The Photography Enthusiast

I’M NOT resorting to self-deprecating humor whenever I claim that I don’t think I photograph well.  I really don’t.  I know of some whose faces know no angles.  I’m not one of them.  So clearly I need someone who can go manual with his or her camera, play with the aperture and shutter settings, and snap an image of my likeness that won’t be hazardous to be beheld by the human eye.

Just that.  I’m not going for someone who would capture me bathed in the light of the hot Singaporean sun, suffused with an ethereal glow reminiscent of subjects in medieval art.  Just someone who would render my image fit for human visual consumption.

One such photographer – or photography enthusiast, as I love to refer to them – is Adam, both a trusted friend and formerly an engineer in the team I managed in the Philippines.  In this blog, I’ve referred to him in previous posts as The Tycoon.  He has also moved here in Singapore but is part of a group different from mine.  He took this shot of me at the Soccer Carnival a couple of weeks back and I’m loving it.

eNTeNG, as captured by Adam. ...Vintage Mickey Mouse T-shirt, a HK flea market find; Ray-Ban Classic Wayfarers in white, fitted with Crizal transition lens; TechnoMarine Apnea Sport wristwatch in red; SONY NEX-5D Digital Bridge Camera; Oxygen shorts (not seen in photo); purple Bossini socks (not seen in photo); Classic Black and White Adidas Samba shoes (not seen in photo).

I have to say, it’s got to be my favorite from any photo of mine from that day.  I seriously am considering having this on my wall.

Thanks, Adam!

Copyright © 2012 by eNTeNG  c”,)™©’s  MunchTime™©.  All rights reserved

So cheezy

ONE OF the errands I run that I really schedule is when I go have my wristwatches serviced.  On this last one, I bumped into Technomarine’s latest endorser, Sen. Cheez Escudero.  Well, at least his huge poster by the entrance of the brand’s flagship store at Greenbelt 3.  I couldn’t resist having my photo taken with him.  Oh I mean, it.

Sen. Cheez Escudero as the new brand ambassador of Technomarine in the Philippines

 

Had my photo taken while I waited for my Technomarine Apnea.

 

Aside from the cleaning and the battery replacement, my Apnea got treated to a brand new strap in yellow!

I always feel at home in wristwatch stores that I would almost always strike up a conversation with other shoppers.  As I waited for one of two Technomarines remaining in my collection, I made a fast friend in an Ayala Land Property Consultant who just had put his name on a wait list for a certain strap.  Of course, I shamelessly asked to snap photos of his Technomarine TMX (I think that’s what the model is called).

My new friend's Technomarine TMX. Nice!

 

He was so kind and gamely posed when I asked for this shot.

 

Later went to Muji to get presents.

 

And Healthy Options is a requisite stop! Mama has favorite cookies that can only be found here.

 

 

Copyright © 2011 by eNTeNG  c”,)™©’s  MunchTime™©.  All rights reserved.

What a cut

(Yeah, I know – I think I could even hear Therese’s thought bubble from the West Coast – where are the food posts?  I’m having serious backlog.  So this is what my planners call a backlog.  Hahaha!  I have a lot that I have put on the back burner.  I’m going to get around posting them here before I pack and leave this coming weekend.  For now, a quick post about my haircut!)

Ready for an almost-closeup in a 199-peso surplus shop top, deconstructed Levi's jeans from my brother, a pair of low-cut Chucks, and a red Technomarine.

MY KOREAN hairstylist didn’t have earphones on, and clearly, he wasn’t moving to the beat of what was blasting from the speakers.  It was Trisha Yearwood’s “How Do I Live?”  (Had my stylist been imbibing the powerful vocals from this country singer’s pipes, the horror of how my haircut would’ve turned out turned me into the whitest shade of pale right there in my seat.  I don’t think I’d be able to get away with cupcake bangs.  Hahaha!)

Thankfully, I could tell that he, my Korean hairstylist, was moving to the beat in his head.  As if exhibiting his adeptness with a pistol, he would swivel the two crossed pivoting blades in his hands and make artistic, almost rhythmic cuts here and there.  A step back, a microsecond of stare and thought, another cut.  I would close my eyes when I feared the blades would make contact with my cornea.

