10 Tips and Facts for the Hot Air Balloon Festival in Clark, Pampanga Traveler

Here are some 10 things that will come in handy for those who are going to this year’s hot air balloon festivity at Clark in Pampanga. Those who went in their own private vehicles or as a group whose transport had been pre-arranged sure had it great. Going to Clark, Pampanga via public transport, however, is an entirely different level of adventure, more so when none of the people with you know how to get to the event venue, hahaha. Talk about hard core! Enough of the blah and on with my definitive guide, owing to our personal experience during the 15th Hot Air Balloon Festival. Bookmark this page for future reference, dear backpacker/day-traveller.

1. The Commute: there were five of us who decided on taking a bus for the Hot Air Balloon Festival. Take the Victory Liner or Dagupan Bus Lines from Cubao. Bus fare is P102.00 (2010 rate) for Dau, Pampanga via Dagupan Bus Lines. It’s a good thing that we left our homes at 2:00 a.m. because there were no Victory Liner buses scheduled to leave before 4:30. Get off at the Dau stop over and take a jeepney along the highway (will take a short walk from the stop over spot) for the “Main Gate.” At the Main Gate, take another jeepney that will take you to the festival grounds. People in Angeles are very helpful. Ask if you feel lost or if you are not sure where you are.

2. Event Ticket: if you can, buy tickets before going to Clark via ticket outlets scattered around the Metro. Now be sure to bring those tickets because I know some people who forgot to bring theirs LOL. You can always buy them from the gate but prepared to fall in line because the Hot Air Balloon Festival is a BIG event and it will never fail to draw more and more tourists every year.

3. Start Time and Program Schedule: check the schedule from the event’s official website prior to going to Clark. During the Saturday event last year, the balloon flight was slated at 5:20 a.m. but the first balloons only started inflating at around 6:00 a.m. While the balloons were being set up, at around 6:19 a.m. a person in parachute came descending from the skies carrying with him the Philippine Flag as the speakers played the National Anthem. Everything has already flown at around 7:00 a.m. and right on schedule, too. There are things happening all day long but, next time, I’ll make sure I leave after the balloons. The scheduled re-flight at around dusk did not happen because the winds were too strong that they can’t even be inflated! I’ll explain more about this in a bit.

4. Vantage Point: only those with media badges are allowed in the field area where the balloons are being inflated. The rest of the spectators get to stay behind a gated area around 30 meters (or so) from the nearest hot air balloon. Those who came in early had the chance to stay right in front of the fence surrounding the main activity area.

5. Photographers Galore: as mentioned, people who get inside the venue earlier usually choose to stay very close to the fenced area. As there are also LOTS of photographers wielding huge-ass lenses on standby in that perimeter, it’s gonna be a feat get to have a better position than most others. Usually, the really very early guests reign supreme: a usual perk enjoyed by the sleepless but deserving. Remember, you are shooting opposite the sunrise. It’s challenging enough to get a good shot of the balloons, and then this lighting problem! Caltex held a contest for each of the days during the festival last year, selecting 5 best shots from submissions. Winners could get to win gas cards and a year’s subscription to a locally published photography mag. Winson, who was with us that time, submitted a photograph and won the grand prize! Woot! Lastly, bring extra batteries for your camera. I can’t stress this important little reminder enough. For what use are 32Gb memory cards when your camera’s in a temporary coma.

6. Weather: I suggest that you bring a jacket for the bus trip. I never thought the early pre-Valentine’s Day morning in Pampanga can still be chilly. The event venue is an open field with several hangars that organizers managed to convert to covered activity areas. At noon, and thankfully, it got a bit cloudy so everyone had heavenly protection from harsh UV rays, so to speak. The wind picked up late in the afternoon, much to the kite flyers’ enjoyment. As a drawback, the commentator explained, the balloons that were supposed to fly that night had a hard time inflating because the wind speed rose to around 7-8 knots (8 to 9.2 miles per hour) at the open field. In the event that the balloons did get to inflate, there’s also the risk of endangering the onlookers. They still tried inflating the balloons and it was evident from where we were looking that they were all having a hard time.

