Thursday, July 4, 2013

The unplanned shoot.



Friday afternoon. Almost late for work but not worried. A compulsory overtime set by management due to the increasing number of medical requests was not at the top of my to-do list for the weekend. I routinely punched in. 16:02.. no pressure. When I got inside the office, almost everyone was on their feet. The work queue had been reduced to a figure manageable to those who were on regular duty! "This sucks," I told myself under a heavy sigh. All my camping plans down the drain for nothing. I hurriedly asked the shift supervisor if I can cancel my overtime. The affirmative reply gave me a big smile..


Now, what to do, where to go? Reynar suggested a photo shoot at Shk Zayed grand mosque (which we already did in the past- and why haven't I blogged about it yet?) I was up for it just to work out my shutter finger. Then he blurted out: "why not try a different shoot in Al Ain- one with real guns?" That did it. I was all into the plan. we started asking around the office who wanted to come along. Luckily, a gang was formed and off we went to our destination 120 kilometres away.



An hour later, we were at Al Ain equestrian, shooting and golf club paying our fees and getting hype for the unplanned firing. First stop: 9mm pistol firing! It was June the club had a summer offer of 90AED for 50 rounds. That deal was the bang for the buck. A short safety emphasis from the range officer (which was not really enough for most first timers in the group) all about loading the clips, pointing the gun, squeezing the trigger and oh, putting on ear protection. In no time, we were firing away at targets set at around 50 feet as per NRA indoor shooting standards. The ladies had to use the .22 pistol, which was appropriate for greenhorns but deadly if mishandled.


 My first impression of the compact Caracal nine was that it was overused, the slider was rattling and other signs of wearing were evident. The piece I used needed cleaning and oiling. Giving a little consideration that it was late in the afternoon and thousands of shells in the floor, the guns must have seen a lot of action for the day. I noticed that no matter how dead-on the target was in my sights, the bull's eye target always seemed to be "bullet proof".  If only I had a scope to check how I was shooting, I could have adjusted my sights. 

 At the end of the 50 rounds, I got a fair result- it was alright- literally! As in all the bullet punches were to the right of the bull's eye! This is humiliating.

With the urge to redeem ourselves from the rather uncomplimentary results that were forever immortalized in our target papers, we opted to try out the .22 rifles that were considerably cheaper at 70 AED for 50 rounds.


Since it was possible to shooters to split the 50 rounds, our pockets demanded that we do so. So there I was prone on the mattress with a .22 caliber KK300 Walther rifle dry firing to feel the trigger. It was feather-like. Peeking into the dot sight, my astigmatic eyes threatened to fool me. Not taking the risk of failing to redeem my poor handgun performance, I decided to shoot like I do with Nikons- both eyes open. 


The routine of  loading a bullet for every shot and pulling the bolt after every shot, ejecting the empty shell was almost ritualistic. I was getting comfortable firing a bull's eye after another. Then it hit me: the all to familiar back pain triggered by prolonged hyper extension of my lumbar spine has gave me the cue to finish my rounds and get upright for the much-needed back relief. I took my time, holding my breath each time I fired to the target 150 yards away.  Needless to say, I was vindicated of the impression I made earlier of being a poor shot.


We all had a great time firing. It was half past nine in and as the explosions from firearms slowly gave way to the sound of sweeping empty shells, the sound of grumbling in our stomachs grew to decibels that were unmistakable for tinnitus. It was time to go for grub!

A few minutes away was the golf club which was home to the finest stone grilled stake in the emirate (don't take a vegetarian's word for it, go try it yourself!) For those wondering what the vegetarian ate in a place known for it's steak, the glutton in me decided to have one whole vegetarian pizza all to myself.  That is were we spent the rest of the night. Or so we thought.

As we walked out with full stomachs the distant lights dotting the winding road up to Jabel Hafeet
caught our attention. We had our next destination! Our three-car convoy slightly stretched the city speed limits as we found our way to the mountain top. With temperatures at 35 degrees, and slight gush of desert night winds, it was still picture-perfect, despite the slight hint of dust in the air that would have been a little too obvious if the sun was up.

Our watches were about to change the dates when we decided to go home. Raynar had to report to his other half who still had work the next morning. The rest of the gang rode with Mark, who decided to go for coffee! We followed him to a Starbucks branch that would possible be open at such ungodly hours. We got there and proved ourselves wrong. The doors were locked for the night so we decided to go to another place a few hundred meters down the road.

Luckily, the guys decided to accommodate us and keep the shop open as long as we wanted. A few chats, The guys settled for raspberry-flavored shisha and I enjoyed nuts and an avocado shake. Time has passed fast and we had to decide where to spend the night since I was the only one hell-bent on going home to Adu Dhabi while the two other cars was to stay in Al Ain for the night.They decided to crash in Angel's (Mark's sister) flat. We got there and my, what a neat place she has. The lady knows her taste! French fries were made, ships were opened, bottles of San Mig Light were brought out. (of course, I get to have grape juice- just like communion.)

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It was time to go home (read: 3:00 am) We said out goodbyes and along with Geri, Daryll and April, we drove safely back home to Abu Dhabi. Ok, "safely" was an understatement since I got a picture- the one taken by speed cameras by the road? yeah, I got one on the way home. It was a little past five when we reached home. The sun was warming up, half of the city was still enjoying the pleasure of extra sleep on a weekend.

