourging of their bodies, and to the extent of getting crucified and hanged on the cross.

The wounding is done with the use of sharp blades or broken glasses attached to a wooden handle. These blades are then tapped quickly at the muscular part of the lower back, left to bleed. the devotees then scourge themselves with a whip, end of which attached 13 pieces of bamboo sticks. They then parade around the town head covered in black, heading to the parochial church, stopping for prayers before proceeding to the river or to the sea.

I followed these devotees as they perform their yearly rituals. Still considered taboo, but this tradition were practiced a century ago and will still be a part of being a Filipino.

What are things that comes into mind when somebody said “COFFEE”. Come on! Don’t think too much, be snappy. At least that’s what you get after a cup of brew.

Here in Riyadh, coffee is more accessible than a comfort room. Everywhere there is a coffee shop. Famous brands, not so famous brands and even local brands. They’re like converse, “they’re everywhere”.(well at least you got some clue how old I am)And you don’t have to worry about the prices, there is always a cup that can fit in your pocket. Different sizes, different brews, flavors, and aroma (waiter included).

So what what does a cup of “Juan” mean. When somebody offer me an invitation for a cup, it means a lot.


Obviously where we're at

It’s like a new-age hand shake - At the movies, they always say “let’s have a drink”. In corporate terms it means “let’s seal the deal”. Or “it’s done, we can relax now”. I know they mean booze, but more executives prefer a cup of Juan Valdez to Johnny’s these days. (it’s just me). Coffee shops more and more is becoming a business place. People do meetings here, make proposals and if it’s with the boss, it might be a promotion coming. Why not, it’s the best place to be.


A friendly conversation

Let’s have a conversation- Remember the commercial “let’s sit and talk a while in one world of Nescafe”. Wednesday in Saudi is like Friday somewhere else. During the end of the week my friends and I meet either on our homes or at -where else- coffee shops. It feels that we owe it to ourselves after a grueling week. Conversation is the keyword. Business is not a conversation, it’s a meeting. Problems is talked not conversed. Conversation is a chat, happy times, laughter, anything but pain on the neck.



Internet surfing

Free broadband - For some, it’s internet surfing in style. I observed, the boom of the coffee industry coincided with the boom of the internet, especially wireless. (it’s just me again) I believe this makes coffee cool for the young. Coffee shops are the places to flaunt new high-tech laptops. Sipping a hot latte while surfing for porn information with a raspberry cheese cake. (good for the young only, just imagine the calories) Just don’t spill the coffee on your gizmos, thet’s uncool.


Me with my friend Yon

An excuse to take photos - I love taking pictures inside a coffee shop. I love the light, the conversation, the items in the table and I love the coolness of coffee. For me a coffee shop must not only have good coffee, cheap cakes but most importantly filled with interesting decorations. I found a Dr. Cafe branch near my home. they have an incredible design, It was so cool. But after a few frames the security came and warned us not to take photographs. “UNCOOL”. Hope they will allow photography so I can give a good review in this blog.

Coffee brought a new culture in the millennium. Together with the i-phones, i-pods and all the other i’s, coffee created the i-cup “i” want a cup of coffee.

That what coffee is to me. How about you?

Here are some of the images taken with my new Canon G10. Enjoy.



Ambient light: Settings at P mode, Auto ISO. I set the camera on auto mode on these, and IMO are far better than using the manual, AV or TV. I'm satisfied with color and contrast of the result. The grain on the image is expected so nothing great on that area but I still believe it can look good on print.


Studio Shots: Settings on Manual ISO 80. Here the camera really shines. Color are contrast very good, although if you pixel peep, kit's still not at par with a D-Slr, but it definitely outshines my 300D. Another pat on my shoulders for the good decision.



Black and White: Most of my complaints on black and white images on digital is the blown out highlights. You have to be careful in your exposure or you will lose the details. But the G10 had exceeded my expectations. The contrast on the images are superb and the highlights kept the details.

These are the samples taken in a brief period. You decide.

I'm a happy owner of a new Canon G10 for one week now. Honestly I was torn between the LX3 and the G10, but the moment I opened the box and start using it, I know I made the right decision. I fell in love with photography all over again.

I'm a Canon user. I own two other Digital SLRs, a 6mp 300D and a 13mp 5D. I've worked with both cameras in creating beautiful and stunning images. I loved them, I still do.

Recently, my interest is in discovering life in the streets and documenting them. Although i prefer the quality of the 5D, it's too big for the job. I need a camera that is discreet, something that will not catch attention. I have no budget so I sold my digital SLR and bought the Canon G10. And I never looked back.

What's in the box?

G10 14.7Mp D-camera, NB-7L rechargeable battery, battery Charger, USB cable, Video cable, Neck strap, CD Software, User's manual (Eng&Frn) Warranty card.

SDHC memory card not included

Old School - The first impression I had with the G10 is the old school feel. It has three solid dials on top that looks like an old manual film camera my grandfather owns. But of course modernized. And with no shutter lag, it's always ready to shoot the action.

