I had a great weekend and a good monday. First of all, my workshop went ahead as scheduled, thank God. I was thinking twice about pushing through with it because I was getting very few confirmations a few days earlier. It seems that January is not a great time for things like this in Sydney. People are on vacation, and recovering from Christmas expenses, and anticipating school which they will have to spend on by the end of the month when school resumes. Just the same, I got 7 intrepid souls to sign up. I held it at my house, and I am happy and proud to say it went very well. I have done TCU many times, and each workshop has its own dynamic and unfolding which is quite unique. For this one, it was more intimate. The sharing was wonderful and I felt I learned quite a lot from the participants. I can’t wait to do my next one.
I ended Sunday having a great sense of fulfillment and happy that the students felt that they had learned something important and possibly life-changing. Most significantly, I felt a cosmic duty fulfilled as I kept an appointment with people who were ready for something like the TCU workshops and paradigm to enter their lives,
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Last night (monday) I had my first pictorial in my Sydney residence. I put up my lights and background paper in my garage studio. My model was Lena Cruz, a Filipina actress who is part of the Sydney production of the stage musical Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. It was a great session. It’s always nice to shoot performers who are comfortable being themselves. Bhajune, THE filipino haidresser here did the hair and make-up and Lena looked fabulous. I shot this for a future cover of Filipina magazine, a new and exciting publication here.
By the time the session ended, I had the smile of a man deprived of a joy for sometime but finally getting it again last night. Sarap mag-photography.
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I am happy at the number of people who respond to my articles in Philippine Star (which I reprint here) and take the time to write me through this blog and through my email. I seem to elicit different reactions from many people and from all over–Philippines, US, Australia, Scotland, England, the Middle East, etc. Nakakatuwa! Writing , especially on the net is great since I reach out to the world and get responses. Never in the history of man was this possible–this ability to dialogue with as many people as possible. My humble site gets a few hundred hits a day. I can imagine what major websites contend with. I try to answer every single letter. If I do not, it doesn’t mean I did not appreciate its contents. It just means that I do not have the time or I am speechless. Seriously!
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My days in Sydney especially the past month have caught me either very busy or doing nothing. Well, not exactly doing nothing since there are always errands to do here. There are chores–cleaning the house, cooking, washing, mopping, picking up, etc. Those things are daily events of life for Pinoys outside the Philippines. By busy, I mean having wall to wall schedules of guitar and voice lessons, and having a full day of activities that concern other people and thus cannot be canceled just like that. Actually, I love it, and come to think of it, there are actually fewer and fewer things I do that I do not enjoy. I don’t think it’s because of the things I do per se. I think it’s just that I choose to do them and have a great time about it.
Life is short. Your house can burn down. It justhappened to Chinchin, my neighbor. You can get sick. YOu can lose a loved one. I say be happy NOW wherever and however!
lucky YOU! happy as well to know you’re happy. can’t wait to see your recent photos in your multiply site.
has your new book come out already?
cheers.
The book is being processed. Am just waiting for the cover to be done and then it will be available. Will let you and all readers know. It can be purchased via internet lang until I get a publisher anywhere to make a hard copy of it.
I can’t post the pics yet also until after the magazine has come out.
Salamat.
So true, life is short. And time sure flies! School sessions will start soon, can you believe it’s almost the end of January? My goodness. Be happy and be busy? I’ll drink to that!
Who doesn’t like photography? Not me!!! A part of me says that one day I’ll be a professional photographer.
When will your new book be out?
BTW, do you have links from the internet how APO started? It’s my project in music, and when I picked the names of Filipino artists out of a box our teacher had got APO.
I’m deeply touched by your preceding blog (21 Jan). Can’t help but post a comment there for the first time.
Just arrived from a holiday in the Philippines. It’s sad to note that things are basically the same over there. Just like you, I’m a very optimistic person, so I still hope for the best.
Do you have any scheduled activity in Sydney between March 2-5?
Thanks and God bless you.
REX of NZ
I’ll be waiting for your book.
Life is indeed short. In my profession, I see sickness, death and dying everyday and I always vow to myself to make the most of ever single time I have especially with friends and family. I wish I can attend to one of your seminars too, but I am all the way here in US. Meron naman kayong blog that I can visit. By the way, I saw Chin-chin being interviewed last week about the fire then her mother passing away I think the first week of January from complications of her diabetes..so sad but she is such a strong person who loves her mother so much and has a great faith to overcome this..she’s a good actress too.
I like your new look, too. Have a good day and keep on writing!
Emily
tricia–visit apohikingsociety.org. go to history and you will find everything there.
REX–nothing scheduled yet for thjose dtaes. Glad your NZ adventure is turning out to be a correct decision. Glad you dared and won. New Zealand is the mmost beautiful place I have even been to.
Emily– I rreally wish you could attend my seminar too. Who knows what life may bring? One of these days, the opportunity may be right on your doorstep.
pen– don’t work too hard in the lab. Stop and smell the flowers sometime.
hi jim, i’ve been a lurker since late last year. i really enjoy your posts. i actually mentioned your blog to some relatives here in vancouver and there in sydney. i can actually relate to your and your family’s experience about moving into another country as we also have done it 3 yrs ago.
btw, is vancouver included in your apo tour of north america?
also, i just found out that your place in sydney is just a couple of minutes away from my cousins’ place. they live in rooty hill.
hope said…
atlast ur here. i can still remember i watched a free concert of the apo at ATC alabang.it was a christmas mini concert.and i got the chance to have a chat with u! u told me ur plans of migrating here. eversince i was in high school i am a big fan of urs.by the time i started reading ur BETWEEN BLINKS i found out how a deep person u are. and everytime i feel very down i jst kept reading and reading ur blog. thanks for being such an inspiration.cant wait to read ur new book.
zol–rooty hill is not exactly a stone’s throw away but near. No vancouver this year. Sayang nga eh.
anonymous–I am glad and honored that somehow my writing comforts you. Cheers, my friend.