Visit me again for candies ! 
Independence Day Date: History in a Building
Saturday, June 20, 2015 posted at 6/20/2015 03:24:00 PM ♥ 0 comments
I felt so ironic celebrating the Philippine Independence Day as I don't believe in the concept for some reasons:
- After Emilio Aguinaldo's proclamation, the Americans conquered the Philippines which made his proclamation a moot effort
- I don't believe in a man who sold our 7,107 island like his own real estate proper (in a stagerring $800,000) to the Spanish then cowardly fleeing to Hong Kong to escape the wrath of the Filipino people
- And I certainly don't believe in a man who killed his fellowmen just to take hold of the Katipunan (See 10 Reasons Many Filipinos Do Not Like Emilio Aguinaldo )
For me, Aguinaldo is the embodiment of greed and corruption and he is definitely the role model of politicians today.
And watching Jorge Estregan's El Presidente made me hate Aguinaldo even more. This biased autobiography should not be shown to students who might believe this senseless drivel.
To fend of my patriotic hate and anguish, my kopi and I decided to visit National Museum. I remember as a child visit this place in one of my field trips, but that was a very long time ago. Also, I want to refresh my history lessons and see if I still got it. I'm a history buff and maybe visiting the place will bring back some of that enthusiasm.
Good thing National Museum, as a treat for the Filipino, opened their doors to the Filipinos. Until June 30, you can visit the museum for FREE! Yes, you heard it right. It is for free.
Unfortunately, we came a little too late (3pm, maybe) which is why were not able to fully explore the place. But I have a goal - I want to see the Spoliarium by Juan Luna, one of the most celebrated Filipino painter and a known Illustrado. Just a trivia, Spoliarium is the painting that Luna submitted at Exposición Nacional de Bellas Artes in 1884 in Madrid, Spain and won the coveted gold medal (Yes, like the Olympics), and proved the world the indios from a lesser known country can beat the pointy-nose aristocrats. The great painter spent eight (8) months on painting his known masterpiece.
I studied in Manila for almost four years, and yet, I was going round in circles not knowing where the museum is. Good thing my dearest roommate is more perceptive than me so he was the one who found the place. Yes, I married a man who is very good on reading maps.
As I said, we were able to explore some of the galleries in the museum but due to lack of time, we were in a hurry to see everything. One tip: plan your dates, especially when you are married. The museum closes at 5pm so we run as fast as we could to the other building to see the Spoliarium. And all that waiting and falling in line was all worth it - the painting was spectacular.It's beauty was not marred by people who are trying to get a shot of the painting.
We spent a little time on Spoliarium and went on to explore some of the pieces on the galleries. I was definitely in awe with Fernando Amorsolo's collection that I wished I was living in his era so he can paint my portrait,
We tried as much see everything with limited time that we had. We immensely enjoyed it, and we are planning to go back when time permits. For those who want to relive their history lessons, feel free to visit National Museum and other museums as well.
For those who are interested, feel free to see the our photos
Labels: blogging, Filipinos, pa-culture
Green Living Ideas for your Space.
Thursday, May 28, 2015 posted at 5/28/2015 10:22:00 PM ♥ 0 comments
Summer in the Philippine is certainly scorching hot, especially this year. Not a single that I go outside not feel the heat of summer. It always feels like I'm being burned to death by the sun, and no shade or roof can ever protect me from the mind-melting heat of summer.
River beds getting dried up, plants and crops dying and wither, and people sweating and getting annoyed, the weather sure is not giving us a cold break. And while I'm writing this article, another country in another part of the world is suffering from immense heat wave. I actually feel that summer in the Philippines is the worst but seeing India heat wave situation, I must say that we are living in Arctic Circle.
Based on the reports I read, the weather in India is so hot it even melted road asphalt and the temperature reach a stunning and frightening 117 degrees Fahrenheit. And the roads are not the only ones suffering the beating, casualties caused by heat stroke is almost 800.
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| Photos from Hindustan Times |
But as cliche as it may seem, I still believe that change starts from you. So I did some simple research on how we can start being good to Mother Nature and saved some $$$ in the process - and it starts in our home,
This infographic from Fort Global Condo can give you an idea on how to start making your place greener.There are condos in BGC who already started with the green revolution. And I think it is time for you to start it in your own homes.
Labels: blogging, living, tips
Hello 2014!
Tuesday, December 31, 2013 posted at 12/31/2013 11:46:00 PM ♥ 0 comments
From my family to yours...
Labels: goals for 2014
Outgoing and Incoming...
Sunday, December 29, 2013 posted at 12/29/2013 07:14:00 PM ♥ 0 comments
2013 is almost over. Two more days and we will have another year to think about. As a tradition, we always look back on the events of the outgoing year. When I was still working at drama anthology show, they explained that looking back is somewhat a catharsis - a process of releasing to provide relief. It may be true for some people but for a few, it is like reliving the nightmare and pain of the past.
