Thursday, May 2, 2013
Christmas Taxi Ride
These are some shots I did through the window of a taxi in Manila one evening. Traffic was at a virtual standstill, and I was happy for it, as I had always found this particular avenue to be fascinating. It is even more so at night than during the day. These are both in the book Musings from Manila!
Monday, September 24, 2012
The Book Musings from Manila: A Philippine Photo Odyssey is Now Available!
The book Musings from Manila: a Philippine Photo Odyssey is now available! Just click here to preview and buy the book!
The book contains over 200 pages of both richly-colored and black and white images shot by me in my two-and-a-half years in the Philippines from 2007 - 2009. It will take the viewer from modern Manila to colonial Vigan, the beaches of Boracay and Palawan to the concrete jungle of Makati. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did in capturing it all!
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
News Update!
I know I hardly ever update Musings anymore (sorry!), but I do have some news to share: I am in the midst of sorting through the over 75 thousand pictures I shot during my time in the Philippines and will be assembling those and some musings into a book - or books. I hope to have this done sometime near the beginning of 2012. I will keep you all posted here and on my other blog: Jay Plogman Photography.
Until then, peace & love!
Friday, December 31, 2010
Comfort Food!
Comfort foods have been important to me due to my having lived abroad a few times; two one-year stints in Japan and my two and a half years in the Philippines. A comfort food in these instances is a food unique to my home in the US - Cincinnati, Ohio. Here there are certain food items and dishes as well as bakeries, restaurants, and ice cream shops that are uniquely Cincinnati. After being apart from them and the place for a period of time a kind of psycho-gastronomic homesickness develops. When it does, nothing can bring mind and body back together like these comfort foods.
Foods I missed while in Japan and Manila included Graeter's Ice Cream, Steak 'n Shake steakburgers,
Cincinnati chili, Montgomery Inn ribs, and La Rosa's pizza. White Castle hamburgers
should be included in this list, even though they are not unique to Cincinnati, but can be hard to find even within the US, as the chain does not have restaurants in all states.
What does this have to do with the Philippines, you ask?
I knew you would.
It is SO like my readers; wanting to know where I'm going with my musings!
Well, it just so happens Edson and I were at the supermarket the other day when I spied something I had not seen in our many times there before. I don't know if this is a new product, new to the Kroger supermarket chain, or just new to Cincinnati, but we are excited to finally see it on the shelves:
Sunsweet Dried Philippine Mangoes - so delicious, and until now, Philippine dried mangoes had been such a pain to get. The nearest Asian market is extremely inconvenient for us; and that or a trip to the even more remote Jungle Jim's grocery and its extensive ethnic foods section were our only options until now.
Like US and Cincinnati foods are comfort foods for me when overseas, things like mangoes are comfort food to me here. Too bad we can't get fresh Philippine mangoes here - they're so much better than Mexican mangoes - much sweeter! It's a shame we can't get any fresh mangoes past customs and to us here! :( Until then it is good to know we can snack on these - and find them any time we shop!
Foods I missed while in Japan and Manila included Graeter's Ice Cream, Steak 'n Shake steakburgers,
Cincinnati chili, Montgomery Inn ribs, and La Rosa's pizza. White Castle hamburgers
should be included in this list, even though they are not unique to Cincinnati, but can be hard to find even within the US, as the chain does not have restaurants in all states.What does this have to do with the Philippines, you ask?
I knew you would.
It is SO like my readers; wanting to know where I'm going with my musings!
Well, it just so happens Edson and I were at the supermarket the other day when I spied something I had not seen in our many times there before. I don't know if this is a new product, new to the Kroger supermarket chain, or just new to Cincinnati, but we are excited to finally see it on the shelves:
Sunsweet Dried Philippine Mangoes - so delicious, and until now, Philippine dried mangoes had been such a pain to get. The nearest Asian market is extremely inconvenient for us; and that or a trip to the even more remote Jungle Jim's grocery and its extensive ethnic foods section were our only options until now.Like US and Cincinnati foods are comfort foods for me when overseas, things like mangoes are comfort food to me here. Too bad we can't get fresh Philippine mangoes here - they're so much better than Mexican mangoes - much sweeter! It's a shame we can't get any fresh mangoes past customs and to us here! :( Until then it is good to know we can snack on these - and find them any time we shop!
Saturday, July 31, 2010
OK, Yeah.....It's Been Like Forever....
...and I haven't posted anything.
Well, it's only been recently I realized how much my mind was stuck in Manila as far as how I am adapting to life back in Cincinnati. I still often find myself trying to figure out the people here.
Back in October I met a woman who had moved here in 2008 and was still looking for work, and still trying to figure out the people in Cincinnati. A few weeks ago I realized I too had been here a long time, was still looking for work, and still trying to figure out Cincinnatians! I don't know if unsuccessful job searches and seeing the inhabitants of a place from the point of an outsider have anything in common, but there it is.
It took me a while - a long while - to understand many things about the Filipinos in Manila, then I left. I just hope I find a job before I figure out Cincinnatians; they're not as easy to figure out as Manilans.
Well, it's only been recently I realized how much my mind was stuck in Manila as far as how I am adapting to life back in Cincinnati. I still often find myself trying to figure out the people here.
Back in October I met a woman who had moved here in 2008 and was still looking for work, and still trying to figure out the people in Cincinnati. A few weeks ago I realized I too had been here a long time, was still looking for work, and still trying to figure out Cincinnatians! I don't know if unsuccessful job searches and seeing the inhabitants of a place from the point of an outsider have anything in common, but there it is.
It took me a while - a long while - to understand many things about the Filipinos in Manila, then I left. I just hope I find a job before I figure out Cincinnatians; they're not as easy to figure out as Manilans.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Not Amongst Them
Update:
Edson found published a list of the names of the dead Filipino seamen from the tragic fire aboard a ship off the coast of Venezuela in late December. It was great relief to know our dear friend Norman was not among them.
Edson found published a list of the names of the dead Filipino seamen from the tragic fire aboard a ship off the coast of Venezuela in late December. It was great relief to know our dear friend Norman was not among them.
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Thanks for a Great 2009!
To: Ajjie, Aaron, Aris, Ben, Benjie, Bill, Billy, Booboy, Brian, Bryant, Caridad, Conan, Dania, Daniel, Darcy, David, Dee, Dennis, Dexter, Diwa, Doi, Donald, Don, Ed, Emil, Edson (and all the Cabalfin clan!), Erwin, Erwyn, Fil, Franco, Glenn, Greg, Iñaki, JaBari, John, Jappoy, Jason, Jong, Jeremy, Joel, Joey, John, Johnny, Josh, John, Kelly, Ken, Kit, Leah, Luis, the Malvars, Maki, Mark, Maricel, Miles, Mom, Marje, Nick, Norman (we pray you're safe!), Ombet, Reinan, Rex, Rhandy, Rick, Robert, Sean, Tim, Tony, Vinscent, Williard, Yucel and all the other people on both sides of the Pacific who helped to make 2009 a great year.
THANKS!
THANKS!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
