Just Smile

One of the rewards of being a photographer is being able to capture different types of 'smiles' from people who may be your friends, relatives and even strangers...then later, just by looking at their photos they make you keep on smiling, too....This album was from my recent trips to Philippines...hope this will put a smile on your face...

a smile of contentment and inner peace

time passes by quickly and joyfully with her favourite pastime

 such a joyful and ticklish smile

 'cuddle with mommy' smile

young and pretty, 'being with close friends' smiles 

camera shy

'i like my photo taken' smile

best friends, sweet smiles

'let's pose for the camera' smiles

 this is her usual smile for the camera

 and when i told her not to smile

enjoying the warm weather, loving each other's company

 just bought some flowers, 'being with cousins' smiles

jolly(bee) smile - after a meal of chicken and palabok at jolibee restaurant

after a feed

 trying my new camera lens, trying to smile just for me

'loving the music' smile

 'a job well done' smile - the tomb maker

thoughts of his girl make him smile

 ' being with her baby' smile

happy at work, always smile...

just a plain, sweet smile

just cannot smile

trying to...

'walking in the rain with a big wide umbrella' smile

'just being with her kids' smile

'mother and daughter' smile

'having just sold' smile

my dad had eyes that always seem to smile, this was taken just over a month before he passed away in June.

"Smile"
Smile, though your heart is aching
Smile, even though it's breaking
When there are clouds in the sky
You'll get by...

If you smile

With your fear and sorrow

Smile and maybe tomorrow

You'll find that life is still worthwhile 

If you just...

Light up your face with gladness

Hide every trace of sadness

Although a tear may be ever so near

That's the time you must keep on trying

Smile, what's the use of crying

You'll find that life is still worthwhile

If you just...

Smile, though your heart is aching

Smile, even though it's breaking

When there are clouds in the sky

You'll get by...

If you smile

Through your fear and sorrow

Smile and maybe tomorrow

You'll find that life is still worthwhile

If you just smile...

That's the time you must keep on trying

Smile, what's the use of crying

You'll find that life is still worthwhile

If you just smile 

My eldest daughter, Valerie, turns 22

and sophie's her name...

Snippets of my trip to Manila Part 2- Sunset at Roxas Blvd

My last day in Manila was spent at the cemetery which was a two-hour drive from where we stayed in Las Pinas....then we had a meal of chicken barbecue and fried noodles at Aristocrat Restaurant hosted by my eldest sister who chose the place so I could have the chance to watch the sunset before my flight back to Melbourne. I have always been chasing either sunrise or sunset at Manila Bay during my stay but due to continuous downpour almost everyday my chance just became much slimmer, in fact it was again raining heavily in the afternoon on that last day, but for some mysterious reasons, the rain stopped as soon as we were about to leave for the airport to catch the nine o'clock flight in the evening...so here I was walking along roxas boulevard taking some final shots...while my sisters worried not being able to check-in on time...but then we were already quite near to the airport so everything went alright.

a favourite rendezvous?

 a typical afternoon scene at roxas boulevard's manila bay

a dried squid vendor

 ready to barbecue

tricycle vendors selling snacks 

 roxas boulevard

a little boy cleaning the horse in his 'karetela' (horse carriage)

 car toys vendor

malate church behind aristocrat restaurant, and a jeepney passing by

a sculpture at malate church

Snippets of my trip to Manila Part 2- breathtaking Tagaytay

This is probably my first visit to Tagaytay, 55 kms south of Manila,  a two-hour drive depending on the traffic in Manila. I went there with my two sisters, a cousin and my sister's friend who was kind enough to drive us down in his car, after a sumptous lunch in Sta. Rosa, Laguna hosted by another lovely cousin.

At picnic grove, you can get a breathtaking view of Taal Lake and Volcano 

the place has a zip line and cable car for the adventurous

a boy with a wild cat for sale, just P2000 (pesos) or AUD45.

you can see that this couple was about to break-up in Tagaytay, i overheard them arguing while taking photos of the volcano

a tourist shop

overlooking the hanging bridge

my cousin walking nervously on the hanging bridge

a nice hat to try on

Eulogy for my beloved father

Taking a second trip back to Manila within seven weeks was not an easy one for me, my beloved father left this world six hours just before I landed in Manila on June 18, 2011, he was 85.

Writing a eulogy for him was not a very easy one either, but only love can make me do what I had to do.
In my own heartfelt language, this is what I said -

...How do you say goodbye to someone you deeply love?

On the day my eldest sister called from Manila to inform my family of my father's hospitalisation, just seven weeks ago, I was suddenly struck by the thought which I have always feared the most - an impending separation. It was quite unusual for me to feel this way as Papa had always recovered well from all of his sicknesses before, most of them minor ones, sicknesses which almost rarely happened in his younger days, from as far as I can remember. For, to me and my siblings, our parents were embodiments of health and physical strength, both of them lived healthy lifestyles, which in effect, gave me and my siblings more time to share many happy and sad moments... and together with Mama, he  tried to give us a normal family life.

Soon after that call, the decision to take the journey back home to see Papa was not an option, neither for the rest of my siblings here and abroad. And with our dear mother's support, we have concluded to do just one thing - to serve him unreservedly well and make him happy if we can, with all of his remaining children around him...

Looking after his comfort, and being with him every single night and day during his time in the hospital was probably the happiest moment in our lives as his children, for in the process we discovered what love is, in its purest form. Consequently, the experience taught us a very important lesson - that love for one's parents brings out the best in the human soul...the virtues of self-sacrifice, generosity, obedience, humility, patience, understanding and kindness, to name a few, have suddenly become natural to you. While at the same time, you come to realise that in both words and action, those virtues have actually been embedded in you by your parents who loved you...and now is the chance to give back what they have given you. Children then must be invariably grateful to their parents for this gift of giving which in reality is a most precious gift.

Dear God, thank you for giving us Papa...
Mama, thank you for marrying Papa...
Papa, thank you for the life that you lived, for being a loving husband to our mother and most of all, for being the selfless father that you are...
I will always miss your smiles, your eyes that speak of love and understanding that always tell me 'everything's gonna be alright', I will also miss your sense of humour...
You were an angel sent to us and now you're back to where you belong, in heaven.
Our separation is just in body but in spirit you are always with us.
We love you deeply, both in this world and the next.
My beloved Papa, goodbye...for now.