It's Postcrossing's birthday today and here's my take on the awesomeness that is Postcrossing. I've had so much fun sending out postcards, buying stamps from another city's post office, and explaining to people why I'm buying postcards countlessly.

Cheers to the great minds behind the amazing projects and more postcards to come!

All About Summer Projects.

Ever since I was young, I kept on challenging myself into making the 2-month hiatus from school a productive one. Yep, I am a nerd but not in a goofy fashion. One summer I took up guitar lessons along with my older brother. I learned how to swim, joined a youth camp, and got to ride a horse all during summertime.


Now that I’ve finished school and have all the time in the world all 12 months of the year, I still look forward into using up the lazy hours and the sunny days into learning something new and doing something useful.

So here are a few ideas that could help you start out a cool summer project of your own, one that’s sure to keep your brain buzzing all summer long.



Snapshots of Summer. Taking a great photo symbolizing summer for the entire school vacation. I tried this one, the 60 Days of Summer set from my Flickr, a year ago. It was fun since I had a task to do every single day and I got to practice using my camera a lot. In the end, it turned out to be a digital scrapbook of how fun my summer was. Post the photos online so you get the sense of commitment from being able to publicly proclaim the project. Flickr enables you to get better and constructive feedbacks for budding shutterbugs. Posting it at Tumblr is a great place as well. So grab a camera and click away.



Grow a New Tongue. Learning another language has always been in my bucket list. Being able to speak, read, and comprehend another country’s lingo is an all-around useful skill. The great part about it is that you get to use it your entire lifetime. It was during one of my younger Japanese cousin’s summer vacation here that I got to learn speaking basic (really basic) Nihongo. Also, the summer after I graduated from college was the time I started teaching English to Korean students. They did learn a lot of English idioms from me, but I learned speaking, reading, and writing Hangul. So learn a language through free online courses at LiveMocha or buy a textbook and learn the language at your own pace and time. (Tip for Filipinos: I’ve bought the cheapest never-been-used Spanish textbooks at Booksale. Gotta be patient and lucky in digging through piles though.)



Porfolio Makeover. The adult side of me has won this one over. Each summer, as the surge of fresh graduates try and take over the job application scene, it does affect the entire freelance market. Since I do apply to the jobs I get and I have to present a portfolio, I feel the need to push myself harder in getting the projects that I want to work on. So I gather all my previous works, set up a new look for my portfolio page, and then zest up the place with new write-ups, themes, and fireworks. For a fresher take on portfolios and resumes, creative heads at Carbonmade and Portfoliobox are phenomenal at out-of-the-box ideas.



Acquiring a New Skill. I’ve tried silk screen printing, videography, coffee brewing, and currently I’m obsessed with rubber stamping. Think of an interesting hobby or skill and learn how to do it. And get newly found respect for people doing the same hobby with complete awesomeness.

Of Film Cameras and Analog Photography.

The return of film photography. It's far more than being a hipster or a standout in a sea of DSLR-carrying photographers. It's a love for history, tradition, and also a little mix of chemistry. Excuse me if I geek out a bit with this blog post.

Being able to understand photography would lead any enthusiast into an analog film camera. The loud crack of the shutter is simply addicting, add in the excitement of getting films processed and scanned, and then opening another pack of film brings the entire process into a cycle. 


No more hiding behind Adobe Photoshop editing techniques, no more fancy-schmancy HDR layers, and no more megapixels to brag about. Film simply takes the photo as you have set it, no more and no less. And that is why I fell in love with it.


Upon going into digital cameras, I did learn and understand the technicalities needed to operate it manually - shutter speeds, apertures, kinds of lenses, ISO settings, and white balances. I even got drowned in defending my stand in the Nikon vs. Canon bout. Sheesh.


But with film cameras, it was indeed a delight. I MUST know how to manually operate everything. Without any meters to guide me or a digital viewfinder to instantly show me my shot, I was on my own. I had to learn the sunny 16 rule, the basics of which roll of film is ideal for sunny scenes, and even the complex process of developing my own roll of film the old school way. Yes, shaking and agitating in the dark for a couple of minutes. 