But I came out of it unscathed.  And so happy – I mean, so “beyond” – over my shorter, sleeker-kinda-disheveled look.

That's Iron Man behind me.

 

Copyright © 2011 by eNTeNG  c”,)™©’s  MunchTime™©.  All rights reserved.

Traditional dinner at an ultra-modern home

Le Façade

FRIENDSHIP CAME back home for the holidays.  Just really a few days, to be able to spend Christmas eve with her family.  By the time this gets posted, she will have been about 30,000 feet up in the air, on a flight back to be with the Merlion.  She’ll be welcoming the new year there.

In between those days, she managed to invite me and Brother to dinner at their brand new ultra-modern home.  The invitation was actually first extended over lunch at Cibo, on the eve of this year’s presidential elections.  Knowing Friendship and her family, I wasn’t the least surprised that seven months later, the invitation still stood.

Brooklyn Pizza at Town delivered the night’s dinner – pizza, pasta, and lots of chicken wings.  Home-cooked goodness was courtesy of Friendship’s dad’s crispy pata (crispy trotter) that came with a special dipping sauce.  And of course, steamed rice that I myself asked for.

I couldn’t devote my concentration on the food as I was in awe of the house – from the all-white façade, the floor-to-ceiling glass panels that surround the house on both levels, the staircase, and the all-white interiors contrasted only with accents of dark wood and touches of chrome.  But for me, the best part that demanded my attention – quite a feat as it meant pulling me away from pasta – was the kitchen!  I swear, theirs is a kitchen FoodNetwork TV show dreams are made of.

The only other things somewhat successful at distracting me from my fascination with the kitchen were the array of desserts Friendship and her family spread out.  There were cookies from Ju.D’s by Ju.D La’O of Greenmeadows, a frozen tiramisu cake, a buko pandan ice cream from Pampanga, and a really moist chocolate cake from Cielin’s.

The simple yet elegant place setting

 

My plate. This was just my first helping!

 

Chocolate Cake from Cielin's

 

As traditions would have it, I got my own box of Ju.D's scrumptious chewy chewkies. I could finish this whole box. And I almost did!

 

Hands down, one of the best cookies I have ever tasted!

 

One of the many drink options made available to us by Friendship.

 

The Starbucks tea was actually full loose leaf tea that came elegantly packaged in a mesh pouch like this.

 

One thing that Friendship, her sister and I share is a passion for wristwatches!

 

Friendship's new Technomarine Cruise!

 

So lovin' the ceramic feel and look of this ToyWatch wristwatch!

 

One thing I like about Friendship's sister's new ToyWatch is that it is the exact same one used by Sandra Bullock's character in her Oscar-winning role in "The Blind Side".

 

Copyright © 2010 by eNTeNG  c”,)™©’s  MunchTime™©.  All rights reserved.

Ticktock

A little effort to wrap happiness in a small box... to make someone happy.

SOMEONE REALLY important to me deserves the best gift I could give – the gift of time.  My time.  (I’m surprised I’ve managed to keep a straight face while writing that opening line.  The cliché wasn’t seeping at all.  It was gushing.)

But seriously, you will know just how much I care about you the moment I give you a wristwatch.  Of course I espouse the concept of giving my time, of “being there” for someone.  This is something that has been inculcated in me, in part, by an essay I read in Reader’s Digest as a kid.  But just the same, I also believe that it wouldn’t hurt to give special people in our lives a tangible reminder of that commitment.  And it doesn’t matter what brand because if there’s anything at all that makes a gift – or a hand-me-down – really thoughtful, it is that it is something the recipient will really appreciate.

Through the years I’ve amassed a sizeable – no, just ‘decent’ – loot of wristwatches.  And through the years, I’ve let go of a lot of them to new owners who were/are quite special to me.  And back in the day when “Wish Upon an eNTeNG” was still a tradition, I’ve given away those that I knew were the most fervent desires of some people.

