Jan . 22-Feb . 7 , 2015 11
March 8 - 21 , 2018
Philippine Showbiz Today
Jan . 22-Feb . 7 , 2015 11
Special Features
When we were still kids growing up in the 1960s and 1970s , we acquired the good habit of collecting stuff that we learned to love and take good care . May it be collecting stamps , bottle caps ( tansans ), action figures like G . I . Joe , Revell plastic scale models and Matchbox or Corgi die cast cars , our generation developed this passion of taking care and nurturing our private collections .
“ Karamihan ng toy collectors ay naniniwala na there is no such thing as collecting too much toys . Kuha pa rin ng kuha as long as gusto mo . Iyan ang importante sa pag collect ng toys , as long as gusto mo . Kasi kung bibili ka or kukuha ka lang ng toys na hindi mo naman gusto and for the sake of meron lang , in the long run hindi ka matutuwa or magiging masaya . Magiging parang estorbo na iyan sa iyo ,” said Derrick Ko , Pinoy vintage toy collector .
Basically what Derrick does for a living is collect and sell vintage toys and this has been his passion since he was a little boy . After graduating in college he started out as an Information Technology ( IT ) manager in a Filipino company . After he stopped working as an IT manager he tried his hand in a business and eventually he decided to buy and sell vintage toys .
“ Passion ko talaga ang mag collect at magbenta ng vintage toys . Masaya ako dito sa trabaho ko at iba talaga ang mag share ng vintage toys with other people . Kasi iba talaga ang mararandaman mo na nakikita mo na tatutuwa ang mga bata na they found a toy na matagal na nila hinahanap at finally nakita na .
Pinoy toy collectors on the rise
“ Minsan meron silang toys na matagal na gustong magkaroon at kung saan saan nila hinahanap . Yung iba naaalala nila yung first toy nila at nung umiyak binigyan ng tatay nila ng toy . Maganda talaga ang feeling when they recall the past and toys help them reminisce about the past ,”
by Jose K . Lirios PST Manila Correspondent
Ko explained .
“ Ang first toy collection ko was four action figures . Eventually when I acquired the income to indulge in my passion sarili ko na bumibili ng toys na pwede sa collection ko at naghahanap ako ng old toys . Kasi iyun talaga ang gusto ko at hinahanap ko kung saan saan . Eventually nag grow ang toy collection ko .
“ Iba talaga yung pagkagawa ng old toys at karamihan sa kanila ay hindi mo na talaga mababalikan . Parang time machine siya , ang mga old toys at para ka bumabalik sa dating panahon at biglang maaalala mo kasiyahan ng kabataan mo . Iyon na nga ang sinasabi ng mga matatanda na hindi mo talaga mabibili ng pera .
“ Kasi ngayon ang mga bagong toys paulit ng paulit ang gawa nila at iba na talaga ang pagkagawa ng mga toys na binebenta sa mga malls at toy stores . Not like before when we were still young toys were made to last . Now they don ’ t make toys like they used to ,” said Ko .
Among the hundreds of toys in his collection Ko ’ s favorites are still the robots because it was his firstever toy when he was still a boy . Like the Transformers and Mekanda Robot . Eventually he also got to like the popular action figures like G . I . Joe . He also is proud to say he has dozens of mint condition Matchbox toy cars that are still in their original boxes , Matchbox cars from the 1960s !
“ Ever since I was a little boy I really wanted to collect toys pero wala ako chance noon to do so . Gusto ko talaga mag collect ng toys . I remember sometimes my father would bring me to the toy store and hanggang tingin lang ako sa mga magagandang toys then we would go home . Fast forward and I now have a toy collection of my own and who knows maybe 30 years from now I would be still collecting vintage toys which is my passion ,” said Ko . ●
Astronomical Contemplations at 56 ° North Latitude GMT -7
There are things you know . There are things you know and experience .
And the delight of experiencing something you know academically can catch you by surprise .
Snowflake Hex
For example , every school kid knows that snowflakes are always six-sided . I caught one landing softly on my gloved hand one day . When I saw its hexagon shape , my “ Whoah ” sent my wife into a spasm of giggling at my childlike wonder . Made me appreciate Saturn ’ s hexagon storm all the more . And then I saw the snowcovered car and driveway , and I swore under my breath because of all the shoveling I needed to do again .
TARDIS - Time and Relative Dimension in Space
Geographic time differences is another example . I flew out from Manila on Dec 08 at 3PM . 10,541 kms and 11 hours later , I arrived at Vancouver not only on
the same date still but also earlier at 10AM . I travelled back in time 5 hours . I left after lunch , I arrived before lunch .
And then there ’ s also the geographic coordinate difference . At 56 degrees North latitude , this time of the year , the Sun rises in the Southeast at 9AM , makes a very low 10-degree max arc above the horizon , and then sets in the Southwest at 4PM . It never goes above your head .
Even more surreal is seeing the Moon rising on your left in the East and then turning your head to the right to see the Sun setting in the Southwest – at the same time . Astrophotography Woes At night , to see the North Star ( Polaris ), you have to tilt your head up . Back home at 14 degrees Latitude , all you needed to do is roll your eyes upward . The sight of the Big Dipper asterism under Polaris felt weird . And the counterweight of the equatorial mount doesn ’ t hit the North leg of the tripod . Hallelujah !
The auroras have been number one on my bucket list since long
before the phrase “ bucket list ” was invented . I saw it for the first time on the night of Dec 20 , 2017 . I tried really hard to control it , but I couldn ’ t – I broke down and cried . My wife was with me . Pretty soon we were both crying . She knew that I had dreamt of this for forever . And she was overjoyed that after 2 and a half years of a long-distance relationship , we were finally together again – and looking up at the northern lights . I wanted so much to take a shot of the two of us under the aurora . But then the tears that rolled down my cheeks at the sight of it started to freeze because it was so cold , so we just both went back inside the house .
I used to think that there are two great ironies to astrophotography . One is seeing the North Star but everything else is clouded out . Two is seeing everything else except the North Star . Now there ’ s a third – being under pristine astrophotography winter nights but not being able to get out because it ’ s so cold .
Speaking of the cold , oh my God , the cold . In the list of things
you know and then experience , this will be the most surprising . When you ’ re used to summers of 35 ° C above , a winter on the opposite extreme of -35 ° C below ( with a windchill of -43 ° C below ) is one of those if-it-doesn ’ t-kill-you-willmake-you-stronger life events . I hear the summers are great here . But then the sun doesn ’ t set until 10PM . Yet another fourth irony to add to an astrophotgrapher ’ s woes . ● - Gary Andreassen Fort McMurray , Alberta , Canada 22 January 2018 gbandreassen @ gmail . com