moonlighting the night at the monastery

There were times when at the middle of the night, I would go to the kitchen of the community to take some midnight snacks. I would always bring my camera with me in these moments as I was always anxious of anything that may catch my fancy even in the middle of the night. That's why I captured these scenarios of the Cloister with another monk brother who was also going to the kitchen to do the same.

viewing the busy street of Roscoe Blvd from my bedroom

I lived in the heart of Panorama city since I left the monastery in year 2010. I was lucky to have met a Filipino couple who were looking for someone who may want to share their apartment. I got the room for a very economical rent: 300.00 dollars. It was a blessing for me as I couldn't afford to rent one that costs 500. or more.

buttons...

In modern clothing and fashion design, a button is small fastener, most commonly made of plastic, but also frequently of seashell, which secures two pieces of fabric together. In archaeology, a button can be a significant artifact.

In the applied arts and in craft, a button can be an example of folk art, studio craft, or even a miniature work of art.

Buttons are most often attached to articles of clothing but can also be used on containers such as wallets and bags. However, buttons may be sewn onto garments and similar items exclusively for purposes of ornamentation. Buttons serving as fasteners work by slipping through a fabric or thread loop, or by sliding through a buttonhole.

Because buttons have been manufactured from almost every possible material, both natural and synthetic, and combinations of both, the history of the material composition of buttons reflects the timeline of materials technology.

Buttons can be individually crafed by artisans, craftspeople or artists from raw materials or found objects (for example fossils), or a combination of both. Alternately, they can be the product of low-tech cottage industry or can be mass-produced in high-tech factories.

Buttons made by artists are art objects, known to button collectors as "studio buttons" (or simply "studios", from studio craft).

Nowadays, hard plastic, seashell and wood are the most common materials used in button-making; the others tending to be used only in premium or antique apparel, or found in collections.