Shoveling in a snowstorm, from a few weeks ago.


My name is Dean Santarinala, and I am a 20-something living in the Chicagoland area trying to find my place in the Universe. I have always enjoyed art and drawing, and along the way I picked up a camera and fell in love with photography.
Shoveling in a snowstorm, from a few weeks ago.


It is really unusual for me to look at photos of my paternal family from a completely different era in time. I found these locked in a chest that had been sitting in my closet at home for years, using a hammer to smash the lock open because we had forgotten the combination. I was curious because I had no idea what was inside. After I opened it, I found a wealth of family home movies and an old photo album. Unfortunately I don’t have a VHS, Super8, or miniDV VCR to check those videos out yet. Rest assured, “Ian and Queen of All Saints Basketball Game 1993,” “Sheila and Girlscouts go to the Zoo,” and “Dindo’s 1st Birthday Party” may go on YouTube in the near future. Anyway, the photo album was a delight to look through for the first time. There are many more that I might upload later, but these were my favorite.
It has been a while since I last saw a photo of my grandfather, Vicente Santarinala. A little more than 7 years ago this month he passed away. Requiescat In Pace.
My niece got her toes done up with her fingernails matching. She came over to stay with my mom and I last Saturday, I think it was the first time she had nail polish put on. Doesn’t she look so excited?


Stopped by prosel park to watch my friends play football. The weather was nice, for a few days at least.






Two weekends ago I went home for my niece’s 1st birthday party. Filipino parties are pretty boring for me when there’s no one my age to converse with, so I mostly played with my nieces, but the real treat of these parties is THE FOOD! I miss it so much when I’m at school! My mom made me a care package of Filipino food to take back to school with me, but I forgot to grab it off the coffee table before I left! :-(





