Wanderlust

My Photo scholarship 2011 entry

Worldwide | Monday, October 31, 2011 | 4 photos

January of this year, I was finally able to check off an item on my bucket list: to experience Sinulog. The massive crowd of devotees that fundamentally characterizes one of the premiere festivals in the Philippines is a feat that warrants global admiration, hence, the international coverage and the heavy influx of tourists. But I didn’t want to be a spectator; I wanted to be part of it. And so, armed with my camera, a pair of keen eyes and a fervent passion for culture, I braved this awe-inspiring sea of Catholics. Never mind that I was shooting on manual focus the whole time, thanks to my dysfunctional lens. Never mind that I could die of heat stroke or stampede. Never mind that I joined the procession with only a rough idea of the route. Never mind all those inconveniences because they’re the quintessence of adventure. I believe that true adventure is not without a challenge. There’s just no fun in easy.

It is this personal philosophy that I believe could earn me this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I have an insatiable lust for life that drives me to allocate my meager earnings to explore and re-explore. I wake up everyday thinking that there’s something out there and I resolve to discover them one by one. My backpacking journeys have led me to virgin islands, the cheapest native coffee and interesting locals with personal stories. And I want to share all these in words and in images. Although I wasn’t able to pursue my passion in photography back in college, I know that the road is long and I will find my spot in the field I so ached to join. If I won’t be able to live a hundred years to share my discoveries, I hope and trust that my photographs will.