tejanosCATFISH: Featured Galleries and Collections

Faces of China

mark@tejanoscatfish.com (tejanosCATFISH) — Tue, 16 Oct 2007 23:13:00 GMT

Critique this gallery at faces.tejanoscatfish.com

China Holiday from December 2006/ January 2007 … we spent Christmas in Shanghai (fantastic) then went down to Shaoxing, which is famous for it’s canals and yellow rice wine, though the canals had been drained for repair!

We then flew down to Kunming in Yunnan and spent New Years before heading down to Jinghong (fantastic). This was our second trip to Yunnan, the first time we spent in Liajiang (highly recommended). We then made a trip to see the rice terraces in Yuanyang … sleeper bus … 12 hours … narrow mountain roads …night time … rain … fog … not recommended for the faint hearted! We get into Yuanyang, blue skies and dead tired … wake up the next morning and fog is so thick you can cut it with a knife … so we do nothing, hang in for another day and though impossible to imagine, the fog is even thicker … needless to say, we saw nothing of the terraces, only the fog … nice fog though …

I took a few thousand photographs … and “Faces of China” is a collection of street shots, mostly candid. Down in Jinghong and surrounding villages, you get an “eye full” of the many ethnic minorities that exist in that region and colorful they are.

Manila Bay Sunsets

mark@tejanoscatfish.com (tejanosCATFISH) — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 23:20:00 GMT

Sunsets (amazing) ... People (all kinds) ... Food (simply does not get any better) ... History (deep and intense) ... AND the famous Manila Bay Walk is now clean and safe again ... you can walk the entire distance, approximately 4 to 5 km in peace and comfort ... a must see / do activity while in Manila ... all of my photographs are taken from the bay walk, the majority from the famous Harbor View Restaurant ... you can sit on the peer, drinking cold San Miguel Beer and watch some of the most amazing sunsets on earth ... the island you see in my photographs is Corregidor.

Manila Bay is one of the finest natural harbors in the world which serves the Port ofManila (on Luzon), in the Philippines. The entrance is 19 km wide and expands to a width of 48 km. Mariveles, in the province of Bataan, is an anchorage just inside the northern entrance and Sangley Point is the former location of Cavite Naval Base. On either side of the bay are volcanic peaks topped with tropical foliage: 40 km to the north is the Bataan Peninsula and to the south is the province of Cavite.

Across the entrance to Manila Bay are several islands. The largest is Corregidor, which is 3 kilometers from Bataan and, along with the island of Caballo, separates the mouth of the bay into the North and South Channels. In the south channel is El Fraile Island and outside the entrance, and to the south, is Carabao Island. El Fraile, a rocky island some 4 acres (16,000 m²) in area, supports the massive concrete and steel ruins of Fort Drum, an island fortress constructedby the United States Army to defend the southern entrance of the bay. To the immediate north and south are additional harbors. The bay was the setting for the Battle of Manila Bay in 1898 and the siege of Corregidor Island by invading Japanese forces in 1942.

I have close to 300 photographs of sunsets, etc ... if you want to cull through them all, then goto my "Travel Archives" ... enjoy!

Jubilee of Churches

mark@tejanoscatfish.com (tejanosCATFISH) — Tue, 16 Oct 2007 23:30:00 GMT

A colleague of mine at work recommended this trip, as a way to get out and see some of the small villages and towns in the province of Laguna, Philippines. I came back from this trip with a new perspective of the Philippines, not to mention the extremely old and well preserved Spanish Colonial Churches are something to see. The trip, from the VIVERE Suites in Alabnag, takes about 13 hours, and this is not a "rush trip" either.

Left the VIVERE at 0700 and got back at 2000. And as you go through San Pedro, ask your driver to stop and get some Buku Pie (baby coconut) cream pie, the BEST is from San Pedro, so they say. As for the Jubilee of Churches, have not ben able to find much about it on the internet. Though, what I have found, it appears to be some sort of Pilgrimage that takes place yearly. Also, beer of any quality is a bit difficult to get in some of the smaller villages, so you may think of packing some up in an ice chest to take along with you.

Cock Fights

mark@tejanoscatfish.com (tejanosCATFISH) — Sat, 03 Nov 2007 00:06:00 GMT

Before basketball and baseball took the Philippines by storm, cockfighting was and still is the Philippine's most popular and national sport. Cockfighting has a history which traces back to times before Christ. However, before cockfighting even became a sport, the bird, the fighting-cock, was regarded as an admirable animal, drawing respect from men.

The history of cockfighting is hazy, there does not seem to be a definitive point in history as to when cockfighting became an official sport. In the times before Christ,approximately 3,000 years ago during the times of the Phoenicians, Hebrews, and Canaanites, cockfighting was popular. Breeding gamecocks for fighting in a pit was considered an art and trading these birds was profitable. In Egypt, in the time of Moses, cockfighting was a favorite pasttime. During the height of Greek civilization, Themistocles -- a general who was preparing to drive away the invading Persians -- decided to hold a cockfight the night before the battle to inspire his men by showing the courageous nature of the fighting cock. Persian traders loved to gamble by pitting their fighing birds against each other. They would often carry their birds with them and pit a fight in the marketplaces and trading centers.