Here’s a look back on timepieces that have, at different points in time, found themselves ticking away strapped on my wrist.  Then, on other people’s.  I’m throwing in snapshots of some that were not mine, but caught my fancy.  Here’s to time and to sharing it with those that we do love and care about the most!

Two Philip Steins – Green Lantern's and eNTeNG's.

 

Two Technomarines – Bom's and eNTeNG's.

 

Two Tag Heuers – IronMan's and eNTeNGs – and a Technomarine!

 

Swiss Army and Tag Heuer

 

Presents from Italy! Chocolates and a Morellato all-stainless steel Master wristwatch from Brother!

 

A really beautiful face for a wristwatch!

 

Philip Stein and Morellato Master formed as if "arms raised in a 'V'"... as Eddie Vedder would say.

 

Piled 'em up!

 

Another pile! From this group, two had gone to Superman, one to my brother, one to a photograher-friend, and one to Green Lantern.

 

Four in a row – my Philip Stein and Technomarine with The Tycoon's Tag Heuer and IronMan's Kenneth Cole.

 

Partner's Omega Constellation and "Return to Tiffany" silver bracelet, and The Boy Wonder's Shrek and Fossil wristwatches.

 

Lovin' this Fossil on The Wonder Boy's wrist.

Wearing a Swiss Army and political colors.

Really elegant Philip Stein!

 

I'm not familiar with this one, but I love it! Saw it on our Finance Manager's wrist. He said it is his son's!

 

My good friend Tenz's blue Fossil.

 

Look at the stars... Look how they shine for you... They were all yellow...

 

Totally unrelated to this post – oops, not entirely (see wrist!) – but I'm so lovin' this solo shot, taken by Rey Floresca at our company Christmas party. Thanks a lot, Rey!

 

 

Copyright © 2010 by eNTeNG  c”,)™©’s  MunchTime™©.  All rights reserved.

Yellow

“LOOK AT the stars,

 Look how they shine for you,

 And everything you do,

 Yeah they were all yellow…”

– from the song “Yellow” by Coldplay

 

"Tie a yellow ribbon 'round that old oak tree..."... somewhere at Alabang Town Center, 2009.

 

Nike yellow baller ID, together with a blue and an orange one.

 

Yellow ribbon, yellow Guess? Jeans "DIVE IN" shirt, and yellow Technomarine.

 

Yellow ribbon 'round a Joseph Schmidt Carrot chocolate box.

 

Nike yellow baller ID, together with a blue one, and a Philip Stein on a friend's pink day.

 

Royce' Nama Chocolate in Banana (seasonal)

 

Yellow Technomarine

 

Technomarine Raft Chronograph with Yellow Gel Strap, orange and yellow baller IDs.

 

Swiss Army automatic wristwatch with yellow and blue baller IDs.

 

Yellow and blue, a good combination.

 

Yellow and blue, with a Morellato.

 

Copyright © 2010 by eNTeNG  c”,)™©’s  MunchTime™©.  All rights reserved.

These were made for walking

SANUK.  TOPMAN. Technomarine.  I needed a splash of color.  I think I went overboard.

Sanuk sandals, Topman socks, and Technomarine wristwatch.

2010

IF MY MEMORY SERVES ME RIGHT – what a morbid conditional statement to kick off the year! – no other year in the past decade was quite as challenging as 2009.  Even the financial and economic crash in late 2008 paled in comparison to the convolution of natural and man-made disasters in the past year that I hope, would not make 2009 live forever in infamy.  We’re done with it and that’s it.

Christmas to New Year’s eve saw me really bidding the year with a bang – I had acute tonsillitis on the 24^th and stayed in bed watching “A Walk To Remember”…  twice; enagaged in a Mandalay Bay-caliber bout with gastroenteritis on the 28^th to the 29^th; and in the revelry to get 2009 over with, ended up as a statistic under the header of “firecracker-related” injury.  But they’ve all passed, and in the wise words of Stavie, 2010 should be all about happiness.

WE USHERED in the new year at my youngest brother’s family’s new house in Las Piñas.  And what will an occasion be with me without some of my favorite wristwatches.  So, here they are.  Happy new year!

