Plants vs. Sars :)

I've spent the last 30 minutes trying to upload this photo to be my new 'display picture' or 'profile photo' on Twitter. But it just won't get uploaded! Too scary, maybe? :) Anyway, here's Marl's successful creation to make me ugly and scary. I gave him full right to do that to me... for Halloween's sake! :)

Plants vs Sars

Problem with my visa extension... solved!

The wait is finally over after waiting for my new passport for six whole weeks. As I have previously blogged, I had to renew my 1-year old new e-passport because it got torn. And the Philippine Embassy in Beijing was kind enough to shoulder all expenses in replacing it. They didn't let me pay for it! Hooray! :)

So anyway, already got my new passport and they also gave me back my old passport with punched holes (for cancellation) and was asked to surrender my old passport once my visa has been transferred to the new one. I kept my passports in the safe while waiting for the hotel to take them for our visa extension.

Our lounge manager took our passports on Monday afternoon and gave me a shocking news just before we went to work. There's a problem with my passports and visa! Oh my!!! Apparently, the Chinese government strict rule about renewed passports is that you would have a 10-day allowance for me to transfer my current visa (in my old passport) to my new visa. WHAAAAT?!?!?! Nobody informed me about that!

For the past three nights, Marl and I have been talking about the worst possible scenario that would happen if my problem won't be resolved... that is to go back to Manila wayyyy before schedule when our current visa expires on October 31st. We even contacted our friend who has a courier company in Shanghai and sent couple of boxes of our stuff. And we even have slowly packed our stuff, too. LOL.

Not the kind of star where you
can say, "Look Ma, I got a star!"
Yesterday, we went to the Police Security Bureau (PSB) where we would be applying for our visa extension, together with a representative from the hotel's HR department. And I was told that in usual cases, I'd pay a fine for "breaking the rule" on visa transferring. I told them that it was an honest mistake and I really didn't know about this and had I known about it, I would have gone to the PSB directly after getting my new passport. I gave the certificate that the Philippine Embassy issued along with my new passport. I even wanted to pull a Christopher-Lao and say, "I should have been informed!". But guess my lucky star never left me and was even shining on me even at noon time... the bureau officials just gave me a 'warning'. They made me sign a paper in Chinese character with a big red stamp with a big star. And I didn't have to pay a fine at all! Weeeeee! But I better be careful next time.

Anyway, our visa extension has already been processed and we will have our passports back next week. Thank God! Now, time to unpack again and just cherish my remaining working time here in Beijing while I still can... until the end of December!

China Open 2011 (Nikon D7000 test video)

Two years ago, we had the chance to meet the top superstar tennis players during China Open 2009. They were all staying in our hotel and it was the coolest time of the year 2009 for me. What made it more special was meeting Novak Djokovic and his team and partying with him when he won the China Open title for the first time.

This year, we were so excited to see him again. But unfortunately, due to a serious injury, he wasn't able to come and play to defend his title this year. Most of the more famous ones didn't play like Maria Sharapova, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Andy Murray. However, we were able to meet other coaches, organizers, and players during the whole 10 days that there were staying in our hotel. In fact, we would often see them in the tables next to ours during dinner. Ohhhh, I got really starstruck whenever I'd see Anna Ivanovic! :)

I can say that our 'avid' guest that we had was the father and coach of the No. 1 in women's tennis, Carolina Wozniacki. His father, Piotr Wozniacki, would often come to the bar and enjoy our music. And for the first time in my whole career, we sang the Beyoncé song "Halo" and "Hotel California" more than 3 times in one night. I had to sing it 6 times on one night and then there was another night when I had to sing it 12 times!!! Marl sang "Hotel California" 7 times in an hour! No kidding! But of course, he was generous enough to compensate us with tips for each song that we did for him.

Luckily for us, we met the No. 3 in men's double, Nenad Zimonjic, during dinners at the hotel restaurant. And during the finals, he invited us to watch his game. I was soooo happy and excited that I felt like accepting a marriage proposal when I said "Yesss!" after asking me if we'd like to watch his finals match. LOL! That was also the night that hubby told me that we'd get my birthday gift, Nikon D7000.

