Meet Lester

Lester is the latest addition to the Bohol mafia in Bahrain. He just arrived in Bahrain last day of 2008 to work for a print shop.

JPG is saying goodbye

I don't know, but I'm actually stricken-sad. I could cry, too, if I was the crying sort. Received an email today with the heading: JPG Magazine says goodbye. I thought it was their clever way of greeting Happy New Year, saying goodbye to year 2008 and all. But no, it was for real. It is for real. jpg.com is shutting down this Monday. I've never been really directly affected by the global economic crisis, save for this. This is so, so sad.

The letter from JPG Mag reads:

Today is a particularly sad day for all of us at JPG and 8020 Media.

We've spent the last few months trying to make the business behind JPG sustain itself, and we've reached the end of the line. We all deeply believe in everything JPG represents, but we just weren't able to raise the money needed to keep JPG alive in these extraordinary economic times. We sought out buyers, spoke with numerous potential investors, and pitched several last-ditch creative efforts, all without success. As a result, jpgmag.com will shut down on Monday, January 5, 2009.

The one thing we've been the most proud of: your amazing talent. We feel honored and humbled to have been able to share jpgmag.com with such a dynamic, warm, and wonderful community of nearly 200,000 photographers. The photography on the website and in the magazine was adored by many, leaving no doubt that this community created work of the highest caliber. The kindness, generosity, and support shared among members made it a community in the truest sense of the word, and one that we have loved being a part of for these past two years.

We wish we could have found a way to leave the site running for the benefit of the amazing folks who have made JPG what it is, and we have spent sleepless nights trying to figure something out, all to no avail. Some things you may want to do before the site closes:

- Download the PDFs of back issues, outtakes, and photo challenge selections. We'll always have the memories! www.jpgmag.com/downloads/archives.html
- Make note of your favorite photographers. You may want to flip through your favorites list and jot down names and URLs of some of the people you'd like to stay in touch with. You may even want to cut and paste your contacts page into a personal record.
- Catch up with your fellow members. Our roots are in this humble flickr forum and we recommend going back to find fellow members, discuss the situation, or participate in another great photo community. www.flickr.com/groups/jpgmag/
- Keep in touch. This has always been much more than just a job to each of us, and we'll miss you guys! We'll be checking the account jpgletters@gmail.com in our free time going forward. We can't promise to reply to every email (since we'll be busy tuning up our resumes) but we'd love to hear from you.
- Stay posted. Although the magazine is ceasing publication, we'll be updating you on what's happening with your subscription early next week.

We're soggy-eyed messes, but it is what it is. At that, JPGers, we bid you goodbye, and good luck in 2009 and the future.

Laura Brunow Miner
Editor in Chief


I received the 2 issues (that I got free for having my photo published) just last December (right before I left for Bahrain).


The issue my photo was published in.

My January 1st Dinner

After coming back from New Year's Eve all-nighter (+ daytime, too) party at Tom+Marlyn's+Claire's+Kuya Boy's place with Joel and Lester. Night after New Year's Eve. Heated leftover from Chinese lunch last Tuesday. And I'm using chopsticks, too.

New Year 2009

Back at Tom and Marlyn's place New Year's.

New Year's Day is a holiday here, this time. Thank goodness. We could actually celebrate New Year's Eve, countdown and all. Well, not all. Nothing loud and festive. No fireworks, no firecrackers. But there was food. And karaoke. And booze. And Lester (who just arrived from good ole Pinaz that early, early morning.


Karaoke again. Joel, Ate Marlyn, Kuya Boy.


The karaoke chair.


Booze.


I had a light lager.


Claire and Tom.

Krispi, Krimi

The first chance I got, I readily bought me a half-dozen box of Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, when I learned from a local magazine that they have branches here. We found this one at Bahrain City Center (supposedly the largest and newest mall in the kingdom).