All my wristwatches are wound 30 minutes ahead (so these ones were at 10 minutes to midnight). It's one of my quirks. I can't deal with a ticker that's wound any less or any more than that. Notice that the Technomarine says "THU" still when it should've been "FRI" already. I don't know but the day part of the "day-date" aperture feature lags by half an hour.

 

Once more with feelings!... A shot that includes the (vintage) Swiss Army automatic I was wearing on my right hand.

 

Copyright © 2010 by eNTeNG  c”,)™©’s  MuchTime™©.  All rights reserved.

Hurling wristwatches

I REALLY felt like hurling my Technomarine wristwatches at my laptop monitor.  Only thing was, at the end of it all, I realized that it wasn’t my laptop’s fault.

That is, it wasn’t my laptop’s fault that the screen was tuned to YouTube, showing that he-who-shall-not-be-named in his latest nationally televised outburst!  He can explain all he wants, but what I’m certain of is that he won’t be able to soothe the cuts he made with those scathing remarks he let out to a public grieving a most sorrowful, irreplaceable loss.  I got what he wanted to say, but gosh, the way he said it only goes to show how dismal a disappointment a lot of those “celebrities” could be.

I have kept my peace – by the skin of my teeth! – from when I realized that this personality had started to shamelessly endorse Technomarine wristwatches.  When he blurted out in his saliva-impeded speech that he even has his own line named after him, I needed to take off the yellow chronograph I had on – the exact same one as what he was wearing at that time.

I turned to Spider-man for a dose of wisdom.  I told him about my plan of hurling my Technomarine wristwatches for catharsis.  He told me to go on with it – only that he will be waiting to break each wristwatch’s trajectory.

Spider-man made a good point.  It wasn’t my Technomarine wristwatches’ fault they are being endorsed by he-who-shall-not-be-named.

All apologies to Voldemort.

Puttin’ on the wrist

I LIKE my wristwatches to have an attitude.  And it helps if I could find one that wouldn’t really have to cost an arm and a leg.  I have to tell you, all my thoughts about my “dream wristwatch” have just gotten to a screeching halt right at the first milestone towards getting it – “save paycheck.”  My only consolation is accepting the fact that most of the things I really aspire for are just so unreachable anyway.  Hahaha!

But as I have said, I just want my wristwatches to have an attitude.

Technomarine Apnea in red – the first one!

My work doesn’t require me to dress up really elegantly – or at least semi-formal – so I’ve always felt that to be able to give my smart casual get-ups an edge, I’d have to put something on that will break all the monotony.  And there’s nothing like a wristwatch to give the ol’ shirt-and-jeans look an edge – or at least a pop of color!

And that’s exactly what I’ve gotten with my Technomarine wristwatches.

Technomarine Raft Chronograph in yellow with black gel strap

 

The Technomarine Raft Chronograph standing right up

In the flurry that is the wristwatch industry, Technomarine got lodged in my consciousness because of its assertive position to not conform to the norms in high-end Swiss timepiece-making.  Against the backdrop of time-honored traditions, Technomarine broke new ground.  They married stainless steel, gel, and (sometimes) diamonds perfectly together in wristwatches that while appearing whimsical and playful, actually mean serious business that could take you even to hundreds of meters deep into the blue.

My love affair with Technomarine began with a gift from someone special.  I loved that the APNEA – like most Technomarine models – has interchangeable straps.  Depending on my mood (I tell you, I have a lot of these!), I swap between translucent / clear, red, orange, and black.

In the past year, I added at least a couple more to my Technomarine line-up.  I got reminded just how beatiful and functional these wristwatches are when I found myself contemplating just this week – with one of my really good good friends at work – to get at least one more!

A nice close-up shot, with my royal blue adidas bag at the background.

You can’t have enough Technomarine wristwatches.  They are form, substance and function that come surprisingly in friendly price points.  They are traditional and modern-day cutting-edge.  They are “technologie d’ avant-garde” embodied in precision masterpieces you can strap on your wrist.  What’s not to love?

Orange and lemons – Technomarine Raft Chronograph in yellow with yellow gel strap!