End Of A Roll

The year 2017 has been quite a wild ride. Among my roller coaster years, this has been one of the most surreal for me, regardless of reasons for good and bad. I take the time to be grateful of the good things that have happened to me this year. Despite all the bad times, I still have lots to be grateful for.

This is Minnie. Some see a camera. I see provenance.

I take this time to mention the adventure, the blessings and the amazing people I had the privilege of meeting going through life this year, especially in relation to my shutterbug habits.

I'm Still Here. Lost, But Not Gone.

As you may have noticed, there's a bit of a hiatus in my monthly posts. I suppose you can say safely assume I've been inactive in my blog. So far, apart from the stuff related to my day job, I've been busy:

• Not too long ago, acquired a Lomography 135BC. I would love to write a review about it.
• Been meeting people. So far I have a few people pending. I'd certainly want to introduce the strangers I meet to everyone.
• I've also been a bit more active in Tumblr, unlike before some time ago. I haven't met anyone in real life from there yet, but I actually like the community of the people there. 
• There's also the gym. Actually sooo hard for someone like me to lose weight.

I've also been meaning to update this blog as the look has been outdated for sometime already. Today is just a quick touch. I'll come up with something more modern next time.

In the meantime, while I'm not updating stuff here yet, here's our dog Momoy to keep you company.

#puppydogeyes #momoy has visited your feed. Like and share or reblog to have a lucky December this year. LOL ok not really but I like to think those lovely #eyes can brighten someone’s day. Thanks to @kaye.deq for the picture. . . . . #rnifilms #rnifilmsphilippines #lostwanderingdrifter #dog #dogs #dogsofinstagram #fur #furry #canine #cute #adorable #shihtzu #photography #pets #petsofinstagram #colorphotography #iphonephotography

A post shared by The Lost Wandering Drifter (@lostwanderingdrifter) on Dec 1, 2017 at 5:37am PST

The Strangers I Meet - Everyday People

After that hike last August, life has gone back to some semblance of a routine. I can't say that it's totally the same, but, it's not necessarily a bad thing. There's the usual me habitually wandering into places, but now it's gotten a different.

Familiar Stranger. What it's like to meet for the first time someone you know for a long time. Shot with #agfavista in #belomovilia . . #thestrangersimeet #lostwanderingdrifter

A post shared by The Lost Wandering Drifter (@lostwanderingdrifter) on Aug 31, 2017 at 10:00am PDT

Apart from the usual food photography, the portraits of the Starbucks baristas I made friends with, our utterly adorable dog, and the random knickknacks in between, I may have acquired some fixation to take pictures of people I find interesting, if not fascinating...

The Strangers I Meet - The Kindness Of Strangers

This happened not merely just because of me. While it's true, I went to the top and back with my own power and not riding a horse...

This journey I took knowing it will be an ordeal, chasing the shadow of what's now a distant memory - a fantasy that was once reality. I have now arrived where I wanted to be - the first destination among many. I did not find the shadow I chase, but I found something somewhat more rewarding. The plans and promises made, ones I intended to keep from my end regardless of how everything else went awry, this is the first of many journeys for the rest of my life will try. Now from where I stand looking at something I've never seen with my own eyes, I find myself in the company and kindness of amazing strangers I never met before. Under the clouds forming with the air getting damp and droplets falling, I reached the peak, and the purpose of this journey. The skies shower me with some respite from the cruel sun. I look beyond and I saw this - the view that goes beyond, further and out of sight from the comfort zone. This was worth risking for. Safety and fear never helped me through the worst; This adventure was worth risking for. This was the first of many - there will be more. . . . . Story Link in bio. . . #lostwanderingdrifter #colorphotography #photography #nature #trailadventours #taal #hike #naturehike #whenintaal #taalvolcano #naturetrail #outdoors #sharelifeoutdoors #olympus #olympusepl5 #rokinon #rokinonfisheye #fisheye #defished #lake #craterlake #taalcraterlake

A post shared by The Lost Wandering Drifter (@lostwanderingdrifter) on Aug 13, 2017 at 8:46pm PDT

... I admit with no shame and with lots of gratitude that this wouldn't have been possible without the kindness of strangers around me. Don't get me wrong, everyone on the hike has been amazing. There are a few I've really appreciated though and they made it memorable. I'm mentioning some of them here - partly because I feel I owe them some measure of gratitude.

The Strangers I Meet - The First Steps

It is said, that the ones who can hurt us the most are the ones closest to us. There's no pain like seeing someone you know intimately turn into someone else and look at you like you're a stranger. Time and again I found myself in the receiving end of that for the past decade or so - I kept losing people I held close.

But before this becomes a sappy morose story, let me end it at that. To make a change in this status quo I now endeavor to once again go beyond my comfort zone- the world is full of interesting people. A lot of them I see, but I never had the chance to talk to them. And so there's this crazy idea - why not capture them on film and a bit of their story?

So, basically I now find the world to be a vast room full of strangers. Why not go chat them up?

Today I learned something from this anonymous stranger. Let's call him Alex. I'll remember him as the WD-40 guy. He'll be the first of many I intend to feature on a new theme I endeavor to show here and take a portrait of them on film. I'm hoping to work on my social skills along the process and not come across as some creep. I would like to believe that it's a self esteem thing but the creeped out looks I get in real life is abundant and very real. With aesthetics and prejudice working against me, it's easier said than done. Today I managed to break the ice with this stranger and take his picture along with a bit of story from this afternoon. I believe there are many around me like him and I hope to find and feature them. They'll be tagged as #thestrangersimeet in my collection. Catch them soon. . . . . #lostwanderingdrifter #rnifilms #solo #stroll #lafinca

A post shared by The Lost Wandering Drifter (@lostwanderingdrifter) on Jul 22, 2017 at 7:27am PDT

Except for a few trivial things - rejection affects me a bit more than it should, I'm the least appealing person in terms of looks that I know of, and I'm also socially awkward with inept social skills... Ay, there's the rub.