309 comments

• • 

  • Dear Ding, It was such a delight to have made the Glimpse of Vigan album. Why? As you may have noticed, I tried to incorporate some "antique" photo effects to 4 photos (the opening, ending & 2 more inside photos). Yes, I applied some artistic liberty to my photos in this album just to give it a touch of the "old world" that befits the subject at hand - old Spanish colonial city of Vigan. Ding, thank you for coming to my album, and taking the time to scour through each photo & annotation. Of course thank you, too, for letting me know what you thought about some of them & the album. I'm glad to know you have been edified by it, knowing that you have Ilocano blood coursing through your veins. (Wen Manong!) And may God bless you, your family & Ilocano clan. ~~~Mary Ann

  • said maryan54

  • 2 days ago

• • 

  • Dear Ding, I'm grateful that you viewed my recent "Glimpse" photos and for the really nice comments you took the time to write in my Butuan-Agusan album. I thank the Lord for the unexpected opportunity in my job to roam my beloved Philippines & explore unique spots in every place I visit. I had no idea before I came to Butuan City that this place was a thriving port in the 10th-13th century, even way before the Philippines was discovered by Magellan in 1521. This is one fact that amazed me & made me proud of my Filipino roots. I hope you do, too! Have a blessed week, my friend! ~~~Mary Ann

  • said maryan54

  • 17 days ago

• • 

  • Dear Ding, I truly appreciate the many comments you placed in my Dipolog album. Because of time constraint, it was just too bad that I wasn't able to visit the neighboring town, Dapitan, where Phil. national hero (Jose Rizal) spent his exile days. Anyway, I spent a late afternoon in a rented tricycle riding around Dipolog City. I found the city quite laid-back and refreshingly quaint. I was astonished to know that Dipolog is 97% Christian with a rather small community of Muslims. One can really see a lot of Spanish colonial influences, especially from the Catholic missionaries like the Jesuits. Once again, Ding, thank you for viewing my recent album. God bless you, dear friend! ~~~Mary Ann

  • said maryan54

  • 1 months 1 days ago

• • 

  • Dear Ding, Both Cagayan de Oro as a city & the province Misamis Oriental (MisOr) are mostly 80% Christians. And the Muslim community that live there are generally Maranaos (or Maranaws) who are known to be peace-loving than their counterparts, the Tausugs of Sulu & Zamboanga. They are generally artisans that produce artistic crafts such as colorful richly-designed mats, brassware & in-laid woodcraft. Thank you so much for the really great comments about my MisOr album. Every place I visit in the Philippines is a new adventure for me, and I am always delighted learning from & experiencing the place & its people. So glad that you do & feel the same way even through viewing my albums. Thank you, and God bless you, my dear friend! ~~~Mary Ann

  • said maryan54

  • 1 months 29 days ago

• • 

  • Dear Ding, Your warm praise about my featured album (Puerto Princesa Underground River in the Philippines) was a really cool way to surprise me and make my day. (It's your 2nd comment on the same album! How cool is that, dear friend!!!) Thank you so much for taking the time to be so kind through your constant supportive words. You have a wonderful heart, Ding! Have a blessed forthcoming Holy Week & advance Happy Easter!!! Once again with deepest thanks, and God bless! ~~~ Mary Ann

  • said maryan54

  • 1 months 30 days ago

• • 

  • Dear Ding, Once again you have managed to encourage & motivate me in my modest quest to feature interesting Philippine places to the world community. Thank you for visiting my Camiguin album, and even combing through every photo description therein. I must confess that it took me quite a long while to complete this album. For one, there was much research I had to make just to be able to properly identify each mountain or volcanic peak I shot in reference from where I took the photo & orient myself using a map of Camiguin. There was no tour guide to tell us about the places we went, save the commemoration markers present in the site or photos I took of key signboards. Of course, Google & Google Map are great indispensable resources, I must admit! Thank you, Ding, for being a conscientious viewer & commentator of my albums. Am deeply touched. God bless! ~~~Mary Ann

  • said maryan54

  • 2 months 6 days ago

• • 

  • Dear Ding, Tacloban City as a whole, and San Juanico Bridge in particular - were another Philippine travel milestones for me, thanks largely to my work in the company. Such work trips to the provinces, though thoroughly exhausting, gave me rare opportunities to "escape" from office routines, roam the countryside & visit scenic spots that I only get to read about or watch on TV. In this instance, I was really impressed by the construction of San Juanico bridge, and to finally set my foot on that edifice & view its lovely surroundings - well, it wasn't really "cloud 9", but it sure felt like it! :-) Glad you enjoyed the photos, Ding. Thank you for looking at them, & letting me know your thoughts. The bridge construction really reminded me of your engineering skill. I'm sure you would've appreciated the workmanship & resulting beauty that went into building that awesome structure. Keep warm, my friend, & stay safe. And as always, God bless! ~~~Mary Ann

  • said maryan54

  • 3 months 1 days ago

• • 

  • Dear Ding, Thank you for visiting my Romualdez Museum album. Though the furnishings & decors are rather impressive, yet it was a bitter-sweet experience touring that museum, given the profligate lifestyle the Marcos couple led. Thank you also for the many comments you left - appreciate this a lot, dear friend. God bless. ~~~Mary Ann

  • said maryan54

  • 3 months 9 days ago

• • 

  • Dear Ding, thank you for your visits to my wetland albums. We live pretty close to this area and love to go there for a summerholiday.