I think I'll continue to use my DSLR for leisure trips and business shoots. However, as long as 35mm film rolls are being produced somewhere in the globe, I think I'll also continue shooting with my analog cameras. It has indeed made me fallen in love with photography even more.

Postcards & Mail.

Postcards are amazing. Around November last year, I was a bit bored with the amount of mail I have been sending out and receiving. I came across the beautiful world of Postcrossing, and I’m still hooked on sending out postcards to people all over the world.

Before Postcrossing, I’ve always taken postcards for granted. In elementary school, I remember buying postcards for a project - either it be a portrait of a national hero or a landscape of a famous tourist spot. I’ve never received a postcard before in my entire life, it wasn’t big for us at this side of the planet. Long distance relatives kept in touch through letters, greeting cards, telegrams, phone calls, and now, the internet.

Commonly, a single postcard costs around Php 5 to Php 20 (10 to 50 cents in USD). Sending them out is also cheap as it costs exactly Php 14 to send one to any country or city across the globe.

So now in my free time, I bug my friends living in another country. I send them postcards - some free ad cards, others get scenic views or folk dances that may bring back some of our old memories together. In a country where sending and getting snail mail seems too crude and outdated, I’m still trying my best to get everyone else to send more mail. 

Blue the Fighter.

My pet fish, Blue the Fighter, died today. It feels strange since having a pet fish isn't as hands on as a dog or a cat, but then we still get to feed it everyday, clean out its tank from time to time, and worry about it whenever we are out on a trip. Hope he is happy in fish heaven now.

Tomorrow's itinerary: Blue's burial rites in the morning and then the pet store in the afternoon. 

Happy Leap Day!

 It only comes around once every four years and it only makes the year a little bit more exciting. As Phil said in Modern Family, it is like having an extra day within the year. I spent mine at home but I had a blast working on an exciting writing project and sending out postcards to friends abroad. 

However, I came across one fun way of celebrating this year's Leap Day. And it's literally through leaping! At the Flickr Blog, shutterbugs from all over the world participated in doing jump shots just to testify to the fun extra day we all get for 2012.

 Let's all jump for joy today.  

Valentine's Day.

Frankly, I am not a big fan of the mushy holiday. Rather, I am a big fan of hot pink envelopes and handwritten love letters. Valentine's Day is the only day during the entire year when sending out cards and letters is reasonable and legit. 

Here are the postcards I made for the kids at Send Kids the World. I've grown fond of sending them cards and notes knowing that this simple gesture brings them a smile. Last Christmas, I was searching the net of a pen pal for the holidays as it was my first Christmas alone and away from my family. So I came across Send Kids the World and Post Pals, two sites dedicated to bringing the world to these loving kids, one mail at a time. 

 of videography, Of course I did spend the day with Dave and my lovely girl friends who share the same sentiment about Hearts Day. The idea that I made others happy for even just a day simply made my own day special. 

Happy Birth-DAVE to you.

He is the number one fan of all my dreams and ambitions yet he is also my most dreaded critic. Happy birth-DAVE to you!

I did a little spin on the words for the greeting. Using my rubber letter stamps, I labelled his presents, cards, and even made a festive treat for our office to celebrate the day. Dave was surprised when he opened the door to the office and found the colorful surprise hanging over his corner. Yay!

Party Like It's 2012.

Starting this year by committing to my own hobby blog. Plus, my Flickr print giveaway is all set to be sent. Handmade envelopes, rubber stamped note cards with a handwritten note, and the prints are all enclosed and sent to different continents all over the globe. 

My love for all things handmade simply started a year ago, when I had a hard time finding an envelope that will perfectly fit a standard size photo or a 4 x 6. Here in the Philippines, stationery is big but mainly because of its demand in offices and schools. So after about 3 weeks of going in and out of malls, I decided to simply make my own envelopes.

Happy New Year!