Trip expenses: gas: 50 AED. 50 rounds 9mm firing: 90 AED. 25 rounds .22 rifle: 35 AED food- pizza and iced tea: 48 AED. Speeding ticket: 300. Quality time with friends: priceless.




Thursday, June 6, 2013

Bare Essentials: Footwear



I have decided to take time to tip my hat to something we mostly take for granted: Footwear. We use them to keep our feet comfortable and protected from the elements out there. We wear them every day, going over our daily activities, trusting them to get us thru the day.

This idea came as I was taking shots of my shoes just to comply with a certain theme in one of the photography forums I have joined. While preparing my "subjects" for the shoot, I realized 3 things: First, all of my footwear are over 2 years old. Second, I remember when and where I bought them, even the price and means of payment. Lastly, I have, in different circumstances, tried sleeping with each of the shoes on. (read: "we've been through thick and thin")  I love the idea of getting a new pair of kicks every now and then but my pocket consistently denies me that pleasure. As tribute to the stuff I step on every day, I'm featuring them here.



First up, the casual brown leather shoes I got from the Timberland shop in CentralPlaza Pinklao, Bangkok back in April, '07 (as I said, the nerd in me still knows every purchase detail)  I swiped off 3,400 THB for this pair, estimating a three-year service. Guess what, it has been 6 years and still nothing wrong with it! I must admit, this is the only pair I have (or will ever have) that was made in Vietnam. On the shop, I had some prejudice on the quality since it was made in a country known for knock off products (back then). It did not feel comfortable at first but as weeks went by, the soles slowly adjusted to the contour of my feet and it felt good! It looks good when paired with casual khakis. I love how the insoles keep my feet cool and it still is waterproof up to now.



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The outdoor boots. Got this pair of Merrels from the Mall of Asia in Manila for PHP 5,675.00 back in December 2008. My love for tough boots started since childhood. Ever since I had my first Coleman boots,  I have made it a point that all the camping boots I would have must be waterproof.  I was always engaged in outdoor activities. Growing up in Mountain View College, a 1024-hectare school campus located in the heart of Mindanao, Philippines surely has contributed to this. I remember as a child, we were constantly warned not to wear flip-flops while walking in the pathways at night to avoid being stung by scorpions. Snakes were easy to find- even under our house.   I love trekking, camping and spelunking ("caving" to those who prefer simple words) and this is a must-have for such activities. These boots have been thru mud in the mountains of Tambulig Zamboanga del Sur, trekking in Manupali river and Malingon creek in Bukidnon to the rocks of Jabel Hafeet and sands of the UAE. I have even used this in most of my mountain biking adventures from '08-'09. I consider this the type of shoes I should wear when the world becomes a wasteland, or when the ozone layer finally gives up, or when the world ends or the zombies attack... You get the picture. It does not only manage to look attractive, it even attracts gravity to a certain degree. Still it has the puncture-proof technology offered by the out soles of Vibram and of course, it is waterproof.


This hiking shoes still from Merrel A much tamed down version of my boots. Purchased in Safeer Mall, 
Sharjah in July 2010 for a sale price of AED 395, this light-weight, comfortable shoes shares the same puncture-proof soles offered by Vibram. The simple no-nonsense design, tested toughness of Merrel and the advantage that is was on Ramadan sale persuaded me to get this pair. Albeit offering meager protection from sand and water, this quick-dry shoes offers comfort and ease from the desert heat. Having used this in all seven emirates, wading in waters of the Indian Ocean along the shores of Fujairah, dipping my hot feet in  Wadi Wurrayah while on solo camping/trekking, I still have to find a flaw on this pair.




 It was in August 2011, my back injury that I got as a souvenir from working as an ER nurse in Yanhee Hospital in Bangkok was getting the best of be. I knew I had to get a pair of "comfy shoes" that offered natural posture for my feet. I was on the verge of placing an online order for this since it has been more than a year of searching for VFFs (Vibram Five Fingers) in the UAE. I was walking with my sister and her hubby in Festival City when sister dear spotted what I have been looking for. The Society shop  was then the only distributor of this weird footwear in the UAE. The catch: this one costs AED 1150. Almost 8 times the price in the US! Shelling out that amount for a pair of footwear that made one look kinda funny was a painful thing to do. Yet, there was nothing funny when all you can think of is your back pain. It was an investment. Fast forward three weeks, back pain was gone! I have never had a more comfortable footwear. It feels like donning a pair of extra thick soles and still managing to stride with ease. It does take time to get used to since this footwear will make adjustments in the way you walk. Body weight is properly distributed on your feet and even to the toes when moving about. This model is a Bikilla KSO (means "keep stuff out") and it does the job. Simple care instructions come with it: you can put it in the washing machine along with your clothes. Since then, another shoe chain has started selling VFFs in reasonable prices (still cheaper in the US) and I have gotten a second pair of VFFs. This footwear worth every hard-earned dirham..



 Some people make it a hobby to collect footwear. Others consider them a fashion statement or simply pick the ones that are considered "in". A old friend of mine who always complained of having to deal with uncomfortable footwear and who was often seen walking barefoot with her shoes that were designed to make her reach greater heights told me when confronted about her shoe choice: "The harder it is to walk, the sexier it looks."
 
Well, to each his (or her) own. But for me, I keep it simple. I don't own a pair of basketball shoes- I don't play ball. I only have one pair of slippers- I never go out wearing flip-flops. I only get what I need to keep my feet comfortable in any activity. I only own what I need: my bare essentials.