PC: Annie C.
Hi there! My name is John Francis Sapigao or perhaps you know me better as Fran, Frans, Franz, Francis, Francois, or Francisco! I created this space to share my thoughts and creations decoupled from machine algorithms and addictive social media engagement.
I was born in the Philippines, and grew up in Asingan, about three hours north of Manila in the province of Pangasinan. My parents, three younger sisters, and I moved to O'ahu in 2007. I studied business at the University of Hawai'i Mānoa and served in the Hawai'i National Guard for 10 years. During my day job, I work on contracts and numbers but in my free time, I love being active, outside, and in community.
I love being a tourist and have no problem visiting every item off of TripAdvisor’s Top 20 things to see lists, be they ancient ruins, temples, museums, art museums, or markets. As a Hawai'i resident I say, leave the local stuff to the locals!
Before heading out, I like to learn the culture and history of the host country and a bit of the local language(s) and customs. . I also try to be as ethical as I can with my visits. I love to interact with the locals and learn slang and stories from them.
I am the type to plan out very meticulously and do all the things I can possibly fit to max out a day. 30k steps per day would be ideal.
I also try to be as ethical as I can with my visits.
Photography (SHOOTS/COLLECTIONS)
I bring my camera with me everywhere I go. I take pictures of friends, strangers, flowers, architecture, sunrises, sunsets, and stars. My parents got me a camera in high school but I stopped shooting in college after someone stole my camera. For a number of years, I mainly shot pictures on my phone.
At the end of 2022, I went on a trip with a friend with a film camera. Shooting a roll together catalyzed my love for film and reignited a passion for photography in general.
At the end of 2022, I went on a trip with a friend with a film camera. Shooting a roll together catalyzed my love for film and reignited a passion for photography in general.
In 2024, I got a MILC and began learning how to edit. I don’t take commissions for paid work but am down to collaborate! I have myopia aka near-sightedness and require vision correction.
I grew up playing in church worship bands and love jamming and playing with people. In 2021, I took a class on music writing/production and created my first songs ‘meron kali’ and ‘morning memories’. I enjoy music theory and know the basics of some instruments (keys, uke, bass, guitar). I have partial high frequency hearing loss.
As most teenagers do, I started writing poems to air out my angst and to capture my emotions as an adolescent (for my old poems, check out my tumblr!). Most of my early work are sad. Most of my newer work is still sad.
Recently I have been attending poetry open mics when I can (3rd Thursdays at Plantoem in Kaimuki, come!). I would say that my most commonly used style is free verse poetry. English is my third language!