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Throwback Thursday: Indonesia Part 1

7/25/2013

This second installment of Thursday throwbacks is from my first Familiarization Tour in October of 2009. Also know as a "Media Tour," our small group of writers spent five days, four nights in the world's largest archipelago on Philippine Airlines' and the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Indonesia's tab.

I had only been on the job for about two months when I got the assignment. This was at the absolute infancy of my photography career where all I had was the basic, entry level DSLR, the Nikon D40. Looking at the EXIF data now on some of the over 1,500 shots taken, it's almost sadly hilarious that I was able to deliver anything at all worth printing.

Anyhoo, (awesome segue) here's the text:

Indonesia: The Foreign and Familiar

The saying goes, “A neighbor is a person who can get to your house in less than a minute and takes two hours to get home.” This neighbor is less than five hours away by plane and kept us captivated, satiated, and culturally enriched for an entire week. Indonesia is known the world over as a vacation destination for surfers, spa lovers, and those who seek the familiar comforts of home in a tropical paradise whose backdrop of old temples and relics are unlike anything they’ve ever seen.

Just less than 2,000 miles to the south of Manila, the world’s 4th largest population calls the 17,500 island archipelago their home. Though they drive on the left side of the road, and though ninety percent of the country is Muslim, we share more in common than you may think.

We arrived at Soekarno Hatta International Airport just before midnight that Sunday. After a brief trip through customs and the baggage carousel, we stepped into the cool, humid Jakarta air. It struck me, as I took in my moonlit surroundings, that the airport and its immediate vicinity bore a semblance to the look and feel of the airports back in Manila. Looking into the faces of family members awaiting their loved one’s return, I observed then, too, that we share with this island nation much more than just boundaries.

The representative from Philippine Airlines who organized our small “Familiarization Tour” group on behalf of Garuda Indonesia, soon spotted the local guides from the Ministry of Culture & Tourism of Indonesia. A round of warm smiles and friendly introductions followed as we threw our suitcases into the back of the van and settled in for the half-hour ride to the hotel. One of the guides commented on the landmarks and various buildings as we passed them but my tired eyes did the listening. Nightshift workers making the sullen commute home, street-side vendors lit by the sole fluorescent lamp of their stand, taxis buzzing here and there—all gave the feeling like I was returning, rather than having just left, home.

Hotel Borobudur’s glowing façade loomed overhead as we drove up the cobbled driveway, and my body heaved a sigh of thanks for the rest that was soon to come. (My day had an early start as our family made the mecca, along with the millions of other Filipinos that Sunday, to a theater to watch Manny Pacquiao carve his name into boxing history. The epic win over Miguel Cotto gave “Pacman” an unprecedented seventh world title in as many weight classes.) The hotel, which sits on 23 sprawling acres, features tropical gardens, four restaurants, several conference and board rooms, and is proximal to Jakarta’s business districts and shopping areas. Nearby attractions include the Presidential Palace while its onsite spa provides luxurious treatments to those who prefer to stay indoors.

Not Just Jakarta

A few hours of sleep later, we enjoyed the complimentary continental breakfast buffet then checked out of the hotel and loaded up once again into the tour van. As we started out through the city streets of downtown Jakarta, “Titi,” our tour guide, pointed out that in order to keep congestion at a minimum, a mandatory ordinance that each vehicle have at least three occupants was enforced. Moreover, the number of scooters and motorcycles was overwhelming! Mopeds weaved in and out of car lanes, speeding this way and that in a chaotic yet organized manner.

With the van’s diesel engine humming in the background, we began the two-and-a-half-hour drive to Bandung while Titi acquainted us with interesting facts about Jakarta. For instance, in its population of 12 million people, only ten percent are Chinese although they manage the majority of the city’s businesses. And with such a booming populace, a two-child-per-family directive is stressed. Another fact Titi was quick to point out was that the ninety-something percent of Indonesians were, in fact, Muslim but only in ceremony and often disassociated themselves with Middle Eastern extremists. Given this, we were surprised to find that Christmas is indeed celebrated and treated like a national holiday as well.

Your Cup of Tea

Winding up the narrow mountain road, we ascended into the clouds over 1,000 meters above sea level. At this elevation, the cool and refreshing air makes its rolling hillsides suitable for West Java’s largest tea plantation—34 hectares of lush green tea bushes. Puncak, which means “summit,” is a small resort town known internationally for its tea exports primarily to Eastern Europe and locally as an escape from the heat and crowds. We sipped on cups of freshly brewed tea while admiring the three mountain passes named Gede, Salak, Panjarajo, popular hiking trails for backpackers who visit year round.

