We were invited by a friend in Tabuelan to witness a local cock fighting match there. I have been to witness a lot of cock fighting matches, however, this is the first time I was seeing the most brutal cock fighting match in my entire life. Cock fighting was a favourite pastime of the local people. Hobbyist spent lots money maintaining this pastimes. I was told that a good fighting cock is sold around US$500 each. The place was a make...

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  Cebu has a long history of guitar making. Most of the guitar manufacturers were family owned enterprises, which are passed down from one generation to another. The centre of guitar making is in Lapu-Lapu City, Here ukuleles, banjos and mandolins are made besides guitar. The guitar industry started when the Spanish Friars stationed in Cebu needed to repair the guitars they were using. Instead of waiting for the guitars to be repaired in...

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  Kampong Muncar is a fishing village about one hour’s drive from Banyuwangi. The villagers were descendants of Madura. Madurese were seafarers. They brought with them the uniform clothing called “Sakera” – a black shirt and sword called “clurit”. We find the villagers very friendly and hospitable unlike their fierce reputation as sea warriors. The fishing boats were unique in this area. The boats were beautifully...

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PhotoSafari organised a trip to Padang to witness the popular Pacu Jawi (Bull Race) on 6th April 2013. Shen, a PMPE Alumni came and recorded a video on what this race was all about. Shen is an expert in animation and computer graphics and here is what he has presented. This video of 3:45min is worth your time to see what this traditional Pacu Jawi is all about. It is also recommended for people who would love to see this event for the first...

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We visited Banyuwangi in April 2013. This City is located at the easternmost end of Jawa. From here one can take a short ferry ride to Bali. This city has an estimated population of about 1.5 million people. We stayed here to visit the famous Ijen Sulphur Mines. Ijen is about two and a half hour ride from the City. The name Banyuwangi in Jawanese means “fragrant water”. Besides the Sulphur Mine, we also visited Kampong Mancur and the...

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    Pentax SMC DA* 60-250 f4 ED (IF) SDM – User Review   I had the opportunity to try out the Pentax 60-250 f4 professional grade lens during the Pacu Jawi in Padang a few days ago. I have tried this lens last year but was not entirely satisfied with it. Some of the images were soft. This time round I took it as a challenge to find out what was wrong with this well regarded lens. Before I go into what I did with the lens, let...

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