For the Philippines, this year is something most people wanted to forget. It had been a harrowing year for the country with all the the corruption expose and disasters (natural and man-made) that hit us. Saying that we are resilient in the face of calamity is now an understatement. It is more than resiliency. I don't what it is called, but we, Filipinos have given our all and braved, still braving, all the things fate and destiny was and has been bestowing upon us.
On the personal level, I think there is not much going on for me. Well, a new job definitely gave me more freedom but at the same time stall my growth. On the relationship part, it has been, well, little less dramatic but has its down moments. I admit there there was a time when I try to tell myself that there is no next level. For me, it is easier to think that way rather than to hope or expect for anything. But after having "the talk", he gave me hope that we are going somewhere. Maybe I'm just getting a little impatient but you have to understand that time is of the essence for me.
Eventually, that talk led to some planning. Vague plans which I don't want to think about since I have plans on my own. And that plans led to my vision board. Looking at it, I think what I want in life is pretty simple compared to those who aspire to conquer the world.
Like what Buddha says, "To conquer the world, you have to conquer yourself." I believe that saying should be the standard guiding principle in life. It is hard to take over a dominion if you don't have the basic knowledge of who you are and what you want. Simple pointers that are often ignored. I was a fool back then when I dreamt that I can take over the world without knowing myself. It stressed me out. With that, I wanted to start with something that is reachable and possible.
Labels: business, finances, goals for 2014, living, trip to the aisle
Button Wreath & Bonifacio
Saturday, November 30, 2013 posted at 11/30/2013 07:46:00 PM ♥ 0 comments
Christmas is closing in, and I'm a little embarrassed to say that our home doesn't have a touch of the holiday season yet. In fact, it is like our usual place. Way back the 90s, our home was one of the residences here in our barangay that decorate and set up Christmas tree as early as November. I remember getting excited about decorating.
But times changed. When my brothers started to have their own families, I think they took away our urge and joy of setting up our Christmas decors. Last 2011, I bought a Santa Clause light decor so will have something to remind us of Christmas. I expect it would like until 2015, but after two years of giving some much needed light on our balcony, it malfunction this year. I guess you can't really trust the things your co-worker offers you.
Anyway, to gear up for the holidays, me and my mother decided to do something to "Christmascify" our home. Since we are tried of setting up a Christmas tree, we opt for our DIY wreath and Christmas Parol. My mother is a master crafter. She can practically do anything and use anything and in the end it will turn out great. My skills in crafting will never ever get to hear level. Since she knows better, she's the one who's making the Parol and I will be in charge of the wreath. And because we have a lot of buttons in our house, we decided to make a wreath using the colorful buttons.
I was inspired by the idea I saw in PH Learning, a Facebook page which sells stuff that can be use for crafting. They also post several craft works that serve as an inspiration for many craft lovers out there. I tried to recreate their button wreath, but I know that it is far from the expected results.
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| Photo from PH Learning |
- Buttons (different sizes and colors)
- Glue gun and glue stick
- a circular board
- Ribbons
Steps
1. Wrap your circular board with the ribbon. Carefully glue the end of the ribbon and stick them to the board.
2. Carefully place the buttons and glue them on the board
Pretty simple, right?
Well, here's my masterpiece:
Today is Bonifacio Day. To those who have no access to the Internet or living on a rock, this day is named after Andres Bonifacio, leader and founder of the revolutionary group Katipunan. Ka Andres, as what the historians fondly called him, was known for his bravery. But sadly, he is also a victim of early politics when General Emilio Aguinaldo, one of the his comrades in Katipunan, ordered his execution.
But for me, Andres Bonifacio is truly the first President of the Republic of the Philippines. I don't think a person who claimed to love the Philippines and sold it overnight to the Americans should be considered a president. But we cannot undo the past. All we can do is honor Bonifacio's heroism and let his ideals live within every Filipino.
Labels: craft or crap?, Filipinos, Philippines
Yolanda, Plans, et. al
posted at 11/30/2013 06:24:00 PM ♥ 0 comments
It's been so long since I visited my Blogger account. A lot of things happened, and still, I cannot bring myself to write anything. Maybe the gravity of things make it hard to put it into words, or sometimes we just don't know what to say.
But I will try my damndest to describe everything in my on terms...
The devastation that is Yolanda
Last November 7, an exceptionally powerful cyclone hit the Philippines, particularly the Visayas region. Typhoon Yolanda (international name: Haiyan) had a maximum sustained winds reaching to 235 kph, breaking records and considered as one of the strongest tropical storm to landfall in a certain area.