  • said Ciska08

  • 3 months 11 days ago

• • 

  • Magandang umaga sa iyo, Ding. Maraming salamat sa pagdalaw mo sa aking album pinamagatang "On a Wing and a Prayer", at sa iniwan mong komentaryo. Ikinagigiliwan kong basahin ang lahat ng komentaryo mo dahil tunay pinag-iisipan mo ang lahat nito, palibhasa siguro inhinyero ka kasi, ano? :-) Sa muli, maraming salamat, at nawa'y nasa mabuti kang kalagayan, at matiwasay ang iyong kalusugan, minamahal na kaibigan! Ingat ka, at pagpalain ka ng ating Panginoon! ~~~Mary Ann

  • said maryan54

  • 3 months 18 days ago

• • 

  • Dear Ding, Thank you for visiting my butterfly album, leaving nice words about the photo's. I took many of them on the day that we have become grandparents, so they are special to me indeed, as is our granddaughter, getting 3 this July. I regret that I have to let you know that our Philippine foster daughter was rejected for the master course she would have liked to attend in Holland. Sad that the argument mentioned was a lack of social science knowledge, hard to accept for a youn lady with the development she managed to reach untill now. Perhaps closing of this door can open other doors...

  • said Ciska08

  • 4 months 6 days ago

• • 

  • Dear Ding, Thank you for visiting my mountain album. Yes me and my family went on skies over there. I appreciate your invitation to become webshots friend and gladly accept. It was amazing to see your SD animal park album and especialy the photo's of the seamammal show. The solitairy prayer units in the muslim album seem strange to me. I just cannot bring that in balance with what I have seen in Urumqi; hundreds of people gathering in the street and inside the mosk to kneel on a carpet for their prayer. In a way this scared me, I just could not understand.

  • said Ciska08

  • 4 months 15 days ago

• • 

  • Dear, dear Ding, Indeed the bond of friendship (even in this Webshots community) is uniquely strong and enduring despite its immense membership base & ocassional visits by long-time friends. Yet the personal value of member-friends remain high & sought-after. Yes, just like how I value your friendship all these years. This said, I wish you the merriest of Christmas & the happiest of New Year yet! Blessings to you & love ones this Yuletide holidays, dear old friend, Ding! ~~~Warm Philippine greetings from Mary Ann

  • said maryan54

  • 5 months 20 days ago

• • 

  • Dear Ding, Today, Pacquiao did it again! A few hours ago, he won the boxing bout in Las Vegas. The whole country is once more celebrating, as I am! But on a more personal note, I'm happy to see your comments pop up in my tablet while watching the bout on TV. Thank you, my dear friend, for visiting my second Palawan album this year. Somehow your technical comments never cease to amaze me. Iba talaga ang inhinyero kung mag-susuri ano? :-) Enjoy the rest of your weekend, Ding. Mabuhay si Manny! At mabuhay ang Pilipinas! Oh yes, God bless, and Mizpah! ~~~Mary Ann

  • said maryan54

  • 6 months 17 days ago

• • 

  • Dear Ding, I can't thank you enough for those numerous comments you placed in my recent album, Glimpse of Palawan (1), featuring my trip to the Underground River. Yes, there is a 2nd Palawan album coming very soon. And yes, it's my 4th visit to Palawan since last year. I still need to visit Busuanga & Coron way up the northernmost part of Palawan. God willing, that should happen next year. BTW, the "Interesting Vegetation ..." photo description placed in 4 plant photos in my underground river album is my way of saying I don't know the plant's name. :-) Thus until I learn their right names, the "Interesting Vegetation" titles will remain as such. Once again, thank you for your visit to my album & those thoughtful comments. Take care & God bless you & your family, especially your grandson! (I like your new profile photo - a beeming, proud grandpa with beautiful "apo".) ~~~Mary Ann

  • said maryan54

  • 6 months 29 days ago

• • 

  • Dear Ding, The other 2 reasons are Fisherman's Wharf & the Sequioa Redwoods forest (near the Golden Gate bridge I think). Have a wonderful day, and God bless you! ~~~Mary Ann

  • said maryan54

  • 7 months 18 days ago

• • 

  • Dear Ding The Philippines is in my mind nearly every day, I almost weekly call Glenn and have contact with her through e-mail. We helped her family to build a house of stone, she learned how to handle her financy and enjoys her job. Now she is in the race for education on master level in Holland at ISS. They way we have seen her country was matchless. We are glad that we got that opportunity. Thanks for reading best regards Ciska

