DIARY
Distance Between Two Bodies
I realise I haven’t written anything here lately. My notebook is full of daily notes though. Over time my relationship to this space has changed. But some things I want to re-start again. Just like writing, freely.
Mga Kaibigan (Friends)
I take a lot of photographs but it often takes me months before I see them again after the moment of taking. I mostly photograph people around me. I used to think that I would have a life as a photographer but right now, that’s not the life I have. Today I found these photographs…
A Tiny Box
In March 2017, Marta, a former teacher of mine arrived in Lisbon. She had been to Colombia and told me that my friend Anna sent a package for me. When I had met Marta, she handed me a tiny woven box, that fit in my palm. In it was a note and a pair of…
About today
“For the tender flower — I think of you. So far away. Where ever you are.” Many months ago, the biggest fear I had, were no match for the realities of today. These days, in the time of difficulty, in the face of a New Corona Virus, taking away those we love, and putting…
Being Here
Sometimes, I catch myself wondering how I got here. So many plans I had made, that lead me somewhere else. It’s as if I built my plans as destinations when they were really steps toward where I was supposed to end up.
Swimming in the Sea
When she was pregnant with my sister, she travelled on a boat with our father to go to an island a couple of hours away.
A Curve in the Sky
I left Lisbon almost suddenly. My lease was up in a week, and my internship at Terratreme had just finished. Winter was leaving. I knew it because I began to sweat profusely during my bike rides to work – that never happens in the winter. In winter, I’d bike in the biting cold morning. Eventually…
A Portrait of Anna
A series of portraits that I’ve taken over the years, of the people who are part of me.
Budapest is Waiting
In January we moved to Budapest. It was winter and the first morning we spent in the city was one of the few days of snow. Winter was an exciting concept because I’ve never really experienced it but it was also very alien. It felt like the city was alien to me or, that I…
The Train to Szentendre
We moved to Hungary last month. We had to get used to the place so we decided to get out of Budapest for a day.
Why We Photograph
July 2016 I went to Paris with my friend, Whammy in the summer. After breakfast, as we paid the bill, I noticed a man reading, with his full concentration on a book. I went up to him and said “Hello sir, do you speak english?” — “Yes.” — “May I take your photograph?”, I asked. “What for?” he asked…
Halloween In Brussels
It has become sort of a tradition, that we do a little Halloween get together. I can’t really say it’s tradition, because at this point, it had only been the second time we’ve done it.
Bus Ride Home
When we moved in to our new flat that’s a few meters short of being in the city, the first thing that I worried about was going home. There was one bus that took us straight to school. It wasn’t the shortest bus ride but over the past months, I enjoyed taking it.
Paris was good
I took very few photographs of Paris. I had V with me, an analog camera Krish bought at a cash converters shop fifty steps away from his house in Arroios. When he told me about V, I thought it was excessive. But 8 months into the future, V is my only companion on my way…
Two Weeks in Viana do Castelo
Last week, I found myself in Viana do Castelo again. I was there in transit, waiting for the next bus that would bring me further up north. It was the place where the fourth edition of DocNomads first had their fieldwork. It was, where we made our first films as a class. That was in the…
Happy New Year
This was what my new life looked like. I first saw it through a tiny window in an airplane. Two years ago, on New Year’s eve,
Christmas Night 2015
I wrote this message last Christmas. Look! We’ve come this far. “I seem to want to write to you every chance I get! I must tell you how much I appreciate your patience with these things 🙂 Boa Tarde!”
YUGOSLAVAN
We went on a road trip last Easter, my friends and I. It was a long one, and we crossed country borders in a car. Yali and I were particularly ecstatic. If you live in an archipelago, crossing borders while driving is not an idea you entertain a lot, and for Yali, she says she…
Viszontlátásra Giovanni Gallotta
I remember coming home one night. “Fuck it’s so cold. Fuck Fuck My boots are so heavy. Malayo pa ba? This building is so creepy. Is anybody home..”
Budapest is Waiting
In January we moved to Budapest. It was winter and the first morning we spent in the city was one of the few days of snow. Winter was an exciting concept because I’ve never really experienced it but it was also very alien. It felt like the city was alien to me or, that I…
From Far Away
I was surprised at how many people were already there. The train leaves at 07:45H so I arrived at Keleti very early.
In a Few Months
“I used to get a lot of sunsets like this back home but this one is special. You see, I’ve never experienced winter in my life. We have a lot of rain and often floods that devastate many of our lives. But winter is another thing. I don’t think anyone is ever ready to face…
The Train to Szentendre
We moved to Hungary last month. We had to get used to the place so we decided to get out of Budapest for a day.
INABEL: Modern Design from A Centuries Old Tradition by AVA
We filmed and edited the Kickstarter video for AVA and Tweetie De Leon Gonzales’ Inabel Collection.
Chasing Vegetables in Makati: The Corner Tree Cafe
After posting old photographs last night, I got to reconnect with one of my friends from Uni. We decided to have lunch at this vegetarian restaurant in Jupiter Street called “The Corner Tree Cafe”.
Davao and Making Friends in 2009
I’m on a roll here! I sent rolls to be developed last week thinking that I’d have my photographs from HK by this week. I end up mixing them all up and now I have photographs that I’ve completely forgotten about in my hands!
A Wild Ride Through the Night
Four years ago, I went on an internship in Indonesia. I was supposed to have my internship in Chelyabinsk, Russia but we had a hard time processing the visa. It was half way through the summer and school starts in 6 weeks so I decided to look for another internship. I found myself in Indonesia a week…
63-65 Hennessy
I just got off the phone with my sister, I asked her, “When are you moving out?” “I already did!” she says. This is the intersection going to her house. I spent many nights in her tiny apartment. It’s probably smaller than my room in Manila but I love it. We went home to that…
Homecoming
Last week, I watched one of my dearest friends got married. It’s a funny feeling because as students in college, you think you’d be young forever. And then days like this come and you realise how much you’ve all grown.
Some dreams don’t change
In four days, it would be a year since. Funny how so many things can happen in a year 7 more years!
VENICE DE CASTRO ATIENZA 