February 2008 Archives
heavy rain as reported via the BBC
...and with that seems to go our internet.
...during the past few days of heavy rain, Papa David's motorcycle is running rough due to water inside the carberator, and I have not been able to get online for more than 3 minutes it seems.
More tomorrow, we seem to be drying out tonight after another downpour!
PJAMES
...and with that seems to go our internet.
...during the past few days of heavy rain, Papa David's motorcycle is running rough due to water inside the carberator, and I have not been able to get online for more than 3 minutes it seems.
More tomorrow, we seem to be drying out tonight after another downpour!
PJAMES
Feb.3, 2008: Bantayan Island Philippines - Papa David, photographed at his house/shack; 3:15pm
Olympus E-1, Olympus Zuiko 14-54mm f/2.8-3.5 Digital: 400s f/5 at 54.0mm iso400
...just in case you haven't seen his other images, here's a new image of my good friend - it's his motorcycle I've been working on since I've been here; those images are in the posts below.
Thanks for reading today,
PJAMES
Olympus E-1, Olympus Zuiko 14-54mm f/2.8-3.5 Digital: 400s f/2.8 at 14.0mm iso400
Olympus E-1, Olympus Zuiko 14-54mm f/2.8-3.5 Digital: 400s f/5 at 54.0mm iso400
...just in case you haven't seen his other images, here's a new image of my good friend - it's his motorcycle I've been working on since I've been here; those images are in the posts below.
Thanks for reading today,
PJAMES
Olympus E-1, Olympus Zuiko 14-54mm f/2.8-3.5 Digital: 400s f/2.8 at 14.0mm iso400
http://www.mysinchew.com/node/7368
...still raining here for more than a week - here on the Island we're getting drenched every day, but we did have a bit of sunshine yesterday before the heavy rains came back in the evening.
More issues with Papa David's motorcycle: I wanted to take a few days off & decompress, but there are issues with the front braking system/front fork assembly shakes violently when using the front brake, and I had to have the electrical system re-wired to the (new) battery to have a horn & (new) signal lights installed, and myself & Eumel from Froggy's/Kermit's restaurant went up to the un-named parts store next to HONDA Bantayan for a few hours to get that all straightened out, excepting the front fork/brake issue as that's not financially possible to get corrected at this point.
Thanks for reading today,
PJAMES
...still raining here for more than a week - here on the Island we're getting drenched every day, but we did have a bit of sunshine yesterday before the heavy rains came back in the evening.
More issues with Papa David's motorcycle: I wanted to take a few days off & decompress, but there are issues with the front braking system/front fork assembly shakes violently when using the front brake, and I had to have the electrical system re-wired to the (new) battery to have a horn & (new) signal lights installed, and myself & Eumel from Froggy's/Kermit's restaurant went up to the un-named parts store next to HONDA Bantayan for a few hours to get that all straightened out, excepting the front fork/brake issue as that's not financially possible to get corrected at this point.
Thanks for reading today,
PJAMES
Feb. 17, 2008: Bantayan Island Philippines: the montage shows the work in progress
Olympus E-1, Olympus Zuiko 14-54mm f/2.8-3.5 Digital: 350s f/2.8 at 14.0mm iso400
Finally, I've got Papa David's motorcycle in a safer ridable condition.
After the welders sealed the holes in the old pipe to make it ridable for the week, I had HONDA Bantayan select a new seat cover to replace the ratty torn one, and then it was off to JunJun the custom seat & upholstery maker (pictured) who crafted a new seat & foam - JunJun's a great friend and does excellent work; he's very meticulous and pays special attention to fit & finish.
After my mechanic Elly drained still more water from the carberator on Sunday (the weather's been nasty & raining here all week), I brought the bike up to my good friend Eumel Lopez who owns Froggy's/Kermit's Restaurant in Bantayan Town, and had him take a closer look as to where we were going with this restoration - I don't have unlimited funds to do this for Papa David, and Eumel's a motorcycle enthusiast and his own mechanic to boot, so I trust his judgment.
Eumel took me over to Moto Mania in Bantayan, where they did a tune up and tried to put a slow charge on the battery so we can have electric start & horn - but the battery was dead and so they're pulling it apart today to see if the plates need cleaning & be brought back to life, as I didn't have the P850 needed to install a new battery.
They also removed the rear wheel and serviced the rear brake, and removed the front fork assembly to address a front brake issue, and spent about 2 hours with the bike before it was done.
Lastly Eumel took me over to the custom parts store located next to Honda Bantayan, where we selected a new RIDE IT stainless steel pipe and finally got rid of the old rusted muffler and gaskets, etc.
They did great work, and you should have seen the expression on Papa David's face later that night when I drove his bike to his shack on the beach - he was stunned & his jaw dropped open with his huge smile when he saw it.