If your in the Philippines, then this is a "must see" item ... there are countless cock pits in and about Metro Manila ... I find the smaller pits in the small villages to be more exciting than the large pits you may find in the bigger cities ... my favorite being Danng Hari Coliseum in the city of Parong Buaya Molino which is about an hours drive from Alabang.

UNDAS (Day of the Dead)

mark@tejanoscatfish.com (tejanosCATFISH) — Sat, 03 Nov 2007 03:10:00 GMT

This one caught me off-guard ... I found it to be somewhat of a "carnival" atmosphere at the cemetery ... I mean you could buy pizza next to one grave stone and then six (6) grave stones to your right you could get a coke ... the locals told me this is the "family reunion" and once I had a good think about it, it sort of made sense ... anyways, I loved the culture of it all ... I went to Manila Memorial, and it was packed, had to be 2,000 to 3,000 people out there ... a must see if you are in the Philippines ...

The Day of the Dead (Día de los Difuntos or Día de los Muertos in Spanish) is a holiday celebrated mainly in Mexico and the Mexican immigrant community living in the United States, with variations of it also observed in other Latin American countries and other parts of the world.

In the Philippines, it is called Araw ng mga Patay (Day of the Dead), To dos Los Santos or Undas (the latter two due to the fact that this holidayis celebrated on November 1, All Saints Day), designated by the Roman Catholic Church), and has more of a "family reunion" atmosphere. It issaid to be an "opportunity to be with" the departed and is done in a somewhat solemn way. Tombs are cleaned or repainted, candles are lit, and flowers are offered. Since it is supposed to be about spending time with dead relatives, families usually camp in cemeteries, and sometimes spend a night or two near their relatives' tombs. Card games, eating, drinking, singing and dancing are common activities in the cemetery, probably to alleviate boredom. It is considered a very important holiday by many Filipinos (after Christmas and Holy Week), and additional days are normally given as special nonworking holidays (but only November 1 is a regular holiday).

Gerry Penalosa Fight

mark@tejanoscatfish.com (tejanosCATFISH) — Wed, 17 Oct 2007 04:03:00 GMT

This was an exhibition fight between Penalosa and Concepcion. It was held at the Metropolis Sport Center in Alabang. Being an exhibition fight, it was not exciting, they were wearing "head gear". Only a few photographs at the end of this collection of Penalosa. The real highlight of the fight for me was seeing and meeting Freddie Roach, this guy is a legend in his own rite. Photograph #29 is my best of the whole fight, showing "The Roach through the Ropes". The "warm up" fights were GREAT, and the atmosphere was full of energy ... they had a warm up "rock" band and were selling Sam Miguel Beer for 20 Peso a cup ... so by the time the fights began, the crowd was "pumped up" so to speak. Boxing in the Philippines is a "class act" and one not to miss.

Geronimo "Gerry" Peñalosa is a Filipino boxer in the Bantamweight division. He is the current WBO Bantamweight Champion. Peñalosa turned professional in 1989. In 1997, he captured the WBC Super Flyweight title with a decision win over Hiroshi Kawashima. He defended the title three times before losing it to In Joo Cho in 1998. In 2001 he challenged WBC Super Flyweight title holder Masamori Tokuyama, but lost a close decision. In 2007, he took on Daniel Ponce de Leon of Mexico on HBO for the WBO Super Bantamweight Title, but lost by unanimous decision; nevertheless, he was commended for his gallant stand and defensive style that frustrated the more aggressive de Leon. According to Filipino boxing analyst, Ronnie Natahanielsz, de Leon was not in peak performance when he fought Peñalosa. Peñalosa has never been knocked down in 60 professional fights. In that same year, Peñalosa dethroned the Jhonny Gonzalez for the WBO Bantamweight title by knock out in the seventh round. This was his second world title in 9 years.

American Cemetery and War Memorial

mark@tejanoscatfish.com (tejanosCATFISH) — Tue, 16 Oct 2007 23:56:00 GMT

The Manila American Cemetery and Memorial in the Philippines occupies 152 acres on a prominent plateau, visible at a distance from the east, south and west. It contains the largest number of graves of our military dead of World War II, a total of 17,202, most of whom lost their lives in operations in New Guinea and the Philippines. The headstones are aligned in 11 plots forming a generally circular pattern, set among masses of a wide variety of tropical trees and shrubbery.

The chapel, a white masonry building enriched with sculpture and mosaic, stands near the center of the cemetery. In front of it on a wide terrace are two large hemicycles. Twenty-five mosaic maps recall the achievements of the American armed forces in the Pacific, China, India and Burma. On rectangular Trani limestone piers within the hemicycles are inscribed the Tablets of the Missing containing 36,285 names. Rosettes mark the names of those since recovered and identified. Carved in the floors are the seals of the American states and its territories. From the memorial and other points within the cemetery there are impressive views over the lowlands to Laguna de Bay and towards the distant mountains.