  • said Ciska08

  • 7 months 23 days ago

• • 

  • Dear Ding Sorry you could not find my website, "niet gevonden" means not found. Perhaps this is because on this website there seems to be a space before last 9. You can also search with google on Ciska Frans China and I do hope you can find the english version of the "Filippijnen", Philippines. End here with my best regards. Ciska

  • said Ciska08

  • 7 months 25 days ago

• • 

  • Dear Ding, The POTD feature of my beehive ginger flower photo caught me by surprise, and the deluge of wellwishers was even a bigger surprise!!! Your greeting is such a delight for me. Though I am happy by this uncalled for recognition, I am so much happier to be counted amongst this beloved community called Webshots where friendships and cheer are so warmly felt. God bless you, my dear friend, and Mizpah! ~~~Mary Ann

  • said maryan54

  • 8 months 3 days ago

• • 

  • Dear Ding, First off, thank you so much for the tons of comments you placed in my Iloilo album. Bakit kaya? Do I take this to mean you're homesick of the Philippines??? :-) Anyway, just to answer your query about why I have no indoor shots of the San Jose Church, the answer is simple - the entrance door was locked. But I sure would love to take a peek of what's inside this impressive cathedral, but I just couldn't break in. (LOL) Perhaps next time when I get the chance to return to Iloilo, the doors would be open? BTW, do you know that every new place I go to, I grab the chance to go around the city or town for at least 3 hours by hiring a cab to take me around, and by God's grace, SAFELY? This is a real blesssing for me, Ding! I take photos with folks like you in mind, so you may see what I see of the places I've been to. And comments from you (and many others) seem to validate my mission in taking Philippine photos. So now I thank you for your openness in letting me know your thoughts when you view my photos. Really appreciate this! God bless you, Ding, and have a full and wonderful life! ~~~Mary Ann

  • said maryan54

  • 8 months 8 days ago

• • 

  • Dear Ding, Thank you for the warm congratulations on my 6M views. It's a gratifying feeling that folks and friends (like you) still come and take a peek of my Philippine photos, though I have been so sluggish uploading photos the past few months due to work demands that take me out to the provinces. I trust that all is well with you and with your family! Stay happy, and God bless! ~~~Mary Ann

  • said maryan54

  • 9 months 23 days ago

• • 

  • Dear Ding, I'm soo glad you found my Zamboanga album quite informative (and, hopefully, interesting, too?). My visit to Zambo was really my 2nd time, the first was yet in 1987 when I was stationed there solo for almost a month installing a major software for a regional NFA office. I even got a chance to visit Basilan, too - but that was before the Abu Sayaf came into existence, of course. Nowadays for a Manileno, it will be quite foolish to even set foot in there. But all in all, my recent trip to Zambo was rather uneventful but made very interesting by the curacha crab dish I ate & got to really, really enjoy! Thank you so much, Ding, for your numerous & wonderful comments. Coming from you, that is a real compliment that set my week to a magnificent start! What an awesome jumpstart for me, ano? God bless, and take precious care! ~~~Mary Ann

  • said maryan54

  • 10 months 27 days ago

• • 

  • Dear Ding, I'm so glad to see you returned to my album, Sonya's Garden, and placed so many thoughtful, meaningful comments. Heartfelt thanks, my dear friend! My memories of that place are so full of warm happiness, it pains me sometimes to leave that garden haven. I only hope Ms. Sonya will keep this garden for more decades to come, so that future generations of my family will also learn to enjoy and love the place just as I do. Oh, do take precious care, Ding, and God bless! ~~~Mary Ann

  • said maryan54

  • 2011.05.12 at 04:06:45 PDT

• • 

  • Dear Ding, Sonya's Garden was a real treat for me & my friends when we went there last April. Though I've been there at least 3 times before, still, I haven't grown tired visiting the place. There's just so much calm beauty & wonderful memories that have been woven there for me. From my photos, I'm glad you think the place is worth visiting. So I thank you for that comment you wrote. God bless you, Ding! ~~~Mary Ann

  • said maryan54

  • 2011.05.09 at 05:23:13 PDT

• • 

  • Dear Ding, I'm glad that you got to visit my Canlubang Golf Course album, and thank you for the many comments you left there. I can understand if you're no longer sure as to which golf course you played in SLEX during your last visit to the Phils. I can name 6 golf courses in that general direction: Tagaytay Highlands, Sta Elena, Canlubang, Ayala Greenfield, Riviera & Eagle Ridge. Anyway, just to let you know, creating this album taught me a few things about golfing, a sport I'm totally unfamiliar with. So I was glad that you took to placing your feedback & comments there. May our Lord continue to uphold you & your family in His able & wise care, Ding. And God bless! ~~~Mary Ann

  • said maryan54

  • 2011.04.03 at 18:35:42 PDT

Please login to post here.