On Arts and Culture

I have learned that everyone has the ability to re-direct limitation, weakness or suffering into strength and power.
When I was younger, taking pictures with diverse themes and concepts was my hobby.  There was one night when our house was robbed.  I lost my camera.  I lost my hobby. 
I wanted to purchase a digital camera so that I could pursue my craft but I am in financial turmoil.  My hobby became a dream which is impossible to achieve.
I was working for a Call Center Company in Cagayan de Oro for almost three years.  On March 13, 2008, I decided to leave the company.  On my last day of work, April 12, 2008, my best-friend Raul Prima sent me a message that he wanted to see me before lunch.  My shift is 1 Pm to 9 PM.  I arrived first at the rendezvous at 10 AM.  He was riding a cab and I joined him.  He told me that we will be going to Taytay, El Salvador City to meet a friend from the States.  His name is Edgardo Lopez.  I decided to be absent from my last day of work.
We had lunch with Edgardo’s family.  We sang and drunk.
 
Edgardo worked and stayed in America for twenty years. After a long time, he’s home.  He loves to travel but he cannot do it on his own.  He asked me to accompany him wherever he goes.  He has a potent personality.  Yet, No body says NO to Edgardo.  Besides, I owe him a lot.  He has been my sponsor for my attempt to go to America three times.
Two days later, Edgardo and other twelve companions watched the Sitti Navarro concert at the Lim Ket Kai Atrium.  I was the Assistant Director of the concert.  He purchased a P250 ticket for all the thirteen of them.  Before the concert started, I moved them to the P500 seat.  The show ended and I went to Taytay with them.  I texted the Director, Glenn Cabaral, that I cannot attend the Post Production meeting because I have an important visitor to attend to.
When we were at Taytay, I noticed that he was holding a Canon Powershot G9 digital camera, my dream camera. 
The next day, we went to Camiguin.
Days later, we went to Cebu. 

The rented boat sailed at 10 AM heading Mactan.  When were islands-hopping, he asked me to take pictures of the island.    I was really trembling.  I might damage the camera.  I adjusted the shutter speed and aperture to come up with a good capture.  He asked for the camera and viewed the pictures I took.  Edgardo was impressed.  He asked me to take pictures of him.  I had fun knowing that I was reunited with the passion that I was longing for.  I did not eat lunch because I know that I could eat anytime.  I have to explore the camera since I have limited time.  On Edgardo’s previous travels, he doesn’t have many pictures.  That is the disadvantage of owning a camera.  You take pictures for others.  If you entrust the camera to your friends, picture results with be far from what you expect.  In some cases, others don’t know how to care for the gadget.  Edgardo was the most difficult subject I had in my whole life as a photographer.  He moves a lot and he doesn’t pose.  If you say smile, he frowns.  If you say standby, he moves.  Thanks to the B-complex supplement he’s taking daily.  He’s energetic at the age of 50.  
He viewed the pictures.  He shared the LCD screen to our friends.  From that moment on, I became his official photographer.
Edgardo has a lot of business plans in CDO. 
In May, he will open an Internet Café at Opol. 
On June, he will be sending three scholars to college. 
On July, he will venture on selling laptops, digital cameras, PSP, Nintendo WII, Black Berry, Xbox, Iphones, PDA and other gadgets. 
On August, he will put up a dance Studio which will be managed by my best-friend Raul Prima.
Later this year, he will revive his theatre company which is based in Cebu.  He has a lot of projects not for himself but for his family and friends.
I was tasked to manage the Internet Café and the buy and sell business.
The most challenging part, I will take care of the scholars.
The most exciting of them all, I will design a web-site for his theatre group based in L.A.
The most rewarding part, he gave me the camera of my dream.

It was such a wonderful summer experience.