Team PCheng 2014 Recap: A look back at the year that was

2014 was a big year for us. We had big projects and arguably more projects that we ever had and we're very grateful for that- it just shows that all our hard work is finally paying off. Aside from the increase in projects we also got new equipment to help us with all the Team PCheng work, until recently Paul and I would have to share with my old HP laptop when working on photos for him and writing blog posts for me. Now this old HP laptop, is really old and really slow, we suspect some hardware problem with the heat sync or the cooling pad, or the thermal paste with the processor, something like that (I won't pretend to know what I'm talking about-because I don't). Basically the laptop overheats so much that it's so slow we have to put electric fans in front of it just so we can (barely) use it. But last August 2014 I won a freaking iPad mini! (Thank you Sky Cable! ^_^)

Julz Savard of Save Me Hollywood opening for Red Jumpsuit Apparatus
in March at Eastwood City. 

The plan is to have the laptop fixed - you know just in case we need to bring work with us or maybe travel and work at the same time or have work as travel (any excuse just to travel, because we're not just a couple of nerds who like to stay at home to watch movies and DVDs, we like to travel too! And my wish for 2015 is to get to travel more :p Even if it means bringing work along-we do 't mind). 

So going back to the recap - Paul and I had to take turns using the really slow laptop, so having the iPad, I got to do blogging and some social media managing on the tablet while Paul worked on photos on the laptop. Before the year ended though we were finally able to get a new PC (thanks to our 13th month pay) and so even if it's not the PC specs that Paul would have liked it definitely has made things faster for us. It's really important for me to mention this upgrade as I am eternally grateful for it, especially when I think about how we would have to take turns with the old laptop before but now we each can get some work done at a faster and more efficient speed. Definitely a big highlight for our 2014! ^_^

We were tapped by Tokyo Bubble Tea to feature their new Milo Series of Drinks as well as other yummy food - hoping to get to blog more about food this year -
gotta watch the waist line though! :P 

Although we, for some reason covered less music shows, concerts and gigs for this year (blame our ugly schedule, which aside from night shifts also meant working on weekends) we got to have a wider scope of things to cover and blog about. For one, it was our first year to be part of Nuffnang which meant more blogging opportunities for us. We got to attend a couple of blocked screenings and win and enjoy prizes - remember all those Cadbury chocolate?! Yup- all thanks to Nuffnang! Definitely looking forward to more blogging opportunities with them and maybe win even bigger prizes in 2015. 

And as if we were cementing our foot hold in the blogging community, it was also our first time to attend Blogapalooza - we had fun even if we were dead tired since once again we had to come from work :p Will definitely attend this year but will make more preparations (file leaves and get enough rest) ^_^

Sealed with a kiss. Our biggest project up to date getting to cover the
wedding of Mr. and Mrs. Dayanghirang.
#DevAndEmEverAfter

Carvings at Pinto Art Gallery in Antipolo. 

This 2014 we also got to blog and feature a couple of galleries and attend opening of art exhibits of some artist friends. Hoping to get to do more of that in 2015 ^_^ 

We also officially became a partner blogger for Amplify.ph :) so even if we haven't been covering as much local gigs as we would have wanted, we got to feature a lot of up and coming local acts on the blog. We even got to meet Iligan based band Loop when they came over to Manila and for us who support local music as much as we do it was really an honor. It was like a culmination of our 2014 support of OPM. While there was a decrease in covering local gigs we got to do more album/EP reviews this year and I'm looking forward to doing more in 2015.

Iligan based band Loop during the Route 196 show of their Manila tour. 

Noticeably we had more projects this year- we have been tapped to cover weddings, birthdays, christening and a couple of team shoots. Even if it meant loosing rest and sleep at times, Paul and I went ahead and pursued these projects. It was an honor being able to capture memories in photos. Throughout 2014, Paul and I also continued on with our crusade to bring printed photos back in this day and age, where everything is digital and every one is just happy uploading everything on social media but Paul believes that photos just shouldn't end on your timeline but should be printed as well. I guess that's just our being 'old' :P For 2015 we will definitely continue on printing photos and sharing that with not only our clients but with people we meet. I'm hoping to get to buy an Instax, so we can have photos printed (through polaroids) right away. Maybe in the future (or in this year) we can include that in our photography packages. ^_^

2014 was a big year for us and as we begin with the first few days of 2015, Paul and I will continue to treat everything as we had like one big misadventure. Thank you for everyone who has been part of our 2014, whether you were a client, a follower or a reader, thank you so much for the support! Hoping that you'll join us for another crazy ride in 2015.