The night before, President Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino made a national announcement about the coming storm and warn the people about devastation it can bring to the affected areas. Storm are constant visitors of our country. The Philippines probably experienced hundreds, if not thousands, of storms in it's lifetime. But the sad part is, no matter how many times we experience it, we still didn't bother to prepare ourselves.
We saw the aftermath of the storm. How Yolanda wiped the city of Tacloban, a once prosperous city in Visayas. Homes were destroyed, people were displaced, and many lives were lost on this catastrophic storm. But what's even saddening and shocking was the action of the government. It was apparent that our country is not ready to respond on such situations. For the first five days, people were waiting for their government to help them. They don't have shelter, food, and they are in wreck trying to stay sane and alive at the same time.
The whole world watched and took notice of the little country in the Southeast Asia. And they watched how incapable our government is to mobilize relief and rescue operations in the devastated area. And even before they were able to lend help, they took time to find someone to blame in the midst of the calamity. And it took one foreign media personality to wake them up and get their asses working. Apparently, Anderson Cooper's reportage is more credible than our own media.
Nations around the world extended their helping us to us, giving the people of Visayas tons of food, medicines, and help people to get over and even rebuild their lives. For that, I want to thank them. I want to thank them for doing what our government should be doing. For taking the initiative to help our Kababayans even though we are not your citizens. We are forever indebted to all of you.
And also, thank our fellow Kababayans who extend help. I read many reports about people giving what they can and donating clothes, relief goods, and other things that our fellowmen in Visayas can use to start over again. Some of us don't have enough, but you were still able to give something to uplift the grieving hearts of your fellow people.
I think resiliency is not only the lesson we learned from this unfortunate event. For one, nature is, and will always be, stronger than us. Our existence is just a fleeting moment. We never know when a disaster will strike. We should be prepared, physically, mentally, and emotionally for what will happened and the aftermath of it. Time is also of the essence so give and share time.
As for our government, pointing fingers will get you nowhere. Learn from this experience. We cannot undo the past or give back the life of the people in Visayas. But you, of all the people, can help them start again. You have the capability, resources, and the power to make it happen. Set aside the political drama and show your people that they made the right decision of voting for you.
The Filipino's spirit is known all over the world. We live in a country where natural and man-made disasters are common scenarios. But I hope that aside from having the strength to stand again, we learn from this experience.
People of our country, stay strong because I'm sure there are more storms to brave - literally and figuratively.
Personal Plans
On the other hand, I'm having some existential anguish. Now, my life is on hold for so many reasons. The person who I expected to lead me is tending someone else's life. And so, his life is on hold too. And the infuriating thing is, these people are doing nothing to make their lives better. I say, get up and do something! The world isn't gonna give you what you want if you don't work for it!
Anyway, with that, I decided to push through with my plans on starting my own trade. I know it is risky but I want to do something while working. I don't want to be a corporate slave forever. So my friend and I will be setting up our accessories business soon.
Labels: blogging, Philippines, work
Halloween Trick or Treat: Wednesday Addams Makes Growing Up Sounds Easy
Sunday, November 3, 2013 posted at 11/03/2013 07:55:00 AM ♥ 0 comments
Halloween is almost done. Actually, we don't have Halloween here in the Philippines. I mean, it is not part of our tradition. What we have here is All Saints Day and All Souls Day, well for that's it for most Catholics anyway. We visit the graves of our departed relatives and pray for the repose of their souls. Sadly, I wasn't able to visit because of work. You know, we have to work to make a living even if its holidays or Halloween. I just hope that my gramps understand (Sorry! Sorry! Sorry!)
Anyway, I'm kinda surprise when I heard a group of children here in our area were having a trick or treat activity. I guess they want to have a taste of Western Halloween.
But if children here are trying to replicate the culture of the Western region, our favorite odd, scary girl want to have a taste of normal life. Yes, Wednesday Addams is finally a woman and want to experience the normal life in Hollywood. Now, Wednesday Addams is my favorite character. Her no-shit approach since she was a kid is admirable. Her methods are a little extreme, but hey, we do what we have to do!
Since the series and the movie ended, I haven't seen another Addams Family show. And I'm so glad that someone got the chutzpah to relive it again. The Adult Wednesday Addams is an internet series written and starred by Melissa Hunter and directed by Mike Bernstein. Most of the videos are two to three minutes long, but the shortness of time didn't hinder the presentation of humor. They released the video every Wednesday (Thursday on this part of the world). I'm definitely following it. As of now, they released a total of six videos detailing how Wednesday Addams cope up in the glittery world of Hollywood.
As my Halloween treat, I'm gonna share the first episode.
On their maiden episode, Wednesday Addams moved out of the Addams' Manor. Her first agenda: to find a place to live. She was able to find one and met her future roommates. Here is how the scenario played out.
Glad to see that Wednesday is trying out the outside world.
I promise to share some of the vids in the coming days! I hope you share my excitement!
Labels: internet stuff