7. Food: there were trailers where Burger King, Jollibee, and McDonalds sold freshly prepared food (megots Burger King Chicken Sandwich! WIN!). There were also hotdog stands, carinderia-style meals, dimsum, ice cream, water, Halo-Halo courtesy of Kabigting Halo-Halo at the Marquee Mall booth (with pastillas as a main ingredient), and Yellow Cab Pizza, among others. Some brought food but, IMO, that’s too much of a hassle since arrangements for food stalls were well taken cared of by the organizers. Just bring cash since there are no ATMs inside the event area.

8. Mall-Access: Speaking of Marquee Mall, they offered free shuttle service to spectators that left every thirty minutes for the Mall. We left for Marquee Mall at around 8:30 only to find out that the mall opens at 10. Major bummer! Good thing Starbucks opened earlier than everybody else. We went around, having nothing else to do, and found ourselves inside Saizen (a Japanese store that sells anything for P85) where we spent a good hour getting awed at the littlest things. It is only here that I saw the most expansive CDR King branch ever! There we also traces of concepts stores, one for each of Microsoft, Lenovo, Toshiba, Logitech, and Dell, the likes of which we’ve never seen anywhere in the Metro. We had lunch in the mall before heading back for more Hot Air Balloon festivities via the way we came: free shuttle!

9. Stay all day: Next year, I’d rather leave for home after the early morning balloon flight. Don’t get me wrong, staying there the entire day will get you your money’s worth for all P150 of it (still the same price as in 2010). There are portalets in strategic areas that would have been easy to use in the mornings but got filthy-gross at dusk. The emcee was outstanding. I was not able to get his name but kudos to you, whoever you are. That guy was talking all day, talking sense of what the “plane acrobatic pilots” (the actual name they’re called escapes me) were doing or are about to do as the flying exhibition happened, helping children find their lost parents (LOL), explaining about the balloons and the science behind the flights, and taking good care that the program remains interesting even for those who are not facing the stage or field area. It must be exhausting doing all that for four straight days in a row! *hat tip* I would not dare stay later than 3PM again because of my next and last learning…

10. Going home on commute: We had a hell of a hard time going back home at around 7:30 p.m. There was traffic everywhere and it seemed that every commuter from the festival decided to go home at exactly the same time. Jeepneys heading back to the “Main Gate” were scarce and the traffic congested. Terrific! Outstanding! When we finally reached the Dau bus terminal, getting a Manila-bound bus proved to be the hardest task for the day. Oh boy, never again. It’s either I’ll take my own ride going to Pampanga for next year’s festival or I’m leaving the venue earlier and forego the afternoon program.

There you have it folks, 10 thinks you should know and prepare for when going to your next Hot Air Balloon Festival. Thanks to Marquee Mall for the Event Pass!

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Limited Edition Chinese New Year Crumpler Hillman Hunter Review

The supposed ho-hum Tiger year for “Dragons” is drawing to a close and the incoming Rabbit year is supposed to bestow upon our breed a “positive star that will bring new wealth.” From several online sites with Chinese Horoscopes, some even claim that Dragons are given powers to ward off or negate negative vibes and/or bad luck (I picture this in my mind as some “rare item” from RPGs LOL). Can’t wait for February 3 to come so I can fearlessly say, BRING IT ON, 2011!

Crumpler, a popular Australian manufacturer of colourful and very functional bags, celebrates Chinese New Year with the release of the Chinese New Year Limited Edition Rabbit Collection. Everything’s in bright red on the outside and encrusted with a limited release gold woven Crumpler badge detail. The inner lining has an origami tonal print and, upon close inspection, in the very midst of those triangles, is the “rabbit motif.”

What Crumpler had me try out is the Hillman Hunter. Currently, I have around 5 sports bags, any one of which can accommodate my wall-climbing gear, a padded camera bag for my trusty DSLR, compact flashes, and lenses, a backpack for corporate, a messenger bag that changes color with a flip and flop, two luggages for travel, and, just recently, I got the Musichead: a jacket that conveniently turns into a sling bag.

What sets the Hillman Hunter apart from all my other bags is its size: not too big but ample in space versus, let’s say, just having stuff inside my jean pockets while hand carrying most others (trivia: if I could pocket my stuff, I usually go to work without a bag). Since it’s by Crumpler, a proud new owner of the Hillman Hunter will definitely feel that every detail incorporated in the bag has been well thought of and functional. The workmanship, top notch. Mine had no loose thread anywhere and the materials (the strap, velcro, compression straps with snap-on locks, safety reflector) all feel solid and sturdy. It has a non-abrasive surface that won’t damage clothes on friction. Unlike other Crumpler messenger or laptop bag models, with its size being a limiting factor as to its weight and possible contents, the Hillman Hunter doesn’t require a padded shoulder strap.

