Resistance is futile

For the longest time, I stayed away from digital cameras like they were eggplants (Translation: I don't like eggplants. I'd rather be nutrient deficient than eat eggplants). I never really understood the idea of taking pictures using the LCD. I mean, why take a picture of something you can already see on this mini-TV-like screen? Isn't that taking away one element of picture taking? The surprise of what actually will come out of the scene you just photographed? Is it as how you actually saw it? Did it come out better in print? Or not?

And another element being the need to get the pictures developed so you can actually see what you have photographed.

I remember being the only one carrying around a film camera on our trips while everyone else had digicams. I didn't really care at first, but it started getting to me after a while... like I was the only one left in the dark ages.

Still... filmless, viewfinderless, and the-lack-of-need-to-develop-what-I-photographed type of picture taking just isn't settling well with me. What's more, I never thought I would actually see cameras doing away with viewfinders.

Clearly, I was slipping deeper into the dark ages.

I was lamenting this fact to my housemate. We were just discussing her digital camera then... and I assumed everyone had basic knowledge about camera parts. (Of course, if you have a camera, shouldn't you have at least the basic knowledge about it?)

Me: "Housemate. Did you know digital cameras now no longer have viewfinders?" (Shock!)
Housemate: [Blink] ??
Me: Viewfinders. [Blink] (don't tell me what I think you are thinking -- that you have no idea what a viewfinder is) I'm looking for a digicam for my sister and I'm surprised to discover they have bigger LCDs now, but that's because they no longer have viewfinders. (Still in disbelief)
Housemate: [Blink] ... er... what's a viewfinder?
Me: [Blink] [Blink] (Shock) oh...

I definitely assumed wrong. Well, at least I have one redeeming factor.

Resistance is futile. Eventually, I give in and finally get my first digital camera. A DSLR no less.

I don't really miss having to worry if I have enough rolls of film, or how to take pictures so I can use up the entire film, or if I should take a picture of this and not that, or that and not this because I'm running out of film, and if I use a new roll of film, I would have to worry again if I have enough rolls of film, or how to take pictures so I can use up the entire film... you get the idea...

I do still use the viewfinder over the LCD most of the time. And I still print my pictures out. The dark ages have its good points.

These were taken using a film camera. Sometimes they make me think maybe I could've gotten a digital camera earlier, then they might've come out even better.

(Pictures taken in 2004 in Russia)

destination: dumaguete (2004)

Antulang Resort. Apo Island, Dumaguete.

I have to admit this is my first time ever to snorkel, but I'm prepared.

After settling down our stuff at the resort, we were off to Apo Island. I’m not a snorkeling geek, but I was definitely going down and not miss out on the fun. Besides, I was on a mission: my first go at underwater picture taking.

Ok. Checklist. Life vest secured... check. Disposable underwater camera... check. My snorkeling buddy... check. I'm good to go.

And down we go. Glub! Glub! Oh corals galore! Corals here, there, and everywhere. Click! Oh, there’s this school of fish there. Click! They’re swimming this way. Click! Hmm, I wonder why there’s this sudden onslaught of fish here? Oh, there’s my friend feeding the fish. Click! Click! Hey hey hey Friend, be careful not to attract the wrong kind of fish or we become fish food instead.

We were advised not to step on the corals because they were alive... so naturally I thought we were in shallow water. Only when I came upon scuba divers a few feet away from me did I realize that that wasn't the case. I wonder what they were looking for? Oh I heard that the place swarms with hawksbill turtles, manta rays and barracudas, but so far, I’ve only seen Nemos and other unidentified swimming creatures by my book. Wait! Manta rays? Ack! Barracudas? Aacckk! Great. Just what I needed to know. I wonder how fast I can get to dry ground.

destination: donsol (2005)

Our mission for this trip: Butandings. Or whale sharks, AKA gentle giants.

My friend TripkotoX has a blow-by-blow account of the pre-whaling expedition (10 hours of puke-your-guts-out midnight bus ride -- even for us who are not prone to motion sickness). And though I don't remember a lot about that part of the trip (this is what I get for procrastinating this for years!)... I remember clearly the very first dive to get a glimpse of these giants.

It was an exciting moment! Our first encounter with these giants! Our spotter directed us to a whale shark that was swimming right below us. I didn't know from which direction he was coming from, nor what he looked like... ok ok I know they had this prototype there by the boat rental area, and we have seen pictures of them, but still...

The first encounter was quite nerve-racking. Even as I was waiting for the whale shark... I was completely surprised when the polka dots broke the monotonous dull color of the shallow water. Seeing this HUGE fish's HUGE mouth swimming right below me was not what I expected. For a split second I actually thought it was like a vacuum -- sucking everything in its way... and oh no! I was right in its way too! I thought I saw myself being pulled down towards the belly darkness of this giant (ala Jonah). Glub! Glub!