INTRAMUROS

mark@tejanoscatfish.com (tejanosCATFISH) — Sat, 03 Nov 2007 02:34:00 GMT

Intramuros, located along the southern bank of the Pasig River, was built by the Spaniards in the 16th century and is the oldest district of the city of Manila, the capital of the Philippines. Its name, taken from the Latin, intra muros, literally translates as "Within the walls", meaning within the wall enclosure of the city/fortress, also describes its structure as it is surrounded by thick, high walls and moats. During the Spanish colonial period, Intramuros was considered Manila itself.

China (various)

mark@tejanoscatfish.com (tejanosCATFISH) — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 05:59:00 GMT

China Holiday from December 2006/ January 2007 … we spent Christmas in Shanghai (fantastic) then went down to Shaoxing, which is famous for it’s canals and yellow rice wine, though the canals had been drained for repair!

We then flew down to Kunming in Yunnan and spent New Years before heading down to Jinghong (fantastic). This was our second trip to Yunnan, the first time we spent in Liajiang (highly recommended). We then made a trip to see the rice terraces in Yuanyang … sleeper bus … 12 hours … narrow mountain roads …night time … rain … fog … not recommended for the faint hearted! We get into Yuanyang, blue skies and dead tired … wake up the next morning and fog is so thick you can cut it with a knife … so we do nothing, hang in for another day and though impossible to imagine, the fog is even thicker … needless to say, we saw nothing of the terraces, only the fog … nice fog though …

I took a few thousand photographs … and aside from the “Faces of China” gallery this is some "other" shots I took that do not fit in the "faces" category ... there are countless more to add, just need to take the time to cull through them all ...

Street Shots

mark@tejanoscatfish.com (tejanosCATFISH) — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 00:37:00 GMT

Just some interesting "faces" that I have culled and picked ... seriously got 1,000's ... just take some time here and there to pull out some that I find of interest ... I know some of these photographs show the "darker" side of life ... though this is what I "saw" and this is simply the way it "is" ... sorry if you are offended or "turned off" by any of these photographs ...

Philippine Jeepney

mark@tejanoscatfish.com (tejanosCATFISH) — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 10:15:00 GMT

If you have the time, then it is highly recommended to make a run to some of the "Jeepney Towns" in the surrounding Manila area and San Pablo, Laguna. Jeepney's are a true Philippine Icon and personally, I cannot get enough of them ... amazing craftsmanship that goes into themanufacturing of these ... all hand built and painted ... the artwork is simply amazing ... Mel Fort Motors has some of the best artist (my opinion) ...

In the town of Taytay, you are going to see some amazing artwork, and only found in Taytay (do not know why) ... visit Mel Fort Motors, manufacturing since 1960, they will let you in theirmanufacturing facility, no worries, very friendly bunch! And their artwork is the best I have seen (period) ... to see their manufacturingfacility is worth the trip alone.

In the town of Binagonan, make sure you go to Marinel Motors and check out their (HeavilyModified USS Nimitz ... AMAZING!), I got a quotation for a "custom build jeepney", 570k PESO (13,900 USD), three (3) month delivery ... as inTaytay, a very friendly bunch.

And then head on over to Angono, visit the road house, municipal hall and jeepney station ...you will get an "eye full" at these three (3) stops ... grab a bite to eat at the Road House (great food)!

The word jeepney is usuallybelieved to come from the words "jeep" and "knee" because of thecrowded seating, passengers must sit knee to knee. Hence, the wordjeepney.

Philippine Cutud Lenten Rites

mark@tejanoscatfish.com (tejanosCATFISH) — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 03:08:00 GMT

The San Pedro Cutud Lenten Rites is a Holy Week re-enactment of Christ’s Passion and Death which takes place in Barangay San Pedro Cutud, City of San Fernando, Pampanga in the Philippines.

The trip began Thursday morning, driving out of Alabang with an arranged home stay with the Magtalas family in Arayat (photos 8 - 19) ... Thursday afternoon we went to Angeles City (photos 2 - 7) ... Friday morning off to San Pedro (photos 27 - 44) then on completion of the Lenten Rites in San Pedro drove into San Fernando for a Saints Parade (photos 20 - 26) ... a great time! Philippine folks are simply the friendliest bunch I have ever met ... PERIOD! Oh, serious "after lenten", West Texas, San Mig, Filipino style Beer Drinking (photos 43 - 44) ;) ....

This year, Pampanga carpenter Ruben Enage, 47, was nailed to the cross for the 22nd time, since his first in 1985 ... the guy was in some serious pain!!! Also, there were 25 other penitents, including two women, which were nailed on wooden cross on Good Friday in San Pedro Cutud. Central Luzon crucifixion reenactments were also held in Angeles City, Sto. Tomas, Pampanga, and in Bulacan. And had I known this, then I would have gone to one of the less crowded venues ...

The procession began at 3:00pm ... so we get there early such as we could get a good vantage point ... well mission accomplished on the vantage point, though we had to stand there for four (4) hours ... talking about miserable fun it was indeed ... this place was packed ... a sea of hot, sweaty, smelly flesh ... packed so tight you could hardly move to take pictures ...