So without much further ado, here's the Nikon D7000 test video that I took during China Open 2011, with the help of Marl of course. I used a Tamron Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro Lens during that time because that's the big-yet-light zoom that hubby has. He has bigger lenses but it's heavy for me to carry around. I used Final Cut Pro, Motion in editing and Compressor to export this video - after two years of not touching it! FINALLY! =)

Busy and lovin' life! =)


I've been soooo busy for the past few days. I've been backing up files to make room for video editing. I have taken almost 20 gigabytes of videos for the past 2 weeks. Woahhh! So I really need to edit them so I can archive the raw videos to my backup DVDs (for hardcopy). 

I've also started with my diet again as I noticed my face becoming 'fleshier' on photos and videos. Since I'll be infront of the camera most of the time, I need to lose a bit 'flesh'. I have also started working out again. And what's good about my body is that, it listens to me. With the combination of good diet and work out, I have already lost inches and pounds in just a few days. Weeee!

Btw, here are some of hubby's new works for his 365: A Daily Dose of Sanity album. I'm a fan of his works, not just because I'm his wife or I'm his muse in most of his photos. It's because I believe in his talent in photography and post-processing. Nobody has any bloody idea the hard work that he does in his photos. Nobody but me.

Click to appreciate them better... =)





On iOS 5

I have finally updated my devices to iOS 5 after two nights since it got released. Actually I could have used the Dev version that was given to me by a friend on Twitter few months back but I was just too lazy to backup everything. But with the official release of the said iOS, I didn't have much dilly-dallying to do. I downloaded the firmwares for my devices for about 5 hours. I have quite a trauma in restoring an iPhone in the past and everytime I had to restore it to a current version, I still feel the same way. Last night was no different. I was so nervous looking at the progress bar while restoring the iPhone and the iPad. LOL! But alas, I haz succeeded! :)

I love its new features like iMessage, multitouch swiping for multitasking, improved camera quality, Twitter integration, sharing files between devices via iCloud, split keyboard on iPad, the ease to reply any messages from the lock screen, and its new notification center. And it still has other features that I haven't explored yet.

I must agree with Apple, that this is yet the best iOS ever made. They really listen to what their consumers want and give them much more! Heads up, Apple! :-)

There Are No Perfect Fathers But...



It ain't Father's Day but just wanna share this. This video made me cry when I saw it on Facebook. I did not only shed a tear quietly, but I sobbed heavily.

I grew up without a father figure in my life. Yet I still hope that my father loves me as much as I love him... even from a distance. Life is too short to live with regrets and hatred. I love my father. No matter what.

I also would like to share this to my daughter and all the children that I know. Love your parents, children. Don't take them/us for granted...

Watch this video on Facebook.

Back to the Basics


I have always loved being infront of the camera, be it on photos or videos. But sometimes, I like tinkering behind the camera, too, coz I love being able to direct and making the shots.

When I started doing street photography in 2005, I only had a Canon point-and-shoot camera. Having a DSLR camera didn't matter to me back then. Why? Because I was happy and satisfied with the photos and videos that my camera took.

When my Canon camera broke down in 2009, I was lucky enough that a friend of mine gave me his almost-new Panasonic Lumix camera, who was upgrading to a higher model. And that camera has taken lots of photos and played a big role in my videos until now. It's a perfect rugged travel camera and it can take HD videos. But it still lacked the features that I wanted.

Now that I've got the Nikon D7000, I'm very excited to shoot with it with all the cool features that it has. But there's a bit of a problem. I'm quite having an information overload with tinkering on its buttons. I've been reading the manual for a few days now and reading lots of tips and tricks online. And I am yet to do my serious video project. I'm also testing hubby's different lenses on it. As for now, I'll stick with the Nikkor 50mm 1.8 D lens.

But I need to read more... now if you'll excuse me... (",)

Happy Sars and Nikon D7000


I wasn't feeling well last night, and I was ready to go to bed early so I can get up early for China Open. Nenad Zimonjic of Serbia invited us last night for his finals match with Mikael Llodra in men's doubles. Then I said to hubby, while lying in the bed, I wish that I already have a Nikon D7000 - something that I've been wanting to have since last year - so I can start with my videography seriously and play with it during the finals match. Then he just said, "let's buy one tomorrow before going to the China Open, for your late birthday present". Suddenly I felt better. I was sooooo happy that I jumped up and down the bed like a little kid and forgot that I wasn't feeling well! LOL!

