Taking the #PerfectOOTD with OPPO F1s

I could spell I-N-S-E-C-U-R-I-T-Y at the age of 5. Trust me, you do not want to grow up being compared to your beautiful sisters. I have lumber jack shoulders, a face as round as the yahoo messenger icon and a not so impressive height.  On my teenage years, I hate wearing tight clothes because it emphasized how ungifted I am on the chest area. I am skinny and have the most unproportionate body. Every morning, I stare at the mirror and silently whisper, “I hate myself”.

Fast forward. College. With the help of the people I surround with and the ideologies I started to embrace, I finally made amend of my imperfections. Like really, I had to accept who I am or else I had to work my ass off to earn money for surgery. Kidding, the latter is not even an option.

Amidst all these struggles within, I had a dirty little secret.  I love fashion. I daydream of modeling the clothes I created. Geez, God knows how obsess I am with Project Runway, America’s Next Top Model, and all other shows that has to do with runways, models, and fabric. I go gaga when I enter boutiques trying to mentally mix-and-match the stuff inside.

Taking the perfect outfit of the day is very important to me because I really wanted to express myself on the clothes I wear. For me, it is art. But one of the major challenges I had to face on this quest is being uncomfortable in front of the camera. Yes, I learned to embrace the blotches of my physical appearance but there is still this small voice of insecurity that is holding me back.

What will the world say if I post this photo? Will they notice how flat-chested I am? Will they ridicule me because I don't even look like a model? Will they hate the entirety of my look because it does  not scream sophistication and glamour which is the stereotype of fashion?  

And then it dawned unto me. What now if they hate everything about me? Or maybe, I was just creating this hate thing in my head? What would I lose if I try it? Thanks to the support of my family, I am now getting out of my comfort zone. I can now smile and pose in front of the camera with ease because I know the person behind it loves me unconditionally no matter how I look. Yes, my family members are my photographers.

It worried me at first because I really am not into makeup. And according to most of the fashion blogs I follow, good make up must go with your fashion. I am just thankful that OPPO F1s hosts plug-ins and filters that I can play with to have the endless opportunity of sharing creative photos. It really is a savior because I am no fan of makeup. All you can find in my mini kit is a facial moisturizer and a lip tint.

Also, I am just an ordinary working student. I fear that the fashion community would oust me if I could not afford signature clothes. But then again, for me, if you really are passionate about it, you can pull off fashion without splurging too much. Fashion is not expensive. Fashion is a challenge to be creative.

I am still continuously building that confidence to dress, express, and share. With the journey, I came to realize that the formula for a perfect OOTD shot is an attitude that you can pull off everything and a camera that supports your goal like OPPO F1s.

Exploring Tinago Falls, Iligan City: Easy and Budget Friendly

It was really a loss not exploring Tinago Falls when I was yet a student. How could I miss that unfathomable cold

blue water that is one of the most visited places in Iligan City when I was just more than an hour away from it? Nevertheless, I had an awesome date with my mudra and bro there just  months ago. The day after my bro's grad we decided to have an instant picnic and it was one of the best getways I ever had. Iba talaga pag pamilya kasama!

All About Food

If you are just from the area and want a quick plunge, I think grabbing few chichirias and soda will do. However, since I am a glutton (sometimes) and I did not want to starve my family, my brother and I went to the city market for ready-to-eat foods. I was very happy about the fresh fruits at very affordable prices. I bought a large slice of jackfruit for just P20! For those who want to do some hardwork, you can buy fish and meat and grill them at the area.

The Transportation

From Iligan City, you can hop on a jeep going to Buru-un. Fare is just P15. Ask the driver to drop you at the junction going to Tinago Falls. From there, you can take a motorcylce for P25. For convenience, we hailed a cab that brought us to where we needed to start walking down to the falls. We only paid P250 and I thought that was fair enough. Be sure to talk to your driver for the fare before jumping in.

The Experience

The majestic Tinago Falls is tucked in a deep ravine. On the way down the 600 steps, I took
note of not getting too drunk because I wanted to get home with intact ribs. It is steep. I had difficulty going down. I could not imagine going back up.

I am not fan of swimming but this one inflicted me with very swollen arms because my brother and I keep on wading for the rest of the afternoon. I don't know how to swim so the I guess it must be life jacket that gave me so much confidence. We also tried riding the balsa and it literally had stopped my breathing. I was overwhelmed by the water falling down with such intensity and it drove me crazy how to get away from it. I've almost drowned twice and it drew that feeling back.

The Disadvantage

First thing that really turned me off is the unpleasant smell of the water. I do not know how to put it but it smells malangsa sometimes especially if you stay just on the rocks. Second thing is the comfort room. I wish that some of fees collected will go to the construction of a better rest room. I mean, you have to pay P5 everytime you use it but you have to make do of a cubicle that has overflowing water and a door that threatens to fall on you any minute because it is damaged. Most of the cottages had no roof as well so it is really hard to keep your things dry if it rains.

Budget

Guide  - P150 (My brother is frequent to this place so we really didn't need any tour guide. However, people insisted and mudra favored for it because we will have someone to watch for our things and take our photos) 
If you are on a budget

Cab Fare (Iligan City - Tinago) - P250
Motorfare (Tinago - Junction) - P25
Jeep Fare (Junction - Iligan City) - P15
Environmental fee - P70
Life jacket - P30
Food - Depends on you