Atop Gunung Mas (golden mountain), we stopped for lunch at Rindu Alam Restaurant for some delectable local cuisine. The restaurant’s dining area overlooked the misty vista as the afternoon fog began creeping in, reminiscent of a Baguio visit. The filling meal rejuvinated our bodies for the next leg of our trip.

More Bandung for Your Buck

Before reaching the main shopping district of Bandung, we stopped at Mang Udjo Angklung, the premier music school in Indonesia with its specialty and focus on the angklung. The show put on by the gifted students, the youngest of which was an adorable 4-yr-old girl, displayed Indonesian cultural themes, other local instruments, and a traditional puppet show unique to the Indonesian theater arts known as wayang kulit. The showcase was particularly engaging, not just because of the inspiring talent, but through the interaction where each audience member was given an anklung. Our impromptu choir shook and rattled out familiar tunes—easily one of the highlights of the trip.

We left the village of Padasuka with the setting sun behind us and with bags full of souvenirs. Bandung is a shopping haven that is just coming into its own. Titi had advised us to do the bulk of our shopping here where the wares were of the same quality but much cheaper than those found in popular Bali markets. Jalan Riau is the Fifth Avenue of factory outlets, shops here sell at a discount either from factory overruns or because they stock directly from manufacturers. Either way, expect to find unbelievable deals on branded clothes and accessories, shoes, bags, and, of course, Batik dresses and shirts (the national garb).

Before we knew it, our first day in Indonesia was drawing to a close. With our bags of loot in tow, we clambered back into the van. Although our bags were full, our stomachs weren’t—luckily for us, our next stop was for dinner at The Valley Restaurant. There, we enjoyed succulent seafood, soups, and much more. That night, we stayed at the beautiful Sheraton Bandung hotel to recharge our batteries for the return trip to Jakarta the following morning.

Day “Duwa”

The early morning sun greeted us as we quickly enjoyed the hotel’s breakfast buffet before hitting the road once again. The return trip would take about half the time it took to get to Bandung because we would be taking the direct highway to the city, a testament to the country’s investment in its infrastructure. Textile factories and warehouses dotted the landscape this time as we sped northwest to the capital city. We arrived in time for lunch at Radja Kuring Restaurant in a renovated old-town building.

The greying sky above reminded us that October through February are the rainy season months in Indonesia. By the time we reached Kota Tua Jakarta (Old Town Jakarta), we began to see the first drops transform the bustling cityscape into a calmer, sleepy one. The country’s oldest city square, Oud Batavia is home to several important historical sites including the Church of Batavia, now the Wayang Museum; the Court of Justice, now the Fine Arts and Ceramics Museum; and Glodok and Pinangsia Area, known better as Chinatown. Had the weather been more agreeable, we could have toured the Dutch named and influenced town on bicycles available for rent at about USD2.00 or PHP94.00 per hour.

The weather further dampened our plans when the slower-moving traffic caused us to just miss the closing time for the elevator to the top of the National Monument. We drove by The Port of Sunda Kelapa on the way to Tugu Monas, the 450 ft tall tower symbolizing Indonesia’s fight for independence. The base houses 48 dioramas depicting scenes from the discovery of Indonesia, its war against Dutch colonialists, all the way through the New Order (Indonesia as we know it). Its gold foil covered flame has illuminated the night sky since July 1975.

The time we had left over before our next engagement gave us more time to shop at a nearby mall. As I stood in line at a nearby Starbucks with my hundreds of thousands of Rupiah in hand, I overheard an exchange of words from nearby seated patrons that, above the Bahasan conversations, I could cipher. Tagalog. I smiled to myself, knowing that in this melting pot of Indian, Arabic, Chinese, Malay, and European foreign ethnic groups, there is something familiar for everyone in Indonesia.

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Subie Love

7/24/2013

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I don't think we're necessarily "car guys" (though we have watched every episode of the past 14 seasons of Top Gear).

We're Subaru lovers.

Our very first family car was an '87 Subaru Legacy GL station wagon. My dad swore by its all-wheel drive, having just recovered from the blizzard of '95. Eventually he got a second identical one as a parts car to maintain the former. This was when my brother and I first learned basic car upkeep like changing oil, rotating the tires, and simple troubleshooting. At one point, we even attempted an engine swap.

Ever since, my brother and I have owned nothing but Subarus. His first was a '95 Subaru Impreza hatchback. With dings and a few minor rust spots, it's certainly seen better days but is still chugging along at over 260k miles. I, on the other hand, have gone through three Legacys, the first two of which were prematurely decommissioned due to human error (read: youthful inexperience) rather than mechanical failure.