Click HERE for More Photos of our 2014 Recap! 

Ready to get back up!

In case you guys didn't know I had a challenging (I won't say bad) last quarter of 2013 - refer to this post here. Despite the set backs I've regained my footing and am now ready to get back up. 

In case you didn't notice I haven't been blogging or posting stuff online as much as I used to. Well this is mostly due to my unexpected change in plans. But that doesn't mean that I haven't been writing - I actually have been writing old school style in a worn out steno notebook, making sure I don't forget my thoughts and reflections; just waiting for the time when I would be ready to sit in front of my good-old laptop and start typing in a frenzied state and I guess that time is now. 

Even before I started blogging I've always had the 'itch' of wanting to write and wanting to get my thoughts across. I guess that's the frustrated writer in me wanting to break free from its prison. I'm just lucky that I got to hone my writing skills when I was in College by being part of the school newspaper. So even if I lack the formal training one requires to call themselves a professional writer I still get by as a blogger and freelance writer. 

So now I'm finally adjusted and I'm finally ready to regain my place in this obscure realm known as cyberspace. Because even if I lost myself, stumbled and fell I was still able to get right back up. 

It doesn't matter that it took time or that I still feel the pain at times; what matters is that I got right back up and I'm ready to be me again.          

Sometimes I ask myself -- ?

Okay - so don't be surprised this is not a blog post on an event, or an announcement or a review of anything. This is just me - Ica - letting some steam off in one of the best ways (aside from music) that I know how - writing and blogging. Maybe I need to do this more often or to the limitations to which I will be entitled to but for whatever reason I hope you guys don't get bored or click close - I guess its time I also gave you some personal thoughts and maybe let you know what's going on in my head. I don't know if its' that time of the month again or I'm just feeling really depressed now - so hope you guys indulge and read through :)   

So here goes -- 

Sometimes I ask myself why Paul and I do what we do? Why we spend our time blogging, covering events and writing reviews, among others. Sometimes I find myself so excited itching to start blogging, with thoughts flying across my head just waiting to get posted online. But I'll admit that there are times when I just want to lay down on bed and not do or think of anything. There are times and there are a lot of them, especially when we don't get the invites or the photo pass that we asked for - and I do ask a lot that I just want to pull my hair out of frustration and eat a pizza, blasting angsty music while I'm at it. The market is so saturated and there are so many people who do what we do - blog, take photos and what not and its' just so frustrating and hard to get a place, to get a spot and to squeeze in. You know - just asking for a chance. 

I mean what am I supposed to write about? I can't be a foodie- I am a very picky person when it comes to food, I bet that if you made a list of things that I eat to a list of things I don't eat you would have a longer list for the latter and its' not like we can afford to go to the swankiest of restaurants to try out their food either. Tried my hand in product reviews and make up blogging but that didn't really work out either - for the same reason of not being able to afford to have product haul after product haul of beauty products to review. So Paul and I settled to something that we both love - music and the pop geek culture. While we get invites on events and gigs, there is always that feeling of wanting to do more, as man has been known to feel but not getting the chance and the opportunity to do so. Covering these events means spending money on gas and food - while Paul and I are extremely grateful for the opportunity and the invites presented to us, maybe some people don't realize what it means for us to go on an event especially when we are on critical wallet day and are on a tight budget. Sometimes I ask myself what we get from all of this? I don't know if I'm just having a bad day or if I have a legitimate question. I do appreciate and I am grateful to the wonderful people that we have met while embarking on our adventures and meeting them and supporting music have definitely been one of the better things in these things that we do and spend so much time on.  

Paul has been pushing himself with his photography, since he wants to improve and become better but photography is a very expensive hobby and it really does hurt me looking at him becoming frustrated since he wants to improve so bad with his photography and of course that means needing funds for new lenses, a new body and other camera paraphernalia. He goes out every day making sure that he has a photo of the day and he is really pushing himself to learn more and more in photography, reading blogs and watching videos online. I know he wants to be a photographer professionally and that it is his dream - maybe someday we would get to see that dream lived, maybe.