Like a virus swept by the reckless winds in all four directions of our world, this blog tagging game originated from HostelBookers has reached me through a few people whom I shared the same passion of traveling and photography. I was first tagged by the world-blogosphere famous writer of "Date a Girl Who Travels" Aleah of Solitary Wanderer tagged me again just to make sure I join in on this awesome way, of telling readers how a photograph can relive memories of travels long after the trip itself. These photographs lingers on in our memories and eventually plays a part in how we see the world, think back and reflect from the places, people, traditions and varying cultures we've experienced. Still, after sitting on this post for quite a while, having difficulty choosing my own photographs I decided to let it linger, until another two kindred souls Catherine of Seeking Felicity and Ding of The Pinoy Explorer double tagged me with finality.
1. Takes my Breath Away
Anyone could take the same photograph, many postcards being sold in Angkor Wat for "one dollar" almost had the same view as this. I didn't even took much effort capturing this image, I remember standing behind a crowd of tourists when I saw an opening that won't show any random heads in the foreground, took out my point and shoot camera and clicked it right away. It takes my breathe away in the manner of just being there in front of the vast complex of Angkor Wat. Witnessing the sun rising slowly in the horizon in a place that has mystified me for the longest time. Just realizing my dream of going there, being in that moment with my brother is enough for this image to truly take every air out of my body.
Related Posts: Turning the Pages of Angkor Wat
2. Makes me Laugh or Smile
One of my favorite person in the world, Kristina Hamdorf sporting seaweeds as her hairdo during one sober day in San Juan, La Union. I miss her infectious laughter and crazy demeanor. I can't wait till she comes home from her University stint in Australia. This was a fun weekend that deserves to have many more sequels like the movies "Once Upon a Time in China" and "Shake Rattle and Roll".
Related Posts: The Rum Diary at San Juan, La Union
3. Makes me Dream
The minaret of Likas Bay Mosque in Kota Kinabalu and the elevating plane represents a boundless world waiting for me to explore. The mosque is a symbol of embracing all kinds of religion, cultures and nationalities while the plane injects some wisdom about flying afar in wild bliss, when one keeps an open mind about the world around us. A moment caught in split second, creates a near-perfect image that sums up my rationality about traveling and my dreams for the future.
Related Posts: City Mosque in Likas Bay, Kota Kinabalu
4. Makes me Think
My mind was buzzing when we went to see the Genocide Museum in Phnom Penh. I've read a lot about the brutal Khmer Rouge regime before, I know what to expect, or should I say I thought I did. However, nothing could prepare me for what we saw that day. In what seems like an ordinary school located within the city, I soon found out within those walls and the grounds we're walking over - it paints a more sinister and violent past. These pictures of the more than 20,000 people incarcerated, and eventually tortured and murdered at the infamous Tuol Sleng prison, are displayed at the museum. All I could think of was how their final moments went by - even though I very well know it came down as violent, bloody and inhumane as I could imagine. It makes me think about a million things - a lot I could not understand and probably never will.
Related Post: Nomadic Video 3: Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum
5. Makes my Mouth Water
Im a street foods person. From the "Jollijeep" in Makati to Noodles stall in the sidewalks and to Khao San Road. A bottle of "Chang" and a plateful of "Pad Thai" within the street I first read in an Alex Garland novel, are enough to make my mouth water in delight. I can't wait foodtripping in the streets of India next.
Related Post: Khao San Road
6. Tells a Story
The old man from Baguio smoking a cigar. Not a very unusual scene, but upon closer look - one could not help but be intrigued by the many stories this man could tell. Each line on his life hardened face represents a significant phase of his life. I fell in love with traveling hoping to see and experience many great things, this man may have seen it all. Hidden in his mind are memories and stories only he could ever relived and nobody could ever take that away from him.
Related Posts: An Old Man in Baguio
Smokes7. I'm Proud of
Actually, I've hundreds of photographs I'm proud of, because that's who I am. I take kick-ass images. Kidding (not to offend real 'photographers' out there). I'm proud of this shot because it was the "super moon" - they said was the most kick-ass of all the Super Moons, the biggest moon that could be seen in more than 50 years. We were camping out at Apo Reef when this happened and the inclusion of the branch of a tree makes the image more un-natural. The super-moon became the backdrop which in a thousand other photographs taken during that night, It could be the main focus. Not on this one though, the tree branch is the one that made this image truly kick-ass.
Related Post: Super Moon Rising Over Apo Reef