We got together recently with our latest acquisitions—his '09 STi and my '05 Legacy GT—for ...well, for no reason at all.

Oh, except of course, for love. And there's no better reason than that.

One of Subaru's actual ad campaigns

First Legacy, first accident senior year of high school

A couple film shots of my third Legacy which I had pretty much all through college

The day my brother got his STi with the Impreza

Onto our mini shoot in this quaint area up here in Baltimore called Quarry Lake. And where I've never parked more obnoxiously in my life.

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Throwback Thursday: Piolo Pascual

7/18/2013

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Chatting with Piolo after wrapping his shoot in April 2010

Fine. I'll jump on the bandwagon.

Before I shot covers, I wrote cover stories. This first #tbt was also my first feature with whom some of you may recognize as Piolo Pascual. Here's the full article (tearsheets can be found here):

In the Key of P

Plainly put, people pine for Piolo Pascual. "Papa P" performs before packed pavilions, plays personas in each pelikula like a pro and proves palpitations are not a phenomenon predisposed to pretty girls. Perplexingly, this prolific protagonist periodically ponders pursuing piloting. Perhaps because, like his professional path, he, too, plans on pioneering to a higher plane.

He needs no preamble, he’s Piolo Pascual.

In the weeks and days leading up to the much-anticipated shoot, everyone was singing the popular chorus, “Kamukha mo si P, Papa P, Papa P, (Ding Dong).“ And not in the annoyed, stuck-in-your-head kind of way.

The giddiness is not entirely unlike the way throngs of fans receive Piolo. A household name to say the least, his is the face that all identify to be the success story for Filipinos across the globe. You’ll be hard-pressed to find even a half-blooded Fil-Am watching TFC over a TV-dinner who doesn’t know who Piolo is.

Turning 33 this January, he’s sang, danced, and acted his way through as many films and television series. He’s topped local billboard charts, and gone topless on EDSA billboards. His work in front of and behind the camera has been critically acclaimed (most recently, Kimmy Dora). He’s graced innumerable magazine covers, and gained the love of countless fans through his humble character and down to earth candor. He’s received awards and gained accomplishments, too many to mention, and doesn’t show any signs of letting up. But I’m sure you already knew that.

What few people do know, myself included, is that Piolo is a quarter-German. At least that’s what it says on Wikipedia. But you can’t believe everything you read. Piolo was busy with another project in Subic when he first heard about the rumors of a circulating text claiming he had passed in a freak accident. So much for a 160 character eulogoy.

But that’s Piolo—controversy, gossip, come what may—he takes it in stride.

Today, though, we’d be driving.

The morning proved unproductive as our team milled about our office in Makati, killing time before heading on our way. Our group would meet Piolo at a designated rest-stop along SLEX. We received a text from his manager saying they were running a bit late and that Piolo, himself, would be driving. Why, of course we’ll wait.

Then, before you could say, “The HUNKS and Heartthrobs,” a biege Hummer H3 pulled up to the parking lot (cue the swooning girls). With the noon sun glinting off the unmistakable grille unique to the overtly-macho SUV lineup, Piolo gave a friendly wave over the steering wheel as we climbed back into our Pajero with an urgency like you’ve never seen. Suddenly, the minor hiccup was much easier to swallow.

At the Sta. Rosa toll plaza, I looked up at the rearview mirror, in time to see Piolo, lower lip bit, beating his air drums to a percussive solo that seemed to be getting him in a groove. Probably a John Legend song. “I love to listen to Sting and recently I’ve been listening to Evolver [Legend’s latest album],” he told me later. “I love old music, too, old songs. Like Louis Armstrong, Nat King Cole are usually on my playlist. I listen to some oldies.”

“I just released my 6th album under Star Records,” he continues, “I’ve co-produced my last two albums with them. And I’m working on the second volume of the same concept, Decades, and I’m touring it at the same time." He had just came from a two week tour with The Heartthrobs. "And before that, I had two shows in the States to promote that album. And almost every week, I do mall shows for the promo of the album. So basically I’ve just been a singer these last few months since my soap wrapped-up last year. I’ve just been concentrating on my music.”

We pulled into NUVALI, the “evo-living” epicenter of AyalaLand’s foray into large-scale community development with sustainable living and a realization of global responsibility as its core framework. Our planned shoot had been kept under wraps, and setting up in our designated space went off without a hitch. But as word, like it does so well especially here in the Philippines, spread like wildfire, a sizeable gathering had bunched itself by the doorway to the room within minutes of our arrival.

