“As long as there was coffee in the world,
how bad could things be?”
― Cassandra Clare,
City of Ashes
Coffeeshop catch-ups are fast becoming one of my favorite weekend To-Dos. So when my friend Helena messaged to get together for some coffee and a quick portrait session, meeting up in a coffee shop was first on our list. It didn't hurt that we both lived near a Zoo Coffee (this one in Caifu Zhongxin), perhaps one of the biggest Zoo Coffees in this city, so it was a meetup that I pretty much looked forward to the entire week.
Meeting new people who turn out to be great friends, the type who you can easily slide into deep, meaningful conversations with, is one of the great adventures when living so far from home. Kindred spirits come in all shapes and sizes and nationalities. For one, we both like to go hang out at coffee shops while ordering the least caffeinated item on the menu! I can't pass up good interiors, even if it means having to order a cup of mocha or hot chocolate every time I see a coffee shop that's fitted out nicely. We were lucky enough since Zoo Coffee serves full meals on top of coffee, has big, wooden tables and plush, comfy chairs that are big enough to sleep in. So between bites, we caught up, snapped a few frames, and made the most out of the Sunday.
It's amazing to think that somewhere out there are future friends who we are bound to meet, swap life stories with, and share significant portions of our lives with-- it's a beautiful thing.
A few shots from that afternoon.
Portraits, Portraits, Portraits, Portraits,Portraits, Portraits,Portraits, Portraits,Portraits, Portraits
There are people who live lives of adventure after adventure, an interesting side effect in the search for a better life beyond our tropical cluster of islands. They amaze me with their stories, of taking chances in a foreign land where they didn't speak the language, of surviving by solving each problem as it arose, and stumbling through each roadblock to arrive at a destination where life is at its worst, bearable, and at its best, wonderful.
People who thrive on searching for the next big opportunity or the chance to start something, anything, are always interesting. I've always been the one to choose erring on the side of caution when presented with an opportunity, so the chances that these people have taken I know I can never take for myself, and that's what makes their stories the stuff you want to vicariously live your life by.
These stories are not without their bad sides, however. Some have downright scary turns. But what's amazing is the will to stand up and start all over again.
Took these shots of my friend Rigs, one of the most enterprising people I know and the man behind Imperial Ethos Consulting, a consulting firm in CQ. We scheduled this shoot inside one of the lovely cafes in Olympic Gardens on a drab and rainy afternoon. Shu Cafe is where all the people who have decided to shun Starbucks like to congregate instead. The chairs are huge and comfy and the wooden tables long and perfect for large dinners with friends.
Portraits, Portraits, Portraits, Portraits, Portraits, Portraits, Portraits, Portraits, Portraits, Portraits
Or an afternoon portrait session on the fly.
I cannot fix on the hour, or the spot, or the look or the words, which laid the foundation.
It is too long ago.
I was in the middle before I knew that I had begun.”
― Jane Austen
Living in a foreign country for the better part of the year can be daunting and lonely. My first months in CQ were spent indoors. Although I love staying at home, there comes a point when it becomes stale and you crave for human interaction once again.
This is why JP and I are so blessed to find a group of like-minded people who come from where we come from, speak the same language, and love the same things we do. M and C hold a special place in my heart because they were the ones who basically taught me the ropes about living in this big and beautiful city, from how and where to buy a SIM card to where to go for a haircut and everything in between. Honestly, we enjoy living in this city so much because of them and the family that they welcomed us into. And for that, I will forever be grateful.
Nothing is made, nothing disappears.
The same changes, at the same places, never stopping.”
― Dejan Stojanovic
The Shape
I've been having a few conversations about life and growing old and jumping off to new adventures lately and these conversations always leave me thinking long after the moment is done.
Life is constantly moving and places are perhaps the silent witnesses to life's lows and highs and the beautiful moments in between. There are places that do not leave any impression at all, and then there are those that tug at your heartstrings and beg you to slow down, sit awhile, and even put down roots.
Coming here has allowed me to cross paths with wonderful people who have chosen to put make their homes in a foreign land and made it their own with beautiful moments, memories and hopes for the future and their stories are changing the way I view the world and the very concept of home.
A few shots of Teacher T, at the beautiful Olympic Gardens as we tried to salvage the last few minutes of sunlight the other day.
Portraits, portraits, portraits, portraits,portraits, portraits, portraits, portrait
“Do you see that out there?
The strange, unfamiliar light?
It's called the sun.
Let's go get us a little.”
― Nora Roberts,
The Hollow
There are days where I am just amazed at the beauty of light and how it falls perfectly through leaves, and this was one of them. This place is one of my favorites because you step in and everywhere you go, you are shaded by a canopy that lets in the most gorgeous light, no matter what time it is. This day was spent for exploration and just soaking in soft, morning light while surrounded by tall trees and winding pathways.
I got to enjoy the pretty little things again, with great conversation thrown in. Our location scouting turned out to be the mini-portrait session that we had talked about a year before, but this one was totally unplanned. Still, it turned out great. Conversations with Ann just flow, whether we're in a cafe or walking through a mini-forest and stopping to marvel at yellow berries. We even reached a point when we both realized that a three-hour coffee chat is often far from enough, since we usually last well into the night, even if we met up for lunch! It's probably because she's one of those people who is tuned in to the same wavelength as I am, and we prefer quiet talks over loud, group conversations. But the laughters are always easy to hear! It's always a wonderful time when you can take pictures and laugh with such heart. Plus the light! The light was beautiful that day, soft, glowing and fresh.
If you want to go to a place where it's quiet, beautiful and peaceful, you might want to visit Father Tropa's Zoo. It's one of my favorite places because the light is just so beautiful, even when the sun is shining its hardest! The place stays cool, you can hear the sound of birds and the rustling of the leaves, and if you're lucky, you get to see leaves turn yellow, brown and even red. Plus, the animals there could really use your donations. :)