when the south meets the north

It’s more than a week since I came home from Baguio, and I am still high from the things I have done. I stayed about 4 days and 3 nights which was my usual, for a vacation that was supposed to be no work, no play, ended up me being sick even more, losing my voice, and doing a shoot in the process. In what was supposedly to be my time for healing, which I came off from a slight fever, I ended up pushing my body to its breaking point and I am not complaining - I had fun.

Jermaine Dermot, The Asylum: City of Pines Tour 

I never intended to do a photo shoot in Baguio, period. I never intended that I will be hosting a small photo shoot that lasted for two days, period. My vacation was really meant just enjoying the scenery, the food, the travel but ended up to directing an experience that would be memorable as a photographer and my times of travel. How this all began, was simply my mere curiosity with the Baguio Cosplay Community – bumping to them on a vacation last March, made me wonder how it was nice to meet them and know them. I did my research, try to know how many the
y were, and I was not really much successful. Now, I had the opportunity I posted a small ad, after my birthday, in a group that I join in Facebook, which was to look for a bunch of cosplayers who may be interested in joining me to do a small shoot in an abandoned cabin in Baguio, this ad which led me to joining a bigger group that I have sought and been longing for.  It was suggested to me to try posting the ad to the community, so I did, and whoa, overwhelming responses.  In the span of few days, I got what more I have bargained for, for a day intended pushed me for two days by public demand.

I had to cut my vacation time, really to just one day, which I ended up sulking in bed for not feeling well, but it was all worth it. The day thereafter was crunch time, It was my third or fourth time to direct a shoot, to teach people how to pose and what sort of things I want to happen – delivered through – and this Baguio Cosplay Community was more than what I expected.

It’s really weird on how we take things for granted and how much we take advantage of every opportunity – but meeting the community made me open my eyes to what could be the biggest potential that the Cosplay community of Manila should be aware about. One of which is that these community never had big events – they don’t have backings of big Otaku Events, or organizers to create something that these people should rave. They have two events per year versus Manila having a calendar filled with fun activities. The events are just simply joining the flower parade every February and some lucky event in the nearby mall. Some of the people would travel 4 to 6 hours just to attend an event and not stay long – and that’s just sad.

Another is the community is huge for I had 100+ people invited to my FB Event Invite, I lost count to how many responded to my ad, and I was told there are more. With this massive community, there should be something or out there would take interest in hosting an activity – more so take opportunity that Baguio is one of the places of the next big thing. They have awesome scenery, places to do shoot, from the lakes of Burnham Park, to the city vibe of Session Road, to the vast Bell Tower and it is one whole city of a Fantasy Quest.  There are so many things I want to rave about my time for the community, and so much so as to rant about something but I may discuss it some other time, as how I will piece that ranting. Overall, I had really so much fun meeting people – and the hospitality I got, was a blessing to my vacation, more so I miss them already. Baguio was deemed like another home to me, and this reassures me going back every time. The smiling faces, the laughs, the fist bumps, and the hugs, is something that always replay in my mind. I got more than what I bargained for, what something never intended, for I thought it was just those vacations, shoot and go – lead to a learning experience. I learned, curiosity is a good thing – to try something new is good, because you never what it will lead you, it may lead you to something fun. 

three conventions and a delayed photoshoot

It has been pretty a long time since I wrote something in my blog, and I still feel the falling out from a colleague who helped me get to where I am at. A lot has happened over the course of the month itself, tragic or joy – thankful that I got through. May, was a busy month, where I was able to attend three cosplay conventions from Saturday to Sunday to the end of the month, and tried to pull off a photo shoot in the same but got delayed due to unforeseen things.

 I never realized how much the month of may drained me, that to this very day I still felt never so tired – never again will I do something like this but down the line I had fun.

April, O-Kun Fiesto

Nica, Nexcon

Shion Goddess, Animax

On the 16^th of May I attended the O-Kun Fiesta which was held in the SMX of SM Mall of Asia, sad to say the event pretty much disappointed me, in which I felt the event proper felt flat – I got bored right away where I took a few shots and left home early. Maybe it was the crowd that got to me or maybe it was the lack of sleep, which I think I had only 3 hours of – I came in to see two of my daughters, April and Yuriko, and did a small shoot with some friends that I knew who were present in the area. I was pretty much convinced that I will not go the event the day after which was Nex Con, but sure enough with a few tugs from Vincent aka No-face and Nica, I surprised myself by boarding the cab heading out to the function rooms of SM Aura. With all the cosplay events I have attended, I have never gone to something that felt organized and clean with Nex Con. Though the cosplayers wore western influenced characters such as the likes of TV series the Game of Thrones to Lord of the Rings to DC Comics characters – it was fun. More so that Vincent and I helped opened the 2^nd day to the event with  a game called Face Palm the Music, in which we had to guess the theme or song by face palming a human buzzer. I lost by one, because we had to spin around before buzzing… I lost to “Mortal Kombat”.  And my friends, this is how I humiliated myself with loads of people, but I can't stop smiling from then on.  I had a number of shots, from shooting a gang load of Daenarys attacking a Tyrell, to seeing the New 52 Joker harassing a Batman mannequin, to bumping in person the famous Jin and Tadashi cosplayers, and scream my lungs out on a Lip Synch battle in support of people who I just met. I went home late with a smile as oppose to O-kun.

The very next week I had to go to BGC for a photo shoot I organized with inked friends, unfortunately I had to postpone due to having one of my models not feeling so well that day. I was pretty much tired, I didn’t want to go to any other events until my officemate the cosplayer, Shion Goddess pushed me to attending Animax which was on the 31^st of May. To be honest, I never wanted to go and support Alodia events because I felt cheated on overpriced tickets and felt it was not worth m time – but it was Shion Goddess’ return, I had to pay my respects and help get her career going – thinking nothing could top the experience and fun I had with Nex Con, the event of Animax was rather almost as par, same chaos though, but meeting colleagues like my idol Sir Christian Mack, seeing my old model Ysa, meeting up with Cjaze and others I had a decent amount of fun. From the cheesy lanyard I got from the ticket to laughing my ass off seeing Shion Goddess try to grab a soda, and ended up almost half an hour or so because the fanatics just can’t stop admiring and take a shoot of her, to having mysef just chilling and having a good time without stressing myself too much.

Maybe I should keep on having this mentality of not stressing myself too much on the next cosplay events – and just really feel and rock the vibe of people and meet new friends. I am ever grateful to all of the time I have had – it helped me overcome the depression I had along the way, especially dealing with my Mom’s cancer and work performance blues… I hope the momentum keeps on going.