Where other stars would throw a diva tantrum, Piolo’s reception was much more calm and endearing knowing he owes his success to his adoring fans. “I’m more than surprised, I’m humbled by all the things that have been happening in my life. I never thought I’d get this far. I’m just really, really, really blessed and I’m thankful and grateful because all the things that are happening now for me are just a bonus from the Lord.”

“I read my Bible,” he says of his morning rituals, “I read a chapter in the morning and three at night. I pray, hit the shower, and start my day.” To be honest, pious was the last adjective I would’ve tacked on to his list of traits. Humorous, professional, principled—yes—but religious? “Well, I was born and raised Catholic. I grew up in a very Catholic background, I went to a Catholic school. But I became a born again Christian at 25. That’s when I really gave my life to the Lord, completely. It’s been eight years, almost nine, that I’ve been a Christian and it’s the best decision I’ve made.”

A complete 180?

“Definitely life-changing.”

His tone is softer now, “And as to where I can go, as to how far I can go, what else I can do, I just let the Lord lead me. I’ve gotten much further than I thought I could. [I can] be somebody that can be a good influence, that can inspire people. And being the shy person that I am, the platform, that I have is something that I want to use for the right reasons. I’m just happy where I am right now, and I just want to do all the right things that will inspire people to not lead them astray. You have the best platform, you’re better than politicians, you’re able do the things that you think will help these people.”

Shy, hm? “Well speaking of politics,” I ask, “are you involved in any campaigns or do you have a presidential candidate in mind?”

“No, I choose to be apolitical, ‘cause none of my relatives are running. We’re not a political family. I just can’t see the point in campaigning for somebody ‘cause I still have yet to find someone who’ll give us hope, for our country. And the only thing I can do is pray. Pray for whoever’s going to win, pray for a fair election, just intercede for these people. You want them to make the right choice, you want the candidates to be fair as well.”

While Piolo may not intend to run for office, he’s been training for a marathon. “We got into running,” he says of himself and couple of his buddies. “Right now, I’m training for a triathlon. I just came from ULTRA this morning, training for a duathlon this Sunday. A bike-run. And eventually, I hope to do a triathlon. ‘Cause there are a lot of runs every week, and triathlons and duathlons, there’s a big revival happening. And every week there’s an event, and I’ve just been busy with that. If I’m not working, I’m training for it.”

So just what would he be if he wasn’t the superstar actor that he is?

“I’ve always wanted to be a pilot, I wanted to fly planes, still do. And if not, I wouldn’t mind being a newscaster, I’d want to be an anchor. I guess I’d still try to be an actor, I’ve always wanted to be an actor. And if not here, maybe elsewhere. But it’s something I’ve always wanted to be, and if I didn’t succeed, then I’m sure there’s a purpose.”

You get the feeling that Piolo has a work ethic that transcends the superficial. And it shows. In Adonic form, Piolo made our photographer’s job an easy one. His chiseled features and tip-top physique are a testament to the hardwork and perseverance that comes before all the fame and success people assume are just handed to the lucky few. He understands the role of God, of family, of a moral standard, of untiring dedication in this life and the next.

Before going our separate ways, he posed with us as a group and individually with a warmth and patience that’s become more and more rare as younger stars enter the industry and get caught up in its glitz and glamor. Even while returning the “I love you, Papa P!” screams from schoolgirls through middle-aged titas touring around the lake in Solenad’s water taxis, he waved and smiled with a genuineness that isn’t contrived or because his publicist tells him to.

“You want to be a role model to set a good example. Especially with ABS-CBN, Star Magic, we’re a big family and [they] treat you as their kuya. They look up to you, so it’s not about leaving a legacy but it’s just showing them the right way. That you don’t have to be ‘bad’ to be successful.”

Now that’s a tune we can all hum to.

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Travis & Hilda: Maryland engagement session

7/17/2013

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Having lived in a busy city for the better part of three years, going out into the country—past the skyscrapers, strip malls, and convenience stores and into poor reception range, rolling hills, and fields of grazing cows—is almost like stepping back into a different time.

Okay, it wasn't that far out, but we did pass a gravel road. And a horse-drawn buggy.

But Travis's sister-in-law's ranch, also the setting for the upcoming August wedding, was certainly worth the trip. Fresh, unpolluted air, greenery as far as the eye could see, and horses—horses, for crying out loud!

After the ATV tour through the property's lush 57 acres, we set out to take photos that would do justice to the place—as well as the two people who couldn't be more in love.