We now have the 2nd loudest bike on the Island for its size - the pipe is performing beautifully and when you have a really loud pipe, it's safer riding because the other vehicles on the road can really HEAR you coming - sort of an early warning sound that hopefully lets them know not to do sudden u-turns or any other monkey business, as riding here in Asia can become crazy/undisciplined with all the overtaking while driving - bikes, tricycles & cars here weave in & out of traffic on a whim, while people & school kids walk the roadside along with livestock, etc....making for a real roadway mess.
Thankfully traffic's not really a big issue here, excepting in town.
I'm going to take a few days off and rest up, get back to image editing, etc. as nearly all my time has been devoted to this bike project, and I've had time for little else.
Many Thanks for reading today,
PJAMES
Olympus E-1, Olympus Zuiko 14-54mm f/2.8-3.5 Digital: 350s f/2.8 at 14.0mm iso400
Finally, I've got Papa David's motorcycle in a safer ridable condition.
After the welders sealed the holes in the old pipe to make it ridable for the week, I had HONDA Bantayan select a new seat cover to replace the ratty torn one, and then it was off to JunJun the custom seat & upholstery maker (pictured) who crafted a new seat & foam - JunJun's a great friend and does excellent work; he's very meticulous and pays special attention to fit & finish.
After my mechanic Elly drained still more water from the carberator on Sunday (the weather's been nasty & raining here all week), I brought the bike up to my good friend Eumel Lopez who owns Froggy's/Kermit's Restaurant in Bantayan Town, and had him take a closer look as to where we were going with this restoration - I don't have unlimited funds to do this for Papa David, and Eumel's a motorcycle enthusiast and his own mechanic to boot, so I trust his judgment.
Eumel took me over to Moto Mania in Bantayan, where they did a tune up and tried to put a slow charge on the battery so we can have electric start & horn - but the battery was dead and so they're pulling it apart today to see if the plates need cleaning & be brought back to life, as I didn't have the P850 needed to install a new battery.
They also removed the rear wheel and serviced the rear brake, and removed the front fork assembly to address a front brake issue, and spent about 2 hours with the bike before it was done.
Lastly Eumel took me over to the custom parts store located next to Honda Bantayan, where we selected a new RIDE IT stainless steel pipe and finally got rid of the old rusted muffler and gaskets, etc.
They did great work, and you should have seen the expression on Papa David's face later that night when I drove his bike to his shack on the beach - he was stunned & his jaw dropped open with his huge smile when he saw it.
We now have the 2nd loudest bike on the Island for its size - the pipe is performing beautifully and when you have a really loud pipe, it's safer riding because the other vehicles on the road can really HEAR you coming - sort of an early warning sound that hopefully lets them know not to do sudden u-turns or any other monkey business, as riding here in Asia can become crazy/undisciplined with all the overtaking while driving - bikes, tricycles & cars here weave in & out of traffic on a whim, while people & school kids walk the roadside along with livestock, etc....making for a real roadway mess.
Thankfully traffic's not really a big issue here, excepting in town.
I'm going to take a few days off and rest up, get back to image editing, etc. as nearly all my time has been devoted to this bike project, and I've had time for little else.
Many Thanks for reading today,
PJAMES
Feb. 17, 2008: Bantayan Island, Philippines - getting David's bike back in shape.
Olympus E-1, Olympus Zuiko 14-54mm f/2.8-3.5 Digital: 1/250s f/3.5 at 54.0mm iso100
This bike is one of the most abused motorcycles I've seen - out of necessity and certainly not by choice, as Papa's Family is poor and there are no funds for maintenance; this is clearly understandable why it's being driven into the ground.
...when there's a little money, a poor Fisherman buys food for his Family.
After the bike died in Tami-Ao, the first step was getting the water out of the carberator, adding oil (there was none in the engine) and getting 2 new Fuji off road tires & tubes to replace the bald ones on the bike, and as soon as the ties came off both bearings were busted, and surprise - the rear wheel hub was cracked!
P1,300 for the tires/tubes/bearings, and P1,100 for the new rear hub made for a safer, serviceable ride for the time being.
So the mission is a gift for David & his Family who've always been very good to me; he's letting me use his bike for a while, and when it goes back to him it'll be much safer with a fantastic ride, at no cost to him of course.
In the image above the bike's at the welders shop - I noticed an eraser size hole on th top of the pipe and the old rusty pipe was losing compression and had no power while wasting gasoline all the while.
The welders found EIGHT holes in that old pipe, all mostly underneath.
After 30 minutes of patching holes, burning the rust out, and adding a small plate to cover a huge gap left, the pipe was as sealed as it could be in the condition it was in...still loud as a bitch, but I have more compression now and we're not wasting any more gas!
...good to drive on for a few days while I looked for a new stainless steel pipe for David.
