The Traveling Music Bug bit me in 2010, when my brother and I decided to go to Singapore for the Vampire Weekend concert. We went again in 2011 for The National. It’s not the first time we’ve flown to satiate the needs of our inner fans. Once, my dad flew our whole family over to Singapore because he wanted to meet Julian Schnabel. I’m tempted to say that this need to flock towards an idol runs in the family, but I think it has more to do with piso-fares and other people’s hospitality than bloodlines.

Anyway, Laneway 2012 was, if anything, such an experience. It’s my first full-on festival, having opted out of full participation in local music festivals like Muziklaban, Fete de la Musique, Fete de la WSK, Summer Slam and so on. The closest I’ve probably been to going to a music festival were high school fairs—which is such a stupid comparison, I know.

I loved it so much, though. The journey going to–a pilgrimage!—the high highs, low lows, the heat, the drizzling, the decided sweatiness of the people who shared this experience with me, the tiny moments and the secrets. All of it was memorable and still quite stark in my brain.

Anyway, as much as I would like to offer a full recounting of the events that transpired a week ago (exactly), I can’t do that, as we arrived late and missed Cults. From the back of the very long entrance line that snaked around Fort Canning, we heard the rumble of instruments and the roar of the crowd, and from that distance, I’d like to think that I liked what I heard. I’m sad I missed them, but all I honestly could think about was:

“Will we make it in time for Yuck?”

Click for the rest of my Laneway story. Includes crappy photos, brief band write-ups and a few general musings.

After trekking up (up!) the mountain side to stay at the lodge near the center of the town, we had to trek further up to a Akakoy Nature Park for a cultural experience. Aside from a native house-building demonstration (which was quite fascinating as they used hardwood and zero nuts, bolts or nails), there was also a bit of dancing and singing.

The rest of the photos of the cultural presentation and several beautiful views

Part III of my trip to Mayoyao, Ifugao! I’m itching to post about Laneway, but at the same time, I’m sort of prolonging this feeling. I have a bunch of backlog, though, that I’ve promised people, so I’m slowly getting rid of that. All these photos were taken by Gracie Vergara, for whom I feel camera envy. Seriously, I’m a Nikon user (at least, by way of SLRs) and I considered ditching my Nikon obnoxiousness and maybe a kidney for her camera, a Canon 5D Mark II. I’ve since come to my senses, mostly because I am astonishingly poor right now.

Anyway. Here are some photos of the trek from our first day:

• Previous
• Next

Getting from one place to another was not a piece of cake! If it were a piece of cake, I don’t know if I could eat it. Clearly, I was made for this.

We made it! This is where we had our homestay. I’m munching on biscuits because I’m both a weakling and a notorious snacker.

All in a line! The worst part is probably running into a person who is going in the other direction. A kid overtook me because I was so slow and my foot sank into the paddy. :(

It’s crazy to imagine that this is the world that people mostly saw, and not cities, highways, and skyscrapers.

Look at Sarie, appreciating the view! Potentially dangerous to fall asleep on the job, but I guess she was tired.

Gracie went ahead of us. We had to travel in a straight line, with a deep ditch to one side and a muddy paddy on the other. It’s a little disorienting, when it feels like you’re walking on clouds.

We slept on rice sacks on the floor. I don’t know if I’ve mentioned that before, but it was extremely uncomfortable. It was worth it, though, because we woke up to this:

Click through to read the rest of the post and see rice planting pictures!

I will keep referring to my Singapore trip as a Long Weekend, even though it isn’t, technically. Nonetheless, it was fun. When we landed on a Thursday afternoon, we decided to swing by Orchard Road then just to get it over with. I think we had Orchard Road overload from our last trip. Because of this brilliant decision, we had time (and energy!) to explore the rest of the places we haven’t been to. But that’s another story.

Here’s a slideshow of Instagram photos. I was going to do a collage, but I like big photographs! The following are from Laneway, the house we stayed in, and weird ice cream.

• Previous
• Next

Part II of this post: Our winner for the Field Notes Giveaway, Via, didn’t reply to my email for the last few days, so I picked a new one, alliekabok on Tumblr. I forgot to take an iShowU video of my randomization, and I obviously can’t re-enact it, so here are screencaps. Anyway, I just sent her an email and am expecting a response within the next 24 hours. Allie’s been a loyal reader of Nothing Spaces and has been a keen commenter.

Thank you again to Avalon.ph for the goods (haha) and for all y’all who joined. It’s been fun!

In other news, I’m so dreadfully sick of this layout. Aren’t you? I hope I find the time to change it soon.

At about this time last week, I was cozying it up with three other people on a bunch of rice sacks on the hardwood floor of a Spanish-Ifugao house built in the 1950s. We went there on a rice-planting (Pfukhay ad Majawjaw) and cultural trip—something close to experiencing an Ifugao culture that is similar to but not quite the same as those from Banaue. Stick and co. filmed it for their thesis. It was a really good experience.

We left Thursday night and arrived Friday morning. After a short rest at the Milcah Lodge, we gathered up some of our stuff and trekked down the mountain for “homestay,” which basically meant that we invaded someone’s house for a night.

The trek down was kind of scary because we had to walk on the “rims” of the rice paddies and balance ourselves with everything else we had been carrying. Which is tons hard when, all around you, there’s just so much beauty you rarely get to see in the city.

Addresses and directions are sort of funny, too.

“Where are we going?”

“That part down there with the three coconut trees.”

Read a little more about the rest of the trip, complete with photographs, of course!

Last weekend, I went up to Mayoayo, Ifugao with a group doing a thesis on them. If you know me, then you’d know that I’m not really an outdoorsy person—even when it comes to going out into the city. I like being relaxed and cozy at home. Still, it was a great experience, even for a hobbit like me.

Our trip began at 8 in the evening, where we boarded a bus to Santiago, Isabela. Believe it or not, this is the first time I’ve boarded a public bus with strangers. We reached our destination at about 4 the next morning, and went on a four-hour drive up the mountain in the dark.

And then, the sun came up.

Click for the rest of the photos