For the outer material, a little research at the Crumpler website for the Hillman Hunter gave me this:

“the bag features a super strength water resistant 900D outer, 150 Rip-stop lining, flamed polypropylene webbing, triple. strength S-Bend webbing attachment, injection moulded velcro and bonded nylon thread with bar tack stitching on all stress points.”

They had me at polypropylene. LOL. I probably wouldn’t use it as a DSLR camera bag alternate only because it does not have a padded inner lining to protect the gear. Crumpler has camera bags built for this particular purpose and the Hillman Hunter’s not one of ‘em.

From work, I tried stuffing it with my thick Zara hoodie, several containers of vitamins, my noise-cancelling headphones (cans), and the papers I got from the photography exhibit inside Glorietta. It looked just right. Also tried sliding in my mobile phone inside every one of the 4 inner pockets. Nice. The reflector strip near the base of the bag breaks the monochrome, adding to the bag’s character. Some guys may feel a bit off with the flashy red color of the CNY Hillman Hunter, though. The playful, trendy, fashion forward individuals, however, wouldn’t have a hard time getting away with carrying this head turner of a “murse” (heard from Billycoy to connote “man purse,” meh! LOL).

The Hillman Hunter is being sold locally for P3,850 from authorized Crumpler Branches (note that while I was doing research on the bag, I saw that this retails for AUD 145, some PHP 6,230~, converted, per the Crumpler website).

Below are photos of the other Crumpler Chinese New Year Limited Edition Rabbit Collection items for your reference.

SRP of the Crumpler Chinese New Year Limited Edition Rabbit Collection items:

The Squid (foldable drawstring backpack) – P 1,450
The Freckle (mobile phone case) – P 1,200
The Rabbit Charm (key chain/charm) – P 395
The Hilllman Hunter (mid-sized messenger bag) – P 3,850
The Goldschlagers Carpet (laptop envelope) – P 2,250
The Herbas (great for iPads) – P 2,450
The Headaitch (tote bag) – P 2,950

Crumpler Branches:

Crumpler Store, Bonifacio High Street
Crumpler Store, Trinoma Mall
Crumpler Store, SM Megamall
Crumpler Store, Robinsons Manila

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Some CosPlay Photos from the 2010 Xmas Toycon

Friday night was “I need to shoot something, someone, anything on Saturday or I’ll go insane” day. A typical December work week would give you that, moreso with my function. Got the cam, braved the Christmas traffic, and beelined to SM MegaMall for the 2010 Xmas ToyCon where there’ll be them cosplayers, so I heard. Saw familiar faces, friends, met new ones, and got myself new plurk friends. I was nagging on how there were only a handful of good cosplays last Saturday when I was told by Paul San Diego (the Arumat guy who bagged the grand prize during the Manila TOrCH leg) that there’s no competition during this con. Bam! From dismay, I saw the entire situation in a whole different light. From this reality, and it took me 90 minutes to get to the state from the time I bought my event tickets, I shot my first.

What passion! Much respect. Merry Christmas, every one, and may you find enough inspiration to continue being kick ass in 2011.

(Please click on the images in landscape for a larger view)

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My Very First Figma: Black★Rock Shooter

One thing led to another and I knew about Black★Rock Shooter, read about how the OVA came to be, heard the song, fell in love with it, saw cosplayers portraying the lead character, took snaps of them even, and next thing I know, I’m borderline obsessed with the franchise. I downloaded the OVA, got the song on loop, got versions of it even, and I found myself surfing the net for anything BRS related. I saw Danny Choo’s vlog that featured him visiting the Good Smile Company office, saw the characters there, went to one cosplay convention and saw the Max Factory PVCs on display, and saw more and more cosplayers portraying the characters. As days went by, I found myself wanting the PVC real bad. That time, they’ve only just released the Black★Rock Shooter character in PVC. I would go to Good Smile Company’s website again and again and I’d just look at the photos of the figma to no end. I’d go to sites featuring photographs of bloggers unboxing their B★RS and I’d drool.