Thanks for reading today,
PJAMES
Olympus E-1, Olympus Zuiko 14-54mm f/2.8-3.5 Digital: 1/250s f/3.5 at 54.0mm iso100
This bike is one of the most abused motorcycles I've seen - out of necessity and certainly not by choice, as Papa's Family is poor and there are no funds for maintenance; this is clearly understandable why it's being driven into the ground.
...when there's a little money, a poor Fisherman buys food for his Family.
After the bike died in Tami-Ao, the first step was getting the water out of the carberator, adding oil (there was none in the engine) and getting 2 new Fuji off road tires & tubes to replace the bald ones on the bike, and as soon as the ties came off both bearings were busted, and surprise - the rear wheel hub was cracked!
P1,300 for the tires/tubes/bearings, and P1,100 for the new rear hub made for a safer, serviceable ride for the time being.
So the mission is a gift for David & his Family who've always been very good to me; he's letting me use his bike for a while, and when it goes back to him it'll be much safer with a fantastic ride, at no cost to him of course.
In the image above the bike's at the welders shop - I noticed an eraser size hole on th top of the pipe and the old rusty pipe was losing compression and had no power while wasting gasoline all the while.
The welders found EIGHT holes in that old pipe, all mostly underneath.
After 30 minutes of patching holes, burning the rust out, and adding a small plate to cover a huge gap left, the pipe was as sealed as it could be in the condition it was in...still loud as a bitch, but I have more compression now and we're not wasting any more gas!
...good to drive on for a few days while I looked for a new stainless steel pipe for David.
Thanks for reading today,
PJAMES
Feb.7, 2008: Bantayan Island, Philippines - Papa David's motorcycle at my mechanic's shop, 4:42pm
Olympus E-1, Olympus Zuiko 14-54mm f/2.8-3.5 Digital: 1/125s f/2.8 at 14.0mm iso100
We're seeing 60mph winds here on the Island with rain, downed trees, etc. - no cyclones or Typhoons, just the cold front pushing in from Mainland China; it does this every year here in February...also only spotty internet connections, so I'm editing and being patient for the good weather and reliable internet to return.
I've been spending almost all my time with Mama Helen & Papa David's Family in Sta. Fe, and when the Family found out I was in need of a motorcycle (the bike I had last year was not available when I arrived), Papa David immediately said I should take his motorcycle - actually it was a quiet insistence...so I thanked him repeatedly and took it for a test spin.
It runs, but roughly - both tires were completely bald, the battery was gone so it was kick start only, the muffler/pipe was rusting & had a hole on the top where air was leaking through, so there was a great loss of compression & fuel mileage, and the seat was hanging off in shreds, etc. etc.
Still I was very grateful for his generosity, and when I took it for a ride about 20km outside town in Brgy Tami-Ao, it just stalled & died on the roadside.
I re-started it twice, but it wouldn't go a few meters without stopping...I left it at roadside & hailed a tricycle back to Santa Fe, and texted the Family that I'd retrieve Papa's bike in the morning & get it to the mechanic in town.
At the mechanic the next day after the water was drained from the carberator & maybe 4 teaspoons of old oil dripped out before the new oil change, we found out it needed everything.
...more later; I'm working on some images that are interesting, and it's turning out to be a great story too
.
PJAMES
Feb. 16, 2008: The sunrise today at 5:53am - big wind, big rain.
Olympus E-1, Olympus Zuiko 14-54mm f/2.8-3.5 Digital: 1/50s f/2.8 at 14.0mm iso400
Olympus E-1, Olympus Zuiko 14-54mm f/2.8-3.5 Digital: 1/125s f/2.8 at 14.0mm iso100
We're seeing 60mph winds here on the Island with rain, downed trees, etc. - no cyclones or Typhoons, just the cold front pushing in from Mainland China; it does this every year here in February...also only spotty internet connections, so I'm editing and being patient for the good weather and reliable internet to return.
I've been spending almost all my time with Mama Helen & Papa David's Family in Sta. Fe, and when the Family found out I was in need of a motorcycle (the bike I had last year was not available when I arrived), Papa David immediately said I should take his motorcycle - actually it was a quiet insistence...so I thanked him repeatedly and took it for a test spin.
It runs, but roughly - both tires were completely bald, the battery was gone so it was kick start only, the muffler/pipe was rusting & had a hole on the top where air was leaking through, so there was a great loss of compression & fuel mileage, and the seat was hanging off in shreds, etc. etc.
Still I was very grateful for his generosity, and when I took it for a ride about 20km outside town in Brgy Tami-Ao, it just stalled & died on the roadside.
I re-started it twice, but it wouldn't go a few meters without stopping...I left it at roadside & hailed a tricycle back to Santa Fe, and texted the Family that I'd retrieve Papa's bike in the morning & get it to the mechanic in town.
