Graduation

Sony A99 ■ f/4.5 ■ 1/500 ■ ISO 100

I wanted to share these pictures I have taken of my kids’ graduation pictures. I have compiled high school and college pictures, I would also have included grade school, however, I need to dig deeper in the vault which may be a challenge. I will probably update the album when I am able to find them.

As a parent, I consider myself fortunate that both my kids graduated in college. It may not be the major we wanted for them, but more importantly, they chose what they liked and finished it.

Let me tell you a story that happened when I used to live in the Philippines. My parents used to rent bed space to college students, and they had a student who went to the university daily and came home in the afternoon. He did this for 2 semesters. On Sunday, he would be in his military uniform, since it was a mandatory requirement to attend half-a-day training. We just found out afterwards that this student did not attend any of his classes, including military training, when his parents came to collect his things and told my parents that he will not be coming back for the next school year. Looking back, I cannot imagine how much money was wasted, not to mention time. What was the student doing all those times? What the parents must have gone through financially and emotionally?

My opinion, as a parent we cannot ask our children to be what we want them to be. All we can do is guide them, teach them (I think showing them is better) how to be an upright person, and take responsibility for everything that they do and learn from them. Easier said than done.

Graduation is a milestone in our lives, a chapter in a book for some and skipped for others. However, it is not a measure of success or failure. One cannot guarantee that you will get your dream job but try to get a job. It may not be financially rewarding at first, but it may just be a steppingstone to a better one.

Let me share this quote from Dale Carnegie, “Success is getting what you want. Happiness is wanting what you get.”

2025 Engagement

Sony A7IV ■ f/4 ■ 1/160 ■ ISO 100

My daughter and Ash's engagement party was held a week ago.  It was a simple one, but I was surprised to effort decorating their backyard, not to mention the food that was prepared.

My participation was on the day of the party to assist, however, as I walked into their backyard, there was this gorgeous backdrop and a tiki bar being finished. Zina, Ash’ mom was so busy for the past weeks transforming her vision to reality, we were just there to help.

We finished decorating and arranging the backyard around noon to go home and get changed and come back again late in the afternoon.

Attendees were just family and their closest friends. I had a fun time, and I could not wait for their wedding in Mexico.

I brought my camera and a single speedlight mounted on a softbox. Please click here to see the pictures.

Sony A99V ■ f/6.3 ■ 1/80 ■ ISO 200

It is hard to believe that it has been more than six years since our first cruise with our friends to Bermuda, but it was our second time. Our first was on our 25^th wedding anniversary. We boarded the Royal Caribbean, and it was a five-day cruise to Bermuda. The second time around was with our friends, 16 people in our group, boarded Norwegian Cruise.

Right off the bat, I gave the Royal Caribbean the advantage over Norwegian: the ship; the boarding experience; the dining; the entertainment and the food. Not to mention it was better to board at the Liberty port than in Manhattan port. Parking your vehicle is much easier on the Jersey side than in New York.

Both are five-day cruises, and both with overnight stay in Bermuda. The first time we came, we spent most of our time close to the port, sampled the local food and drink and went to the crescent beach for a day tour. The second time around we used the complimentary boat from Norwegian and went to the other side of the island where we went to see underground cavern.

After our tour, we went back to the ship for dinner and just spent the night drinking and dancing. Well, they danced, and I just drank. The jury did not come up with a verdict up to now as to what happened to me that unfaithful night. They told me that I kept ordering drinks from them, but what I remembered was it was they who kept ordering. Long story short, I missed the rest of the night and probably the rest of the next day because I was nursing my hangover. I thought I would be able to go back to that restaurant that my wife and I visited the first time we were there.

At any rate that cruise was fun, here are the pictures I have taken.