NIKON D7000
Because of excitement, I wasn't able to go to sleep. Of course, it's been my dream camera for almost a year now! We went to bed at almost 7AM and woke up two hours later... to be in the Wukesong photography building when they open at 10AM. LOL!

Went to a shop and bargained the price with the shopkeeper. Marl has a few lenses I can play around with so we only bought the camera body. He was giving it at RMB 7,400 (US $1150) for a body-only unit but using my charm, I managed to get it at RMB 7,000 (US $1098). I also got a 16GB Sandisk Extreme SD card at RMB 300 (US $47). Left the shop with a smile-up-to-the-ears that can brighten up a gloomy sunday in Beijing.

Went back to the hotel to charge its battery for at least an hour before going to the National Tennis Stadium. I used hubby's Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro Lens, to play around with because I'm a fan of bokehs. I took few HD videos during the match. Read more about my China Open 2011 experience on my next blog.

We had lots of fun today, especially me who just got another great toy to get acquainted with. It's my first DSLR and eventhough I love photography and film making, I don't know the technical stuff of a DSLR camera. I guess I'm so lucky to have a talented hubby who's one of the best pro photographer there is. Yes, love thy own! LOL. He's letting me use all his Nikkor and 3rd party lenses and try them on my new toy. Can't wait to really use this D7000 to its full advantage! Will update you guys soon! Weeeeeeeeeeee!

Note: Photos on this blog post were taken from an iPhone, not from the D700. :-)

It will temporarily sit on my desk until I get a good camera bag. Anyone? :)
Nikon D7000 at RMB 7000 + SanDisk Extreme 16GB at RMB 300

New video: Mar Silverio featuring Ara Mina (BTS)

Remember when hubby Mar Silverio's first billboard project came out in EDSA a month ago with the beautiful and sexy Filipina actress Ara Mina for Allura Body Contouring Center? Well here's the behind-the-scenes footage that I shot during that time. Enjoy! :)

Steve Jobs 1955-2011

A screencap of the Apple's home page on this sad day. What a tribute.
The man who has been the face of technology. The man who made the revolutionary stuff that we all love. The man with a brilliant mind. Thank you for being a huge part of our future and of our daily lives. You will be remembered forever, Steve Jobs.

iPhone4S it is!

So the hype is over. Those who were expecting an iPhone 5 coming out
today were disappointed. In fact, VERY disappointed. Apple just
announced iPhone4S, which is a chip off the ol' iPhone 4
aesthetically. But don't be fooled. Because although they might look
exactly the same, they have different features inside.

iPhone 4S has faster processor with its dual-core A5 chip, which is
twice as fast as the iPhone 4. I said blah and was about to get ready
to multitask and do other things (coz I'm a busy person you know!
LOL). But wait! The new iPhone 4S has an all-new 8MP camera and
optics, can shoot photos faster than my current point-and-shoot
camera, and can shoot HD movies in 1080p resolution. My jaw just
dropped. That's freakin' awesome! You had me there, Apple. You really
had me there.

And of course, with iOS 5, one can enjoy features like stalking your
friends with Find My Friends app. iCloud makes syncing your files from
and to all your devices as swiftly as it can. And all other features.
But the most talked about stuff after the keynote and probably the
feature that made me excited and happy is the Siri app. Apparently,
you don't have to be a loner anymore. You've got Siri, your new
trusted and loyal friend/assistant/secretary/nanny. I'd like to call
it Yaya Siri. You can talk to Siri, have her set you an appointment by
just talking to your iPhone 4S. Yes, you literally talk to Siri out
loud. In public places. Or even in the toilet. Now, I don't have to be
alone in my toilet moments anymore, eh? You can talk to it like your yaya:
"Siri, can you please wipe my ass?", "Siri, where is the tabo?",
"Siri, can you brush my teeth?". Siri will be over-used and wasted, I
guess. LOL!

So there you go. I was planning to skip this version of iPhone, EXCEPT
that I'm in need of a great camera right now. Therefore, I NEED an
iPhone 4S. It will be released in the US and other places except the
Philippines and China as early as October 14. Singapore and Hong Kong
release is October 28th, I think. And yes, it will be available in
black or white color. I can't wait to get one! :)

But to those of you expecting an iPhone 5, don't worry. Chinese phone
markets might already have iPhone 5's in different colors if you want.
Or maybe in different sizes, too. Exclusively released in China, of
course. *just kidding*

Are we ready for another early winter?