At the mechanic the next day after the water was drained from the carberator & maybe 4 teaspoons of old oil dripped out before the new oil change, we found out it needed everything.
...more later; I'm working on some images that are interesting, and it's turning out to be a great story too
.
PJAMES
Feb. 16, 2008: The sunrise today at 5:53am - big wind, big rain.
Olympus E-1, Olympus Zuiko 14-54mm f/2.8-3.5 Digital: 1/50s f/2.8 at 14.0mm iso400
Feb.1, 2008 - Bantayan Island, Philippines: JR photographed on the beach at 5:16pm
Olympus E-1, Olympus Zuiko 14-54mm f/2.8-3.5 Digital: 1/500s f/4 at 54.0mm iso200
Spending a lot of time at Mama Helen's shack on the beach with her Family - I found her son JR doing what he normally does on the beach, in an unposed & spontaneous moment.
He's an original, for sure.
Thanks for reading today,
PJAMES
Feb.11, 2008 - Bantayan Island Philippines: this morning's sunrise at 5:47am looking toward Mama Helen's shack.
Olympus E-1, Olympus Zuiko 14-54mm f/2.8-3.5 Digital: 1/50s f/2.8 at 14.0mm iso400
Olympus E-1, Olympus Zuiko 14-54mm f/2.8-3.5 Digital: 1/500s f/4 at 54.0mm iso200
Spending a lot of time at Mama Helen's shack on the beach with her Family - I found her son JR doing what he normally does on the beach, in an unposed & spontaneous moment.
He's an original, for sure.
Thanks for reading today,
PJAMES
Feb.11, 2008 - Bantayan Island Philippines: this morning's sunrise at 5:47am looking toward Mama Helen's shack.
Olympus E-1, Olympus Zuiko 14-54mm f/2.8-3.5 Digital: 1/50s f/2.8 at 14.0mm iso400
Feb.3, 2008 - Bantayan Island, Cebu Philippines: baby Kalle photographed at home, 7:57am
Olympus E-1, Olympus Zuiko 14-54mm f/2.8-3.5 Digital: 1/800s f/6.3 at 14.0mm iso100
Just wanted to let everyone know that LittleFish's baby son Kalle is now out of the hospital here & doing well - he's back to being an eating machine; I fed him scrambled eggs the other morning while he was munching on a hard boiled egg in his left hand. (LittleFish's sister Jenna is selling eggs at the road side stand close to their home, and it gives the sisters the opportunity to give eggs to their babies, something they didn't get a lot of last year)
He's a beautiful child.
PJAMES
Olympus E-1, Olympus Zuiko 14-54mm f/2.8-3.5 Digital: 1/800s f/6.3 at 14.0mm iso100
Just wanted to let everyone know that LittleFish's baby son Kalle is now out of the hospital here & doing well - he's back to being an eating machine; I fed him scrambled eggs the other morning while he was munching on a hard boiled egg in his left hand. (LittleFish's sister Jenna is selling eggs at the road side stand close to their home, and it gives the sisters the opportunity to give eggs to their babies, something they didn't get a lot of last year)
He's a beautiful child.
PJAMES
Feb.3, 2008: Bantayan Island, Cebu Philippines: the sunset photographed from Bantayan Town at 5:55pm
Olympus E-1, Olympus Zuiko 14-54mm f/2.8-3.5 Digital: 1/400s f/3.5 at 54.0mm iso400
Arrived on the Island a few days ago & am still trying to get settled in - I'm actually staying in town rather than on the coast like last year, and the main difference at night is that there are more people around & more noise from the KTV/karaoke machines in town that are keeping me up at night & I'm not able to sleep by 9/10pm as I was doing last year, so I have to make a bit of an adjustment, and that's whats happening now.
I've been shooting with Kevin Weir who was here for a few days & dealing with Family issues as I normally do, and will be posting brand new content this weekend - Kev actually sent me his images from our shoots, and I'm going to try to post some content with dual images - both his & mine from the bash he threw for Lisa & LetLet's Family & the neighborhood street kids in Cebu, as well as shots our shots from here on Bantayan.
Thanks for reading today,
PJAMES
Arrived on the Island a few days ago & am still trying to get settled in - I'm actually staying in town rather than on the coast like last year, and the main difference at night is that there are more people around & more noise from the KTV/karaoke machines in town that are keeping me up at night & I'm not able to sleep by 9/10pm as I was doing last year, so I have to make a bit of an adjustment, and that's whats happening now.
I've been shooting with Kevin Weir who was here for a few days & dealing with Family issues as I normally do, and will be posting brand new content this weekend - Kev actually sent me his images from our shoots, and I'm going to try to post some content with dual images - both his & mine from the bash he threw for Lisa & LetLet's Family & the neighborhood street kids in Cebu, as well as shots our shots from here on Bantayan.
Thanks for reading today,
PJAMES
