Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Live from Lubao: Birds of Paradise

Cultural immersion and morbid curiosity led me to here.
 Perhaps their last rights are being read to them before their cock razors are unsheathed and the fight begins.
"You sir! Will you put money on my cock?"
Money in hand.
People asking for bets before the fight begins.
The feathers fly and death comes quickly. 
The cockpit was a hot and sticky place like a KFC in Tallahassee.
Looks like the cock died just short of the 3 point arc...could have been big points.
The loser was swept away and loaded onto a McNugget truck.

Now some random photos with no theme.
 Animals are everywhere. Stray but loyal.
 Those aren't rubber chickens, no gag here.
Hulk house. 
I can relate to the Hulk here. I wish my pants turned into shorts and my shirt rips off every time I step outside into the heat.
For Ashley's grandmas birthday they had a karaoke machine going full blast from 10am - 12 midnight. Hearing everyone butcher songs all day really encouraged me to try a few songs. I warmed up with the Doors' "Light My Fire" only to realize they had the extended 7 minute album version with 5 min instrumental in the middle.
We woke up early one morning to be rowed around in a canoe on a fish pond.
 Beware of cuteness.
Man made splendor.
 Then we headed down the road for more bird related activities.
 After the cockfighting we decided to make peace with the bird gods and release some doves.
After miming this exact moment so many times without a bird I have to say this was pretty rewarding finally being able to do it for real.
My "American" dinner to pacify my western palate.

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Live from Lubao!

 Our sunrise welcome to Manila after a 15 hour flight full of fish dinners.
 Straight to sightseeing the old churches the Spanish erected 400 years ago.
 Ethnic JC carrying his load.
 Ashley absorbs the religious idols with her digital sensor.
Dressing to impress wont get you passed the velvet rope at this club.
"But I'm friends with Marco the owner!"
 Give me one of these buildings over the So. Cal super churches any day.
 "Oh...Hey"
 Jeepneys. Think Jeep bus.
So your palm trees just grow naturally here and weren't imported to distinguish wealth? ...Weird.
 This church is worth more because of its original patina.
 A stop for Halo-Halo and wi-fi.
 Ashley's grandma. We came to the Philippines to celebrate her 80th birthday.
 We took a drive out of town to the Cabusilan Mountain range to an overlook of Pampanga.
 Mount Pinatubo. This erupted in 1991 and blanketed the surrounding areas in 20 feet of ash. Some places are still recovering.
 Driving through this area was my first exposure to 3rd world living.
 "Hey white boy"
 I couldn't help feeling guilty zooming by these people's electricity-less thatched huts in our air conditioned van.
 Livestock wild'n out in the streets.
Just waiting on their K9 driver.
 ...and then there was dinner.

Sunday, February 12, 2012

Memory Card-inal Sin

 Some digital photos from a trip in 2009.
Orphans of all ethnicities. 
 Hatfield/Picasso collab.
The inner desires of Kevin Barnett.
 "I don't always drink beer, but when I do...I will fucking rob you!"
 "Psssst, Can I have a go?"
 "Now poke thine corpse."
 Gaudí's Christ reference.
 Barcelona
 Map boy.
 The procession of unfamiliarity.
Warhol at the Grand Palais in Paris.
 Those kewpie eyes may say "goo goo, ga ga" but those rosie cheeks and lack of board control suggest he's drunk.
 Nailed.
Parisian Enforcement. Not pictured: Baguette baton.