The cold northern breeze has started blowing towards Beijing when September came, with temperature running from 16-20ºC. Then it became warmer during the last half of September with a fine weather of about 23-26ºC. But October came and suddenly the temperature dropped to its lowest this autumn at 5ºC tonight. Will it be another early winter in Beijing like last year? Well, I guess I just didn't get the memo.

I should have been informed - just borrowing your line, Christopher Lao. :)

Forever 25... and I'm feeling good!

Happy Birthday!
Hubby created this birthday photo by making me pose like that,
without me knowing what it was for. Thank you, darling!
When I turned 25 few years ago, I decided not to grow older anymore. Therefore, I planned to stayed Forever 25. And so I did! :) Yes, it was my Forever-25th birthday last Thursday, September 29. And to those remembered, thank you guys for all the greetings! Love you all! :)

MIDNIGHT SURPRISE
Since hubby and I have been working together for a 15 years, I know that every birthday should be welcomed with a greeting and a birthday song - as traditionally as it can be. But this year was different because it's only the two of us performing now, so there is no 3rd person he can connive with. Before our last set, I went to the toilet and since I was chatting with my friend Claire on Skype at that time, I was busy typing on my iPad while walking back to the bar. When I went to the stage, hubby played the birthday song which made me chuckle and I was about to react or say something funny to him - because there were only 3 tables left, but I saw a group of girls coming to the stage, one of them was bringing a birthday cake... I was really surprised! Then the lights were dimmed when the cake with a lighted candle was given to me onstage while they were singing an acappella "Happy Birthday"song. It was really special and it made me want to cry. And the moment I blew the candle out, the lights were all lit up again. When I made my short speech, I told the staff that I was really surprised and that they're making me cry. But I thanked them including all our guests who sang the birthday song for me. Of course, I thanked hubby who organized it all. :)


FACEBOOK ATTACK
What I didn't know is that an hour before midnight, Hubby Marl posted my birthday photo on Facebook. The number of comments says it all. It was filled with greetings from friends and acquaintances I haven't heard from in such a long time. It took my a whole freakin' day to reply to them, but yeah, it was great touching base with them again and to know that they remembered that it was my birthday... eventhough, Facebook told them about it in their home page. LOL. But of all the birthday greetings, there was someone special that stood out. It's my former colleague Aretha who wrote the comments (below) that made me cry. I was chatting with my friends Sam&Faye when I got the comments and it really swelled up my eyes... because those words mean a lot to me. Thanks my sis Aretha!



TWITTER MADNESS
On Twitter, I've been having a countdown since September came and would tweet about me turning Forever 25 on my birthday. There were even two favorite tweeps, @dailyhappmeal & @ronniedare, who started greeting me everyday for a week. Well, that's because I told them to hahaha! :) But yeah, they never failed to make me smile every day until my Forever 25th birthday. And so the greetings came pouring even before my birthday. I even tweeted this just for fun:
And also for fun, I asked a favor to my friend @aubzie to help me to convince the handsome Filipino actor/comedian/host Luis Manzano to tweet and greet me on my birthday. He doesn't know me personally but I was sooooo glad that he did greet me without further convincing hahaha! :) I love you, Lucky! Hahaha! Read some of the tweets that highlighted my Twitter birthday wish:

And here are the top 100 replies and greetings from my favorite
followers on Twitter that has the #SARSday hashtag.
Thank you guys! I'll email your iPad2 on high-res pic, ok? :)


MY ANGRY BIRDS PACKAGE :)
I also got some gifts from the princessette in Manila. She's the one who's crazy for Angry Birds so I don't know if the gifts are really for me or for her! Hahaha! Thank you, my baby! Here are the gifts that she showed to me via Skype which I will claim when I get back to Manila... if she's not tempted to open them yet. LOL!

THANK YOU SO MUCH TO EVERYONE WHO MADE 
MY BIRTHDAY EXTRA SPECIAL THIS YEAR!  :)
FEELS GOOD... TO BE FOREVER 25!!!