Compact design - It a 3.1 x 4.3 x 1.8" (78 x 109 x 46mm) and weights only 350 gm. Painted black and is very discreet. Small enough to fin in your purse, pockets or hang on the waist. It houses a 3in viewfinder large enough to view even to those who aren't 20/20. But if you want you can use the viewfinder. But as a warning, the viewfinder is not that great. And dont use it in macro mode, it's useless.

14.7 megapixel CCD sensor - resolution this size can print up to A2 size prints (4x the size of a normal paper). One photographer even compared it to the mouth watering 32megapixel medium format Hasselblad H2. He shot two identical image and print them A3 size. Show it to his colleagues, and guess what. They can't tell the difference. If you think I'm joking see the article HERE. The G10 can record both JPEG and RAW format.

Focal length - it has an optical zoom of 28-140 (35mm equivalent) so you can shoot wide for landscapes and groups or you can zoom in to capture a detail.

Macro - If photographing flowers and bugs is your interest, this camera will not let you down as it has a minimum focusing distance of 1cm, enough to for a human eye to fill the frame.

Low-light - If you're in a situation that you need extra boost to capture ambient light, the G10 boast from 80 to 32,000 ISO (sensitivity to light, the higher the more sensitive). the only drawback is the more sensitive the more grainier the image. If you don't know which ISO to use, it has a auto feature and in my opinion, maybe is a better option.

Built-in Flash - It can come handy if you need extra light to illuminate your subject. It also holds a hot shoe if you prefer to use external flash, and is compatible to all Canon flashes. Yes, it can read TTL.

Accessible Menus - All the menus you need are very accessible. I counted 5 dial controls and 12 buttons. The menus are also customizable so you can access those functions you use most.

Video - What's a camera these days without a video. It has a NTSC/Pal (640 x 480 @ 30fps) mov file that you can plug and view in any TV with the video cable supplied with the G10. It's not yet HD, but I'm pretty satisfied with the resolution. Anyway I'm not making videos to bid on any Oscar nomination.

Audio - Of course what's a video without an audio? You can choose from the audio the G10 has. It has a dedicated voice only recorder, and if you don't want to forget an image, you can use the G10's audio annotation. The mic maybe tiny but is very sensitive and can pick up background noise with clarity. But don't fear, you can turn the wind filter "On" to decrease the noise.

Software - The box includes the latest version of Digital Photography Professional image editing software. You can enhance your images and process your RAW format in the software.

In conclusion, this is one compact camera to reckon with. I can tell that that the G10 is finding its way to amateurs and professional photographers bags as its always out of stock. I'm satisfied with it and loving it I never leave home now without it.

If you have any questions about the specifics of the G10 don't hesitate to comment or contact me through my e-mail.

We will dig deeper in the camera functions in the upcoming posts. So stay tuned.

Jenadriyah, Riyadh - The Saudi Heritage and Cultural festival is a yearly occasion organized by the National Guards under the command of HRH Prince Naif bin Abdulaziz Al Saud aimed to promote the Saudi Cultural Heritage to it's diverse foreign residents and to keep the Saudi traditions alive to its people. The festivities start this coming March 4.

Bring your camera - For those who love photography, Jenadriyah offers a lot of photo opportunities. Watch traditional artisans like potters, gun smiths, wood workers, jeweler and weavers to name a few demonstrate their skill and their craft. Be swayed as the locals glide their guns and swords to the beat of regional drum music. Or, watch the performance of poets, musicians and stage dramas. There are also camel rides, mule wagon rides and house back riding for those who wants to try.

And when you got tired of the festivities, regional food and refreshments are available - for sale of course - everywhere in the area.

How to get there - The Jenadriyah area is 30 km away north east from the city center. you can take Takasussi Rd., and go straight the whole stretch. At the end the road forks under the bridge. Take left under the bridge, you will see the high tower on your right as you proceed the road. The Jenadriyah area is located beside the Horse Racing Club.

I'll be providing more information as to the schedules of males and females and perhaps a detailed map of how to get there when I have the information.

Sulaymania, Riyadh, KSA

A cloud of sand storm the Riyadh city center early morning of Wednesday as motorist cram the streets during the rush hours. The sandstorm that marks the end of winter welcoming the change of season is expected to continue to the following days.

All residents affected were advised to stay inside their homes and keep all doors and windows closed to prevent the dust and robbers to enter their homes. It's also advisable to refrain from hanging clothes outside to prevent waste of soap and water if ever you decide to wash them again. While it's not advisable not to wash dirty clothes, we leave it to your own choice.

For those who choose to go outside to play in the sand, wear face masks to prevent inhaling the dust particles. Filipino noses although small, in studies gather more dust that any other due to its large holes and frontal orientation.

In case of dust inhalation, do not drink water. Water dont wix well with dust. If symptoms persist call your doctor.

Hi, my name is Juan. I am !@#$% years old. I am a Filipino from the Philippines. I have no dog. My house has Tagpi. I have no cat because I am astmatic.

This blogspot is under construction.

My motto is - Pumara sa karatula ng "Bawal magsakay at magbaba dito".