Sessions: Monica and Setefano

Jun 5, 2019 | Photography

A memorable photo session with Monica and Setefano for their senior prom.

This was my first ‘official’ shoot with my new camera–a Sony A7III (I’ve named it “Three”!)–and I was so nervous because I still wasn’t fully accustomed to the Sony system after switching from Canon. I’m still getting the hang of it. But I love love loved how all the photos turned out! Monica and Setefano were dressed to the nines and should have automatically been voted cutest couple and prom king and queen! Monica was absolutely stunning in her perfectly paired outfit and accessories, and Setefano was slick and cool in his complementing maroon two piece suit. I shot and directed for a little over an hour while we swayed to the music blaring from my little speakers, and we created some magic and called it a wrap as the sun fully set behind us.

Thanks to Charmaine, for asking me to capture these special moments, and to Aunty Ula and the fam for your fun and positive energy.

xoxo

Off season in Rincon | Puerto Rico Travel Diary

Jun 14, 2018 | Travel

We drove in to Rincon in the late afternoon. The traffic and winding streets made my tummy uneasy so I was elated to get situated in this cozy Coconut Cottage for the night.

*ahem* Not really complaining because I should be used to this, but there were a lot of mosquitoes though.

We checked out the Rincon Marina to scope out the scene. It had been raining all day, and it would rain every day at noon while we were there.

It was off-season for tourism but most importantly (for Ian), off season for surf of any kind. There were absolutely no waves anywhere except on the postcards at the empty surf shops. We got skunked.

Feeling deeply grateful to be able to meet up with good friends from around the world in new and beautiful places.

We got groceries at the Econo Supermarket to last us the next couple of days that we would be there. But then we also decided to grab a nice dinner at Roots in the town square where we laughed and toasted to friendship.

The next couple of days were quality.

Snorkeling, SUPing, seeing huge barracudas fly by.

Eating, drinking, talking, playing card games.

Nobody in this quiet town, except us and the singing coqui.

–

We tried to plan a scuba dive or a kayak tour of the bioluminescence, but were unfortunately turned away by the operators. The fact that it was off season was one possible reason, but it could have also been our short 3 day stay not being enough time. *Shrugs*

Our friends’ love and sunset on our last evening in Rincon.

Finally a picture of all of us together!

That morning: sleeping in, snorkeling, showering (it was about time haha), and saying adios to Rincon.

We got back on the road toward San Juan.

I was sad to leave so soon, but happy to share new memories with old friends.

–

Warmly,

Nerelle

Dive Log: Birthday Out West at Nua-Seetaga Bay

Mar 29, 2018 | Lifestyle

DATE: Saturday, 17 March 2018

DIVE SITE: Nua-Se’etaga, American Samoa

DIVE BUDDY: Ian M

SNORKELERS: Mark, Alice, and Eric

MAX DEPTH: 75 ft.

TIME: 70 minutes

START PSI: 2700
END PSI: 1000

NOTES: 11am medium-low tide. Kind of a long surface swim, and a little murky at first but cleared up nicely when we dropped down below 30 feet. Alice was on snorkel and free dove to point out sweet pinnacle formation. Swam through a little gap in coral. Got buzzed by a beautiful green turtle! Spotted a juvenile Humphead Wrasse (Cheilinus undulatus)! Swam back. Ian helped me swim back in through the riptide.

You Need to visit Ubud Art Market

Sep 17, 2017 | Travel

About the Ubud Art Market:

Locals call it Pasar Seni Ubud. It is one of the most popular markets in Bali, and is a must visit if you enjoy shopping and handicrafts. The traditional art market itself is located at:

Jalan Raya Ubud No.35,
Ubud, Kabupaten Gianyar,
Bali 80571, Indonesia

It’s open from 8am to 6pm. The Ubud Art Market is a street maze of shops and souvenirs, and if you look hard enough and bargain, you just might find some amazing hidden gems.

What you’ll find:

// Sarongs – We call them `ie lavalava in American Samoa. Probably the most versatile piece of material ever, I love sarongs. You can find mandala prints, elephants, batik and ikat designs in every color and pattern imaginable.

// Penis things – I’m not kidding here. Lots of penis made of wood (yes, it’s punny) that pay tribute to the old practice of penis worship. I don’t know the details of the practice, but you can find huge penis bottle openers and incense holders, which might make a funny and functional souvenir.

// Jewelry – Ubud is known for its talented silver smiths, so you can find silver jewelry pretty much anywhere, and even take a silver making class! I don’t usually wear jewelry, but I couldn’t resist this sterling silver wave shaped ring I bargained for only 40,000 rupiah (~$3USD)!!

// Clothes – Lots of great cotton, linen and even silk garments. Ian bought a blue cotton batik shirt with coconut shell buttons, and I got a 100% silk batik robe which makes me feel so luxurious.

// Bamboo straws – Sustainable and makes great souvenirs to take as gifts for friends. I fell in love with these straws when we had dinner at La Pacha Mama, and was so stoked to find them at the market.

// Bags – Who doesn’t love bags? The rattan roundie bags from Bali are especially popular these days (you might have seen them on instagram). But there are so many different bags to choose from. Straw and canvas totes, cross body bags, clutches, leather purses, backpacks, yoga mat slings… am I missing more?

// Homeware – Dishes and bowls and cups, and candles and cushions and home decor. There is a lot of really beautiful handmade homeware that are perfect for decorating your home.

// So much more – There’s a plethora of fun and interesting trinkets and homeware and decorations. From keychains and koozies to handmade baskets, paintings, toys, and home goods–the Ubud Art Market is a bargain shopper’s heaven.

How to Haggle:

Ask how much, but only ask for the price if you really want to purchase it. The vendors expect that you will haggle so they’ve marked this up by a lot. I’ve found it works best to my advantage when I start asking at only 30% of the ask price. Think about how much you’re willing to pay for it, and consider the time and resources it took to make it. Be fair and always ask with a smile.

*Pro tip: Go to the market early in the morning because vendors believe that their first sale is a sign of a good luck, so they will often offer you the cheaper “morning price”when you’re haggling.

How to Deal with Impulse Spending:

I wanted to buy so many things! I already know that if I ever become a homeowner in the future, I am coming to Bali just to shop for all the cute things to fill my home! On this trip though, I came prepared to resist the urge of spending money on material things. Call me weird but I actually Googled photos of the Ubud Art Market before my trip just to see what I might want to buy and I thought about whether or not I wanted it or needed it. It was actually super helpful. I asked myself: Would I use it? Do I really want to travel with it? For so many of the kitschy things, I probably would get buyer’s regret. Plus, I was determined to make it through this trip with just my backpack and duffel, so my mind was made, and I only bought 6 things I could easily travel with.

What I bought:

1. Silk batik robe. I loooooved this purchase. One of my favorite garments to date and it was in my favorite color, green!

2. Rattan roundie bag. You can probably tell by now from all the photos that I was obsessed with these rattan bags. There were dozens of different shapes and sizes, and if I was to mail a box home, I would have definitely gotten a bunch more.

3. Incense. Ever since my trip to India, I will pretty much only buy sandalwood incense because the scent reminds me of that time of my life, which I loved.

4. Bamboo straws. I love buying things that support environmental wellness, and these eco-friendly bamboo straws were perfect for traveling souvenirs.

5. Sterling silver ring. There were so many to choose from, but I honestly didn’t even want to get a ring until I saw this very simple wave-shaped ring. It was too cute to pass up.

6. Wooden magnets. One of those kitschy things I said I wasn’t going to get, but ended up getting them because they were cute (picked out the flip flops and surfboards shaped magnets) and super cheap.