Christmas

Eve of Christmas. Nothing significant. Spent, I just slept the night away. We worked late to finish up furnishing the Adliya project flats so we'd have the day off for Christmas Day. It's not a holiday here, obviously. But well-meaning bosses would give their Christian employees the day off to celebrate. Some for a full day. Some for a half. So Pinoys usually celebrate the night of Christmas Day. More like the Christmas Dinner of westerners, not our tradish noche buena. I think.

Christmas Day. Joel has invited me to celebrate Christmas at Tom and Marlyn's with their cute 6-month-old baby Claire and Kuya Boy, their flatmate, whom I just met there that night. It's not my first Christmas away from home. But it's my first Christmas celeb with people I barely know. I've met Tom and Marlyn previously, though, but it could feel like I was crashing a party or something. I made sure though that we brought something, Joel and I could share the bill. A box of Popeye's chicken isn't much, but it is something.

But it is Christmas. And we were all Pinoys. So the party went on. Dinner and drinks and what else, karaoke. After midnight, conversations of nothing-ness. It was a sleep-over party.

Day after Christmas was a Friday. Rest Day in Arabic countries. We didn't have anything planned. DVDs were there waiting to be viewed. We watched about 2. The Day the Earth Stood Still. And Hero Wanted. So so.

That Christmas celeb was not, though. It was in fact pretty merry. Thanks to the kindness and graciousness of our hosts. They keep doing this, we just might keep coming back. Haha! Now that's the spirit of Christmas.


Christmas Dinner.


Grilled Fish.


Pho c/o Kuya Boy.


Our Popeye's contribution.


Assorted Grilled Tikka.


Pulutan (Thai something) c/o Kuya Boy.


And for the drinks, ehem, Bombay Sapphire.

Food That I Eat

Sandwich wrap.



First few days (free from OT work).


First cooked meals


Food to get by.


Lutong bahay c/o Joel.

Pinoy Photographers in No Man's Land

The groups needs a little getting used to. They're cool people I'm sure. But then again, it's not the best time to join a group when they're in a party or anything celebratory. I expected to be left out. (Especially that's they're mostly Tagalogs and I didn't notice anyone sporting a Lomo)


GPN celebrated their 1st Anniversary (cum Xmas party) at a hotel in Juffair last 11th December 2008.


The not so little group of GPN in Bahrain. Gulf Photographers Network is a Photographic Network of Enthusiasts in the Gulf (as written in their Flickr Home - http://www.flickr.com/groups/gulfphoto/ ).

My Room

Company accommodation. In a 3-bedroom flat. I was supposed to room with an office mate and saw this one, vacant, and opted for it. Don't laugh, the bedsheets and rug came with the room.

My Zain eZee

My Bahrain mobile number: (+973)36****70.

Apparently I bought it at a much higher price. 5BD at the Seef Mall. 1BD at one's friendly neighborhood cold store.

SMS is charged the same as a call. So people call more often here.

I brought my Phil sim with me. My Globe roaming is supposedly active. But I've received no messages since I got here. Either nobody's texting or the roaming's not working.

Now in Bahrain

I finally arrive in Bahrain.

After the gruelling hours at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (almost 10 hours), watching the coming and going of Pinoy OFWs in the waiting area inside the terminal, most of them headed for the Middle East, most of the ones I talked with, DH, Mindanaoan Muslims, plus the hours of actual air travel via Cathay Pacific, Manila to Hongkong, waited a little more than an hour in Chek Lap Kok (not a long wait because I was able to access free WiFi and spent most of it YMing anyone who's island that I was in HK) with a connecting flight to Bahrain, which had one stop in Dubai, pausing there for not more than an hour, and after 3 sets of full airline meals plus 2 sets of refreshments, and chatting with at least 6 fellow travellers, I finally arrive in Bahrain.

It's about 7 in the morning. Bahrain is cold. Colder than I expected.

But there is barely any time to meander. I had to get to work that same day if I wanted to be oriented with the job. Elsie, my referrer and supposedly direct superior would be leaving for a 2-month vacation back in Pinaz.

I have definitely arrived in Bahrain.