Last month, I bought the B★RS figma. My very first figma. From the pictures, I got a sense that figmas were fully posable, something that toys I’ve photographed before wouldn’t let me do to them. This got me real excited but challenged at the same time. B★RS figmas are available locally in hobby and toy shops around the metro. I got mine during the toy sale in Glorietta 5. Beware of fake figmas. They may be cheaper but the paint job also looks cheap. Plus, they won’t have a DVD of the OVA included in the box.

This is the first toy I’ve photographed with the Canon 550D, external flash, and halogen light setup combo. Some of these shots were taken the day I got my hands on the figma. Some of them I’ve taken just a few hours ago with my Sigma 30mm f/1.4 lens. I realized that posing the figures take a lot of effort and I bow down to toy photographers who shoot figmas as their hobby. Them being so tiny, you’d have to be in full control of the focus point (something that took me several shots for each pose to actually nail). You’d have to know the right amount of light to use, the angle, the light source. You’d have to deal with weapons falling off and movement limitations of the action figures. You’d have to deal with physics and gravity. Prepare for long hours during a shoot. That said, hope you guys like what I’m sharing below. Next toy photography post: Dead Master (Black★Rock Shooter’s arch nemesis).

Please click on the images below for the bigger picture.

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Philippine Fashion Week SS 2011 Photos: Penshoppe

If through the years you would still visit a Penshoppe store for nostalgia since, after all, there was a time in your life when the brand got a cult following and you have, like me for example, stained a shirt at school and you’d rather beeline to a Penshoppe store and get a new shirt from their latest shipment on impulse (because no other band both fits the budget and your personality) than go home, experiencing the Spring Summer 2011 fashion show of the brand will most probably make you go, “wait, I know the Penshoppe of old and of late and THAT’S not Penshoppe.” It’s probably the cut or a change in target market, a different designer or a change in perspective, or a bolder attitude or a mere change of inspiration. Whatever it is, when Alex Mendoza, Brand Manager, said that Penshoppe has arrived, everybody submitted to clapping in agreement and approval.

Here are the photos from last night. Let your eyes wander on the collection. As an audience in front of your PC, look at the photos, criticize, lambaste, love, hate, be biased against, rave, be inspired, link a political correlation to, be open, or suffocate on the visuals. If Penshoppe could have those shoes out in stores or in specialty shoe stores come Summer 2011 as an expansion to their product portfolio, I think people are already wanting and would be willing to wait (I highly doubt this, though. No mention on the PR that they will be expanding to footwear). There’s this sense that the collection exudes a serious attitude in realizing a foresight that they can and would be both sophisticated and affordable as well as stunning and well accepted.

If Penshoppe is being a prodigal son, repentant for the ways it has fashionably erred during the better part of the last decade, then let’s start planning for that big, fat calf feast because SS 2011 is just around the corner.

All photos in this post are proprietary to the author. All Rights Reserved.

For the last two images below, left click on them for the larger view.

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Philippine Fashion Week SS 2011 Photos: Levi’s Curve ID

When you look at the photos I took during the Levi’s Fashion Show at the Philippine Fashion Week SS 2011 (below), like me, you’d also probably involuntarily say “where’z be mah rake-thin mowdelz?! This faux-shion show, feh, be a sham!” As Sarah Maher, host during the event night, explained the science behind this new Levi’s Curve ID line goes, “…a new revolutionary custom fit system based on shape, not size. We studied and listened to women from around the world, and identified three distinct body types that account for 80% of women’s shapes.” Levi’s just reinforced that claim by getting everyday awesome women with noticeably “different” (being non-standard) lower extremities as models. Bloody brilliant.

The audience were advised that should they want their “curves ID’d,” whether they’re a Slight Curve, a Demi Curve, or a Bold Curve, just drop by Levi’s stores and a Levi’s store personnel can readily help you that you may know exactly what Levi’s Curve would be perfect in complimenting your shape. Say good riddance to camel toe and those unsightly muffin top and the ladies’ version of plumber’s crack so long as you’re wearing your perfect Curve was the moral of the story that night.

Levi’s. The brand’s been with us for so long yet they still remain relevant and current despite their being more premium in price (compared to most non-luxury denim brands) than competition. Never thought I’d get slim jeans from them that in my mind it was so perfect, I just had to buy two since they went for 80% off the tag (from P8,500). The only regret I had was I did not get three LOL.

All photos in this post are proprietary to the author. All Rights Reserved.

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