After that split second came another split second. This whale shark looked like its fin was going to hit my feet! A part of my functioning brain knew it was a great Kodak moment, but the other parts quickly overshadowed that with other images.

In my brain, I saw that the gentle giant really did brush my feet. And it got angry. As it was swimming away, it was grumbling "Stupid human. I'm the king of the sea here. I'll show you what happens when you don't make way." And as it leaves a stunned me behind, it takes a whack at me with its tail... sending me flying out of the water and towards a nest of other whale sharks in wait. (Shudder!)

Ok, I got carried away... they are gentle giants after all. Heehee.

You see, they do not swim very deep. You only have to snorkel, and you're face-to-face with these polka-dotted giants.

Well, make that face-to-tail. I couldn't swim fast enough to catch up with the whale sharks. Who was it who told me I didn't need to rent flippers because the whale sharks swam slow? Yeah, well, maybe he meant slow by fish standards... not human.

And since I was primarily in the water to take pictures, I wasn't in the mindset to race my friends to race the gentle giants. So, I was left pretty much with a trail of bubbles and not a lot of good pictures. I was hoping another giant would decide to swim right below me and let me take a good picture of him. However, as they say... opportunity knocks only once.

After spending the whole morning jumping in the water, swimming like crazy (literally), and then climbing back up the boat (not an easy feat)... my body has decided it has had enough. Even when there seemed to be one uber-slow whale shark that swam right under our boat, I couldn't make myself jump into the water again. Besides, my images of me being whacked by the tail re-surfaced, so I decided to take the coward's way out.

And then it was over. This is one experience I can proudly cross off my list as an achievement. It's not everyday that you actually get the chance to do this, and come across an abundance of whale sharks (especially as they are now considered vulnerable species). Plus, I shared this with great friends who I knew would keep me from being fish food.

destination: mt. xiao zi (4/2010)

Note: you might want to click the images to enlarge them and get a better feel of the steepness of the trail. Plus, the butterfly looks neater when enlarged =).

For the last few weekends, I've been cooped up inside the house… by choice. There was a long-ish weekend (Monday was a free day) coming up, and so I decided to put on my thick skin and ask my usually-outdoorsy-young-ish couple friends to do something outdoorsy on Monday. Translation: do your usual outdoorsy thing and let me trail along with you. Voila! And so we headed for Mt. Xiao Zi. The weather was perfect. It was all gloomy-ness, and no sun for the most part of the trail.

Xiao Zi trail was the tried and tested trail by the outdoorsy couple. Looking forward to the promised excitement, adventure, and exhilaration, we start our way up on man-made steps... actual steps with edges you can distinguish clearly and that shout "Please step on. I'm not slippery. I'm wide. I'm safe." (so much for the excitement and adventure and exhilaration) Eventually we get to the hike on the narrow trails that were carved for a single-line hike. It wasn't a very long trail. I was a bit disappointed to have reached the peak sooner than expected.

Now this is the best part of the climb. They had to put in a modern steel slippery-as-a-stone-covered-with-moss ladder to connect the two peaks of the mountain. And then it's a very short trail left all the way to the peak. Now I'm not particularly afraid of heights (as long as I was seeing the ropes on both sides of the trail, I was feeling secure), but I did have a moment's panic going up the last few steps to the peak. I had to keep my eyes on the steps in front of me and not look around at the mountain tops that are now eye level. Goodness.

As we looked around... we saw another trail that's just as high (or maybe even higher) than the peak we are currently at. So, we decided to do that one.

And off we go to Ci Mu peak. We walk up nature's trail... and up... and up... stopping at intervals primarily because I had to give some time to the couple and their kid in front of me. It wasn't so bad. It was the perfect excuse to rest without looking like a weakling for huffing and puffing after just a short while into the steep climb. As we continue our hike... I suddenly noticed we have started our descent. Where was the peak? Oh, seems like there's none. It's funny they call this Ci Mu peak when it apparently is just a long trail, and call it Xiao Zi trail when it's actually a peak. Go figure.

(This is the peak of Xiao Zi trail)

The exhilaration has worn off as I just started on the man-made steps on the way back. And my knees were shaking. The trails were short, but the height and the steepness make up for that. It wasn't so much the distance of the trail as the ups and downs that will get to you. Plus the effort exerted in making sure you don't slip and fall over to nothingness.

(A peach tree!!!)

It was a definite go-hiking-and-feel-the-pain-the-day-after activity and I was aware of that. Call me a glutton for pain, but I would go for another round anytime.