Subsist

(from my multiply, originally scheduled Oct. 24, 2005)

The room is infused in smoke. Coldplay hit me. The past week has been a blur of people, places, and sheer lack of appreciation of my more than fair share of luck. The photography workshop which I attended was two theories in contrast.



My mind had grasped yet another facet of knowledge, yet I wasn’t able to bring myself to be a normal person. Since it was the week when they held Manila F.A.M.E., an exhibit of the furniture export world, I decided to stay with my mom and Ate Faye, a marketing account officer at room 1220 in Trader’s hotel, adjacent to the CCP.

Jun Miranda was our professor in what my cousin would dub as the “shatter speed” workshop. A day in the workshop can be summarized in three sentences. Sat, listened intently, which in other terms meant being bored to death. I had gone down every 10 minutes or so to smoke outside the building. Took photographs that while I was swearing to myself it won’t turn out great, it amazed me.

In our first day, each of us were assigned partners to shoot with. I was assigned to Vincent. We shot in greenbelt. I was a bit thrown by the fact that most of them had digital SLRs (actually, there were only three of us out of 20 that used film). The second day, we were in the Raja Sulayman park, which is directly in front of the Manila Bay. I focused my shots on the things that are truly Manila: the garbage, the people, the calesa, and the sense perplexing beauty that is the Manila Bay sunset.



It was ironic that I had graduated two times in the past two weeks. So far, my condition is improving. This week I had gone from total bum to amateur photographer, to partyphile at Embassy, The Fort.



Last Friday I went out with my friends Jem, Tash, and Sarah, as they were the only ones available at that time. We hung out at the Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf at greenbelt 3.

Last Saturday, right after Kuya Kris arrived from Hong Kong during a business trip, we shot SML at Coffee Outlet, then partied (more like lingered) at Sax. Then the most bewildering thing occurred. Lei was also there dancing with a few friends. My first (probably second, but what the hell) night out during the 4 months that I was sick and I see her. God must really have a hell of a sense of timing. Now I’m back to being a bum extraordinaire.